Yesterday, the University of Minnesota’s School of Nursing celebrated the opening of a new, state-of-the art education center for nursing and other health professional students.

The Bentson Healthy Communities Innovation Center will provide students with new opportunities to engage in complex simulated health scenarios in interprofessional teams, use sophisticated telehealth technology and learn emerging health records technology.

The center is named to honor the lead gift made by the Bentson Foundation, which contributed $3.7 million to the $7.8 million dollar project. A $1 million gift from the United Health Foundation and other generous donations enabled rapid construction, which began in May 2012.

As you can see by the photos, the new space looks great.

Compare these photos to the one taken nearly a year ago, while the space was still under construction… What a difference!

Last week was National Public Health Week (NPHW), a time to honor, celebrate, and raise awareness for the critical ways public health improves our lives.

This year’s NPHW theme, “Public Health is ROI: Save Lives, Save Money,” highlighted the value of prevention and the importance of well-supported public health systems in preventing disease, saving lives and curbing health care spending.

Nine programs within the University of Minnesota’s Academic Health Center have ranked in the top ten in the latest national rankings from U.S. News & World Report.

The rankings, appearing on newsstands this week, show each school ranked nationally as follows:

• The Medical School ranks 7^th in primary care instruction, just one of three stand out areas.
• The College of Pharmacy holds its impressive 3^rd place ranking.
• The School of Public Health ranks 5^th among public universities and 8^th nationally.
• The College of Veterinary Medicine maintained a strong 9^th place ranking.
• The School of Nursing is ranked among the top 25 schools in the country.

Yesterday the University of Minnesota announced it would partner with Coursera - a leading massive open online course (MOOC) platform – to develop free online courses to improve teaching and learning through technology, the health sciences will be well represented in the effort.

Of the five University faculty involved at the launch, three are from the health sciences, and other Academic Health Center faculty will likely offer their coursework via Coursera in the future, however the coursework above was in a position to be quickly developed into the MOOC format.

The University’s partnership with Coursera aligns with a similar move by a number of other schools across the United States.  The Star Tribune reported today that Coursera currently works with 33 other universities, with another 29 recently signing on from 13 different countries.

Diane Treat-Jacobson, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., is an associate professor at University of Minnesota School of Nursing

A graduate of the University of Minnesota’s Ph.D. program, Diane Treat-Jacobson, Ph.D., returned to her alma mater to pass along some of what she learned through teaching and research.

Treat-Jacobson has focused her expertise on the debilitating condition Peripheral artery disease (PAD). PAD is a circulatory problem caused by a buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries of the legs. Patients are also often at high risk for heart attack and stroke.

Kristi Flynn, D.V.M., a veterinarian with the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, knows firsthand that the holidays can be a dangerous time for pets.

She’s seen pets come into clinic for everything from stomach problems to fractures and strains during the winter months.  Who knew the holidays could be so hazardous for pets?

If you’re looking for ways to keep your pet out of harm’s way this holiday season, here are a few of Flynn’s top tips …