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Luke H. Mortensen

Luke H. Mortensen, a nationally known leader in osteopathic medical education with more than three decades of experience, has been selected as the founding associate dean of pre-clinical affairs for Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine. 

Mortensen was selected for the position after a national search and began work at IUP on August 1.

He comes to IUP from Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he was associate dean of educational development, innovation, and diversity and director of professional development and interprofessional education. He also served as ICOM’s Title IX coordinator and mediator and was chair of biomedical sciences and professor and director of professional development and director of interprofessional education.

He is a fellow of the National Academy of Osteopathic Medical Educators and immediate past chair of the Academy. He is also a fellow of the American Heart Association and has been in leadership positions for the International Association of Medical Science Educators and the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners.

Mortensen has a PhD in pharmacology and toxicology from Michigan State University and completed a National Institutes of Health post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center. His undergraduate degree is in chemistry and music from Westminster College in Missouri.

The associate dean of pre-clinical affairs is responsible for overseeing the pre-clinical curricular areas of the proposed doctor of osteopathic medicine program, reporting to Founding Dean Miko Rose, and working collaboratively with Founding Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs Ryan Smith. Rose was named to her position in November 2023; Smith joined the IUP community in July.

“Dr. Mortensen is a nationally respected professional and brings an incredible wealth of experience to IUP,” Rose said. “He has a demonstrated commitment to the fundamental tenets of osteopathic medicine, including compassionate care and patient interactions, a holistic approach to wellness, and cultural awareness.

“He is an incredible asset to IUP because of his decades of experience, his extensive networks, and his deep personal commitment to wellness and to the profession, including to student success,” Rose said. “Dr. Mortensen stands behind his word, and has a demonstrated commitment to mentoring and to going the extra mile with kindness and compassion, which is so needed in our profession. He’s truly a master of professional development, and I couldn’t be more pleased to welcome him to the team to serve in this important role,” she said.

Mortensen has served in leadership roles, including the vice president of medical education with the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, which is the national organization that sets standards for osteopathic medicine education.

His work at ICOM, in addition to his most recent position, has included chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences and professor and chair of the Department of Physiology, Pharmacology, and Pathology and professor.

He was the director of Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training Institution faculty development at Des Moines University in Iowa’s Osteopathic Medical Center’s Heartland Network Osteopathic Postgraduate Training Institute, after serving as assistant dean, director of faculty development, vice chair of pharmacology and physiology in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, and professor. He was recognized with the Outstanding Service to the Faculty Award, the Outstanding Teacher Award, and the Des Moines University Faculty Service Award for Outstanding Service on Behalf of the Faculty in his work at Des Moines University, Osteopathic Medical Center. He is the 2010 recipient of the John H. Connors Award in Service to the Osteopathic Profession from the Iowa Osteopathic Medical Association.

He was an adjunct professor of pharmacology and assistant and then associate professor of pharmacology and physiology at Mercy College of Health Sciences. He was part of the medical education team for the AIDS project of Central Iowa and the Lansing Area AIDS network.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to apply my experiences, including my work in developing ICOM, to IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine,” Mortensen said. “I’ve worked at both for-profit and nonprofit institutions, and this opportunity to be part of the team to launch Pennsylvania’s first college of osteopathic medicine at a public university is very exciting,” he said. “I’m already impressed with the team and with the IUP and Indiana community, and their enthusiasm about the proposed college,” he said.

“I believe in the vision and mission of IUP’s proposed college; it fits well with my experiences and commitment to interprofessional education,” he said. “A team approach to developing future health care professionals is critical and is the future—working to develop health and wellness as well as self-care for our students is so important. We must be good stewards of our students, who trust us with their education and their professional development,” he said.

“My approach to my work is to think things through carefully while being receptive to all constructive ideas and to different ways of approaching problem-solving,” he said.

“IUP’s proposed college will be my fifth college of medicine. I’ve absolutely loved working with every one of these institutions. They have all been very different, but they have all shared the mission of creating well-trained, outstanding, compassionate professionals who are committed to wellness. I’ve really had the best of all worlds, working on both the faculty and administrative sides, and I am very pleased and honored to join the IUP team,” he said.

In his role as associate dean of educational development, innovation, and diversity at ICOM, some of his significant accomplishments included development and implementation of concurrent master’s degree and doctor of osteopathic medicine programs in public health, health care administration, and health informatics in partnership with the programs at Idaho State University; and a medical education leadership development program. His work to develop the diversity, equity, and inclusion programming and committee at ICOM has been integrated into the institution’s strategic planning and has moved academic culture change, recruitment, and working/learning environment forward.

As director of the medical education leadership development program at ICOM, he developed a certificate program for faculty and staff, focused on leadership skills development and the nurturing of intuitive, reflective, innovative, creative, and experiential leaders who can adeptly confront and problem-solve through the various challenges encountered in the enterprise of medical education. The institution is currently in the fifth cohort of participants in attempts to create succession planning and encourage personal professional leadership growth in higher education.

Mortensen has successfully secured more than $475,000 in research grants and research awards, including a $265,000 scientist development grant from the American Heart Association. He holds membership in a number of professional societies, including the American Interprofessional Health Collaborative, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, and the American Physiology Society. He has been an invited journal reviewer, holds a patent for “Method of Improving Cardiovascular Health,” and has published articles and abstracts in many professional journals and publications. He has been invited presenter at national and international professional conferences and events, including on “Fifteen Years of NAOME (National Academy of Osteopathic Medical Educators): Top Initiatives and Perspectives” for the 2024 American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine conference.

He has been active in the communities where he has lived, presenting at area schools and community centers on wellness and heart health, in leadership positions with the AIDS Project of Central Iowa, and as the graduate pharmacy programs accreditor for the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists. He served for almost a decade as the president of the Korean Cultural Center of Iowa.

IUP’s Council of Trustees endorsed the exploration of a possible development of a college of osteopathic medicine at IUP in December 2022. Miko 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.

Since her hiring, 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, a three- to five-year process that includes submission of self-studies and a feasibility study, along with site visits. Securing clinical training sites for students is part of the successful accreditation process.

In June, IUP signed its first clinical training affiliation agreement with Punxsutawney Area Hospital. 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. 

IUP 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.  

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. 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 continues to draw support from individual donors, foundations, and legislators: