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UNIVERSITY UPDATES
A HUB Model of Clinical Education
Life University Chiropractic Clinics , in striving to continually improve clinical education and the quality of patient care , acknowledge the change occurring in the current practice of Chiropractic and the need to modernize delivery methods of clinical education and clinic operations . To address these changes , a revision of clinical education is being developed ; a hub clinic model is being created wherein each intern will be assigned to a faculty / clinician-based mentorship and be expected to have direct involvement in a variety and range of chiropractic-focused clinical and business experiences . Within this development , modifications from the current clinical and operational approach will be based on a model that is clinician driven , focused on patient-centered care and creates an environment to train interns for entry level , real world chiropractic practice .
All students preparing to be a Doctor of Chiropractic will be exposed to a variety and range of case types and several different healthcare environments during their educational experience to be able to perform as primary healthcare clinicians upon graduation . They will also gain knowledge and experience by being exposed to a variety of chiropractic approaches during multiple levels of clinical education . These integrated experiences will be scheduled and coordinated throughout the entire curriculum with lecture , small group discussion , laboratory courses , observation and participation in patient care at appropriate levels and / or direct delivery of chiropractic care .
Each level of clinical education will focus on the education of developing students to enter chiropractic practice to become primary healthcare clinicians , which includes the correlation of chiropractic philosophy with the practical application of Chiropractic , as well as the integration of science with the continual development of chiropractic technique skills in delivering chiropractic care . During all levels , it is important that the developing student display professional behavior and effective communication skills , all while acknowledging the importance of lifetime chiropractic care consistent with the three phases of care and the LIFE clinic model . The student will also acknowledge , identify and display the skills to perform pre-and postpatient examinations and be able to identify and communicate the ramifications of the vertebral subluxation through a structured patient education program .
Clinic HUB Design Hub clinics will be located where there is easy patient access and be small enough to respond quickly to the marketplace and include provisions for third-party carriers such as Medicare , personal injury , workers compensation cases and exposure to managed care models . The hub clinic model will also allow expansion as necessary to accommodate any fluctuations in student enrollment .
The model for the hub clinic is structured such that each ‘ hub ” will function similar to a solo practice – or one with several small practices set up in a larger facility . The number of ‘ units ’ in each facility will depend on the size of the facility . When developed , there will be a central billing department that will handle all billing and follow-up issues for all Hub clinics , no matter where they are located .
All procedures , including examinations , x-rays and adjustments , are scheduled with the faculty / clinician in the given hub clinic . As student interns graduate , or enter into one of the PEAK programs , the faculty / clinician will assign , or transfer , the patient to one of their other student interns .
The faculty / clinician ’ s work area in the hub clinic is set up in units , each consisting of approximately four adjusting rooms , an exam room , a consultation / patient education room and a faculty / clinician office / work area . Front desk staffing and other support staff will be trained to facilitate patient scheduling , rescheduling , participation in patient education and overall assisting and ensuring smooth patient flow .
Dr . Tim Gross , Vice President of Academic Affairs , commented on the new training model for clinical education saying , “ By creating a faculty / clinicianbased mentor model with a multi-level approach to clinical education , the infrastructure will allow for a more integrated approach to patient care , an enhanced learning environment for interns and a more structured approach for attaining increasing levels of intern responsibility in the delivery of chiropractic care and patient management .”
Life University ’ s senior-level students in the Doctor of Chiropractic program learn the profession hands-on with direct supervision and instruction during the clinical phase of education .
The model for the hub clinic is structured such that each ‘ hub ” will function similar to a solo practice – or one with several small practices set up in a larger facility .
Alumni . LIFE . edu | 2019
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