Culinary Medicine Program Turns Future Physicians into Confident Nutrition Guides On a late-September Saturday morning in Yakima, a group of PNWU Student Doctors traded classrooms and pencils for kitchen utensils, translating nutrition science into real-world patient care skills. The hands-on Meal Prepping on a Budget session was part of the Northwest Interprofessional Health Collaborative’s (NIHC)…Continue Reading Food as Medicine
When many people hear the term “whiplash,” they think of a sore neck — a temporary inconvenience after a car crash or sudden impact. But for millions, that initial “inconvenience” lingers long past what scans and checkups suggest. Months — even a year later — they’re still battling dizziness, brain fog, emotional swings; a strange…Continue Reading PNWU Researchers Uncover Hidden Clues in Chronic Whiplash
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS EVENT AT PNWU On October 20 at noon, Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences will host a special event aimed at increasing awareness of domestic violence and equipping future healthcare professionals with the tools to recognize its signs in clinical settings. The event, made possible through a grant from Bright Sky, will…Continue Reading Empowering Future Providers to Recognize and Respond to Domestic Violence
At Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU), Hispanic Heritage Month is more than a celebration—it’s a call to recognize the powerful role that culture, language, and lived experience play in shaping compassionate healthcare. Through the voices of students, faculty, and staff, this month’s reflections illuminate the deep connections between heritage and healing, and the importance of…Continue Reading PNWU Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month: Honoring Identity, Inspiring Change
How Dr. Mike Moore is reframing exam preparation as physician formation at PNWU When Dr. Mike Moore asks second-year osteopathic medical students to describe their feelings about board exams in a single word, the answers rarely sound like confidence. More often, he hears overwhelmed, unsure, or scattered. For many students, board prep feels less like…Continue Reading Board Prep as Professionalism
PNWU Alumni Dr. Chris Fortier Brings Mental Health Care Home to Yakima “My greatest joy is being able to provide care to those suffering from mental illness,” says Dr. Chris Fortier, PNWU College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) Class of 2020. “Yakima is my home, and I hope my work can help transform strangers into friends,…Continue Reading Where the Heart Is
PNWU Alumna Dr. Carlee Gibbons is Transforming Care in Her Hometown Growing up in a family of community pharmacists, Dr. Carlee Gibbons, DO, learned early the value of education, service, and empowering others to take charge of their health. Her mother ran a volunteer performing arts program at a public school on the Yakama Nation, instilling in Carlee a…Continue Reading Optimizing Lives, One Patient at a Time
Three members of the Pacific Northwest University College of Osteopathic Medicine (PNWU-COM) Class of 2028 spent their summer immersed in groundbreaking diabetes research at the University of Washington Diabetes Institute, gaining hands-on experience that will shape both their futures as physicians and the communities they one day serve. Student Doctors Michelle Graham, Sejal Dhaliwal, and…Continue Reading PNWU Students Take Part in Prestigious UW Diabetes Research Program
Student Doctor Ammar Jankel brings PNWU’s mission to life as a member of our first dental class. PNWU’s School of Dental Medicine (SDM) recently welcomed its inaugural class, realizing a vision of compassionate, community-focused healthcare. From personal experience to professional purpose, Student Doctor Ammar Jankel’s path reflects that very vision. As a member of the…Continue Reading Answering the Call
Nearly every day, Terrace Heights resident Mel Leskinen drives past PNWU’s Yakima campus. His eyes often wander to a sunlit corner of Butler-Haney Hall, specifically, the anatomy lab where, through shining glass, his beloved wife Sheila rests. “Sheila’s there,” he says softly, a small smile crossing his face. “She’s still helping people. Just like she always wanted to do.” That simple…Continue Reading Still Helping: The Enduring Legacy of Mel and Sheila Leskinen