Grand Valley State University’s College of Health Professions proudly celebrates its 20th anniversary. For two decades, the College has focused on maintaining the quality and excellence of its current programs while expanding to meet workforce demands and healthcare needs by adding new programs. We are excited to reflect on our past achievements and look forward to the future of our college and its role in supporting the healthcare workforce.

Our commitment to excellence in healthcare goes beyond the classroom and the education of future healthcare professionals. Our faculty are dedicated to excellence in research and service as well.

A Brief History of the College of Health Professions at GVSU
by Teresa Beck as presented at the 20th Celebration event

When I joined Grand Valley State University (GVSU) in the fall of 1995, I was part of a burgeoning recreational therapy program housed within the Department of Health Science in the Science and Mathematics Division, led by Dean Doug Kindschi. At that time, three other well-established health-related programs were already in place: Clinical Lab Science, Occupational Safety and Health, and Physical Therapy. The years following my arrival saw the introduction of new programs, beginning with the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies in 1995, followed by the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy in 1996.

I would like to extend my gratitude to Dean Kindschi for his visionary leadership in recognizing the need for GVSU to expand its health programs to serve our local community, the state of Michigan, and beyond. In 2003, the Radiologic and Imaging Degree was established, initially focusing on Radiation Therapy. The following year, under new Provost Gayle Davis, Academic Affairs was restructured into Colleges, resulting in the creation of the College of Health Professions (CHP). I want to thank Dr. Davis for her foresight in shaping the college and supporting its growth to what we see today.

Dr. Jane Toot became the inaugural Dean of CHP. Under her leadership, in 2005, we expanded the Radiologic and Imaging Degree by adding two emphases: Cardiovascular Sonography and Diagnostic Medical Sonography. That same year, the Allied Health Science degree transitioned to CHP from the Biomedical Sciences Department.

In 2008, following Dean Toot's retirement, Dean Olsson was appointed with a mandate to grow the college—and he certainly succeeded. Under his guidance, we launched several new programs, including the Master’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology in 2011, the Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management in 2013, and the Master’s Degree in Medical Dosimetry in 2015. In 2015, we also initiated a collaborative Respiratory Therapy program with Muskegon Community College. Subsequent years saw the introduction of the Master’s in Clinical Dietetics in 2016, the Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2018, the Doctorate in Audiology and Doctorate in Occupational Therapy in 2020, and the Bachelor of Science in Applied Food and Nutrition and the Master’s in Athletic Training in 2021. Finally, in 2022, we added the Master’s in Recreational Therapy. My sincere thanks go to Dr. Olsson for his vision and rapid growth of the college.

Our Facilities

When we began in 1995, we were located in Henry Hall in Allendale, where the four existing programs shared space. As new programs like Physician Assistant Studies and Occupational Therapy were added, it quickly became apparent that we had outgrown Henry Hall. In the late 1990s, we recognized the necessity of having a presence in downtown Grand Rapids, leading to the Physician Assistant program moving to rented space on Monroe.

In 2003, the Cook DeVos Center for Health Sciences opened, allowing all health programs to consolidate in one location. By 2004, we were officially designated as a college, and our building earned the nickname “the building on the hill.” However, space challenges persisted, prompting us to rent additional space a few blocks away on Michigan.

In 2017, we opened Raleigh Finkelstein Hall on Lafayette across the highway, informally known as “the building across the highway.” The launch of the DeVos Center for Interdisciplinary Health further solidified our status as an official campus—the Health Campus.

I want to express my gratitude to GVSU administration for their unwavering support in the development of our college, as well as to our incredible students and faculty for the positive impact we continue to make in our communities.

On Friday, September 27, GVSU's College of Health Professions honored two decades of groundbreaking achievements as we look ahead to a promising future. We kicked off the day with a complimentary lunch. We were inspired by two dynamic speakers, followed by a Celebratory Happy Hour with remarks from President Mantella and the CHP Leadership Team.

“Ethics in Healthcare: Historical Perspectives, Present Challenges, and Future Directions”

Bio: Dr. Wong is a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan and a Clinical Research Fellow in the National Clinician Scholars Program. He served as a Chief Resident in Internal Medicine prior to joining faculty at the University of Michigan. His research aims to apply artificial intelligence and machine learning to solve problems in clinical practice, hospital operations, and health education. He was a recipient of the Felicia Hill-Briggs Research Award for his work utilizing machine learning to prevent delirium in hospitalized patients. He has multiple publications in high impact journals including JAMA IM and JAMA Network Open, and his work has been nationally recognized and was recently cited in the White House Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights.

“Getting from Code to Care: A Roadmap to Navigating Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare”

Bio: Dr. Emily Harlan is a Clinical Instructor in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and a Faculty Ethicist at the University of Michigan and a staff physician at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. She attended medical school at Case Western Reserve University, where she concurrently received a Master of Arts in Bioethics. She completed residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care at University of Michigan. She received a Master's in Healthcare Research through the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation and completed a post-doctoral bioethics research fellowship at the University of Michigan Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine. Her research focuses on improving care centered around the values of patients and families and examining regional variation in critical care delivery.