About AHU
Our mission, vision, and values are at the core of what we do. Our history is as dynamic and inspiring as our present.
Our Mission
Developing skilled professionals who live the healing values of Christ
AdventHealth University is a Seventh-day Adventist institution specializing in healthcare education in a faith-affirming environment. Service-oriented and guided by the values of nurture, excellence, spirituality, and stewardship, the University seeks to develop leaders who will practice healthcare as a ministry.
Our Vision
AdventHealth University is a leader in healthcare education, transforming the science and practice of whole-person care and developing influential professionals of uncommon compassion.
Our Core Values
Nurture
AHU fosters nurture by creating a respectful, inclusive, supportive, and empowering environment for all.
Excellence
AHU expands excellence by advancing innovative teaching, experiential learning, and serious scholarship.
Spirituality
AHU cultivates spirituality by offering opportunities for all to grow in relationship with God.
Stewardship
AHU promotes stewardship by optimizing human potential, positive relationships, and valuable resources.
Our Heritage
AdventHealth University has a rich tradition associated with the pioneering healthcare (1866) and education (1872) reform movements started by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The church now operates one of the largest worldwide networks of healthcare and education facilities in the world.
The healthcare system extends the healing ministry of Christ to patients at 173 hospitals, 126 nursing homes, and 294 clinics around the world. The University campus is located next to AdventHealth Orlando – one of the largest medical facilities in the state – and for several years running the #1 rated hospital in Florida (U.S. News & World Report).
The education system extends the teaching ministry of Christ to students at 7,579 schools serving over 1.8 million students. AHU is one of 114 Adventist colleges and universities operating throughout the world. This educational system represents the largest operated by any Protestant Christian denomination.
Learn about our beliefsWe've been a spiritually-driven institution since the beginning.
The History of AHU
The history of the University’s Orlando campus extends back over a century. Nursing education began at Florida Hospital in 1913. Over the years, the hospital added programs in Radiography (1962), Practical Nursing (1964), and Sonography (1988). In 1992, those four programs were combined to form a new school, Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences. The school became a baccalaureate-granting institution in 1998 with the addition of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. In order to reach distant students across the nation, AHU in 2001 became an early adopter of online education. The University offers online baccalaureate programs in Radiologic Sciences, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Nursing, and graduate degrees in Healthcare Administration. In 2008, AHU began its first graduate programs offering a master’s degree in Nurse Anesthesia. Other degrees followed: a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy in 2011; a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration in 2013; a master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies in 2015; and the first doctoral degree in Physical Therapy in 2016. AdventHealth University, partnering with the Adventist Health System, has become an institution of excellence and innovation. Currently, the University is doing pioneering work on the delivery of mission through a variety of educational modalities. Our vision is for AHU graduates to extend the healing ministry of Christ. The University continues to advance the work of that small church born in the middle of the nineteenth century by bringing transformation, innovation, and good news to the lives of its students and patients. Building on its rich educational heritage, AdventHealth University continues to grow as an institution committed to developing skilled professionals who live the healing values of Christ.
These days, in more ways than one, we're part of something bigger.
AdventHealth is
- 45 hospital campuses
- More than 8,200 licensed beds
- 9 states
- Serves more than 5 million patients annually
- 45 hospital campuses
- More than 8,200 licensed beds
- 9 states
- Serves more than 5 million patients annually
Being affiliated with AdventHealth makes us one of the most well-connected healthcare universities in the nation.
Service to the Community
At AHU, we believe in Service. As part of the curriculum, our students engage in service activities with intentional academic goals and opportunities for reflection that connects to their academic discipline.
Awards and Partnerships
We've got the highest standards in health education. Just ask our accrediting agencies.
Accreditation
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
AdventHealth University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award Certificates, Associate's, Baccalaureate's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees. Contact SACSCOC at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of AdventHealth University.
Note: SACSCOC is to be contacted only if there is evidence that appears to support an institution's significant non-compliance with a requirement or standard.
Accrediting Association of Seventh-day Adventist Schools, Colleges, and Universities
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, Maryland 20904
Phone: 301-680-5068; Fax: 301-622-9627
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
One Dupont Circle, NW Suite 530
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 887-6791; Fax: (202) 887-8476
www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
25400 U.S. Highway 19 North, Suite 158
Clearwater, Florida 33763
Phone: (727) 210-2350
Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT)
20 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 2850
Chicago, Illinois 60606-3182
Phone: 312-704-5300; Fax: 312-704-5304
Email: mail@jcert.org
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
c/o Accreditation Department
American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200
North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929
Phone: 301-652-6611
www.aota.org
www.acoteonline.org
Joint Review Committe on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology (JRCNMT)
820 W. Danforth Road, #B1
Edmond, Oklahoma 73003
Phone: 405-285-0546
Fax: 405-285-0579
E-mail: mail@jrcnmt.org
www.jrcnmt.org
Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA)
The program's next review by the COA is scheduled for Spring 2030.
222 South Prospect Avenue
Park Ridge, Illinois 60068-4001
Phone: 847-655-1160
http://www.coacrna.org/
Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA)
12000 Findley Road, Suite 150
Johns Creek, GA, 30097
Phone: (770)476-1224
www.arc-pa.org
ARC-PA Accreditation Status
At its June 2019 meeting, the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) extended Accreditation-Probation status for the AdventHealth University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by AdventHealth University, until its next review in June 2021.
Accreditation - Probation Accreditation - Probation accreditation is a temporary status of accreditation, up to two years, granted when a program holding an accreditation status of Accreditation - Provisional or Accreditation - Continued does not meet the Standards or when the capability of the program to provide an acceptable educational experience for its students is threatened. Once placed on probation, a program that fails to comply with accreditation requirements in a timely manner, as specified by the ARC-PA, may be scheduled for a focused site visit and/or risk having its accreditation withdrawn.
Specific questions regarding the Program and its plans should be directed to the Program Director and/or the appropriate institutional official(s).
AHU Explanation
The AdventHealth University (AHU) Physician Assistant program has been, and remains, accredited. AHU is also accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award Certificates, Associate's, Baccalaureate's, Master's, and a Doctoral degree. As such, the pursuit of academic excellence continues to be the primary objective of the program faculty and the University administration.
The reasons for placing AHU on accreditation probation status pertains to administrative and assessment standards. While we are disappointed with the probationary status, students will be reassured to know:
- The content and quality of the curricular instruction is not in question.
- This does not affect currently enrolled, admitted, and prospective students on their journey toward program completion.
- Students can continue to apply, matriculate, graduate, take board examinations, obtain state licensing, and practice medicine.
The program and University administration have initiated an intensive plan of action to immediately address the accreditors’ concerns. We are confident that the corrective measures being implemented will meet or exceed the accreditation standards of the ARC-PA ultimately lifting the probationary status. Additional questions may be directed emailed to pa.info@ahu.edu.
Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
1111 North Fairfax Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: (703)706-3245
accreditation@apta.org
The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at AdventHealth University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/ institution directly, please call (407) 303-9904 or email dptinfo@ahu.edu.
Joint Review Commission on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS)
6021 University Blvd., Suite 500
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: (443)973-3251
Fax: (866)738-3444
Email: mail@jrcdms.org
www.jrcdms.org