– New Program Centralizes Services for Veterans, Help Address Physical and Mental Health Needs –
Great Veteran’s Day Story
FORT LAUDERDALE/DAVIE, Fla. – For many years, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) has been home to a myriad of health clinics serving the residents of South Florida, many of whom have been veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. Now, NSU is establishing a Veteran’s Access Clinic, which will provide veterans with integrated, interdisciplinary care.
“NSU’s commitment to the community can be seen in our long-standing and robust clinical offerings to the South Florida community,” said Dr. George Hanbury, NSU’s President and CEO. “Designated as a Military Friendly school, we’ve worked hard to make NSU a university veterans want to attend – we’re home to more than 1,000 student veterans. It’s part of the NSU Edge that we provide to students. Through our clinics, we are proud to serve the veterans in our community who so courageously served our county.”
Thanks to a $5 million appropriation from the Florida Legislature and governor, NSU can bring the full weight of its well-established clinical services to serve those who served our country. Through this funding, the citizens of Florida are helping establish a program that is designed to help provide care for those who gave so much to protect us.
Veterans – those who are NSU students as well as veterans in the South Florida community – and their immediate family (spouse, children) will be able to visit or call this new clinic where NSU staff will help coordinate all the appointments they may need. This includes, but is not limited to: NSU’s medical, dental, optometry or psychology clinic, and if NSU doesn’t have the expertise in-house, through a network of community providers, staff will help the patient identify a provider and facilitate the referral so the necessary services can be provided.
“We have a wonderful opportunity to provide care for veterans and their families by identifying their needs through an inter-disciplinary team,” said Leonard Pounds, NSU’s vice president of clinical operations. “NSU staff will coordinate their appointments and referrals to ensure the patient’s healthcare needs are addressed. This unique approach provides veterans and their immediate family a coordinated way to address their physical and mental well-being by eliminating the need of having to call multiple offices to schedule appointments. Now, they’ll be able to have most of their basic health care needs managed in one location. Financial assistance may be available for those who qualify.”
Veterans who need help or want to find out more about what NSU has to offer are encouraged to call 954-262-FLAG (3524).
Pounds expressed this program is near and dear to his heart – he is a U.S. Navy veteran, having served in both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He noted that there will be two locations for the new Veteran’s Access Clinic – one on NSU’s main campus in Fort Lauderdale, the other at its Kendall Regional Campus, located in Miami-Dade County.
The goal is to have this new Veteran’s Access Clinic operational in January 2020 – an official ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening will be held (media will be invited).
This Veteran’s Access Clinic is the latest step in the university’s outreach to our veteran population.
- In 2015, NSU unveiled its new Veteran’s Resource Center on campus, which is the centralized location for resources and services specifically designed for our veterans and military affiliated students. The VRC’s mission includes the facilitation of academic success, transitional assistance, supporting university and community engagement, providing professional development opportunities, and ultimately graduation and career attainment.
- In 2017, NSU received the Military Friendly School designation, which is the most comprehensive, powerful resource for veterans today. Each year, the list of Military Friendly Schools is provided to service members and their families, helping them select the best college, university, or trade school to receive the education and training needed to pursue a civilian career.
- In 2019, NSU debuted its new U.S. Army ROTC program. Army ROTC is an elective curriculum that students take along with their required college classes. It provides the tools, training and experiences that will help students succeed in any competitive environment. Along with great leadership training, Army ROTC can help pay for college tuition. Because Army ROTC is an elective, students can participate their freshman and sophomore years without any obligation to join the Army.
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About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): At NSU, students don’t just get an education, they get the competitive edge they need for real careers, real contributions and real life. A dynamic, private research university, NSU is providing high-quality educational and research programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree levels. Established in 1964, the university includes 16 colleges, the 215,000-square-foot Center for Collaborative Research, a private JK-12 grade school, the Mailman Segal Center (early childhood education) with specialists in Autism, the world-class NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, and the Alvin Sherman Library, Research and Information Technology Center, one of Florida’s largest public libraries. NSU students learn at our campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, and online globally. Classified as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is one of only 50 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visit www.nova.edu for more information.
MEDIA CONTACT
Joe Donzelli | Office of Media Relations
Nova Southeastern University
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jdonzelli@nova.edu | www.nova.edu | @NSU_Joe
