In Brief: College of Medicine partnership, Garimella joins ABC News, LQP hiatus
(From left) Mayor of Yuma Douglas Nicholls; State Sen. Brian Fernandez; Dr. Kristina Diaz, president of Onvida Health Medical Group; Dr. Robert J. Trenschel, president and CEO of Onvida Health; Dr. Fredric Wondisford, dean of the College of Medicine – Phoenix; U of A President Suresh Garimella; Dr. Ranita Sharma, executive vice dean and professor of medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix; Patricia A. Prelock, provost and chief academic officer at the U of A; Doug Goodyear, chair of the Arizona Board of Regents; and State Sen. Timothy Dunn take part in the official ribbon cutting to celebrate the launch Arizona's first rural regional medical school branch.
Adam Brooks/College of Medicine Phoenix
College of Medicine – Phoenix, Onvida Health partner to tackle physician shortage
The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and Onvida Health are working together to address a critical health issue in Arizona: the severe physician shortage facing the state's rural regions.
The College of Medicine – Phoenix will offer a three-year Primary Care Accelerated Pathway program beginning in July, with all clinical training taking place at Onvida Health in Yuma. The partnership will provide up to 45 qualified students with full tuition scholarships funded by Onvida Health in its first three years.
Each cohort will complete the first 18 months of the three-year curriculum, focusing on the foundational sciences, in Phoenix. They will then spend the next 18 months at the Yuma branch for clinical training across eight core specialties.
Read more about the partnership on the university's news website and watch a video on the effort below.
Garimella joins education panel on ABC News
University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella spoke about government collaboration, college affordability and the role of higher education during a panel discussion last week on ABC News Live's "All Access with Linsey Davis."
He was joined on the panel by Penn State University President Neeli Bendapudi, Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff and Clark Atlanta University President George T. French.
"We at the University of Arizona believe that student success is our North Star," Garimella said during the panel discussion. "We are back to the basics, we're thinking about what our core mission is, where we can reduce our expenses, make it more affordable for students."
Watch the full panel discussion below.
LQP will return Jan. 14
This week's issue of Lo Que Pasa is the last for 2025. LQP will return on Jan. 14. The last UAnnounce Weekly Digest for 2025 will be Dec. 18. The first UAnnounce Weekly Digest for 2026 will be on Jan. 8.
In the meantime, we will continue to post UAnnounce memos and classified ads through Dec. 23. The university will be closed Dec. 24 through Jan. 4.
We wish all university employees and their families a safe and happy holiday season!