EWU and St. Luke’s Partner on New Outpatient Therapy Clinic
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Eastern Washington University (EWU) and St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute are partnering on a new outpatient physical and occupational therapy clinic to provide additional patient access to quality care and valuable hands-on training for university students.
The collaborative clinic is located inside the Spokane Teaching Health Clinic (STHC) in Spokane's University District. EWU and St. Luke's celebrate the grand opening from 5-6 p.m., Wednesday, April 26, inside the STHC at 624 E. Front Ave.
The 5,400 square foot clinic with state-of-the-art physical, occupational and sports injury rehabilitation equipment will serve patients from the community while St. Luke's therapists collaborate with EWU faculty to incorporate student learning into their daily routine.
"This great partnership with St. Luke's gives us a way to offer students clinical experiences earlier in their programs while providing a critical service to the community," says Laureen O'Hanlon, dean of EWU's College of Health Science and Public Health. "Eastern students will be receiving a cutting-edge education that positions them well to be leaders in their fields."
The clinic will be St. Luke's tenth outpatient clinic in the community. To begin, it will be staffed with three full-time St. Luke's employees: admissions coordinator, physical therapist (PT), and occupational therapist (OT). A clinic observation room will allow EWU PT and OT students to observe treatment sessions without disrupting the delivery of patient care.
"St. Luke's remains committed to providing a space where students going into the field of rehabilitative care are able to hone their skills through observation and hands-on experience," said Nancy Webster, St. Luke's hospital administrator. "Building on existing collaborations with Eastern Washington University and other universities at our inpatient rehabilitation hospital, this new outpatient therapy program ensures the next generation of skilled therapists and provides additional therapy care to our communities."
Administrators say the clinic follows new health care trends, where health care providers from different specialties work together with patients to deliver high quality care. This inter-professional practice can improve current treatment methods and offer collaborative opportunities for students, faculty and staff.
The Spokane Teaching Health Center is a nonprofit organization formed by Providence Health Care, Empire Health Foundation and Washington State University Health Sciences Spokane. Providence operates medical residency programs and patient care for the STHC.
About the Partners
Eastern's College of Health Science and Public Health (CHSP) is located on the EWU Campus in Spokane's University District The college offers eight programs of study, including a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Master of Occupational Therapy. Learn more at http://www.ewu.edu/chsph
St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute is the region's largest, free-standing and only Level I Trauma Rehabilitation hospital. With more than 650 rehabilitation experts, St. Luke's provides services in a variety of care settings throughout the region, including: acute hospitals, rural hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation hospital, home health, occupational medicine clinics and outpatient therapy clinics. Learn more at:
Web: www.stlukes.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/stlukesrehab
YouTube: www.youtube.com/thebuzzinhs Twitter: twitter.com/stlukesrehab
Contact:
Nicole Stewart/St. Luke's - 509.232.8131 stewarn@inhs.org
Dave Meany/EWU - 509.359.6335 or dmeany@ewu.edu
Photo by Bob Russell
