The month of May was incredibly eventful as we celebrated what would have been Dr. John Bastyr’s 100th Birthday. Our Spring for Health Luncheon was a resounding success, raising more than $100,000 for uncompensated care at Bastyr Center for Natural Health. I am confident this would have made Dr. Bastyr smile. Though the birthday celebration has passed for May, there are commemorative activities every remaining month in 2012. Further, our students, faculty and staff are not sitting idly as we now enter the last month of the academic year. Here are a few events and activities coming our way that illustrate our full campus life and our bright future.
The 14th Annual Herb and Food Fair
Join us on June 2 for our largest, free community event. The annual campus celebration draws thousands of families to our garden and forest to enjoy a day of healthy food, live music, organic plants, handmade gifts, free acupuncture, cooking demonstrations, herbal foot soaks and much more.
A New Class of Health Leaders
On June 18, we will congratulate hundreds of graduates receiving doctoral, master’s and bachelor’s degrees at our 31st Annual Commencement Exercises at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. Prior to setting out to make the world a healthier place with their degrees and certificates in the natural health arts and sciences, the graduates will receive sage words of advice from principal speaker Christa Louise, MS, PhD.
Honoring Our Generous Donors
One day after celebrating the completion of an educational journey for our grads, we will turn our attention (and gratitude) to the people who help support Bastyr University. On June 19, we will hold our annual Donor Recognition Event on campus to thank everyone who gave this year. I hope you might be among them.
Outstanding Care at Bastyr Center
Kudos goes to Bastyr Center for Natural Health, which scored very high in a new report from the Puget Sound Health Alliance. In a first-of-its-kind regional patient experience survey, Bastyr Center was one of only three of 150 medical groups across Puget Sound to score above 90th percentile on four publicly reported measures that included key areas such as communication between patients and providers, and personal attention. To view results for all measures included in the survey see www.WACommunityCheckup.org.
The Journey to California Continues
As we inch closer to our fall opening in San Diego, we continue to make great strides. Most recently, I appointed Moira Fitzpatrick, PhD, ND, FICPP, CHT, to serve as vice president of Bastyr University California. As both an esteemed Bastyr alumna and board member, Dr. Fitzpatrick brings energy, experience, skill and vision. She will make an immediate impact in California.
Our Bastyr Book Journey is also underway. Between now and September, a network of 100 alumni (in honor of Dr. Bastyr’s 100th birthday) will carry one of our namesake’s favorite books from Seattle to San Diego, where it will arrive in time for the grand opening of our California campus on September 14, 2012. You can track exactly where the book is at this very moment, in real time, as travels down the coast.
Some may choose to call them the lazy days of summer; however it is very clear that we at Bastyr University are being anything but. We hope you will visit our website often to see all that is happening on campus and at our clinic.
In Health,
Daniel K. Church, PhD
Bastyr University President
