An interprofessional collaboration between the College of Optometry and the College of Graduate Nursing at Western University of Health Sciences embeds nursing students into the daily lives of WesternU Eye Care Institute patients with visual impairments to help them become more independent. 

Each fall, four Master of Science in Nursing-Entry (MSN-E) students complete a one-semester public health and population-based nursing course with Independent Living Skills (ILS) Specialist Laura Valencia and Clinical Assistant Professor Tina Mac Donald, OD, CDCES, FAAO, at the WesternU Health Eye Care Institute - Los Angeles. This course is required for students to get their Public Health Nursing qualification from the Board of Registered Nurses post RN licensure. 

Valencia and Mac Donald introduced the nursing students to common activities of daily living (ADLs), low vision conditions and their effect on ADLs, and ILS strategies to achieve functional goals, said College of Optometry Chief of Vision Rehabilitation and Assistant Professor Serena Sukhija, OD, FAAO. The MSN-E students then visited their patients’ homes, using information from the low-vision optometrists such as visual acuity, visual field, and the patient’s eye condition to develop a problem list with the patient. The students take that information and develop a plan with the certified ILS instructor to address the ADLs. Nursing students then visit patients in their home or on site at the optometry clinic and provide training and produce reports regarding client success, Sukhija said.  

“This has been a really wonderful collaboration between graduate nursing and optometry to bring this much needed service to our community members,” Sukhija said. “The patients are becoming much more independent in their daily lives, thus creating a better quality of life. 

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Western University of Health Sciences (WesternU) and Oregon State University (OSU) signed an agreement to establish the WesternU-OSU Pathway Program designed for OSU pre-health students who wish to matriculate as candidates for the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree at the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest (COMP-Northwest), which is in the process of transitioning to its new name, the Heatherington College of Osteopathic Medicine, or the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at the College of Health Sciences-Northwest (CHS-Northwest). 

The aim is to foster the development of motivated, high-achieving students who show exceptional promise, to enrich their academic experience through expanded educational opportunities, and to broaden access to doctoral education for students across the Pacific Northwest. 

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COMP-Northwest Vice Chair and Associate Professor of Anatomy Edie Sperling, PhD, DPT, OCS, FNAOME, co-wrote a chapter with her colleague Dr. Hulett at the University of Missouri: Sperling, E.L., Hulett, J.M. (2026). Complementary, alternative, & integrative medicine (CAIM) received by primary care health profession students in their education in the USA: A scoping review. In Knapic, J. (Ed.) Complementary Medicine - New Insights, Evidences, and Practices. IntechOpen. ISBN 978-1-80631-055-5. https://www.intechopen.com/online-first/1233844

College of Dental Medicine Associate Professor and Assistant Dean Dalia Seleem, DDS, PhD, served as one of the presenters for the ADEA Women in Leadership continuing education course, ADEA WIL Wellness and Well-being: Unlocking Your Inner Strength—A Path to Well-Being, hosted by UT Health San Antonio. The program focuses on strategies that support personal resilience, professional well‑being, and leadership development within academic dentistry.

More information about the course is available at: https://smile.uthscsa.edu/course.php?rc=1173jZTt

Marketing and Communications is holding an open studio portrait day in Pomona:

9 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22

Please sign up for a timeslot that works for your schedule if you would like a new studio portrait.

We will schedule additional portrait days for those who cannot come to the studio on this day.