OSU Trustees Authorize Advancement of Wellness Clinic Lease with Samaritan Health Services

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon State University board on Tuesday approved key terms of a proposed lease agreement with Samaritan Health Services for a wellness clinic on the Corvallis campus that will provide expanded health and wellness services to OSU students, faculty and staff. as well as members of the Benton County community.

The Board of Trustees also unanimously approved $ 5 million to update the Hatfield Marine Science Center’s seawater system that supports fish and animals used for research, education and outreach, such as aquariums and display tanks in the HMSC Visitor Center in Newport.

The board of directors approved the construction of the wellness clinic on May 21, 2021, as part of a $ 153 million investment to complete Reser Stadium. The four-story clinic will serve as the new home for student health services and will be located in a new building at the southeast corner of the stadium.

The Wellness Clinic will offer primary care and walk-in / same day services throughout the year. Student Health Services will move from Plageman Hall to serve OSU students on the third and fourth floors of the new wellness clinic. Samaritan is expected to serve OSU employees and community members from the second floor, with student health services and Samaritan sharing spaces and services on the first floor. OSU students could access the Samaritaine clinic during hours when the student health center is closed.

“This clinic provides an exciting opportunity to expand health care services for students at the OSU Corvallis campus, and in collaboration with Samaritan Health Services, offers readily available services for faculty and university staff and members. community, ”said Jenny Haubenreiser, associate vice-president of student affairs and general manager of student health services.

The new medical building will be approximately 32,000 square feet in size, with Samaritan seeking to lease approximately 9,000 square feet effective July 1, 2023, for 20 years with an option to extend the lease to 30 years.

The directors vote on Tuesday authorizes Acting OSU President Becky Johnson to negotiate and sign a rental agreement with Samaritan in accordance with the approved terms sheet, which provides that the starting rent is to be paid by Samaritan to $ 3.25 per square foot per month. The annual rent increases would be linked to the consumer price index but would not be greater than 4% nor less than 1%.

The authorization and the proposed rental terms were unanimously approved by the board of directors, with the trustee Julie Manning, an executive at Samaritan Health Services, abstaining during the vote and discussion of the rental terms.

In addition to the clinic, the completion of the Reser project includes a complete renovation of the west side of the football stadium and a new student reception center to be built in the southwest corner of the stadium.

The board vote on the HMSC enables the first major upgrade to the science centre’s seawater system that was installed in the 1970s. Seawater is used for multiple research purposes and teaching at Hatfield Marine Science Center and goes through a sophisticated but aging distribution system that delivers seawater throughout the HMSC campus and returns it to Yaquina Bay.

The system has passed its useful life and is starting to experience failures. As part of the $ 5 million renovation, the causeway and system pumps that draw seawater from Yaquina Bay in Newport will be replaced. HMSC Director Bob Cowen said upgrading the seawater system is essential for the HMSC to have sufficient, reliable and high-quality seawater.

“This seawater system puts OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center on the map nationally and globally and attracts research faculty, staff, students and members of the public to what we do.” here, ”he said.

The Board of Trustees also approved a new Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Science in Contemporary Music Industry, an interdisciplinary program designed to prepare graduates to work as composers, performers, music journalists and managers, and consultants. in film and playing music. The College of Liberal Arts program would be offered by Ecampus and would be the first contemporary music industry degree offered by Pacific Northwest colleges or universities.

The study program aims to foster connections and welcome transfer students from community colleges; serve those already working in the music industry looking for a four-year music degree; and enrolling underserved students who often come from oral traditions of learning music rather than reading pre-college programs based on music and music theory. The program aims to grow to enroll approximately 170 students over the next four years. The program would come into effect in the winter of 2022, pending the support of the state provost’s council and the approval of the Higher Education Coordination Commission.

In addition, the administrators approved a proposal from the College of Liberal Arts to divide its School of Arts and Communication into a School of Communication and a School of Visual, Performing and Design Arts. The college proposed the reconfiguration to strengthen research and curriculum development, use its administrative capacity more effectively, and align with the desires of students and faculty to advance the schools’ curriculum and mission.

Trustees also approved a recommendation from Johnson to submit the names of Gayle Fitzpatrick and Maria Teresa Chávez-Haroldson to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown from the pool of candidates to be considered for anticipated vacancies on the board.

Chávez-Haroldson lives in Corvallis and works in the Willamette Education Service District and as the founder of EDI Consulting. She has worked nationally and globally for over two decades in the area of ​​diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education, government and community organizations. She holds a doctorate in leadership and change.

Fitzpatrick is a graduate of OSU in Business Administration and has worked in the technology industry for over 40 years. A resident of Lake Oswego, she attended the OSU College of Business and Greek Life programs and was a member of the OSU Foundation Board of Directors from 2007-2020. She holds a Masters degree in Computer Science.