The WELL has expanded! The centralized services that support USF Health students on the main USF campus in north Tampa has opened a suite of offices at USF’s Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) in downtown Tampa.

USF Health students tour the new Student Resource Center suite at CAMLS.

Called the Student Resource Center, the suite offers an inviting space for students to gather while at CAMLS, including individual and small-group study space, a social lounge, a serenity room, a lactation room and access to printers, lockers and a small kitchen. In addition, staff offering support services will rotate their time as needed at the CAMLS space, including a nursing recruiter, advisors, financial aid personnel and student wellness representatives, said Joseph M. Ford, JD, assistant vice president, USF Health Shared Student Services.

“As our USF Health students spend more time at CAMLS, it’s important that there are spaces and services readily available to those students,” Ford said. “In designing this suite, we strived to create the kind of spaces our USF Health students might need while in downtown Tampa.”

Designs for the remodeled space were based on feedback from USF Health students already using sections of CAMLS for their learning, including the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesia program (CRNA), Ford said.

Dr. Charles Lockwood joined the students at the grand opening.

A grand-opening event was held Feb. 8 for USF Health students, including those from the Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Pharmacy, and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences. Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, also toured the space.

From left, Dr. Charles Lockwood, Dr. Bryan Bognar, and Joe Ford.

Story by Sarah Worth, photos by Freddie Coleman, USF Health Office of Communications

USF Health leadership cut the ribbon to mark the grand opening of the WELL Phase II.

The new community space at the USF Health WELL is now open for business, offering a new dining facility, The Table at Four Corners, among other beneficial additions for interdisciplinary student and faculty use.

In grand USF style, the ribbon-cutting ceremony included USF Health leadership and excited students thrilled to have the long awaited space, part of Phase II of the total project. Everything from the choice of food to the selection of the furniture came from student input and ideas.

“This is a space for students to gather together, to nurture and support one another, located in the heart of the USF Health campus,” said Joe Ford, assistant vice president for USF Health Shared Student Services. Ford and colleagues worked tirelessly alongside student leaders to bring the concept of the community space to fruition.

Joe Ford, assistant vice president for USF Health Shared Student Services, kicked off the grand opening celebration.

“This is really a day to celebrate USF Health,” said Charles Lockwood, MD, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine. “The WELL is the glue that brings all the different student groups together to create a culture of connectivity and wellness.”

Charles Lockwood, MD, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, shared his excitement for the new facility.

The expansion not only includes a new dining area for students, but also a patio area, study rooms, a serenity room and a lactation room. The WELL has over 12,000 square feet of indoor space and 3,000 square feet of landscaped patio space to accommodate students and faculty.

Former Advisory Board student member and USF alum, Ruan Cox, PhD, describes the WELL as “a shared space that impacts all disciplines.” Cox was part of the initial planning of the WELL through the Student Advisory Board and emphasized that student ideas really do impact the growth and development of USF Health as a whole. “This space was designed by us and for us,” Cox said.

University of South Florida College of Nursing student Cecelia Ferguson shared her excitement about the dining options available at The Table at Four Corners, a name decided on through a naming contest to represent the four USF Health Colleges coming together over a meal at the new WELL space. “The selection of The Rising Roll Gourmet Café is the result of a student taste-off last year,” Ferguson said. “This café will provide healthy food options, such as vegan and vegetarian offerings, which is really great for healthy food choices.”

USF Health students Nathanael Stanley, Cecelia Ferguson, Rocky the Bull, Lauren Terpak, Reema Rifaie, Stephen Brock and USF Alum Ruan Cox, PhD, shared what the WELL means for students.

Rising Roll Gourmet is part of the newly expanded dining area that also includes a Central Market convenience store. Both locations will be housed within The Table at Four Corners.“We are honored to be a part of the food service offering at USF and appreciate their commitment to fresh gourmet food. We look forward to serving the students, faculty, and staff,” said Mike Lassiter, president of the Rising Roll Franchising Company.

Starting Monday, Rising Roll Gourmet will be open  7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday. Central Market hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday.

The WELL phase II expansion has attained Gold LEED certification status, incorporating sustainable options wherever possible. The design favors green and gold accents to complement USF colors and has lots of details to remind students to “Be well, live well and eat well.”

Morsani College of Medicine student Lauren Terpak was involved in the initial grand opening of phase I of The WELL, and was particularly pleased with the Leadership and Learning Room that will be available to students.“The name says it all,” Terpak said. “It’s a place for greatness, where ideas, collaborations between disciplines, and new friendships continue to shape health care, starting now in our USF community and beyond.”

The next part of the project, Phase III, is expected to bring a fitness center, set to open in Spring 2017, and an additional 12,600 square feet of space that is still being planned by Shared Student Services.

School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences student Stephen Brock is encouraged by the new fitness facility being developed. “The fitness center at the WELL is going to be a central addition to the USF Health community, “ Brock said. “With a myriad of exercise modalities offering, spanning from group classes to state-of-the-art equipment, this facility can meet a majority of health and fitness needs.”

College of Pharmacy student Reema Rifaie shared the importance of adding the Serenity Room, a space to promote overall student wellness. “The serenity room offers students a place to pray, meditate or simply seek a quiet moment in the midst of all the challenges they may face with academics and busy schedules.”

USF College of Public Health student Nathanael Stanley shared his excitement about the sense of community that the dining facility will bring for students at USF Health. “I have to admit I’m excited about the new dining center,” Stanley said. “I love food. I also understand its significance to society. Food is a method of celebration. It brings people together.”

The interdisciplinary collaboration and sense of community of a shared space for USF students and faculty is the main theme of the USF Health WELL, and now, with this official opening, let the connectivity and positivity of the environment bring on that sense of togetherness. Let the good times roll!

USF Health community gathered on the new patio space to celebrate the opening of the WELL’s phase II

Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Office of Communications

There was plenty of activity at the new USF Health Student Services Center as workers installed furniture in the new collaborative space, one of the final steps before support staff from all four USF Health colleges moved in Jan. 2.

Designed with input from students, faculty and staff as a way to enhance services the USF Health colleges and schools currently provide students, the project is right on schedule for its grand opening , said Joe Ford, assistant vice president for USF Health Shared Student Services.

The official unveiling of the Center, as well as the announcement the Center’s new name, which was chosen among submissions provided by students and staff, is set for noon on  Thursday, Jan. 16.

“Our first step was to truly integrate support for USF Health students from the four colleges and the physical therapy and biomedical sciences schools in one place and this new Center meets that goal and more,” Ford said.

The initial phase included a complete renovation of the front half of what was the USF Medical Clinic. The colleges occupy the main sections of the Center but are connected in a cohesive way, providing a sense of unity in the shared space.

“We wanted the groups to come together in this shared space primarily as a central place for students, but also to bring staff together to share ideas for doing much of the same types of services, and to forge new ways of working in teams,” Ford said. “We want it to be student service centered, while facilitating talking with each other to improve those services.”

In addition to student affairs, financial aid, and registrar services, the Center also includes computer support, USF Health Service Corps, and multiple spaces for students to meet and study, from open lounges and a computer bar to enclosed conference rooms and quiet study spaces. Students from throughout USF Health – including the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, and the Schools of Biomedical Sciences and Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences – are welcome to make use of the Center.

More than 50 staff members have filled offices in this first phase of the project. Additional phases will come later, Ford said, including proposed plans for a wellness center with a fitness center, a dining facility, and additional meeting space.

Story by Sarah A. Worth, photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Office of Communications 

Fast. Focused. Flexible.

Those three words define the work philosophy of Joe Ford, JD, the recently named assistant vice president of the USF Health Shared Student Services.

They also convey to the newly formed Office of Shared Student Services, a unique initiative that will integrate student support for all students in the colleges of USF Health.

“After a national search, I’m delighted to announce that Joe Ford has accepted the position of assistant vice president of Shared Student Services,” said Stephen K. Klasko, MD, MBA, CEO of USF Health and Dean of the Morsani College of Medicine.

“This is a key USF Health-wide appointment. Our students are the core of USF Health – they appreciate that health runs across all of our colleges.”

A USF Health-wide search committee looked for someone who could enhance everything the colleges currently do for students, and lead a joint initiative for student engagement. Ford’s first task is designing potential construction that will link and integrate student services for USF Health.

Ford has more than 28 years of experience in academic and student affairs administration. At New York Institute of Technology, Ford was vice president for student affairs, where he directed a comprehensive program for 15,000 students at two New York campuses, Manhattan and Long Island, as well as global sites in Bahrain, Canada, China, Jordan and United Arab Emirates. He has also served as associate dean for student affairs and associate professor at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Department of Public Health. He received a juris doctor degree from Ohio Northern University and a bachelor of science in political science from Radford University.

The construction initiative looks like this:

Through three phases, the project will ultimately provide seamless and convenient integrated services and programs to all USF Health students in the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences, and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences.

Phase I will bridge those communities through a welcome center and proposed common areas and meeting spaces for students.

“We aim to create a community that will improve access for students interested in all USF Health colleges.”

The entire effort is based on input from students, faculty and staff. A two-year study prior to the SSS office opening defined the needs of a support program. And multiple open forums, as well as a meeting with an advisory group made up of students from all USF Health colleges, will further define the implementation of the program.

   A student advisory group held its first meeting to give input for the SSS program.

Phase I includes renovation of the existing space of the old USF Medical Clinic. The 12,000-square-feet space is scheduled to be complete next spring.

Phase II will focus on the use of newly recovered student fees.

“We found that $5 million in student fees is coming back to us so we are hosting several open forums for students to help define how that money will be used,” Ford said. “Should we use it to further enhance services in Phase I in the old clinic? Should we renovate other old space to create other amenities, like a small student union space? These are the kinds of questions the advisory group will help answer.”

The student advisory meeting took place this week. Subsequent students forums will be held twice a week in November and into December.

Phase III, which has no definitive timeline yet, will focus on centralized student services for all USF Health colleges.

   SSS Project Manager Caitlin Wolf explains the program to the student advisory group.