Showing posts with label Xavier University of Louisiana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Xavier University of Louisiana. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 18, 2023

HBCU Xavier University of Louisiana and Ochsner Health Partner to Create College of Medicine

 Xavier University of Louisiana (Xavier) and Ochsner Health (Ochsner) today announced an agreement to establish a joint College of Medicine. The two institutions will create a strong physician pipeline that addresses longstanding inequities within the nation’s health care system and builds the health care workforce of the future. By anchoring their partnership with a College of Medicine, Xavier and Ochsner affirm their legacy of advancing health care excellence and education for the next generation, bringing new opportunities to marginalized populations in Louisiana and the United States.  

To launch the College of Medicine, Ochsner and Xavier will form a nonprofit corporation, create a new curriculum and use facilities, personnel, and administrative processes of both institutions. The new College of Medicine will be governed by a board of directors nominated by Ochsner and Xavier, with each institution appointing an equal number of directors. 

 

This initiative builds on a long-standing partnership between Ochsner and Xavier that dates to the early 1980s, when Ochsner and Xavier’s College of Pharmacy came together to offer more clinical training sites for pharmacy students. Xavier’s College of Pharmacy is the oldest in Louisiana and has for years been among the top in the nation in producing African American graduates with Doctor of Pharmacy degrees.  

“Our work with Ochsner and other partners who hold close to their hearts a vision of healing a broken world is a testament to Xavier’s mission to promote a more just and humane society,” said Dr. Reynold Verret, President of Xavier University of Louisiana. “Xavier was bestowed that mission by our founders St. Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament almost a century ago. Our dedication to preparing more Black health care professionals in our fight against health inequity is our answer to the call of our nation’s critical need and makes their legacy proud.”  

 

XULA and Ochsner: A Legacy of Collaboration  

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the world and disproportionately affected people of color, highlighting health disparities faced by historically marginalized communities. Ochsner Health and Xavier again forged partnerships to improve health equity through new graduate programs in health sciences and the establishment of the Ochsner Health and Xavier University Institute for Health Equity and Research (OXIHER)A few years before, Xavier and Ochsner also worked to improve diversity within the health sciences through a memorandum of understanding to establish a new Physician Assistant (PA) Program. In May 2022, Ochsner and Xavier celebrated the first graduating class of 37 students in the full-time graduate PA Program, which leads to a master’s degree in health sciences and trains the next generation of providers to make a meaningful impact on health care. 

“Ochsner has a long and rich history of excellence in medical education, and we are honored to continue our work with Xavier to improve the health of our state and region,” said Pete November, CEO of Ochsner Health. “The Xavier medical students will get outstanding clinical training in our integrated health care system, and this significant expansion of our partnership with Xavier demonstrates our commitment to training the next generation of health care providers to solve the critical shortage of physicians in the United States and meet the needs of the diverse communities we serve.” 

In 2022, Xavier became an integral advisory board partner for Healthy State by 2030, an ambitious plan to lift Louisiana off the bottom of national health rankings. Collectively, partners across multiple sectors and industries from across the state are committed to comprehensive public health initiatives, education, and outreach. 

“Investing in education, training and workforce development is critical to building a healthier state and stronger communities. Our partnership with Xavier furthers our Healthy State mission of enhancing diversity among health care providers, which has been linked to better care for diverse communities of our region and throughout the nation,” said Dr. Leonardo Seoane, MD, FACP, Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer for Ochsner Health. “We must work together to solve the challenges faced in our health care workforce and ensure communities across the country have access to the highest quality of care.” 

Closing the National and Local Workforce Gap 

For decades, Xavier University of Louisiana has produced more African American students and students of color who achieve medical degrees and doctorates in the health sciences than any other higher education institution in the nation. Ochsner, the largest academic health care system in Louisiana, has a long history of training medical students, residents, and fellows. Ochsner is invested in excellent health care, workforce development and education of communities throughout the Gulf South. The institutions are uniquely positioned to co-lead efforts in closing the health care workforce gap. 

“With their historic agreement to establish a College of Medicine at one of the nation’s top HBCUs, Xavier and Ochsner have heeded the call to shape the health of the state, the country, and the world for generations to come,” said Dr. Anne McCall, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of Xavier University of Louisiana. 

Research shows an urgent need for an HBCU College of Medicine now, as demand for doctors is expected to grow. Louisiana is projected to rank third nationally for a shortage of physicians by 2030, according to a Human Resources for Health analysis. Representation of African Americans within medicine lags, as they comprise 5% of the nation’s physicians -- although Black and African American populations account for 13% of U.S. residents. A new College of Medicine with Xavier, a high-ranking HBCU, and Ochsner, a high-performing academic health system with experience in training medical students, will result in representation among medical practitioners with excellent health care training, which is critical to bettering health outcomes by increasing quality of care, access, and patient trust in their health care providers. 

To learn more, please visit www.xula.edu and www.ochsner.org 

Sunday, April 24, 2022

HBCU, Xavier University of Louisiana announces planning phase for New Medical School

Xavier University of Louisiana has announced that it is entering the planning phase to establish a Graduate School of Health Sciences and Medical School. For decades, Xavier has consistently produced more African American students and students of color who achieve Medical Degrees and Ph.D.’s in the health sciences than any other higher education institution in the nation. Xavier’s College of Pharmacy is the oldest in Louisiana and continues to rank amongst the highest performing.

Building upon this success, Xavier University of Louisiana has continued to add innovative graduate degree programs, including a Physicians Assistant program, a master’s in Public Health program, Speech Pathology, Pharmaceutical Studies and Health Analytics that expand representation in health professions.

Dr. Reynold Verret, President of Xavier University of Louisiana, has long been a champion for addressing health disparities and underrepresentation in the medical and health sciences.

“Xavier was founded with the mission of promoting the creation of a just and humane society through education,” President Verret stated. “The establishment of graduate education programs dedicated to the preparation of more black healthcare professionals is a natural extension of our foundress’ legacy as we approach our second century of service. It is also where we are called to answer a critical need of our nation.”

The pandemic emphasized the necessity for greater diversity in the medical profession, as representation and trust are essential determinants underlying the health disparities affecting underrepresented populations. A recent Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) report noted “...gains in diversity are not shared by all groups. In particular growth of Black or African American applicants, matriculants and graduates lagged behind other groups.” [1] Underrepresented minorities still struggle to grow in numbers at all levels of the medical profession, with only incremental improvement over the past decades, including at the highest academic levels.[2]  Thus, higher education must also redouble efforts to recruit, retain, and advance minorities in academic medicine.

Experts agree the way to address the physician shortage is to create new medical schools, but diverse representation requires a further step. In the last century (and since the Flexner report), there have been few new medical colleges until recently, and only one at a Historically Black College and University. Xavier University of Louisiana is examining the option to change that narrative.[3]

In 1925, Saint Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament founded Xavier to create a more just and humane society for all. Today, the institution holds true to this mission.  A School of Medicine and Health Sciences at Xavier will advance that mission as the university guides and nurtures students from their undergraduate studies to their selected graduate programs. In addition to being recognized for providing a quality, affordable education for all, Xavier is poised as the catalyst for change and to address needs of the local and national community.

About Xavier University of Louisiana

Xavier University of Louisiana, America’s only historically Black and Catholic University, is ranked among the top three HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities) in the nation. Recognized as a national leader in STEM and health sciences, Xavier produces more African American students who graduate from medical schools each year than any other university in the United States. Additionally, Xavier’s College of Pharmacy is also among the top producers of African American pharmacists in the country.

Established in 1925 by Saint Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament as a place for African Americans and Native Americans to receive quality education, Xavier has since expanded its programs in art, business, education, biological sciences, chemistry, pharmacy and political science. More recent additions in robotics, bioinformatics, engineering, data science, neuroscience and genetics, in addition to new STEM-based master’s programs, have provided Xavier students (2815 undergraduates and 787 graduates) an unbeatable combination of traditional classroom study, hands-on research, service-learning opportunities and life experiences. Xavier students collaborate with world-renowned faculty, who are experts in their fields, to produce award-winning research and notable work. The winning Xavier formula provides students with a well-balanced curriculum and an environment that nurtures their intellect and feeds their souls, thereby facilitating a more just and humane society for all. For more information about Xavier University of Louisiana, visit us online at www.xula.edu or contact Patrice Bell (504) 520-7558 or pbell2@xula.edu.

Philanthropic partners interested in joining Xavier as we expand and extend our mission into our second century of service to meet the demands of today can contact Phillip Adams, VP of Advancement at pdadams@xula.edu.

 

Thursday, September 10, 2015

TOP 10 HBCU 2015/2016




Here we go again. Here are the top 10 HBCU's for the 2014 / 2015 school year as picked by US News & World Report. Did your school make the list? See if it did below:


#1

Spelman College

Atlanta, GA
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a private institution. Spelman College follows a semester-based academic calendar and its admissions are considered selective.

#2

Howard University

Washington, DC
Howard University is a historically black college located in Washington, D.C. Despite its urban setting, students are permitted to bring cars to campus – though freshmen may not apply for on-campus parking.

#3

Hampton University

Hampton, VA
Hampton University, a private, historically black institution in Virginia, has graduated people such as Alberta Williams King, mother of Martin Luther King Jr., and Booker T. Washington, influential African-American educator.

#4

Morehouse College

Atlanta, GA
A private institution, Morehouse College was founded in 1867.
#5

Tuskegee University

Tuskegee, AL
Tuskegee University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,588, with a gender distribution of 42.6 percent male students and 57.4 percent female students. 41 percent of students live off campus.

#6
Founded in 1915, Xavier University of Louisiana is a private institution. Xavier University of Louisiana follows a semester-based academic calendar and its admissions are considered selective.

#7

Fisk University

Nashville, TN
Fisk University is a private institution that was founded in 1866. The school has 71.1 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students, and the student-faculty ratio at Fisk University is 13:1.

#8

Claflin University

Orangeburg, SC
Claflin University was established in 1869 as a private institution. Claflin University follows a semester-based academic calendar and its admissions are considered least selective.

#9
North Carolina A&T State University is a historically black school in Greensboro. The Aggies sports teams compete in the NCAA Division I Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

#10

Florida A&M University

Tallahassee, FL
Located in Tallahassee, Florida A&M University is a historically black institution that offers a range of degrees to students of all races. The university, more commonly known as FAMU, offers more than 100 student organizations and several fraternities and sororities to join.