ConcordiaCollege.edu/HealthProfessions
In June 2021, Concordia announced that the School of Health Professions will be renamed the Sanford Heimarck School of Health Professions in honor of Sanford’s support and its efforts to meet critical workforce needs in the region. Sanford also has donated a facility just south of Concordia’s campus that will house the school after renovations are complete in 2023. The building will be named the Heimarck Center in honor of Dr. Theodore Heimarck, who founded Concordia’s healthcare administration program in 1966 – the first undergraduate program of its kind built on a liberal arts education. The Sanford Heimarck School of Health Professions offers: • Pass rates on national licensure exams that continually exceed national pass rates and have some of the top rates in the Midwest • High placement rates for pre-health professions graduates in professional schools (medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, etc.) • Strong job placement rates – often before graduation • Small class sizes and ongoing faculty mentor relationships • Opportunities to learn about the many health professions programs before deciding which to pursue • Significant applied learning experiences in a wide range of health, wellness, and social service organizations • An alumni network that is actively engaged in the college’s programs In this booklet, you will find more information about the programs offered in the Sanford Heimarck School of Health Professions and some alumni highlights. If you are passionate about pursuing a career in the health professions, feel free to reach out to me directly. I hope I have a chance to meet you and introduce you to our faculty and programs. If you are still deciding, I encourage you to explore all of Concordia’s 120+ areas of study and learn about the benefits of a Concordia education by scheduling a campus visit at ConcordiaCollege.edu/Visit. Sincerely, Dr. Cynthia Carver Dean, Sanford Heimarck School of Health Professions carver@cord.edu | 218.299.3154
HISTORY OF EXCELLENCE The Sanford Heimarck School of Health Professions was established to expand on the college’s strong history of educating sought-after health professions practitioners and administrators. The school’s undergraduate, postbaccalaureate, and graduate programs prepare students for a diverse range of healthrelated career paths – from leadership to direct care. Courses are designed to emphasize collaborative ways of learning that mirror the team-based approaches used in most health professions organizations today. Faculty are well-connected to regional employers, providing access to stellar internship and practicum experiences.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES 1. Interprofessional Education Cultivate a deep understanding and appreciation for the various types of health professionals that students will work with in their careers. 2. Interdisciplinary Education Understand the complexity and ambiguity of issues and decisions and the value of bringing diverse perspectives to bear. 3. Collaborative Team-Based Education Experience practical and effective ways to participate and lead in diverse teams.
Graduate School Acceptance Rates
Licensure Exam One-Year Pass Rates
CHIROPRACTIC 100% | DENTAL 81% MEDICAL 91% | OPTOMETRY 100% VETERINARY 100%
NUTRITION/DIETETICS 100%
(2014-19)
(2020)
NURSING 100% (2021)
PROGRAM DISTINCTIONS
Our team-based approach focuses on building collaborative skills across all disciplines in the Sanford Heimarck School of Health Professions. We are grounded in the liberal arts, providing our graduates with the problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills that health professions systems are seeking. WE’VE GOT OPTIONS In your first year, you’ll be introduced to a variety of health professions — allowing you to make the best career choice for you. PERSONALIZED CARE Small class sizes, individual meetings with faculty, and faculty-advised student organizations are a priority in your learning experience. Student-led organizations are active on campus and within the Fargo-Moorhead community.
APPLIED LEARNING
Your Concordia education extends beyond the classroom with integrative learning opportunities. Every student participates in at least two PEAK (Pivotal Experience in Applied Knowledge) opportunities. This means you’ll have a variety of ways to apply your knowledge that will prepare you for real-life situations. This kind of learning appeals to future employers and professional/graduate schools. In fact, we regularly hear from health providers that our students are ready to “hit the ground running” because of the experiences they had at Concordia.
ADVISING
Every student in our health professions programs has a full-time faculty member as an advisor. Our graduates regularly report they had one or more significant mentoring relationships with a faculty member. Faculty also work with students to find their internship or practicum placements rather than students having to do that on their own (a practice that is common at some institutions). Many faculty mentoring relationships continue long after students graduate from Concordia. The Health Professions Advisory Committee is a team of faculty that is committed to helping students interested in health professions. These faculty regularly assist students with their job searches and applications to professional or graduate schools. HPAC members will also assist with preparation for the MCAT and provide the strategy you need to become a competitive medical school applicatant.
PARTNERS
We’ve built strong relationships with some of the largest premier health, wellness, and social service organizations in the region. You’ll experience clinicals and internships, developing connections with these providers and preparing you for your future goals.
Concordia has had more Torrison Scholarship recipients than any other ELCA school
PRE-MED Yanick Tade ’21 from Windom, Minn., majored in biology and neuroscience. He is currently a grad student at Creighton University School of Medicine.
CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE EXERCISE SCIENCE Clinical Practice, Rehabilitation, and Therapy Fitness, Strength, and Conditioning FOOD/NUTRITION/DIETETICS HEALTHCARE LEADERSHIP Healthcare Administration Healthcare Financial Management Long-Term Care Administration NURSING (B.S.N.) NUTRITION FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS PRE-HEALTH PROFESSIONS Pre-Athletic Training Pre-Chiropractic Pre-Dentistry Pre-Medicine Pre-Occupational Therapy Pre-Optometry Pre-Pharmacy Pre-Physical Therapy Pre-Physician Assistant Pre-Veterinary Medicine PRE-MEDICINE POST BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM SOCIAL WORK
NURSING Anna Sprunger ’20 from Fargo, N.D., majored in nursing and German. She is currently a grad student at the University of Wisconsin and a registered nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison.
PRE-DENTISTRY Kevin Marzolf ’19 from Mankato, Minn., majored in biology. He is currently a Doctor of Dental Surgery student at the University of Minnesota.
EXERCISE SCIENCE Kendra Stoick ’18 from Monticello, Minn., double majored in exercise science and food/nutrition/dietetics. She is now a clinical dietitian at McLeod Health in Florence, S.C.
HEALTHCARE LEADERSHIP Blake Kragnes ’20 from Dilworth, Minn., studied business, healthcare leadership, and long-term care administration. He is now an administrator at Knife River Care Center in Beulah, N.D.
LEARN
WORK
LEAD
The school will organize, support, and advance the work of our health professions programs, aiming to sustain and grow best practices in our array of programs. Strong national accreditation reviews and pass rates on licensure exams that far exceed national averages will continue to be hallmarks of the school.
The school will embrace the value of learning in professional settings. It will make strategic use of expert and thoughtful professionals working in settings across the health continuum to provide context and invaluable experience for those preparing to enter the dynamic and challenging fields that make up existing and emerging health professions.
The school will prepare its graduates to be innovative, ethical leaders. It will incorporate leadership and ethics education into its curriculum, focus on interprofessional education, and ensure that students are guided and mentored by proven and emerging leaders within the health field. It will be an early adopter and advocate for the most promising developments in education for health professions.
THREE STATE-OF-THE-ART CLASSROOMS Nursing Simulation Lab Nutrition Assessment Lab Human Performance Lab (for exercise science) All three labs provide space for simulation as well as teaching. Home Health Simulation Room Simulates a home setting where social workers, dietitians, nurses, etc., might do a home visit to assess and counsel a client. Telehealth Room Simulates a telehealth video conference with a client, a form of direct care that is growing exponentially. Interview and Consultation Rooms Simulate one-on-one interviews or consultations with patients and/or clients and includes learning spaces ranging from a board room to a high-tech classroom. Interactive Spaces Provide numerous informal gathering and study spaces for students and faculty to interact within and across disciplines. As a part of the project, the Nursing Skills Lab in the Integrated Science Center is being renovated and will now also house a teaching lab space and nutritional laboratory spaces.
Office of Admission
218.299.3004 | admissions@cord.edu
924834/1M/0122
901 8th St. S., Moorhead, MN 56562