Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU) is dedicated to providing the highest quality graduate medical education programs, building on over 40 years of enhancing the medical profession and supporting the communities of our students, staff, and faculty. Today, PHSU has locations in Ponce and San Juan, Puerto Rico, and St. Louis, Missouri, offering students the opportunity to pursue a number of fields of study while also developing critical cultural competencies.
After being founded in 1977 by the Catholic University of Puerto Rico with its main campus in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Ponce Medical Foundation, Inc. was acquired by Arist Corporation in September 2014 to operate Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences, which was renamed Ponce Health Sciences University. At the same time, Ponce Research Institute was established under the direction of Dr. Kenira Thompson.
As part of this transition, Dr. David Lenihan was selected to lead Ponce Health Sciences University as President, building on his past experience as Dean of Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York. As President, he worked alongside other members of the faculty and staff and leveraged an extensive knowledge of the medical field, a desire to cultivate a portfolio of emerging medical technology, and the existing resources of PHSU to enhance and expand its graduate medical education programs. In 2018, Ponce Health Sciences University established an extension center in San Juan, Puerto Rico on the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón campus. This campus offers the following degrees: Master of Science in Medical Sciences, Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, and Master of Science in School Psychology.
The university again extended its reach in 2018 and established a regional campus in St. Louis, Missouri located in the historic Globe building in downtown St. Louis. This campus initially offered the Master of Science in Medical Sciences and the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology program. The Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine announced the expansion of its MD program to include students in St. Louis. In July 2022, the institution moved from the historic Globe building to its new downtown location at 2351 Market Street.
Mission, Vision & Goals
Mission
The mission of Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU) is to provide a world-class, culturally competent, health sciences education to the population we serve, through innovative adaptive learning environments focused on the success of its students to become ethical practitioner’s and scientists.
Vision
The PHSU vision is to build upon its reputation as a prestigious academic and research leader by continuing to educate underrepresented diverse populations while focusing research efforts on solving health disparities.
Goals
- To continue its commitment to excellence in educational achievement by recruiting outstanding diverse students and faculty and providing the appropriate resources for the development of high-quality academic programs.
- To expand its academic and professional educational offerings to include other health related fields.
- To enhance recognition of the institution’s commitment to excellence in basic and clinical research, scholarship, and creative pursuits, supporting existing investigators and recruiting new highly qualified researchers.
- To expand and improve its high quality medical, mental health, diagnostic and therapeutic services.
- To continue to be an institution that prepares ethical professionals and scientists that contribute to society in general and to Puerto Rico in particular.
Governance
Board of Directors
| Chair |
Daniel Pianko, MBA |
| Member |
Ryan Craig, JD |
| Member |
Gregg Rosenthal, MBA |
| Member |
Ramon Torres, DBA |
| Member |
Aracelis Vidal Rivera |
| Member |
Francisco J. Cerra-Fernandez, M.D. |
| Member |
Charles Rose, JD |
| Member |
David Boodt, JD |
| Secretary |
Guillermo Pico, JD |
| Ex-Officio Member |
David Lenihan, Ph.D. |
Administration
| President and Head of School |
Gino Nataliccio, Ph.D. |
| Campus Director |
Stefani Schuette, Ed.D. |
| Chief Financial Officer |
Alejandro Ramirez, MBA |
| Dean, School of Medicine |
Olga Rodriguez, M.D. |
| Dean, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences |
Yaritza Lopez, PhD. |
| Associate Dean, MSMS |
Darah Fontanez, Ph.D. |
| Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs |
Ferrahs Abdelbaset, DC |
| Director, Admissions |
Darrien Dickson, MBA |
| Associate Dean, School of Medicine |
Mildred Olivier, MD, FACS |
| Director, Clinical Psychology |
Kristin Velazquez Kenefick, PsyD |
| Director, Student Affairs |
Terry Brewer, MA Ed. |
Centralized Support Administrators
| Vice President of Academic Affairs |
Elizabeth Rivera Mateo, Ed.D. |
| Vice President of Student Affairs |
Elisandra Rodríguez-Moreno, MS |
| Vice President of Research and President of Ponce Research Institute |
Kenira Thomson, PhD |
| Vice President for Marketing and Enrollment |
Emsley Vázquez-Colón, MS |
| Compliance Officer |
Waleska Murphy, JD |
| Registrar |
Ivette Oliveras, MBA |
Accreditation
Licensed by the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. Additional information regarding this institution may be obtained by contacting the Commission at:
PO Box 1469
Jefferson City, Missouri 65102
Phone: 573-751-2361
Web: dhe.mo.gov
Institutional Accreditation
The institution is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MS-CHE), accreditor for institutions of higher education in Puerto Rico. The next accreditation visit is scheduled for 2026-27.
Contact Information
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
1007 North Orange Street
4th Floor, MB #166
Wilmington, DE 19801
Phone: 267-284-5000
Fax: 215-662-5501
Web: msche.org
The MD program in the School of Medicine is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).
Contact Information
Liaison Committee on Medical Education American Medical Association
330 North Wabash Avenue Suite 39300
Chicago, IL 60611-5885
Phone: (312) 464-4933
Liaison Committee on Medical Education
Association of American Medical Colleges
655 K Street, NW Suite 100
Washington, DC 20001-2399
Phone: 202- 828-0596
Web: www.lcme.org
Campus Location & Facilities
Ponce Health Sciences University - St. Louis
2351 Market Street
St. Louis, MO 63103
The facilities at 2351 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103 contains approximately 57,000 square feet. The campus contains lab space, lecture halls, rec area, administrative office space, classrooms, a library, and open study space. The classrooms and lecture halls have appropriate tables to accommodate students and their electronic devices and are outfitted with audio visual technology necessary for instruction. The library features a small collection of physical texts and students have access to a larger digital library which is available beyond normal school hours.
Misrepresentation
Ponce Health Sciences University is dedicated to ensuring that consumer information is not misrepresented in our communication and marketing strategies. We define misrepresentation as follows:
Any false, erroneous or misleading statement an eligible institution, one of its representatives, or any ineligible institution, organization, or person with whom the eligible institution has an agreement to provide educational programs, or to provide marketing, advertising, recruiting or admissions services makes directly or indirectly to a student, prospective student, or any member of the public, or to an accrediting agency, to a State agency, or to the Secretary. A misleading statement includes any statement that has the likelihood or tendency to deceive or confuse. A statement is any communication made in writing, visually, orally, or through other means. Misrepresentation includes the dissemination of a student endorsement or testimonial that a student gives either under duress or because the institution required the student to make such an endorsement or testimonial to participate in a program.
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