Phoenix

Creighton And Phoenix

At Creighton University, we’re committed to preparing students to work for the greater good. That means going where there’s a need and providing the opportunity to work in a wide variety of clinical settings with diverse patient populations. That’s why we have expanded our suite of health sciences degree programs in Phoenix with a new campus featuring a full four-year medical school and physician assistant, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy and occupational therapy programs.

The largest Catholic health professions educator in the nation, Creighton University is preparing students for a workforce that demands their commitment to innovative care and service.

New Health Sciences Campus

The 195,000-square-foot Phoenix campus opened in 2021 at Park Central in midtown Phoenix. The campus will be home to nearly 900 students by 2025.

The modern facility—which features cutting-edge technology, equipment and spaces—enriches Creighton’s Jesuit education. On campus and in the community, students have a wide variety of opportunities to develop skills and transform health care.

Our Programs in Phoenix

MD Program. Creighton medical school students have studied in Phoenix since 2007. In 2009, Creighton expanded its partnership with St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix by opening a Creighton campus there for third- and fourth-year medical students. In the fall of 2021, Creighton welcomed medical students to its new Phoenix campus. These and future med students will complete all four years of medical school on the campus in Phoenix. Learn more about the medical school in Phoenix.

Accelerated BSN. Creighton offers one of the nation’s most successful and longest running accelerated nursing programs—now in Phoenix. The accelerated BSN program in Phoenix prepares students to be career-ready in just 12 months.

Doctor of Occupational Therapy. The occupational therapy program in Phoenix offers a hybrid learning experience. Course labs are completed on the new campus, while lectures are online so students can view them at a time that works with their schedule.

Doctor of Pharmacy. The Phoenix pharmacy program is also hybrid. Students come to campus for the hands-on portion of the curriculum, while viewing lectures online.

The Phoenix physical therapy program will launch in 2022, and the physician assistant training program will welcome its first students in 2023.

Meeting a Need

Creighton’s infusion of health professionals comes at a crucial time for Arizona, which faces a boom in population and a shortfall in physicians, nurses and other medical professionals. By 2030, the state is expected to have just one primary care doctor for every 1,900 people and a projected shortage of 50,000 nurses.

The recently released Census data show Phoenix is the fastest growing city in the nation. Nearly 200 people per day are arriving in Maricopa County, driving rapid growth in Phoenix and the state of Arizona. The state needs more compassionate, well-trained professionals to meet the growing health demands of an aging population as well as new generations of Arizonans.

Our Arizona History

For more than a decade, Creighton University has been an academic mainstay in Phoenix, sending medical students to Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center for education and clinical training. St. Joseph’s is home to the internationally renowned Barrow Neurological Institute, the Norton Thoracic Institute, Center for Women’s Health, University of Arizona Cancer Center at St. Joseph’s and a Level I Trauma Center.

Since Creighton began its presence in Phoenix, a growing number of Creighton-educated physicians have stayed in Arizona for their residency programs. Creighton also has a large network of health sciences alumni throughout the state.

Partnerships in Arizona

The Creighton University Arizona Health Education Alliance is a partnership between Creighton University, Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, District Medical Group and Valleywise Health to better serve the underserved populations of Arizona.

The Creighton Alliance aims to increase the number of physicians and other health care professionals in Arizona by improving and expanding graduate medical education (GME) programs. Through this partnership, Creighton’s School of Medicine now offers more than 38 residency and fellowship programs in Phoenix and Omaha.

As one of Arizona’s largest GME providers, the Creighton Alliance is an opportunity for future generations of medical professionals to be health care leaders in the Southwest.

Creighton University has long had a presence in Greater Phoenix, and its decision to continue expanding here is an indication of the growth and demand we’re seeing in the industry regionally. Creighton’s impact on our market thus far has been significant, and we only anticipate it will increase.

— Chris Camacho, President and CEO, Greater Phoenix Economic Council