Collaboration key to future of ASU Health, President Crow says
ASU President Michael Crow speaks to government, health care and academic leaders during the annual State of the Phoenix Bioscience Core event. Photo by Riester
Arizona State University President Michael Crow spoke to a room of leaders from Arizona government, health care organizations and academic institutions to delineate his plans for ASU Health at the third annual State of the Phoenix Bioscience Core in downtown Phoenix.
In his address, Crow stressed the importance of collaboration, highlighting the key partnerships across ASU Health. Among these partnerships were collaborations with HonorHealth, Mayo Clinic and the Phoenix Bioscience Core.
He explained that existing medical schools and centers are “critically important but insufficient” to address the shortage of nurses and low public health funding issues in Arizona and broader issues in health care on an international scale.
“We cannot solve the problem that we have by producing more people,” Crow said. “We have to produce different people. We have to produce different technologies.”
ASU Health will do just that: produce new kinds of health professionals — nurses, specialists, technologists, scientists and physicians — who blend medicine, engineering, technology and humanities, all with goal of creating a healthier state and nation.
“Assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities is plural. Not just the rich communities, all the communities,” Crow said.
ASU Health includes four colleges — two of which are new to the ASU ecosystem. The John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering and the School of Technology for Public Health join the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation and the College of Health Solutions to form the educational foundation for ASU Health.
In addition, the Health Observatory builds on ASU’s existing relationship with Mayo Clinic to develop a better understanding of community health in Arizona, leveraging data to prevent and respond to health crises. The Medical Master’s Institute creates more opportunities for health professionals and medical students to upskill and pursue further educational opportunities.
“We’re going to do our research and discovery for public value. Our measurement of success is to help the public. Is Arizona a better place because we did all this research? Is America more defended because we did all of this research?” Crow said.
Foundation Professor Dr. Holly Lisanby, founding dean of the School of Medicine and Medical Engineering, is leading the charge, creating a new curriculum for students who will earn an MD and a Master of Science in medical engineering in four years.
As part of a panel discussion with educational leaders from Northern Arizona University, University of Arizona, Phoenix Union Bioscience High School and the Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation, Lisanby described her goals for the school of medicine and engineering.
“Technologies, from medical devices to generative artificial intelligence, are transforming every sector of our lives, health care included,” Lisanby said. “So it’s critical that health care providers have the tools to be able to understand the strengths and limitations of these technologies and, even more than that, lead the next-generation development of how these technologies will improve health here in Arizona and beyond.”
The coming year will see many new developments for ASU Health, including breaking ground on the ASU Health headquarters in downtown Phoenix in June and the school of medicine and engineering’s inaugural cohort of students in August.
“We’re able to bring together every asset that we have to build ASU Health’s headquarters here at the PBC (Phoenix Bioscience Core). This is the best place, really the only place for it to be,” Crow said.