AdventHealth University

AdventHealth University (AHU) is a private health sciences university in Orlando, Florida, United States. It is affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the AdventHealth hospital system, a network of faith-based healthcare facilities. The university also operates campuses in Tampa and Denver. AHU offers more than 20 programs at the associate, bachelor's, master's, professional's and doctoral degrees, including online and certificate options.[4] AHU has published 209 scientific papers on many different subjects.[5]

In 2022, AdventHealth University was designated by the United States Department of Education a Hispanic-Serving Institution.[6][7]

Early history

AHU traces its origins to a nursing program started in 1913 at Florida Sanitarium (now AdventHealth Orlando). In 1983, a two-year associate degree in nursing began under the sponsorship of Southern College (now Southern Adventist University).[8] Plans to establish a standalone institution began in 1990, led by hospital chaplain David Greenlaw, who became the founding president.[9]

1992–2019

In 1992, Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences was founded.[10] On November 10, 1995, FHCHS became accrediated by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology.[11] On January 1, 1996, it became accrediated by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.[11] On September 22, 1997, it became accrediated by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing[11] On October 10, 2003, it became accrediated by the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine.[11] On October 11, 2007, it became accrediated by the Council on Accrediation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.[11] In 2012, Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences changed its name to Adventist University of Health Sciences. On April 27, 2013, AUHS became accrediated by American Occupational Therapy Association and the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education.[11] On January 2, 2019, Adventist University of Health Sciences rebranded to AdventHealth University.[10]

2022–present

In October 2022, it partnered with Full Sail University to open a technology laboratory for healthcare education.[12][13] In December 2023, AdventHealth partnered with Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine to train physicians to keep them in the Orlando metropolitan area. Students from the new college will be able to work at AdventHealth hospitals; AdventHealth employees and AHU students will be able to take courses at OCOM. And when OCOM opened in 2024, many of its faculty were physicians from AdventHealth.[14][15] In 2024, AHU opened a Welcome Center in Orlando and broke ground on a new simulation center, scheduled to open in 2026.[16][17]

In late October 2024, the university began to offer certificates to high school students.[18][19] The following month, AdventHealth University Tampa opened.[20][21] In 2025, Howell Construction expanded AdventHealth University Denver in Greenwood Village, Colorado for $5 million. The Colorado campus is in the same building as AdventHealth Rocky Mountain Region.[22][23]

Statistics

See also

• List of Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities
• List of Seventh-day Adventist hospitals

Further reading

External links

• AdventHealth University Data USA