MEMBER NEWS: CHSU celebrates accreditations

 

Significant milestone: CHSU celebrates

full accreditation for all programs

 

(CLOVIS, Calif.)– The California Health Sciences University (CHSU), a member of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, held a celebration this week to commemorate achieving full accreditation for all its programs.

“Having our university accreditation recently reaffirmed, and our medical school, master’s program, and Simulation Center all achieving full accreditation is a significant milestone for our institution and a proud moment for all of us who are part of this vibrant community,” stated Dr. Florence Dunn, Founding President of CHSU, in her address at the event.

The Accreditation Celebration brought together over 300 people on the medical school campus in Clovis, including CHSU medical and pre-medical students, alumni, administration, faculty, staff, trustees, founders, elected officials, and community partners.

Guests toured the Simulation Center for interactive experiences with high-fidelity manikins and augmented reality Holoanatomy demonstrations.

The founding dean of the CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, John Graneto, DO, stated, “In the past six months, we’ve had exciting news every month starting with our historic 100% residency match rate for our inaugural class of 2024 in March.”

Last April, full accreditation was granted for seven years to CHSU’s Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA).

66 new physicians in the CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine’s inaugural class of 2024 graduated at the Save Mart Center in May.

Ronald Llenado, DO, an alum from the CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine’s inaugural class of 2024 is one of the 33% of his graduating class who matched for residency in the Central Valley. Dr. Llenado is now a first-year resident in the UCSF Fresno Family Medicine program.

“Matching at UCSF Fresno has been a dream come true. It allowed me to stay here in the Central Valley, where I’ve studied, built important relationships, and made a home. I’m also proud to say that CHSU graduates make up 25% of my intern class, further showing how CHSU is shaping the future of medicine right here in our community,” stated Ronald Llenado, DO, Resident Physician in the UCSF Fresno Family Medicine program and CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine alum from the inaugural class of 2024.

He spoke at the Accreditation Celebration about his medical school experience at CHSU and connection to serving patients in the community through his clinical clerkships.

“The accreditation of CHSU is a landmark moment—not just for the school but for all of us who are part of its legacy. It’s a testament to the hard work, vision, and dedication that went into building a medical program that equips its students to serve our unique community and improve healthcare access for all,” remarked Dr. Ronald Llenado.

Other notable speakers at the celebration included long-time university supporters Assemblyman Jim Patterson, Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig, and Clovis Mayor Lynne Ashbeck.

Mayor Lynne Ashbeck spoke about the CHSU medical school being transformational for this region.

“There is nothing more important that will define this region for the next 30 years than the health of our residents. If we can provide an environment where our families and kids can thrive, where our kids can actually see what it takes to become a doctor or other healthcare provider, and achieve those goals close to home and where we can all have access to those doctors to care for us then our region has a chance,” stated Lynne Ashbeck, Clovis Mayor.

Nathan Magsig, Fresno County Supervisor remarked, “There are going to be thousands of doctors that graduate from this facility and its going to change what the Central Valley gets to experience when it comes to care. I just want to say thank you to those individuals who were part of the vision to make this happen.”

Representatives from the offices of Congressman Vince Fong, Congressman Jim Costa, and Senator Shannon Grove also attended the event and presented CHSU with certificates of special recognition for achieving full accreditation for all its programs.

CHSU became accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) in 2018. This summer, CHSU had its university accreditation reaffirmed by WSCUC.

When the fall semester began in July, the university received the news that all CHSU students are now eligible for Federal Financial aid to help them fund their medical school and master’s program education.

“These achievements are a shared victory with our entire community, and ultimately is for our students,” concluded Dr. Dunn.

Contact: Richele Kleiser, CHSU VP of Marketing and Communications at rkleiser@chsu.edu or 559 312 3892

See:

CHSU press release and photo gallery

 

About California Health Sciences University

California Health Sciences University (CHSU) is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). CHSU is the first university of its kind in the Central Valley and offers a local option for medical school and a master’s in biomedical sciences to help remedy the shortage of health care services offered in the Valley.

The CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine (CHSU-COM) is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA). CHSU-COM now has about 600 medical students in attendance. The inaugural class of 2024 medical students graduated in May. The College matriculated its fifth cohort of over 150 students in July.

The university also offers a one-year Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MSBS) program at its College of Biosciences and Health Professions. The first cohort of MSBS students graduated in 2024, with over 60% of the graduates now attending the CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine.

For more information about California Health Sciences University, visit chsu.edu or find them on Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin.

 

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