MERIDIAN, Idaho — Idaho State University held a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony to celebrate the expansion of its healthcare clinics in Meridian on Tuesday.
The university's Meridian Sam and Aline Skaggs Health Science Center is improving its healthcare services for residents in the Treasure Valley, by expanding existing clinics and opening new clinics.
Idaho's Permanent Building Fund contributed to complete the clinic updates. A $150,000 grant from the Sunderland Foundation also helped the university complete the space.
A Rehabilitation Counseling Clinic is the first new facility, which will supplement Idaho State University's (ISU) existing counseling clinic. The clinic will provide support services for people with emotional and physical disabilities to help them reach their independent living goals.
Another new facility in Meridian will be ISU's Integrated Mental Health Clinic for evaluation and medication management for people suffering from mental health conditions that require psychiatric medication.
The mental health facility provides ISU students in the Master of Science in Clinical Psychopharmacology (MCSP) program an opportunity for experience to prepare them for the field. Optum Idaho contributed $100,000 to provide tuition support for five licensed Idaho Behavioral Health Plan psychologists.
$50,000 in funding for a licensed physician to supervise enrollees in the program was also provided by Optum Idaho.
"This partnership between Optum Idaho and ISU is another great example of what can be achieved by working together to improve access to behavioral health care services across Idaho," PhD, Optum Sr. Clinical Psychologist, Dennis Woody said.
ISU also announced a nutrition services outpatient clinic, designed to provide individual and group wellness counseling. The facility will also provide medical nutrition therapy for families and individuals of all ages. Dietetic interns will serve in rotation at the site.
ISU Meridian Health Care is a Nurse Practitioner Faculty-run clinic, offering preventative healthcare for the Treasure Valley community. The clinic has trained providers, new equipment, NP training, a referral system and utilizes other nearby healthcare facilities to serve its patients.
The nurse practitioner care facility uses a partnership with patients, which patients are increasingly seeking out, according to ISU.
The Physical and Occupational Therapy Clinic will provide teaching opportunities for the Doctor of Physical Therapy and Master of Occupational Therapy programs beginning next semester. The clinic includes faculty research and therapy services for the "underserved and underinsured population of the Treasure Valley," according to ISU.
The Speech Language Pathology and Delta Dental of Idaho Dental Residency are two ISU clinics in Meridian that have served the Treasure Valley in the past.
"I am delighted that we have been able to complete construction and improve the level of care for the patients in our community," said Rex Force, vice president for health sciences at ISU. "By expanding services to include nutrition, rehabilitation counseling, integrated mental health treatment, physical therapy and more, we bring care closer to home for many people, where it is most needed." Force adds, "ISU clinics are integral to our community outreach efforts in the Treasure Valley and our experienced ISU faculty clinicians are at the cutting edge of both practice and research in their respective fields."
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