"HOLYISTIC" College to Open On Upper West Side -- New York College of Health Professions To Open New Location at the World Famous Riverside Church

NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- New York College of Health Professions, a private institutionally accredited college based in Syosset, N.Y., with a facility in Luo Yang, China, today announced the opening of its first Manhattan location at The Riverside Church on 120th Street in Morningside Heights.  The new site will offer the College's accredited educational programs as well as leading holistic health care clinics. The Riverside Church location is now accepting students for Fall 2011.  

"We are very excited about opening our Massage Therapy and Acupuncture Schools at The Riverside Church, a world famous landmark located in close proximity to Columbia University, Barnard College and the City University of New York," states Lisa Pamintuan, president of New York College of Health Professions. "We see our relationship with The Riverside Church as one that focuses on 'holyistic health.'  We believe our decision regarding our location at The Riverside Church is symbolic of our goals, to encourage wellness, health, hope and holistic health by teaching students how to help others while helping themselves."

The College is the only national institutionally accredited private college of its kind in the New York Metropolitan area, and is bridging the gap between Eastern and Western medicines. A not-for-profit institution chartered under the New York State Board of Regents, the College works closely with major hospitals such as Bellevue, Beth Israel, Flushing Hospital and the North Shore/ Long Island Jewish Health System. In addition to its Luo Yang facility in China, it is also working with the Ministry of Education in Henan Province, China, to build a relationship with one of the province's major medical and nursing schools.

"The College's new location at The Riverside Church is a major step for the community in the surrounding area, as the College will offer not only degree programs, but also holistic health care clinics," notes Dr. Woodson Merrell, chief medical advisor to New York College, faculty member at Columbia University and director of the Continuum Center of Beth Israel.  "The College is at the forefront of new technologies for wellness, and it represents the growing influence of holistic health on Western health care. Because the College is a nationally accredited institution, graduates may go on to other degree programs in health care and exchange credits with other accredited schools and participate in potential pathway programs with Western medicine."

Entry level Associate degree programs start with Massage Therapy, which can be completed in as little as 16 months. Graduates become licensed as health care professionals in the growing field of holistic health care. Students can attend full-time in as little as two days per week; and can schedule classes for day, evenings or weekends. If qualified, students may receive financial aid that will not only cover their tuition , but with grants and loans, they can have funds to live on while being educated to enter the exciting and fulfilling field of health care.

New York College of Health Professions has been a pioneer in Holistic Health Care and education for 30 years. It was the first institution of higher learning in the United States to offer a Bachelors degree program in therapeutic bodywork, and the first in New York State to offer a degree in Massage Therapy (Associate in Occupational Studies). The College provides a broad range of educational programs and training – Associate, Bachelors and Masters Degrees as well as Certificate programs and Continuing Education – to prepare graduates for the health care needs of the 21st century.

About New York College of Health Professions

Chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, New York College of Health Professions, located in Syosset, Long Island, with an additional site in New York City, New York, offers institutionally accredited undergraduate and graduate-level degree programs in Massage Therapy, Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and Certificate programs in Holistic Nursing for Registered Nurses and the Science of Self Improvement. New York College maintains a 35-acre modern medical facility in Luo Yang, The People's Republic of China. The College has grown remarkably in the past several years and will continue to develop new educational programs as well as expand into many new areas. For more information about New York College of Health Professions visit www.NYCollege.edu.

SOURCE New York College of Health Professions