1.1 History
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport (LSUHSC-S) encompasses three schools: School of Medicine, School of Allied Health Professions, and School of Graduate Studies. The institution is a doctoral research university with an array of programs that offer the full continuum of higher education from baccalaureate to post-doctoral levels in the health professions and biomedical sciences. Through its undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate programs, LSUHSC-S is committed to educating health professionals who will provide excellent patient care and make transformational discoveries in the quest of a healthier Louisiana and world.
The history of the Health Sciences Center dates back to 1876 when the Shreveport Charity Hospital was established at Pierre Avenue and Ford Street. Thirteen years later in 1889, the hospital was relocated to a four acre parcel of land at the corner of Texas Avenue and Murphy Street in downtown Shreveport. A new and larger facility was constructed on the same site in 1904. The hospital’s final move was in 1953 to a 23-acre plot on the southeast corner of Kings Highway and Linwood Avenue. Since funding for the new building came from the Confederate Veterans’ Pension Fund, the hospital received a new name - Confederate Memorial Medical Center.
The School of Medicine has served the health and well-being of Louisiana’s diverse population for over 50 years with innovative medical education and training programs, excellent patient care, and world-class biomedical research. In 1965, the School of Medicine in Shreveport was authorized by an act of the Louisiana Legislature. The first class of 32 medical students was enrolled in 1969 with classes held at the nearby Veterans Administration Hospital. The first Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degrees were awarded in 1973. Construction of the medical school’s permanent buildings was completed in 1975, immediately adjacent and connected to the Confederate Memorial Medical Center.
The School of Graduate Studies in Shreveport was established in 1965 as part of the LSU Medical Center in New Orleans (LSUMC-NO). Although graduate students were able to take courses at the Shreveport campus since the 1965 launch, the first class of graduate students at the Shreveport campus exclusively were accepted in 1974. The first Ph.D. candidate graduated in 1978. The school provides students with training in the most significant areas of biomedical sciences, including research to improve understanding of disease mechanisms at molecular, genetic, cellular and systems levels, and approaches to develop innovative targeted therapies for human diseases. The school offers doctorate (Ph.D.) and master’s degree (M.S.) programs as well as postdoctoral fellowships in various biomedical science fields including biochemistry and molecular biology; cellular biology and anatomy; microbiology and immunology; molecular and cellular physiology; and pharmacology, neuroscience, and toxicology.
The School of Allied Health Professions in Shreveport is a leader in educating students in a wide range of dynamic allied health disciplines. The school was established in 1977 as a branch of the LSUMC-NO campus. Cardiopulmonary Science, Speech Language Pathology, and Medical Technology were the three programs initially offered by the school. A group of 11 allied health students comprised the first graduating class in 1980. The school now offers two undergraduate and six graduate degree programs including its original degree programs plus additional offerings in Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies, Public Health and a PhD Program in Rehabilitation Sciences. In 2008, the School of Allied Health Professions moved into a new state-of-the-art facility on the south side of the campus.
In 1976, the State Legislature authorized the transfer of the Confederate Memorial Medical Center from the State Charity Hospital System to the LSU System, and in 1978, the name of the hospital was changed to the Louisiana State University Hospital in Shreveport to reflect its new status. In addition, the legislature authorized the transfer of E.A. Conway Medical Center in Monroe in 2003 and Huey P. Long Medical Center in Pineville to LSUHSC-S. In 2013, privatization of state-run hospitals took place as part of a program instituted by the governor, and LSUHSC-S partnered with a private entity to lease and operate the hospitals that were previously under its management.
In 1999, the institution’s name was changed from Louisiana State University Medical Center at Shreveport to the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport. In November 2000, an independent chancellor for LSUHSC-S was appointed. In 2004, the School of Graduate Studies in Shreveport and the School of Allied Health Professions in Shreveport gained administrative separation from LSUHSC-NO and were placed under the leadership of the Shreveport chancellor. At the same time, deans were appointed for the two schools on the Shreveport campus. In July 2005, LSUHSC-S was legislatively authorized as a separate entity. In 2009, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) awarded LSUHSC-S separate accreditation, which was subsequently reaffirmed in 2014.
1.2 Mission, Vision, and Values
Our Mission
The primary mission of Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport (LSUHSC-S) is to TEACH, HEAL and DISCOVER, in order to advance the well-being of the State, region, and beyond. LSUHSC-S encompasses the Schools of Medicine, Graduate Studies, and Allied Health Professions in Shreveport.
To implement its mission, LSUHSC-S is committed to:
- Prepare learners for careers in health care service, teaching and research using state-of-the-art curricula, methods, and facilities.
- Provide a growing, diverse regional patient population with state-of-the-art clinical care, including a range of tertiary special services.
- Achieve distinction and international recognition for basic science and clinical research programs that contribute to the body of knowledge and practice of science and medicine.
- Utilize research and knowledge to support economic growth and prosperity of the region and State by engaging in productive partnerships with the private sector.
- Foster a culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes mutual respect for all.
Our Vision
To be a preeminent academic medical center that transforms health and health care for a diverse population through compassionate and patient-centered care, technologically advanced education, and transformative research.
Our Core Values
- Collaboration: We work together to serve our institution, state, nation, and global community.
- Compassion: We treat others in a caring, empathetic manner and aim to prevent and alleviate human suffering.
- Excellence: We foster a lasting spirit of inquiry and creativity, leading to outstanding evidence-based health care, impactful research and scholarship, and superb teaching.
- Innovation: We cultivate an ongoing, cooperative process of discovery and translate knowledge for the benefit and service of humanity.
- Professionalism: We act in accordance with the highest standards of integrity, ethical behavior, and exemplary moral character.
- Respect: We nurture free and open discourse, listen to new ideas, and value diverse perspectives, experiences, backgrounds, and talents.
Approved:
LSUHSC-S General Faculty - July 29, 2021
LSUHSC-S Administrative Council - August 2, 2021
LSU Board of Supervisors - September 10, 2021
1.3 Diversity and Inclusion Statement
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport (LSUHSC-S) strives to cultivate a diverse and inclusive culture that supports equity, acceptance, and respect for the differences in others. The institution is committed to achieving excellence in fulfilling its mission by utilizing the rich talents of individuals who contribute different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to the work and learning environment and who reflect the varied populations of Louisiana. As such, the institution adopts a definition of diversity that embraces a broad spectrum of human expression and characteristics that include but are not limited to race, ethnicity, gender/gender identity, social and cultural attributes, abilities, sexual orientation, religion, rural or metropolitan background, military or veteran status, and age. In addition, diversity also includes life experiences, record of service, and other talents and personal attributes that enhance the work and learning atmosphere. LSUHSC-S is dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse community through the recruitment, enrollment, hiring, and retention/graduation of students, faculty, staff, and leadership who meet this definition of diversity.
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