Senator John Fetterman has included Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine project on his Congressionally Directed Spending priorities list for the FY25 Community Project Funding process.
His funding request is for $2 million and would be used “to upgrade facility infrastructure, equipment, and other project related expense at the college of osteopathic medicine at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.”
Senator Fetterman’s support follows Congressman Guy Reschenthaler including IUP’s project among his FY25 requested community projects with a funding request for $2 million.
“This is very promising news, and we continue to appreciate Congressman Reschenthaler and Senator Fetterman’s ongoing support for IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine,” IUP President Michael Driscoll said. “IUP is very fortunate to have legislators who recognize the importance of this project for the commonwealth and beyond and are true champions for the project and for IUP.”
“IUP takes its responsibility to serve the commonwealth as a change agent very seriously, and we are ready to help to address the critical shortage of physicians in Pennsylvania through the establishment of the first college of osteopathic medicine at a public university in the state,” he said. “We look forward to working with the Congressman and the Senator as the FY25 process advances to secure final passage of this funding,” President Driscoll said.
The proposed college of osteopathic medicine received a $150,000 allocation in the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2024, which was sponsored by Senator Fetterman and Congressman Reschenthaler and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 9.
IUP’s Council of Trustees endorsed the exploration of a possible development of a college of osteopathic medicine at IUP in December 2022. The university chose to explore a proposed college of osteopathic medicine based on several factors, including the critical need for rural health care: there are not enough trained physicians to provide care to Pennsylvania’s citizens: the ratio of patients to available primary care physicians is 1,367 to 1, according to the United Health Foundation.