BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
PARKER UNIVERSITY Embraces Collaborative Approaches to Health Care
As society continues to embrace integrative health care models, students pursuing careers in wellness disciplines and health professionals that want to enhance skills they can offer to patients are seeking formal training to meet current needs. Because of today’s growing demand for collaborative care, Parker University has developed curricula that employ more interdisciplinary approaches. “Eastern and conventional medicine both work well, but when you combine the disciplines, they work even better,” advises Dr. Tammy Fogarty, dean of health and human performance. “We like to use a collaborative approach, not just in academics, but also in our on-campus clinics.” In addition to being ambitious, compassionate and energetic, students are prepared for careers as industry leaders with techniques and knowledge gained from real-world experience. Founder Dr. James Parker established a set of principles that continues to guide students on a campus that honors tradition, but encourages innovation.
Photo Credit Parker University
by Sheila Julson
“In our programs, the curriculum encourages students to identify the root cause of an ailment or disease, and in some instances, they need to seek treatment options outside of one field,” Fogarty says. “Our chiropractic students, while going through the chiropractic program, are eligible to enroll in any of our master’s degree programs. When they graduate, not only are they chiropractors, but they also have a master’s in a complementary field. This gives them an opportunity to provide an interdisciplinary approach to health and wellness.” Fogarty cites Parker’s neuroscience program as another example of the university’s interdisciplinary approach. The new Synapse: Human Performance Center exemplifies this approach by offering the latest in neuroscience and evidence-based therapies for patients and brings together diverse healthcare professionals to one location. This protype clinic showcases professionals from such diverse fields as chiropractic, neurology, physiology, occupational therapy, massage therapy and nutrition, working together to provide a patient-centered, collaborative approach to care. Fogarty says that when chiropractors attend continuing education seminars, they take an hour-long class in nutrition or exercise training to earn continuing education credits, but there’s no formal education. “So, what we can offer our students is to not only graduate with a chiropractic degree,
Parker University offers a wide variety of degree programs, including bachelor’s degrees in Integrative health, psychology, strength and human performance, as well as associate degrees in massage therapy, occupational therapy assistant and radiologic technology. Several online master’s degrees are also offered in functional nutrition, strength and human performance, neuroscience and clinical neuroscience, and public health. The university continues to offer the doctor of chiropractic degree. Due to their diverse offerings, Parker is fortunate to have a faculty from different health-related fields that contributes to its interdisciplinary approach to health and wellness.
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