Dr. Gloria McNeal, Dean of National University’s School of Health and Human Services, Presents at National Conference on Patient-Centered Care Approaches

Dr. McNeal also is being honored in November as a Finalist in the

San Diego, Calif. — Dr. Gloria McNeal, Dean of National University’s School of Health and Human Services and a nationally recognized innovator who is changing how healthcare is taught and delivered, will be among the panelists at the 2016 Planetree International Conference on Patient-Centered Care in Chicago from Oct. 30 through Nov. 2.

The conference is sponsored by Planetree, Inc., a nationally recognized nonprofit that partners with healthcare organizations around the world, and which recently launched a collaboration with National University in developing a first-of-its-kind program to train a new generation of health professionals in exceptional patient-centered care. More than 1,000 healthcare professionals and educational leaders are taking part in the conference at the Downtown Chicago Marriott.

Dr. McNeal, who is a recently-announced finalist for the Nov. 9 San Diego “Women Who Mean Business” awards sponsored by the San Diego Business Journal, is also the recipient of $2.5 million in federal grant funding for health-related projects. She will present a session Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. (Central Time) at the Chicago conference detailing the groundbreaking National University Nurse-Managed Clinic.

The Clinic project, led by National University, is being implemented in partnership with the UCLA Geffen School of Medicine to provide residents with telehealth and in-person services in the south Los Angeles community of Watts. In coordination with various community groups, the Clinic manages the care of underserved residents by providing access to healthcare services for chronic diseases, such diabetes, asthma, heart disease and high blood pressure, among other patient services.  Site coordinators, who are based out of multiple Clinic community site locations, schedule patient visits and assist with the use of medical equipment and virtual telehealth services being provided by Health Net Connect and iAssay that connect patients with the Clinic’s National University-Los Angeles campus central headquarters and medical staff at remote locations.

On Nov. 1, Dr. McNeal will present at the Chicago conference, along with Planetree Senior Vice President, Randall L. Carter, and Dr. Ellen Kaye Gehrke, a Professor of Leadership and Integrative Healthcare at National University’s School of Health and Human Services, for a session titled Educating Future Healthcare Workers to Deliver Patient-Centered Care. This presentation will discuss the partnership between Planetree and National University’s School of Health and Human Services. Presenters will outline the organizational change process in which they are working together to restructure the school, curriculum, training and community healthcare institutional relationships. This is the first time Planetree is working with an accredited academic institution to design and implement an educational culture focused on the values and principles of patient-centered care.

  • Oct. 31: 2 p.m. (Central Time) National University Virtual Nurse Managed Clinic. Room: Salon II/III.
  • Nov. 1: 10:45 a.m. (Central Time) Educating Future Healthcare Workers to Deliver Patient-Centered Care. Room: Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, MI.

About National University
Founded in 1971, National University is one of the largest private, nonprofit universities in California. With more than 230,000 alumni, National University is the flagship institution of the National University System. National University is dedicated to making lifelong learning opportunities accessible, challenging, and relevant to a diverse population of students. Four schools and two colleges – the College of Letters and Sciences; the Sanford College of Education; the School of Business and Management; the School of Engineering and Computing; the School of Health and Human Services; and the School of Professional Studies – offer more than 100 graduate and undergraduate degrees and 23 teacher credentials. Programs are offered at locations throughout California and across thenation, and are also available online. National University is headquartered in La Jolla, California. http://www.nu.edu/

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