College of Health Professions Celebrates 10 Years in Hillsboro

The Pacific University College of Health Professions celebrated its 10th anniversary in Hillsboro on Saturday, May 6, with a special gathering and day of continuing education sessions for alumni, faculty and other health practitioners at the university’s Hillsboro Campus.

President Lesley Hallick and College of Health Professions Executive Dean Ann Barr-Gillespie reflected on the college’s past 10 years in Hillsboro and thanked those who played a part in making the campus a reality. Among those present were Pacific President Emeritus Phil Creighton, former College of Health Professions Executive Dean Sara Hopkins-Powell, and past Vice President for Finance and Administration Darlene Morgan.

"This campus would not exist without the efforts, and concerted and perpetual labor of a great many people,” Barr-Gillespie said.

“Critical to our success were our elected officials,” she added, recognizing local dignitaries, including former Hillsboro mayor and current METRO president Tom Hughes; Forest Grove’s current and past mayors, Peter Truax and Richard Kidd; Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce President Deanna Palm; former Tuality Healthcare CEO Dick Stenson; Hillsboro Mayor Steve Calloway; Tuality Chief Executive Manny Berman, and representatives from building contractors Lease Crutcher Lewis and Yost Grube Hall Architecture.

Barr-Gillespie also thanked current and past administrators and program leaders for guiding the growth of both the college and campus.

“We have so many accomplishments to acknowledge as we conclude our first decade in Hillsboro,” she said.

In 2006, the college’s four foundational schools — Graduate Psychology, Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies and Physical Therapy — moved into what was later named Creighton Hall.

The programs' 700 students were tightly packed into one building until the campus’ second building opened four years later, Barr-Gillespie said.

During that time, new offerings in Pharmacy, Dental Hygiene Studies, and Healthcare Administration and Leadership also came online, and the university partnered with the City of Hillsboro and Tuality Healthcare on the development of an innovative Intermodal Transit Facility that, in addition to commuter amenities, features technologically advanced classroom space on the ground floor.

Other highlights during the first decade of Pacific University’s Hillsboro Campus include:

• The successful opening and operation of six outpatient clinics in Hillsboro (Dental, Diabetes, Ear, Eye, Physical Therapy, Psychology) that provide thousands of local residents with services while providing clinical experience opportunities for both CHP and College of Optometry students.
• Partnerships with Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center and Tuality Healthcare that have provided clinical opportunities for Pacific pharmacy, psychology and physician assistant students to develop their skills within the accepted model of standard care practices.
• Establishment of the university’s first PhD clinical program (School of Graduate Psychology)
• Establishment the School of Audiology (2011), only the second such program in Oregon.
• Expansion of the Master in Healthcare Administration degree program into the School of Healthcare Administration and Leadership, which now offers a bachelor of health science degree, the university’s first online-only program, and will offer a low-residency PhD program beginning this fall.
• Transition of the School of Occupational Therapy master’s degree to a doctoral program.
• Launch of a master’s of athletic training degree within the School of Physical Therapy.
• Completion of a major accreditation for all College of Health Professions programs (Audiology, Dental Hygiene Studies, Graduate Psychology, Healthcare Administration and Leadership, Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy, Physician Assistant Studies, Physical Therapy).
• Consistent outstanding performance by College of Health Professions alumni, who regularly surpass national averages on their professional licensing tests.
• Faculty publication of more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and procurement of more than $9 million in grants during the past year.
• The university is one of only two liberal arts-based institutions on the Portland Business Journal’s top 25 list of Oregon colleges and universities in funds awarded by the National Institutes of Health.
• College of Health Professions enrollment has doubled from 700 to 1,400 since 2006, and its alumni base has grown to nearly 5,000.

“We live our vision and we live your vision,” Barr-Gillespie said. “All of our health professions programs collaborate to train students to practice in healthcare teams — teams that focus on optimizing patient health outcomes. We envision healthcare transformation in our state, and in our mission — through educational programs, research and services we provide in Hillsboro, and to national and international communities.”

In her remarks, Hallick thanked predecessor Creighton, “who had both the vision and courage to lead the launch” of the university’s move to Hillsboro.

“It took a real vision of the future,” Hallick said.

“The collaborative civic partnership in Washington County is unparalleled — I’m very proud of it and grateful to you all.”