President's Welcome
Welcome to Bastyr University, and we are happy you have found us!
Now that you are here, it’s time for you to further develop your passion for a healthier world for all. Whatever the path that has brought you to this campus, at this moment, now is the time for you to turn your calling into your career.
At Bastyr University, we know you want to be extraordinary. In order to do that, you need an exceptional education that integrates health, science and nature. While much of today’s health and medical education focuses on one of these elements at the expense of the others, at Bastyr we believe that students deserve the complete education they need to make a healthier world for all.
My hope is that you find a home at Bastyr, and that as you spend your days and nights studying with friends on campus, that you also make time to take some day trips to the nearby beach in San Diego, or to explore our beautiful St. Edward Park and walk through the Bastyr Gardens with faculty in Kenmore. I hope that you grow to love this community as I have. And when you see me in the hallways, please say hello!
It inspires me to see and work within a community that is so passionate about its calling to expand access to complementary and integrative care. Each degree program, and thereby each student at Bastyr, seeks to improve the lives of the people they serve – whether this be through providing natural health services, advocating for health policy change or cultivating a holistic landscape for the community to enjoy. The disciplines which we train will play a significant role in bringing natural health to communities far beyond our San Diego and Seattle communities. We are a part of achieving the nation’s goals of seeing healthier people who live longer lives. What a fulfilling pursuit that we all share in common!
Health care in the U.S. is changing. Especially along the West Coast and in the Pacific Northwest, a whole-person approach to patient care is becoming more and more integrated into the mainstream medical system, and more and more patients are seeking this change. Just this past year, Seattle’s Virginia Mason Medical Center opened their Center for Integrative Medicine in partnership with Bastyr Center for Natural Health. Patients can seamlessly integrate services from naturopathic doctors and acupuncturists into their existing health care team – benefiting from physical medicine treatments, mind-body medicine and nutritional therapy. Natural health providers play an important role in expanding access to optimal health, and it is students like you who will someday continue this mission forward.
This year I challenge you to dig in to your studies and make the most of your education here at Bastyr. A strong foundation of support is necessary to succeed, both academically and personally. We are so fortunate to have world-renowned faculty here at Bastyr who constantly strive to integrate health, science and nature into each of their classes. These faculty, together with our staff, are here to guide you toward the resources and knowledge you need to get your career off to a wonderful start. Please reach out as the need arises.
For over 40 years, Bastyr University has been producing industry leaders who are changing the world. We are proud to have you among us to continue the legacy into the next 40 years.
Yours in health,
Harlan Patterson, MBA, CPA
Bastyr University President