IUP, CSSMCW Sign Clinical Training Affiliation Agreement for Proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine

IUP, CSSMCW Sign Clinical Training Affiliation Agreement for Proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine

On June 16, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber formalized a clinical training affiliation agreement for future students at Indiana University of Pennsylvania's proposed college of osteopathic medicine.

IUP has formally initiated steps towards accreditation of its proposed college of osteopathic medicine from the American Osteopathic Association's Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, following the IUP Council of Trustees' December 2022 endorsement of the exploration of a possible development of a college of osteopathic medicine at IUP.

Securing clinical training sites for students is part of the successful accreditation process. Typically, students in colleges of osteopathic medicine spend the first two years of their education in the classroom; during the third and fourth years, students are based in the community at clinical sites.

The signing ceremony took place at CSSMCW. Hospital leadership who were part of the ceremony included CEO Richard Sukenik, Chief Medical Officer David Csikos, and Physician Medical Director/Emergency Medicine Joshua Hinson.

IUP was represented by IUP President Michael Driscoll; proposed college of osteopathic medicine Founding Dean Miko Rose, and Founding Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith. Community and legislative leaders recognized during the event included Cambria County Commissioner Thomas Chernisky; John Frick, representing Senator Patrick Stefano; and Nick and Mary Ann Hoysan Jacobs, of Windber, who donated $40,000 to advance the project. Nick Jacobs is a 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient who has a 1969 bachelor's degree in education and a 1972 master's degree in music education; Mary Ann Jacobs has a 1968 bachelor's degree in music education and a 1993 master's degree in adult and community education. Nick Jacobs is the cofounder and president of the Windber Research Institute (now Chan Soon-Shiong Institute for Molecular Medicine in Windber) and the founder of the Clinical and Translational Genome Research Institute, a research institute that is now part of Southern California University of Health Sciences in Los Angeles.

President Driscoll, Founding Dean Rose, CSSMCW CMO Csikos, and CEO Sukenik signed the agreement.

"We continue to see incredible support and excitement from our community healthcare partners for our training affiliations," Driscoll said.

"Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber will be an excellent fit for our students, as it shares our proposed college of osteopathic medicine's commitment to rural medicine and professional development of the next generation of physicians seeking careers in healthcare for underserved rural communities. We are very proud to be affiliated with Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber," President Driscoll said.

"Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber's strong position as a leader in rural healthcare and its collaboration with Chan Soon-Shiong Institute of Molecular Medicine can offer an outstanding experience for our students on many fronts, including the opportunity for research that doctor of osteopathic medicine students don't normally have," Dean Rose said.

"IUP's proposed college of osteopathic medicine pledges to be a leader in creating an interprofessional educational network emphasizing expertise in medical research, community outreach, and evidence-based clinical care for our nation's most under-resourced rural populations. Our relationship with Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber will help us to meet this important goal," she said.

"This partnership with IUP and the proposed college of osteopathic medicine is a major step forward in strengthening healthcare in rural communities," CEO Sukenik said. "Physician shortages are reaching critical levels, especially in rural America, and having dedicated partners committed to improving community access to healthcare is an integral component to addressing this problem. We are extremely grateful to help support the College's efforts in launching this program."

The Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber clinical training agreement is IUP's 14th formal signed agreement. Agreements are in place with Conemaugh Meyersdale Medical Center, Torrance State Hospital, Conemaugh Nason Medical Center, Penn Highlands Healthcare, Clarion Psychiatric Center, Armstrong County Memorial Hospital, Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, Broad Top Area Medical Center, Hyndman Area Health Centers, Nulton Diagnostics and Treatment Center, The Primary Health Network, Indiana Regional Medical Center, and Punxsutawney Area Hospital.

IUP has secured 200 percent of the clinical training spots required for accreditation.

Rose was hired as the founding dean of the proposed college of osteopathic medicine in November 2023; the hiring of a founding dean is one of the first steps to establishing the college.

Named one of Pennsylvania's Fifty Over 50 top leaders in 2024 by City & State Pennsylvania, Rose is one of fewer than 150 physicians elected as a fellow of the American College of Neuropsychiatrists by the Fellows of the American College of Neuropsychiatrists/American College of Osteopathic Neurologists and Psychiatrists. She was an invited panelist for the June 3 Rural Economic Development Summit in Harrisburg hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, addressing "What Can Be Done in Rural Pennsylvania? The Power of Partnership."

In addition to Founding Dean Rose and Associate Founding Dean Smith, IUP's proposed college of osteopathic medicine administrative team includes Founding Associate Dean of Preclinical Affairs Luke H. Mortensen.

There are only three colleges of osteopathic medicine in Pennsylvania, all at private universities; IUP's proposed college of osteopathic medicine would be the only college of osteopathic medicine at a public university.

Doctors of osteopathic medicine, or DOs, complete four years of osteopathic medical school, with an emphasis on preventive medicine and comprehensive patient care. They are trained to recognize the interrelated unity among all systems of the body, each working with the other to promote overall health and wellness. Osteopathic medical schools have a long tradition of serving rural communities. Physicians who are trained in osteopathic medicine are four times more likely to select primary care specialties and almost twice as likely to practice in rural areas as allopathic (MD) students are.

National studies show that graduates from programs of osteopathic medicine are more likely to pursue primary care in rural and underserved areas-57 percent of all doctors of osteopathic medicine practice as general practitioners, and more than 20 percent of DO graduates practice in rural areas. Demand is high for osteopathic medicine training: in 2021, 22,708 applicants competed for 8,280 seats at schools of osteopathic medicine.

IUP's proposed college of osteopathic medicine and IUP's commitment to addressing the rural health crisis has resulted in funding from individual donors, foundations, agencies, and legislators totaling more than $34.3 million.