Eastern Washington University is developing an online doctorate in health leadership program that the university hopes to offer through its recently established College of Health Science and Public Health, in Spokane.

The college distributed a survey among “community partners” late last year to seek comment and opinions to help shape the program.

Laureen O’Hanlon, the founding dean of the College of Health Science and Public Health, couldn’t be reached for comment about the status of the program.

EWU Spokesman Dave Meany says, “We are waiting for the program to receive all the necessary approvals, which we hope will happen this legislative session.”

The introduction to the exploratory survey says the purpose for the Applied Doctorate in Health Leadership program would be to prepare leaders and educators in health professions to influence and enhance health systems.

The program would have 60 semester credits, including 51 course credits and a nine-credit research project, the survey information says.

It would be conducted online over five semesters, starting with the summer semester one year and finishing in the fall semester of the following year. Each semester would be broken into two eight-week sessions with a one-week break between each session.

The EWU College of Health Science and Public Health is based on the EWU Spokane campus in the University District east of downtown Spokane.

The college here offers several undergraduate and graduate study programs, including bachelor’s degree programs in nursing and health services administration, master’s degree programs in public health and communication sciences, and a doctorate program in physical therapy.