On December 4, 2024, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center formalized a clinical training affiliation agreement for students at Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine.
From left: Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center Emergency Medicine Physician and Program Director of Mentoring in Medicine Alexander Pozun; Senator Wayne Langerholc Jr.; Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Elizabeth Dunmore; Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center President and CEO Rodney Reider; IUP President Michael Driscoll; proposed college of medicine Founding Dean Miko Rose; Founding Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs for the proposed college of osteopathic medicine Ryan Smith; Founding Associate Dean of Preclinical Affairs for the proposed college of osteopathic medicine Luke H. Mortensen
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.
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.
Rose, named one of Pennsylvania’s Fifty Over 50 top leaders in 2024 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.
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 President Michael Driscoll, left, with founding dean Miko Rose, signing the affiliation agreement
The signing ceremony took place at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center with IUP President Michael Driscoll; Miko Rose; Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center President and CEO Rodney Reider, and Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Elizabeth Dunmore. Remarks were also offered by Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center Emergency Medicine Physician and Program Director of Mentoring in Medicine Alexander Pozun and Senator Wayne Langerholc Jr.
‘Today marks another significant step forward, not just for IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine, but for our entire region,” President Driscoll said.
“Together with great partners, like Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, we’re making progress toward something truly transformative—a shared commitment to helping improve the health of the residents of Pennsylvania in its rural areas. At the heart of our mission is a simple yet powerful idea: we must work together to improve rural health in Pennsylvania. This is not a task any one organization can accomplish alone. It requires collaboration, vision, and a steadfast commitment to the communities we serve. This ceremony is a tangible representation of that shared vision and our unified determination to address the shortage of medical professionals in rural areas,” he said.
“This partnership with IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine reflects our shared commitment to strengthening healthcare in rural Pennsylvania,” Reider said.
“By providing future physicians with hands-on training opportunities, we are not only investing in their education but also in the long-term health and vitality of the communities we serve. Together, we are laying the foundation for a healthier community and a healthier tomorrow,” Reider said.
Chief Medical Officer Elizabeth Dunmore, left, and Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center President and CEO Rodney Reider
“Our collaboration with IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine ensures that students will gain invaluable, real-world experience in a comprehensive clinical environment,” Conemaugh CMO Elizabeth Dunmore said. “As the only Level 1 Trauma Center between Pittsburgh and Hershey, Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center offers access to diverse patient cases and advanced medical practices, fostering the development of skilled, compassionate physicians who are well-prepared to meet the challenges of modern medicine.”
IUP signed its first clinical training affiliation agreement with Punxsutawney Area Hospital in June; its second clinical training affiliation agreement with IRMC in September; and agreements with four health providers at the third annual IUP-Indiana Regional Medical Center’s Third Annual Pennsylvania Mountains Rural Health Conference in November: Broad Top Area Medical Center, Hyndman Area Health Centers, Nulton Diagnostics and Treatment Center, and Primary Health Network.
“Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center has a history of resilience and focus on serving its community, from the time of the Johnstown flood and through periods of scarcity and crisis,” Founding Dean Rose said. “This medical center is a beacon of light on the hill—a place of hope and healing, which matches IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine’s commitment to rural health and wellness. In addition, its role as a level one trauma center offers a full spectrum pathway for our students,” she said.
“Conemaugh also shares our commitment to vulnerable underserved regions with an emphasis on full-spectrum healthcare services for the community, a mission we want our students to know and understand, in order that we train talented and caring physicians who want to stay and serve communities, including Johnstown, upon graduation,” Rose said.
IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine team includes Ryan Smith, 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; and Luke H. Mortensen, associate dean of preclinical affairs, responsible for overseeing the pre-clinical curricular areas of the program.
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, agencies, and legislators:
- In October, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Board of Governors designated $2 million in design funds as part of the 2024–25 State System of Higher Education capital allocations budget for the academic building renovation for the health sciences cluster and proposed college of osteopathic medicine;
- Senator Joe Pittman and Representative Jim Struzzi announced in October that $2 million from the 2024–25 statue budget has been set aside for the project;
- In July, IUP graduates Tim and Debra Phillips Cejka gifted $2 million;
- In June, the Foundation for IUP committed $20 million;
- In May, Congressman Guy Reschenthaler included $2 million for IUP’s project among his FY25 requested community projects and Senator John Fetterman included $2 million on his list to advance in the FY25 Community Project Funding (CPF) process;
- IUP received a $150,000 allocation for the project in the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2024, which was sponsored by Congressman Reschenthaler and Senator Fetterman and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 9;
- In February, the Board of Governors allocated $500,000 for a facilities feasibility study for academic facilities for IUP’s health sciences cluster and proposed college of osteopathic medicine;
- In January, IUP’s Alumni Association Board of Directors authorized a donation of $500,000;
- In December 2023, Sen. Pittman announced that as part of the 2023–24 state budget, $2 million was set aside for the project;
- In July 2023, IUP graduates Nick Jacobs and Mary Ann Hoysan Jacobs donated $40,000 to advance the project. Nick Jacobs is a 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient who has a 1969 bachelor’s degree in education and a 1972 master’s degree in music education; Mary Ann Jacobs has a 1968 bachelor’s degree in music education and a 1993 master’s degree in adult and community education; and
- In May 2023, Rich Caruso, a 1983 accounting graduate from Meadow Lands, 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient and former president and current member of the Foundation for IUP Board of Directors and member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Board of Governors, announced a pledge of $1 million for the project.
More About Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center
Conemaugh Health System of Duke LifePoint Healthcare is the largest healthcare provider in west central Pennsylvania, serving more than a half-million patients each year through the Conemaugh Physician Group and Medical Staff, a network of hospitals, specialty clinics, and patient-focused programs. Conemaugh Health System employs approximately 3200 clinical and non-clinical staff, including more than 450 physicians committed to providing the ideal patient experience.
Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, the flagship hospital of Conemaugh Health System, is a tertiary care regional referral hospital known for clinical excellence and nationally recognized patient outcomes. Conemaugh Memorial is the most technologically sophisticated hospital between Pittsburgh and Hershey, PA, and offers specialized services including a regional Level 1 Trauma Center, Level 3 Regional Intensive Care Nursery, and high-risk obstetrical care.