Western Governors University selects the CareSpan® Integrated Digital Care Platform to Educate College of Health Professions Students to Use Digital Health Technologies

New York, New York

January 18, 2021

CareSpan®, a group of digital healthcare platform and technology-enabled healthcare services companies will provide its Clinic-in-the-CloudTM telemedicine and digital care platform to educate and train Western Governors University (WGU) College of Health Professions (CHP) students in the use of digital health technologies, telemedicine and telehealth practices. WGU is a nationwide, accredited, nonprofit online university serving a student body of nearly 130,000 students, 70% of whom are underserved learners. WGU was founded by 19 bipartisan U.S. governors in 1997 to create pathways to opportunity.  WGU focuses on competency-based skill attainment through workforce partnerships, equitable access and increasing the ROI of education.

WGU is the largest college of health professionals in the US with over 30,000 CHP graduates earning degrees yearly, with 70% of the students from one or more historically underserved populations. “The educational outreach that is embodied within WGU complements the tech-enabled medical care outreach embodied in CareSpan®. Combining our outreach with CareSpan®’s technology and virtual care capabilities can bring jobs—and ultimately care—to underserved communities in the healthcare sector,” said Jan Jones-Schenk, Senior Vice President at WGU and Executive Dean of CHP.

 “CareSpan® as a digital care platform is particularly well-suited for academia, especially in online universities such as WGU. And it is especially pertinent because the CareSpan® platform allows the creation of a nearly infinite number of simulated patients for educational purposes,” commented Dr. Terry Knapp, CareSpan® Founder and Chief Medical Officer.

WGU’s Family NP program featuring a learning experience on CareSpan®’s digital care platform enables NPs to enter independent practice with up-to-date knowledge of the use of technology in optimizing care delivery, especially in service to the remote and underserved. With the expanding Nurse Practitioner (NP) workforce, NPs are able to deliver healthcare services to an increasing number of consumers. “The CareSpan-WGU relationship is so powerful because of shared values: these organization have the interests of the remote and disadvantaged as a primary intention for their work, and these companies have developed tools, resources and programs to enhance workforce development, meaningful life, and quality healthcare as drivers for the advancement of society,” said Dr. JoEllen Koerner, CareSpan’s Chief Nursing Officer and board member of American Advanced Practice Network (American-APN), a CareSpan-affiliated group of Nurse Practitioners.

CareSpan® is pleased to work with WGU to prepare NP students to utilize a state-of-the-art digital platform. The newly graduated NP will have an opportunity to seamlessly adopt the CareSpan® digital platform for their nascent practices and receive the comprehensive business support and network opportunities they require through CareSpan® and American-APN.

About Western Governors University
Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves more than 129,000 students nationwide and has more than 215,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation’s leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 24 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in today’s rapidly evolving economy. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and has been featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. Learn more at wgu.edu. 

About the CareSpan® Organization
The CareSpan® Organization consists of CareSpan® Holdings, Inc., its subsidiaries CareSpan® USA, Inc., CareSpan® Integrated Networks, Inc., and its affiliated professional group practices, American Advanced Practice Network, PC, and American MedPsych Network, PA.  CareSpan® has created a business support infrastructure for its professional network partners and is the first to deploy a comprehensive, integrated digital healthcare “Clinic-in-the-Cloud” that creates unfettered access to care for the underserved and with an emphasis on the care of chronic illness. CareSpan® is dedicated to the future of integrated digital care, using sophisticated digital diagnostic and clinical decision support tools in collaboration with primary, specialty and mental health providers to drive better outcomes with a patient-centered approach. For further information please visit: https://www.carespanhealth.com