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Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Indiana Regional Medical Center (IRMC) signed a clinical training affiliation agreement on September 10, 2024, for students in IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine.

Signers, from left: Richard Neff, IRMC chief medical officer; IRMC CEO and President Steve Wolfe; IUP President Michael Driscoll; IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine founding dean Miko Rose

IUP’s Council of Trustees endorsed the exploration of a possible development of a college of osteopathic medicine at IUP in December 2022. 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. 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 takes great pride in its many relationships and partnerships with IRMC,” IUP Council of Trustees Chairman Sam Smith said. “This region continues to be very fortunate that IUP and IRMC have forged a foundation and relationship going back many years and in many different arenas,” he said. “Today’s agreement builds on that strong foundation.”

Senator Joe Pittman

“IUP and IRMC are building a strong partnership that is serving as a catalyst for change and will have tremendous positive impact on rural healthcare not just locally, but for Pennsylvania and beyond,” Senator Joe Pittman, Senate Majority Leader, said.

“From the commonwealth’s perspective, I will continue to stand ready to assist this endeavor in any way possible.”

“The partnership between IUP’s college of osteopathic medicine and Indiana Regional Medical Center will connect our students with a practical education and a network for employment,” Representative Jim Struzzi said. “I look forward to seeing this partnership bloom and the benefit it brings to IUP students and IRMC. As the partnership grows, we hope to see IUP’s program grow, bringing more students to the area to help grow the economy, and keeping those students in the area post-graduation as health care providers with IRMC—creating more jobs, boosting the economy, and continually increasing the capability and quality of rural healthcare.”

Representative Jim Struzzi

“IUP and IRMC are united in a shared commitment to advancing the health and wellness of the community,” IUP President Michael Driscoll said.

“Establishing a college of osteopathic medicine at IUP—as a university with deep roots in education and nationally recognized for its research expertise—in a community with an outstanding rural hospital like IRMC with a commitment to serving as a teaching hospital, is a perfect fit.

“IRMC President and CEO Steve Wolfe is one of our community’s strongest leaders and advocates,” Driscoll said. “He was a critical part of the earliest discussions about the possibility of a college of osteopathic medicine at IUP and has continued to champion the proposed college and our ongoing partnerships and collaborations that make both of our organizations stronger and benefit the community in countless ways.

IUP President Michael Driscoll

“The synergy of our work together continues to make me proud and grateful, and I look forward to our students have the opportunity to learn from the best of the best at IRMC, without having to leave Indiana,” he said.

IUP has a number of clinical experience agreements with IRMC, offering students in both undergraduate and graduate programs real-life experiences with a number of IRMC departments and programs ranging from dietetics to counseling, including with IRMC’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Department.

The first five students in IRMC’s medical technology program, begun in fall 2024, come from IUP. IUP students have gained valuable experience that has helped them to meet requirements for medical school admission through the IRMC pre-med undergraduate summer internship program.

IUP faculty have been part of IRMC’s work in COVID-19 testing, and workshops for physicians and nurses through IUP’s “The Performance of Caring” course, and nutrition faculty provided a specialized lifestyle nutrition course for IRMC residents. IUP students are part of IRMC’s Department of Volunteer Services Hospitality Ambassadors Program, providing valuable real-life experience to students and services to IRMC visitors.

From left: Rep. Jim Struzzi; Richard Neff, IRMC chief medical officer; Nathan Kovalchick, president, IRMC Board of Directors; Laurie Kuzneski, vice chair, IUP Council of Trustees and member, IRMC Board of Directors; IRMC CEO and President Steve Wolfe; IUP President Michael Driscoll; Senator Joe Pittman; Miko Rose, founding dean, IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine; Anne White, treasurer, IUP Council of Trustees; Tim Cejka, IUP Council of Trustees member; Ryan Smith, founding associate dean for clinical affairs, IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine

The IUP-IRMC Health and Wellness Collaborative annually organizes IUP Day at IRMC and IRMC Day at IUP as part of IUP’s Research Appreciation Week to recognize collaborations and partnerships and opportunities for students. IUP and IRMC jointly present the annual Pennsylvania Mountains Rural Health Conference in celebration of National Rural Health Day; this year’s conference is planned for November 21 at IUP. IUP and IRMC experts are featured on the Rural Health Pulse podcast, now in its second season, discussing important issues related to rural health.

IRMC CEO and President Steve Wolfe

“All of this work reflects IUP’s and IRMC’s commitment to jointly and collaboratively support this community and its health care needs,” Driscoll said. “With today’s agreement, we’re building on that foundation for a health care rural center of excellence.”

“The vitality of community hospitals like IRMC remains a top priority,” said IRMC President and CEO Steve Wolfe. “We must educate and inspire individuals passionate about rural health and wellness. We deeply value our partnership with IUP, and, although our day-to-day missions may differ, our shared goal of advancing community health and nurturing the next generation of leaders and healthcare professionals unites us.”

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.

“IRMC has always been our home team, and an incredibly important partner,” Rose said. “IRMC is well positioned to become a true center for rural medicine and a beacon for medical training, and we are very, very pleased that they have agreed to welcome our students through this clinical training agreement,” she said.

Miko Rose, founding dean, IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine

In July, Ryan Smith joined the team as the founding associate dean of clinical affairs, responsible for overseeing the clinical curricular areas of the doctor of osteopathic medicine program, including developing clinical training agreements. In August, Luke H. Mortensen was hired as associate dean of preclinical affairs, responsible for overseeing the pre-clinical curricular areas of the program.

IUP signed its first clinical training affiliation agreement with Punxsutawney Area Hospital in June. IRMC and Punxsutawney Area Hospital are members of the Pennsylvania Mountains Healthcare Alliance, a collaborative network of 17 independent community hospitals and health care centers.

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: