In fitness and health: NAU partners with St. Joseph's for lecture series

The doctor is out and about with help from a continuing partnership between Northern Arizona University and St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center.

NAU and St. Joseph's are presenting the third part of their Health for a Lifetime community lecture series. Titled "New Techniques for Treating Lung and Esophageal Diseases," the public lecture will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 18, at five NAU sites across the state.

Dr. Ross Bremner, director of the Center for Thoracic Disease in St. Joseph's Heart and Lung Institute, will present the lecture, which will be geared for both the public and the 450 practicing physicians living in the presentation's surrounding areas.

Suzanne Pfister, vice president for External Affairs at St. Joseph's, explained that the lecture will discuss groundbreaking new treatments for early stages of lung cancer and reflux disease.

"We're very proud of this undertaking," Pfister said. "Because of NAU's technology, we can give rural Arizona access to state-of-the-art information. It's a real community service."

Patricia Moore, associate vice president for NAU's Distance Learning, said the university is continually looking for ways to partner with others to help meet community needs.

"Our partnership with St. Joseph's is an innovative way for St. Joseph's to share the knowledge of expert specialists with practicing physicians and the public in rural areas," Moore said. "It is good stewardship for NAU to share state-funded resources to advance state priorities, and it certainly keeps us engaged with our communities as we help to improve medical care across the state."

Moore was referring to NAU's plans to become the state's leading provider of applied health professions programs, which is bringing the doctorate in physical therapy to Phoenix. NAU also will extend its dental hygiene program to Phoenix and expand the nursing program in Tucson and Yuma. The university also is exploring the possibility of offering programs in such areas as occupational therapy and physician assistant.

"All of our partnerships with medical facilities will be important to us—for clinical placements and internship opportunities, for shared facilities, and for advice and guidance in program development," she explained.

The lecture will be conducted at the NAU North Valley campus, 15602 N. 28th St., room 134, Phoenix; Yavapai Community College, building 1, room 217, Prescott; NAU-Yuma, in the Academic Complex building, room AC111, on the Arizona Western College campus; Gila Community College, room 111, Payson; and the Eastburn Education Building, #27, room 212, NAU Flagstaff campus.

For information or reservations call the ResourceLink at (877) 602-4111 or e-mail resourcelink@chw.edu.