Shenandoah University and Inova Partner to Educate the Healthcare Workforce of the Future

Inova Center For Personalized Health To House Programs

Winchester, Va. (April 3, 2017) – Shenandoah University and Inova announced today a collaborative partnership to educate the next generation of healthcare professionals with an emphasis on population health, pharmacogenomics, and other new healthcare technologies. The partnership builds upon the individual strengths of Inova and Shenandoah and expands an existing partnership of 25 years. Inova has committed to make a $5 million investment to support the partnership’s educational programs.

The newly announced programs in nursing, public health, pharmacogenomics and healthcare information technology – solidified by today’s ceremonial signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Inova and Shenandoah – will be headquartered and facilitated at the Inova Center for Personalized Health (ICPH) in Fairfax, Virginia.

As part of this new collaboration at ICPH, Shenandoah’s Northern Virginia Doctorate in Pharmacy program, which currently serves approximately 160 students, will relocate to the ICPH campus as well and begin classes at ICPH in August 2017. The pharmacy program is part of Shenandoah’s Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy, one of the first pharmacy schools in the country to incorporate an emphasis in pharmacogenomics into its curriculum. Shenandoah will also continue to operate a pharmacy doctoral program at its Winchester location, with opportunities for students and faculty at both campuses to collaborate through interprofessional education, research and international travel and clinical experiences.

The partnership between Inova and Shenandoah is foundational to Inova’s plans to be a global leader in personalized health. As genetic testing becomes more commonplace, education must include applicable course work and subsequent clinical experience. Specifically trained healthcare professionals will be prepared to advise patients and families, as well as facilitate a patient’s personalized health plan, which is designed to mitigate immediate risk and achieve long-term healing and health.

“We are excited to announce this integrated education and practice partnership between Shenandoah University and Inova,” said Shenandoah University’s Vice President for Academic Affairs Adrienne Bloss, Ph.D. “This partnership will produce skilled practitioner-leaders who are experienced in the interprofessional, team-based care model and play an important role in health-care delivery in the region immediately upon their graduation.”

These additional programs will increase the number of medical and health care professionals serving the Northern Virginia community and beyond. Planned programs include:

• Master of Science in Nursing – Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
• Master of Science in Nursing – Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP)
• Master of Public Health (MPH)
• Master of Science in Pharmacogenomics & Precision Medicine

Postgraduate certificates in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) and Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) will be offered, as well as a certificate in Patient Care Navigation and online certificates in Healthcare Information Technology (HIT), Pharmacogenomics & Precision Medicine and Public Health. The new programs are focused on advanced training, with the certificates, specifically, designed to serve the needs of current, practicing health care professionals both at Inova and across the country.

“For two decades, our organizations have collaborated to provide programs in nursing, respiratory care, occupational therapy, physical therapy and physician assistant studies,” observed Mark Stauder, president and COO of Inova. “Today’s announcement expands Shenandoah University’s medical educational programs and, thereby, increases the number of health care professionals available to serve the needs of the Northern Virginia community.”

Shenandoah University is now recruiting for many of these programs and certificates, and will enroll students within the year. Following approvals by the appropriate accrediting associations, most programs are expected to begin in August 2017, with the exception of the Master of Science in Pharmacogenomics & Precision Medicine and the postgraduate certificate in Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, which are expected to begin in August 2018. Many students in these programs will have the opportunity to complete clinical experiences and rotations at Inova facilities.

The Shenandoah University presence at ICPH will consist of nearly 28,000 square feet of space, designed and built out specifically for the university’s use and to include administrative, classroom, and clinical space.

Inova facilities have provided clinical learning opportunities for Shenandoah’s physical therapy and occupational therapy students since the early 1990s, clinical rotations for many Shenandoah nursing students since 2001, and clinical experiences for many Shenandoah pharmacy students since 2010. In 2008, the two organizations built upon these earlier collaborations and then again officially expanded their partnership in 2013.

In addition to the university’s health care programs and pharmacy school presence in Northern Virginia, the university also offers programs in education, organizational leadership and business at its Scholar Plaza location in Loudoun County.

Inova is a global leader in personalized health, which leverages precision medicine to predict, prevent and treat disease, enabling individuals to live longer, healthier lives. Inova serves more than 2 million people each year from throughout the Washington, DC, metro area and beyond. 

Inova is shaping the future of health through an integrated network of hospitals, primary and specialty care practices, emergency and urgent care centers, outpatient services and destination institutes.  Inova’s commitment to health and wellness is further reflected in sustainable practices. Inova is home to world-class researchers, expert medical specialists and renowned scientists, who are driving innovation to improve patient care, prevent disease and promote wellness. For more information, visit inova.org, or find Inova on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Shenandoah University was established in 1875, and is headquartered in Winchester, Virginia, with additional educational sites in Clarke County, Loudoun and Ashburn. Shenandoah is a private, nationally recognized university that blends the best of professional studies and the liberal arts. Shenandoah promotes a close-knit community rich in creative energy and intellectual challenge. With nearly 4,000 students in more than 100 academic programs in seven different schools, Shenandoah students collaborate with accomplished professors who provide focused, individual attention, all the while leading several programs to be highly nationally ranked. Through innovative partnerships and programs at both the local and global level, there are exceptional opportunities for students to learn in and out of the classroom. Shenandoah empowers its students to improve the human condition and to be principled professionals and leaders wherever they go. For more information, visit su.edu.

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