Expanding access to underserved communities

Because A.T. Still University (ATSU) believes the greatest challenges in healthcare are related to access, we’re guided by our mission to serve underserved populations. ATSU embodies the selfless application of healing knowledge to influence the altruistic caring and overall health and well-being of others.

ATSU’s Arizona School of Health Sciences (ATSU-ASHS) is an innovative, comprehensive school dedicated to educating and graduating health professionals committed to providing high quality compassionate health care to communities where the need is greatest.

At ATSU, teaching our students how to make a difference in the health of the communities they lead includes growing their compassion for the underserved. In the real world of caring for our communities, our mission and vision propel graduates to become the next generation of compassionate healthcare professionals who focus on whole person healthcare and serve the healthcare needs of our entire community. Body, mind, and spirit. There are many definitions of the underserved reflecting the wide range of populations we must address to truly care for the communities we serve:

   
• Those who need care but have limited access resulting from distance or insurance barriers.
 
• Patients who cannot otherwise get the care they need because of cultural, geographic, and/or language barriers.
 
• Patients who do not physically fit into standardized care environments.
 
• Children and adults with disabilities or autism spectrum disorder met with trepidation by some providers because of the potential for disruption.
 
• Heart patients who have been prescribed blood thinners and cannot find dentists to provide care because of the added liability.
 
• Seniors who are faced with mobility or cognitive challenges.