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Rodney Reider and Michelle Buttry

Signing the agreement, from left, Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center President and CEO Dr. Rodney Reider, Conemaugh Nason Medical Center Chief Operating Officer Michelle Buttry

About Conemaugh Nason Medical Center

Conemaugh Nason Medical Center is a 45-bed hospital that has served rural and suburban populations in Roaring Spring, Altoona, and parts of Blair, Bedford, and Huntingdon counties for 121 years. With a state-of-the art cardiac catheterization lab, Conemaugh Nason offers a range of inpatient and outpatient cardiac services close to home. The hospital provides 24/7 emergency care as an accredited chest pain center, and offers comprehensive outpatient, imaging, diagnostic, and specialty services. As a LifePoint Health National Quality Leader, hospital personnel are leading the way among peers by delivering the highest quality of care for patients.

Today, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and  Conemaugh Nason Medical Center formalized a clinical training affiliation agreement for students at Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine.

a group of people smiling for the camera

IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine Associate Dean of Preclinical Affairs Luke H. Mortensen; IUP Vice President of University Relations Jennifer DeAngelo; IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine Founding Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith, IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine Founding Dean Miko Rose, Emergency Medical Physician and Past President of Conemaugh Nason Medical Center John Baker, Senator Judy Ward, Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center President and CEO Rodney Reider, Conemaugh Nason Medical Center Chief Operating Officer Michelle Buttry; Conemaugh Nason Medical Center Board of Trustees Chair Patty McGraw; Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Elizabeth Dunmore.

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.  

Today’s signing ceremony took place at Conemaugh Nason Medical Center with IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine Founding Dean Miko Rose and Founding Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith with Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center President and CEO Rodney Reider and Conemaugh Nason Medical Center Chief Operating Officer Michelle Buttry. Emergency Medical Physician and Past President of Conemaugh Nason Medical Center John Baker served as master of ceremonies for the event.

Miko Rose and Ryan Smith

Signing the agreement, from left, IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine Founding Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith and IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine Founding Dean Miko Rose

Additional speakers included Senator Judy Ward and Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Elizabeth Dunmore.

“Establishing a college of osteopathic medicine at IUP is part of our call to action to address the healthcare crisis in Pennsylvania, especially rural Pennsylvania,” IUP President Michael Driscoll said. “Formalizing clinical training affiliation agreements with community hospitals like Conemaugh Nason Medical Center are at the center of our work to educate talented and promising physicians who are committed to rural healthcare,” he said.

“National studies are very clear: more than half of graduates of osteopathic medicine programs pursue a career in primary care, and many choose to practice in rural areas. We also know that students often return to practice where they were trained. IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine will focus on recruiting students from underserved areas who have a passion for serving in those communities that have the greatest need for physicians,” he said.

The Conemaugh Nason Medical Center clinical training agreement is IUP’s eleventh formal signed agreement. Agreements are in place with Penn Highlands Healthcare (February); Clarion Psychiatric Center (February); Armstrong County Memorial Hospital (January); Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center (December 2024); Broad Top Area Medical Center, Hyndman Area Health Centers, Nulton Diagnostics and Treatment Center, and the Primary Health Network, (November 2024); Indiana Regional Medical Center (September 2024) and Punxsutawney Area Hospital (June 2024).

Miko Rose shaking hands with Rodney Reider

IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine Founding Dean Miko Rose shares a handshake and the finalized agreement with Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center President and CEO Rodney Reider, with Emergency Medical Physician and Past President of Conemaugh Nason Medical Center John Baker at center and Conemaugh Nason Medical Center Chief Operating Officer Michelle Buttry far right.

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.

“Medical centers like Conemaugh Nason Medical Center are the heart of their communities, providing care and resources to citizens who would otherwise not have access to medical professionals,” Rose said. “We are very grateful to have this hospital as a partner. We know that our students will learn a great deal—and will be inspired—by the healthcare professionals at Conemaugh Nason who have made the commitment to rural medical practice, many of them from the region,” she said.

“All too often, young people from these underserved areas can’t see themselves successfully completing medical training and becoming physicians because they don’t have exposure to healthcare providers who come from rural areas or who practice in underserved communities. That’s one of the things that IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine is focused on changing. Training agreements with rural medical centers like Conemaugh Nason are part of the foundation for us to build a pipeline of talented physicians committed to practicing in rural communities,” Rose said.

"We are excited to be part of this important initiative with IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine,” Chief Operating Officer Buttry said. “By partnering with IUP, we can help cultivate a new generation of physicians who are dedicated to rural healthcare, an area in which Conemaugh Nason Medical Center has always played a pivotal role. This agreement not only strengthens our community, but it also ensures that tomorrow’s healthcare leaders will be trained with the skills and experience necessary to address the unique challenges faced by rural populations,” she said.

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.

In addition to Founding Dean Rose and Associate Founding Dean Smith, IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine administrative team includes Founding Associate Dean of Preclinical Affairs Luke H. Mortensen.

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. 

“This collaboration represents a critical step toward addressing the healthcare needs of rural Pennsylvania,” Conemaugh Health System Chief Medical Officer Dunmore said. “By providing clinical training opportunities, we are helping to shape future physicians who will be equipped to meet the demands of primary care in underserved communities. We are proud to support IUP’s mission and look forward to seeing the positive impact these students will have on healthcare in our region.”

IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine and IUP’s commitment to addressing the rural health crisis continues to draw support from individual donors, foundations, agencies, and legislators: