OAKLAND CAMPUS
The classrooms, laboratories, offices and services of SMU’s main Oakland campus are located in six buildings on the Alta Bates Summit Medical Center campus in Oakland.
PERALTA PAVILION
Most of the University’s administrative offices are on the second floor of Peralta Pavilion at 450 30th Street in Oakland. These include the offices of the President, Academic Vice President and Provost, Vice President of Finance and Administration, Human Resources, Planning and Business Development, Communications and External Affairs, and Diversity and Inclusion. Administrative and faculty offices for the California School of Podiatric Medicine are also on the second floor.
The third and fourth floors have faculty and staff offices for the Departments of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physician Assistant.
The Peralta Pavilion’s lower level and ground floor also include the following classroom and laboratory facilities to support academic programs:
∙ Computer lab - 34-seat multi-purpose usage i.e., testing, research, study
∙ Multipurpose classroom
∙ Student Lounge which includes microwave, refrigerator, vending machines and four computers for research and study use
The Biomechanics Laboratory
The Biomechanics Laboratory is equipped with materials and devices for orthotic procedures.
Gross Anatomy Laboratory
The Gross Anatomy Laboratory is approximately 3800 square feet. It contains stainless steel anatomical dissection cadaver tables, metal stools, sinks for handwashing, and cabinets for storage of dissection equipment and specimens. Equipment in the lab includes hanging skeletons, disarticulated skeletons (bone boxes), spine models, and various joint models.
Health and Physical Assessment Laboratories
The University maintains health and physical assessment laboratories for the Nursing and Physician Assistant programs. The laboratory is equipped with equipment and supplies the students will use in the clinical settings.
Health Sciences Simulation Center
All SMU academic programs integrated simulation-based learning into their curricula in varying degrees, including interprofessional education. Each SMU campus has a facility designed and equipped for the implementation of healthcare simulation.
Each campus has faculty and staff who are simulation experts and collaborate with course faculty to implement best practices of experiential learning. Students undergo simulation to learn, deliberately practice, and demonstrate competence in technical skills and to develop and attain mastery in prioritization and clinical decision-making skills. In this dynamic teaching environment, where an audio-video system affords the use of immediate video playback from recorded simulation activities, students engage in open, reflective debriefing sessions guided by faculty to maximize opportunities for deep learning.
Patient safety lies at the heart of all healthcare simulation – at the HSSC, learning activities are intentionally designed to focus on fostering teamwork and communication through simulation-based team training. The HSSC supports many components of SMU’s interprofessional education offerings. TeamSTEPPS® tools and strategies are incorporated into learning activities whenever possible and debriefings are structured around a context of preventing, mitigating and/or managing human errors in patient care.
The SMU simulation facilities are equipped with the most current Laerdal® product lines of full body patient simulators: SimMan® Essential; SimMan® 3G; SimBaby®, SimNewB™, and SimPad®-compatible manikins. The simulation inventory includes the full range of task trainers, from basic, traditional static models to the highly sophisticated cardiopulmonary patient simulator, Harvey®. Additionally, each campus is integrating Standardized Patients (SP) into their simulation program. The HSSC has a pool of more than 100 trained professional actors/SPs who support all campuses. All medical equipment and supplies available for use in laboratory/simulation sessions reflect contemporary clinical settings and practice.
Oakland Campus
The HSSC on the Oakland campus is comprised of 11,000-square-feet spread out over two locations: HSSC North and HSSC South. Both locations are on the ground floor of the Peralta Pavilion:
HSSC South
This area includes 2 large training rooms with gurneys, patient beds and standard equipment required to learn and practice health assessment/physical exams and a wide range of clinical skills. In addition, this facility has 9 standardized patient rooms and 2 simulation suites. All rooms/suites are equipped to implement and record any type of simulation technique, as well as support most methods of technology-enhanced teaching.
HSSC North
This area includes 2 large training rooms with exam tables and beds to practice health assessment and clinical skills. In addition, this lab contains 2 large simulation suites. All rooms/suites are equipped to implement and record any type of simulation technique, as well as support most methods of technology-enhanced teaching.
The HSSC faculty and staff based in Oakland also provide service and support to the faculty and students at both regional campuses for simulation-based learning activities. A Simulation Champion (a SON faculty appointment) is designated at both campuses. Each Champion has direct oversight over simulation activities on their campus and is supported in their responsibilities by the entire HSSC team, thereby ensuring that there is consistency across campuses in the practice of simulation-based education.
A major feature of the HSSC is its digital audio-video system and performance assessment software provided by Education Management Solutions, Inc. (EMS). The technologies and software applications work in tandem to record simulation scenarios/encounters, enabling program faculty to critique/evaluate the performance of the students. Students also have opportunities to review their own recordings for the purpose of self-assessment and reflection. It is the EMS software that enables the immediate review of patient care scenarios during debriefing sessions, a critical component of simulation-based learning.
San Francisco Peninsula Campus
This area includes 1 large training room with patient beds and standard equipment required to learn and practice health assessment/physical exams and a wide range of clinical skills. In addition, this facility has 2 simulation suites. Each suite is equipped to implement and record any type of simulation technique, as well as support most methods of technology-enhanced teaching.
Sacramento Campus
In mid- 2017, the Sacramento Campus expanded by 14,000 square feet; 4,000 square feet is dedicated to simulation. The space includes 1 large training room, 6 standardized patient suites, 2 large simulation suites, and conference rooms. The expanded facility includes the same audio-video capability as described on the Oakland campus.
Human Occupation Laboratory
The Human Occupation Laboratory supports a range of activities, from splinting to facilitating small crafts for use as hand tools and applying adaptive equipment. This is a multipurpose laboratory where various projects and group activities can be conducted. This room has an observation booth and can serve as a pediatrics laboratory for children with special needs.
Living Skills Laboratory
The Living Skills Laboratory is a simulated environment equipped with supportive, adaptive, and assistive devices for purposeful activities in the home, workplace, and for leisure pursuits.
Splinting and Orthotics Laboratory
This room is equipped with thermoplastics materials, casting-bracing products, heating pans, and splinting tools for the fabrication of splints and appliances for the management of scar tissue and edema.
Physical Therapy Laboratory
The Physical Therapy Laboratories are approximately 2000 square feet and 1400 square feet in size. They are equipped with high-low therapy tables, rolling treatment stools, metal foot stools, mat tables, parallel bars, physical agent and electrotherapeutic machines, and other therapeutic exercise equipment. Storage units contain crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, floor mats, and free weights. These labs are designed for instruction in physical therapy patient evaluation and management.
3100 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland
This is the University’s front door for applicants and students. This building includes the Offices of Admission, Student Services, Disability Resource Center, Health & Counseling, Financial Aid, Registrar, Campus Service Center, Student Accounts, Veterans’ Services, and the Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services.
Health Education Center
The Health Education Center (HEC) is a 44,000-square-foot building housing;
• Four classrooms and conference rooms with closed-circuit color television and audiovisual equipment; three large wireless classrooms, one Tandberg video conferencing classroom.
∙ The Bechtel Room, a 300-seat large multipurpose room with videoconferencing;
∙ A fully-equipped kitchen for catered luncheons and banquets
∙ The 250-seat Fontaine Auditorium, with audiovisual capability from television to multimedia presentations;
∙ Informal study space;
∙ Student lounge and fitness room opening in 2016;
∙ Badging Office to issue or replace student, faculty, and staff identification badges.
For more information about the Health Education Center and reservations for the conference rooms call (510) 879-9277.
John A. Graziano Memorial Library
The John A. Graziano Memorial Library contains one of the largest collections of health sciences materials among private holdings in the East Bay. Located in the Health Education Center, the library extends borrowing privileges to students, faculty and staff of Samuel Merritt University and the employees and medical staff of the Oakland campus of Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. Weekday and weekend hours are ample to accommodate the needs of a diverse undergraduate and graduate population. The collection includes a variety of journals, indexes, electronic full text books and journals, and health sciences texts. Library staff provides information, assistance, and instruction in the use of materials for research projects and class assignments. Remote access to library licensed databases is available by proxy server. Students may also make arrangements through interlibrary loan and document delivery services to borrow books and request copies of articles from other local, regional and national collections.
The Library supports a core medical collection of textbooks and reference materials and subscribes to more than 11,00 print and electronic journals. The Library currently contains a collection of 46,000 volumes. The Library maintains online access to the catalog and 36 databases of allied health literature and supporting specialties.
The Library provides computerized search facilities, an online library catalog and student handbook, two photocopy machines, video viewing rooms equipped with audiovisual equipment, individual study carrels, computer room and printers. Access to the full suite of Microsoft Office software is also available. Contact (510) 879-9290 for more information.
Motion Analysis Research Center (MARC)
The Motion Analysis Research Center, or MARC, located in Samuel Merritt University’s Health Education Center, is a state of the art laboratory designed to advance the study of human movement in education, research, and patient care. Opened in late 2013, the 2,000-square-foot facility is the only motion laboratory in the Bay Area shared by healthcare experts from a variety of disciplines to study human movement and performance. SMU faculty and students use the MARC to develop evidence-based strategies to treat patients, alleviate pain, and improve the human condition.
The MARC is equipped with equipment for measuring three-dimensional motion, forces, pressures, balance, and muscle function. It supports the University’s teaching programs along with faculty and student research.
The MARC serves as a teaching center on motion analysis for faculty and students from the University's California School of Podiatric Medicine (CSPM), Department of Occupational Therapy, Department of Physical Therapy, and School of Nursing.
Healthcare practitioners across several fields also use the center to study biomechanics, gait, upper and lower body movements, and the effect of treatment modalities, and then apply what they learn in clinical practice for the benefit of patients. Furthermore, the MARC is the venue for clinical trials of new products and interventions designed to treat movement disorders.
SOUTH PAVILION (3100 AND 3012 Summit Street)
The School of Nursing offices are located at 3100 Summit Street on the third floor and SMU has a Basic Science lab on the first floor. 3012 Summit Street is home to Media Services and has additional School of Nursing offices on the first and sixth floors.
3300 WEBSTER
Offices for Academic and Instructional Innovation, the Department of Development and Alumni Affairs, Assessment, Institutional Research, and Finance are all located on the third floor of this building. Offices for Facilities and Information Technology and located on the second floor.
FITNESS ROOM
The fitness room is located in the Health Education Center (HEC). This area is unsupervised; students are invited to use the equipment at their own risk. The University cannot assume liability for injuries incurred from use of the equipment. More details can be found on the SMU website.
LOCKERS
Lockers are available for commuting students at no cost. Lockers are located in the bathrooms in the basement level of Peralta Pavilion adjacent to the Anatomy Lab and in on the 4th floor of the Peralta Medical Office Building (MOB). Students must provide their own locks.
LOST AND FOUND
Lost and found services are available in the Health Education Center.
PERALTA PAVILION STUDENT LOUNGES
Student lounges are located in the Health Education Center and Peralta Pavilion. They may be used by students and their guests. All students must clean up after themselves when using these areas.
USE OF COMMON AREAS
There are several common areas within the University which are available to all currently enrolled students who agree when using these areas to keep them clean and to report damages or safety hazards to the Facilities Department (510-907-2438). Any person or group planning to use any common area for a party or other event should check first with the HEC Scheduling Coordinator to avoid conflicts and to make reservations (510-879-9277). The exception to this rule is the Student Lounge for which reservations should be made through the Student Body officers or the Assistant Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services. Appliances and furniture are for the enjoyment of all users and must not be removed from the designated areas.