Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Indiana Regional Medical Center’s joint podcast, Rural Health Pulse, begins its third season with the episode “A Conversation with Dr. Miko Rose, the Founding Dean of the IUP Proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine.”
The Rural Health Pulse podcast is available for free on Spotify and from the IRMC website.
The podcasts include professionals from IRMC and from IUP. It is recorded by students in the IUP Department of Communications Media under the direction of communications faculty member Mark Piwinsky and is produced by IUP Director of Strategic Partnerships Christina Koren. Jim Kinneer, IRMC chief human resources officer, serves as the host for the shows.
The Rural Health Pulse podcast is part of a continued collaboration between IUP and IRMC on the topic of rural health care, focusing on issues and stories impacting the health of the region and programs and initiatives designed to improve healthcare and wellness.
Season three of the podcast launched on November 21 in conjunction with National Rural Health Day. IUP and IRMC celebrated the day with the third annual Pennsylvania Mountains Rural Health Conference, “Cultivating Wellness—Advancing Rural Mental Health Awareness, Research, Services, and Careers.”
More than 310 people attended the conference, held at IUP’s Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex, which featured Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services Secretary Valerie Arkoosh as the keynote speaker.
The conference also included a signing event with four Pennsylvania-based health providers, formalizing clinical training affiliation agreements for students at IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine. The agencies included Broad Top Area Medical Center, Hyndman Area Health Centers, Nulton Diagnostics and Treatment Center, and Primary Health Network.
Miko Rose, founding dean of IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine
Season three episode one is an informative conversation with Rose providing an update on the background, passion, and plans for bringing online the first public college of osteopathic medicine program in Pennsylvania.
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. Rose, named one of “Pennsylvania’s Fifty Over 50” by City & State Pennsylvania, 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.
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.
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.
Season two of the podcast was launched on November 16, 2023, as part of IUP and IRMC’s National Rural Health Day events.
In episode one of season two, Kinneer discusses “Promoting Integrative Wellness in a Rural Community” with IUP Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Nick Jacobs, of Windber, cofounder and president of the Windber Research Institute (now the 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. This episode focuses on the realm of complete holistic wellness, offering insights into health prevention and wellness strategies developed during Jacob’s tenure as a hospital executive, providing a holistic perspective on healthcare and encouraging innovative thinking for rural communities, particularly when considering the topic of wellness.
- Season two episode two features IRMC Director of Ambulatory Social Services Rachel Grove and Clinical Care Coordinator at IRMC Physician Group Jonathan Hunte, discussing how they work on a daily basis to help break down barriers to enable patients to overcome challenges in order that they can access services and resources in the local community.
- Season two episode three focuses on the challenges and opportunities of rural healthcare with Lou Pesci, director of IUP’s Institute for Rural Health and Safety. Pesci shares his experiences and expertise about navigating the unique dynamics of providing healthcare in rural areas, highlighting the importance of collaboration and innovation in addressing rural healthcare disparities. Kinneer and Pesci also discuss the role of the IUP Institute for Rural Health and Safety in bridging gaps and providing essential services to rural communities through the Institute's multifaceted approach to enhancing rural health and safety, including driver education, improvement programs, and first responder and emergency response team training.
- Season two episode four features Hilliary Creely, interim dean of IUP’s College of Health Sciences, with Kinneer discussing the vital role of research at IUP within the context of rural healthcare, exploring how research initiatives at IUP are shaping the landscape of healthcare in rural communities. The show discusses innovative approaches, healthcare disparities, and the practical application of research findings led by a number of faculty and students, and uncovering the diverse ways in which research impacts the rural healthcare sector.
- Podcast season two episode five is “Lyme and Other Tickborne Diseases” with IUP biology professor Thomas Simmons. In this episode, Simmons discusses ticks and the diseases they transmit, drawing on his extensive background and pioneering research about tick-borne diseases. He also offers prevention and safety recommendations to help people stay protected during tick season.
- In season two episode six, Kinneer and Jacobs discuss genomics research and rural health.
- Season two episode seven is “Critical Support: Addressing Rural EMS Funding and Workforce Challenges and Solutions with Citizens’ Ambulance.” B.J. Pino and Reba Johnson of Citizens’ Ambulance discuss Pennsylvania's evolution and current state of emergency medical services.
- Episode eight of season two features IUP biology faculty member David Janetski discussing the critical role that freshwater ecosystems play in every community.
- Season two, episode nine (three parts) are presentations from the second annual Pennsylvania Mountains Rural Health Conference in 2023, including medical applications of drones with Alice Griffith and Erica Tamburo of Airspace Link, Inc.; Matthew Capell of Mainstreet Health on innovative solutions to delivering value-based care in rural communities; the Pennsylvania rural health model with Punxsutawney Area Hospital President Jack Sisk; the role of area health education centers with Dennis Gingrich; reflections of a rural physician with Richard Whalen, an internal medicine specialist in Titusville; “Preparing for the Next Generation of Physicians,” presented by Bergitta Cotroneo, chief operating officer, American College of Physicians, a 1980 IUP graduate and Distinguished Alumni Award recipient; and “Pathways to Solve Pennsylvania’s Rural Physician Workforce Challenges” by Benjamin Frederick, director, Global Health Center and director, Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center.
The Rural Health Pulse podcast was launched in November 2022 in celebration of National Rural Health Day. Amanda Vaglia, family medicine physician and director of the IRMC Residency Program, is featured on the first episode of season one of the series, discussing the residency program.
- Season one episode two of the podcast is an interview with Narayanaswamy Bharathan, chair, IUP Department of Biology, and Jackie Sansig, IRMC director of Laboratory and Respiratory Services, discussing the evolution of the same-day COVID-19 testing process at IRMC by Bharathan and the difference it made in patient care.
- Season one episode three features Rick Adkins, professor of mathematics in the IUP Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, discussing the community wastewater surveillance system. Indiana Borough has had a sewer surveillance program with Biobot Analytics, Inc., since April 2020. Weekly flow samples are collected over a 24-hour period at the headwaters of the wastewater plant and sent to BioBot Analytics.
- Season one episode four has IRMC’s Dan Clark, director of minimally invasive and robotic surgery and director of IRMC’s Comprehensive Breast Center, discussing robotics in surgery. Since coming to IRMC, Clark has been integral in IRMC’s successfully obtaining a second da Vinci Xi robotic surgery system. Clark serves as a national proctor for robotic surgery and plays an important role in certifying robotic skills competency.
- IRMC’s five family medicine residents—Nawar Al Janabi, of Baghdad, Iraq; Tanvi Bharathan, of Indiana; Mohit Chhatpar, of New York; Robin Rodriguez, of Corpus Christi, Texas; and Narinder Sangha, of California—are featured on season one episode five of the podcast.
- Season one episode six interviews Clark presenting an overview of breast cancer medical education and care from IRMC. Clark has more than 25 years of breast cancer experience and more than 12 years of experience with genetic counseling. In this role, Clark serves as a breast surgeon as well as a genetic counselor.
- Season one episode seven features Steve Hovan, dean of IUP’s John J. and Char Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and IUP Distinguished University Professor, discussing IUP’s John J. and Char Kopchick Hall, home to the Kopchick College.
- Season one episode eight is an interview with Wendy Haislip, IRMC vice president and chief nursing officer, discussing Pennsylvania’s rural health model and workforce challenges.
- Season one episode nine features Erin Clark, director of IUP’s Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic and assistant professor in the IUP Department of Communication Disorders, Special Education, and Disability Services.
- Season one concludes with a discussion with Katie Donald, marketing and public relations specialist at Punxsutawney Area Hospital, discussing rural healthcare models and challenges, in episode 10.