(Kansas City, MO – March 1, 2018) – Avila University has partnered with St. Joseph Medical Center (SJMC), to enhance the health services offered on campus. Avila and SJMC will begin co-operating the college’s on-site student health center as of August 1, 2018. The partnership combines traditional on-campus care with expanded access to award-winning hospital, specialty care, outpatient services, and a variety of outreach programs.
The health center was previously operated by an Avila-employed registered nurse. “Our nurse operated health center was a fantastic resource for students but, when nurse Carol Frevert decided to retire, we wanted to look at other options to expand services at the Heath Center,” said Avila University Assistant Vice President of Student Development and Success Darby Gough. St. Joseph Medical Center and Avila University were both founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Both institutions have kept their Catholic identity and have official agreements in place with the diocese of Kansas City.
Lorna McCartney, FNP-C, will be the full-time nurse practitioner in the health center. She is familiar with college level student care and provides day-to-day oversight for on-campus diagnoses, treatment, and prescription services for common illnesses and injuries for students and employees of Avila University.
The health center is a satellite office connected with Kansas City Family Medical Care, within SJMC and under the direction of consulting physician, Neal Erickson, MD.
“The move expands services to students, including adding more hours that the center is open. The main reason for the change at the health center was to improve service provided to our students and faculty,” Gough said. “Our top priority, our mission, is our students. Avila is fortunate to have a neighbor like St. Joseph Medical Center.”
“We are very excited to partner with Avila,” said Jodi Fincher, SJMC’s Administrator. “We believe this agreement can pave the way for a much broader relationship to serve the campus and the community.”
One of the benefits of working together is that students with more complex conditions that require treatment beyond what the health center can provide will have access to all the services available within the hospital system, Fincher said. “We will be able to more easily connect students with other services available in our system in a coordinated model of care”.
About St. Joseph Medical Center
St. Joseph Medical Center is a faith-based, 310-bed hospital providing a wide range of acute care and outpatient services. Key services include St. Joseph Heart Institute, Senior Care Services, Breast Center and Joint and Spine Institute. St. Joseph is a member of Prime Healthcare. Prime Healthcare and its hospitals have been recognized as among the “100 Top Hospitals” in the nation 38 times and among the “15 Top Health Systems” three times, and Prime Healthcare is the only “Top 10 Health System” west of the Mississippi. We believe that continuous, quality of care and performance improvements are the foundation for preserving and enhancing healthcare delivery. For more information, visit stjosephkc.com.
About Avila University
Avila University, a Catholic University founded and inspired by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, provides undergraduate and graduate education in the liberal arts and professional studies, preparing lifelong learners who make meaningful contributions to the global community.