A.T. Still University partnerships

Equip the next generation with an unparalleled learning environment

By learning in CHCs, ATSU medical, dental, and physician assistant (PA) students gain firsthand experience in providing care to rural and urban medically underserved populations. This real-world application of their education allows them to develop clinical skills under the mentorship of experienced CHC providers, fostering a deep understanding of the social determinants of health and the unique challenges faced by these communities.

This immersive experience not only enriches their education but also often inspires them to pursue careers in community health centers, directly addressing the nationwide shortage of primary care physicians, PAs, and dentists in medically underserved areas.

Enable greater access to care and expanded health services

A partnership between ATSU and CHCs or local healthcare providers brings substantial, direct benefits to medically underserved communities. The core of the collaboration is designed to address health disparities and improve the well-being of communities.

Key partnership benefits for underserved communities:

• Increased access to care: The presence of students and resident physicians expands the clinic’s capacity, allowing more patients to be seen. This helps reduce wait times for appointments and makes it easier for community members to get the care they need when they need it.
• Expanded health services: These partnerships often enable clinics to offer a broader range of services, such as health education workshops, wellness screenings, and more specialized care, which might not have been possible otherwise.
• Focus on whole person, community-oriented care: Students are educated in ATSU’s philosophy of “whole person healthcare.” This means they learn to consider a patient’s lifestyle, environment, and other social factors, not just their physical symptoms, leading to more comprehensive and culturally sensitive care tailored to the community’s specific needs.
• Sustainable local workforce: A primary goal of this model is to build a long-term pathway for healthcare providers. Students educated in a community are more likely to return to practice there after graduation, helping address long-term provider shortages.
• Introduction of modern practices: University partners provide access to the latest evidence-based treatments and research, ensuring community care is of the highest quality.
• Emphasis on community-oriented primary care: A cornerstone of ATSU’s and CHCs’ missions ensure the care provided is culturally competent and tailored to the specific needs of the local community.

Strengthen your workforce and service delivery

Partner with ATSU to recruit, educate, and retain mission-driven clinicians. Community Health Centers (CHCs) benefit from academic affiliation with ATSU by attracting passionate healthcare professionals, enhancing quality improvement efforts, and establishing a recruitment pathway for future staff. Students who learn in a CHC are more likely to return to practice in that setting after graduation, ensuring a sustainable workforce for the future.

Through these partnerships, ATSU fulfills its founding mission while strengthening its educational offerings. Students are educated in real-world settings, programs gain national recognition, and new care models emerge to improve outcomes in rural and urban medically underserved communities.

A direct solution to the workforce crisis

Primary Care Associations (PCAs), which provide state and federal-level advocacy and support to Community Health Centers (CHCs), benefit from a strengthened workforce and improved quality of care through partnerships with ATSU. A successful collaboration between ATSU and a CHC may serve as a model for similar academic-community partnerships, amplifying public health impact across the state.

One of the core roles of PCAs is to advocate for CHCs and the communities they serve, while helping them to build and sustain a robust workforce.

Key partnership benefits for PCAs:

• A “grow your own” strategy: Through the Hometown Scholars program – developed with CHCs nationwide – PCAs and their members may identify and endorse promising local candidates for ATSU’s medical, dental, and PA programs. These individuals, educated within the CHC model, are more likely to return and serve their home communities, directly addressing provider shortages.
• Active PCA participation: PCAs are not passive participants. By submitting a formal letter of endorsement, PCA and CHC leaders help applicants gain consideration for admission interviews, playing an active role in developing the next generation of community-based providers.
• Enhancing member value through education and development: PCAs committed to supporting their CHC members may leverage ATSU’s professional development offerings as a member benefit, boosting engagement and long-term value.
• Upskilling the CHC team: We’re committed to boosting the capabilities of the CHC team. All CHC employees receive a 20% tuition discount on ATSU’s online graduate degrees and certificates (including leadership, MPH, MHA, DHA, DNP, and more!). This partnership is a powerful tool for recruiting, retaining, and developing leaders across PCA networks.
• Retaining top clinical talent: CHC providers who serve as preceptors for ATSU students receive no-cost CME and CDE credits, adjunct faculty status, and access to University library resources – valuable incentives for retaining high-performing clinicians.
• Strengthening advocacy with regional data: ATSU partnerships provide PCAs with outcome data, student success stories, and program impact metrics can strengthen policy advocacy and funding requests.
• A replicable model for collaboration: This partnership framework demonstrates how academic institutions and CHCs work together to solve workforce challenges and improve community health, giving PCAs a proven model to present to legislators and stakeholders.

Support its mission through collaborative workforce solutions

A voice for Community Health Centers (CHCs) across the country, National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) advances its mission by supporting partnerships between CHCs and academic institutions like ATSU. These collaborations directly benefit NACHC’s membership by addressing critical workforce challenges and strengthening the CHC model nationwide.

Key partnership benefits for NACHC:

• An educational model built for community health: ATSU’s curriculum is developed in collaboration with CHCs across the country to produce graduates who are fully prepared to work in community health settings from day one.
• Contextual learning: Unlike traditional models, ATSU embeds students within CHCs for their clinical education. This hands-on experience provides students with a deep understanding of the financial, cultural, and geographic challenges faced by rural and urban medically underserved populations.
• Aligned mission: ATSU’s programs are designed to educate providers for service in CHCs. The University’s philosophy of whole person healthcare aligns closely with the CHC mission to serve rural and urban underserved populations.
• A direct solution to the workforce crisis: The ATSU and CHC partnership was built to solve a top challenge facing NACHC members: recruiting and retaining qualified, mission-driven providers.
  • A “grow your own” strategy: The Hometown Scholars program – a core component of the NACHC, ATSU, and CHC alliance – empowers CHCs to identify and endorse local individuals for medical, dental, and PA roles. These future providers are more likely to return to serve their communities, developing a sustainable, culturally connected workforce.
  • Evidence of impact: The Hometown Scholar pathway, combined with measurable health improvements in underserved communities, strengthens the case for the effectiveness of the CHC model.
• Stronger national advocacy: These partnerships generate real-world success stories and outcome data can support NACHC’s advocacy efforts for increased and sustained funding for CHCs nationwide.

An ATSU and CHC partnership is a mutually beneficial alliance leveraging each organization’s strengths to tackle some of the nation’s most pressing healthcare challenges. It can stand as a model of collaborative benefit, helping build a healthier, more equitable future.