Marshall B. Ketchum University closed on a $10.3 million deal today to purchase the building at 5460 E. La Palma in Anaheim, CA. The building will be the new home of the University Eye Center, which is currently housed at MBKU’s main campus in Fullerton. In addition, the new space will allow for expansion of additional primary health care services, as well as a pharmacy.
“The changing environment of health care demands that practitioners be trained to work in a multidisciplinary health care system. MBKU’s new School of Physician Assistant Studies and planned College of Pharmacy joins the 110-year-old Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO) in a new era of medical education in our community,” said Marshall B. Ketchum University President Kevin Alexander, O.D., Ph.D. “At MBKU, today marks the beginning of a unique interprofessional health center in our neighboring city of Anaheim that will ensure our professional students have a world-class education and training in a team approach to patient care.”
Named after the founder of the Optometry College, Marshall B. Ketchum, M.D., was a pharmacist, physician and a life-long advocate for Optometry. He had a vision for interprofessional education that has sustained the College since 1904. Today, the university is proud to honor Ketchum’s vision with this expansion. “The impact that this new building will have on students, patients and the community is very real,” said Vice President of Clinical Affairs Julie Schornack, O.D., M.Ed.
“This is an amazing opportunity to re-design a health care center and incorporate a setting where our students can see patients in an interprofessional environment,” said Dr. Schornack. “We invite our University Eye Center at Fullerton patients to join us in our new Anaheim facility to experience enhanced patient care.”
“This is a very exciting time of growth in our distinguished history at Marshall B. Ketchum University,” said Glenda Secor, O.D., F.A.A.O., Chair, Board of Trustees. Daniel L. May, M.D., Board Trustee, added, “As a practicing family physician, I see day in and day out the value collaborative care has on patient outcomes. I am proud to serve on a board that values interprofessional education and is making bold steps to enhance the education of future practitioners as they will play a much larger role in the health care landscape of the future.”
“I will be meeting with my executive team over the next several months to finalize the particulars of our expansion and I look forward to sharing a detailed plan with the Fullerton and Anaheim communities soon,” said President Alexander. “We have made an important step forward in our ACHIEVING 20/20 goal to reimagine health care education today.”