Category: News

When Clinical Knowledge Meets Community Reality 

  • Author By Eve
  • Publication date September 30, 2025
  • Categories: News, SOT News

NAMI Partnership Brings Real Mental Health Stories Into Future Healthcare Training  Instead of studying mental health from a distance, PNWU occupational therapy students are learning directly from individuals who have navigated mental health challenges firsthand.  Through a collaboration between the university’s School of Occupational Therapy and the Yakima chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI),…Continue Reading When Clinical Knowledge Meets Community Reality 

PNWU Students and Faculty Represent at OMED 2025

  • Author By Eve
  • Publication date September 30, 2025
  • Categories: News

From September 25–28, members of the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) community joined osteopathic physicians, educators, and students from across the nation in Nashville, Tennessee, for the Osteopathic Medical Education Conference (OMED)—the largest annual gathering of its kind.  Among the many PNWU representatives in attendance were student leaders Kirsten Huhl (SGA Executive COM President), Sabrina Vuong (SGA Executive COM…Continue Reading PNWU Students and Faculty Represent at OMED 2025

Honoring Women in Medicine Month: PNWU Students Share Their Voices

Every September, Women in Medicine Month recognizes and celebrates the countless contributions women make across healthcare. At Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU), the celebration carries special meaning. As they train to become the next generation of compassionate healthcare leaders, PNWU’s student doctors are also cultivating a culture of support, empowerment, and advocacy that…Continue Reading Honoring Women in Medicine Month: PNWU Students Share Their Voices

Unlocking the Hidden Story of Bones with Dr. Christian Heck

Bones are more than structural support for the body — they are living records of growth, stress, and survival. For PNWU Assistant Professor of Anatomy Dr. Christian Heck and his co-authors, that hidden history was illuminated by the most unusual of characters: a small antelope species called a springbok. Famous across southern Africa, springbok are…Continue Reading Unlocking the Hidden Story of Bones with Dr. Christian Heck

Low-Risk, High-Reward, High-Praise

PNWU Simulation Center Earns Full Accreditation Pacific Northwest University’s Simulation Center has earned Full Accreditation in Human Simulation from the Association of SP Educators (ASPE)—an international endorsement of a Yakima Valley program built on a clear premise: when learners can practice with Simulated Patients (SPs), receive precise feedback, and try again without harm, they become…Continue Reading Low-Risk, High-Reward, High-Praise

PNWU Sports Physicals Clinic Expands Impact for Children, Families, and Future Physicians

For many children in the Yakima Valley, the start of a sports season comes with an unexpected barrier: finding a timely appointment for a required physical exam. Without it, they can’t join their teams. For families in underserved communities, the challenge can mean a child sitting out entirely. Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU)…Continue Reading PNWU Sports Physicals Clinic Expands Impact for Children, Families, and Future Physicians

PNWU School of Dental Medicine Celebrates Inaugural Professionalism Ceremony

The annual tradition celebrates the values that will guide PNWU’s future dentists. On Friday, August 22, Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) marked a historic milestone as the School of Dental Medicine (SDM) hosted its inaugural Professionalism Ceremony. The event, hosted at the Yakima Convention Center, celebrated the SDM Class of 2029, symbolizing their…Continue Reading PNWU School of Dental Medicine Celebrates Inaugural Professionalism Ceremony

Curiosity in Action

PNWU Students and Faculty Illuminate a Hidden Diaphragm Variant At Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU), research often begins with a question rooted in real-world experience. For Dr. Wade Justice, a board-certified radiologist with over a decade in medical imaging, that question was simple but profound: how common is diaphragmatic eventration, a variant long…Continue Reading Curiosity in Action

Roots to Wings Summer Program Inspires Local High School Students to Pursue Healthcare Careers

Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) recently wrapped up our Roots to Wings Summer Program: Pathways to Healthcare, bringing 14 upcoming juniors and seniors from the Yakima Valley — representing the Tribal School, Toppenish, White Swan, and Eisenhower High Schools — to our health sciences campus for an immersive, hands-on introduction to a future…Continue Reading Roots to Wings Summer Program Inspires Local High School Students to Pursue Healthcare Careers

Simply Being Present

Dr. Rachael Arabian, PNWU Physical Therapy Professor, Brings Global Lessons Home to the Northwest “One of the most meaningful aspects was witnessing the impact of simply being present.” For Dr. Rachel Arabian, Assistant Professor in Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences’ School of Physical Therapy (SOPT), this was more than an observation — it was…Continue Reading Simply Being Present