Reception celebrates OU-HCOM partners at new extension campus site

From across the state, more than 200 individuals from the medical and business communities, city leadership and higher education gathered in Dublin, Ohio, on October 25 for a celebration at the future home of the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (OU-HCOM) Central Ohio Extension Campus. The celebration welcomed recently appointed dean Kenneth Johnson, D.O., and unveiled plans for the new state-of-the-art facility where training for an initial class of 50 osteopathic medical students will begin in July 2014.

Hosted by OU-HCOM, the reception recognized the college’s partners, constituents, alumni, students and friends. Ohio University President Roderick J. McDavis, Ph.D., gave special thanks to the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations’ Board of Directors for their $105 million gift to the college in 2011, which provided funding for the new campus, and to OhioHealth for their extraordinary commitment to OU-HCOM. 

Recognizing the wide range of attendees at the reception, including representatives from other colleges and universities, Dr. McDavis noted that “it is going to take village” for OU-HCOM to realize its mission of training primary care physicians in central Ohio. “I think we all want to be part of the solution of meeting future health care needs in central Ohio and around the state. To do this, we’ll need more excellent physicians who will serve as clinical faculty members and help shape the next generation of physicians,” he said. “We’ll need to deepen our affiliations with health systems and other businesses that will be so necessary for the success of our students.”

Dr. Johnson recognized and thanked the leadership from OhioHealth and numerous other local health care systems, universities and alumni, including Dr. John Ramey, president of the Ohio Osteopathic Association, for their support and encouraged those in attendance to view floor plans for the new campus and talk with the architectural team who were at the event about how the space will be redeveloped to make the most of technology in medical education. “I can’t tell you how exciting it is to be able to design spaces with an eye toward the future of patient care and the success of our graduates in a changed health care environment,” Dr. Johnson said.

“OhioHealth was very excited last year when we expanded our long-standing partnership with OU-HCOM to address the evolving healthcare needs of patients across central Ohio and the entire state,” said Bruce Vanderhoff, M.D., M.B.A., chief medical officer for OhioHealth. “At OhioHealth, we are extremely proud of our commitment to medical education and our enduring relationship with the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine—providing medical students, interns and residents with the education and training they need to deliver the highest quality care and services to their patients.”

On display at the event were the floor plans for the new campus, which is awaiting the official accreditation approval report from the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA). The new medical college campus includes 14.8 acres and three existing structures and is located at 7001-7003 Post Road in Dublin.

In July, the Dublin City Council and Ohio University signed an economic development agreement which conveyed an additional 46 acres surrounding the extension campus to the medical school. “We are particularly thankful for your commitment to keep primary care physicians in Ohio. This extension campus will create jobs and employment opportunities and stimulate medical and technological development within Dublin,” Mayor Timothy Lecklider said.