William Betz, DO, MBA, has resigned from his position as the Founding Dean of Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine (PNWU-COM), citing personal and professional reasons. Dr. Betz also served as Vice President and Chief Academic Officer. Robyn Phillips-Madson, DO, Associate Dean of Clinical Sciences and head of the Office of Global Health Education and Research, has been appointed Interim Dean while a national search is being conducted.

WesternU Receives $5.1 Million Funding Pledge

Western University of Health Sciences has received a $5.1 million commitment for three of the University's colleges, creation of an endowed lectureship honoring the University's founding president, and naming rights to a floor of the school's new Health Education Center.  The pledge constitutes one of the largest donor commitments ever made to WesternU.

The school’s College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific will receive $1 million of the gift. Another $2 million will be used to secure the new Health Education Center’s Research Center. And $100,000 will fund the Dr. Philip Pumerantz Distinguished Lectureship in Inter-professional Education. Dr. Pumerantz is WesternU’s founder and President.

According to Benjamin Cohen, DO, Provost and Chief Operating Officer of WesternU, said the support would “breathe life into WesternU's new dental college” and “propel our osteopathic medicine and veterinary medicine colleges into new heights of academic excellence.”

COCA Approves New Western U/COMP Site in Lebanon, OR

Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (Western U/COMP) has received approval from the American Osteopathic Association’s (AOA) Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) to open a new site in Lebanon, Oregon. Each year, up to 100 students enrolled in the school’s Northwest Track Osteopathic Medical Student Program will receive their first two years of education at the new location. The Northwest Track program allows Western U/COMP to increase class sizes by 30 students each year from the following states: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Alaska. Students in the program typically complete clinical rotations in the Northwest.

CCOM Names Three New Associate Deans

Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University (CCOM) has named several new associate deans in anticipation of a larger entering class in 2009. Rita Getz, PhD, was appointed Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. Thomas Boyle, DO, ACEP, was named Associate Dean of Clinical Sciences. Isaac Kirstein, DO, was appointed Associate Dean of Post-Doctoral Education and will continue in his position as Director of Medical Education. Last October, CCOM received approval from COCA to increase its entering class size from 160 to 200 students.

NSU-COM Hosts National Immunization Conference

Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU-COM) welcomed health care providers from across the country for a national immunization conference January 30-31. Protecting our Next Generation, Ages 0-3, featured international and national experts who shared valuable information about vaccines and techniques for diagnosing autism spectrum disorders in children. Melinda Wharton, MD, Deputy Director at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, and Ana M. Viamonte Ros, MD, MPH, Florida’s Surgeon General and Secretary of the Florida Department of Public Health, were among the conference speakers. NSU-COM presented Dr. Viamonte Ros with its inaugural Protecting Our Next Generation Child Advocacy Award for her outstanding leadership and advocacy in children’s health issues.

Barbara Ross-Lee, DO, Delivers Keynote Address at AAMC PDC Meeting

Barbara Ross-Lee, DO, FACOFP, Vice President for Health Sciences and Medical Affairs at New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), delivered the keynote speech at the Association of American Medical Colleges’ (AAMC) 2009 Health Professions Financial Aid Administrators Professional Development Conference (PDC) in January. Dr. Ross-Lee is the director of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Health Policy Fellowship program; she is also the first African-American female to serve as dean of a U.S. medical school. AACOM Vice President for Research and Application Services Tom Levitan, MEd, and Director of Government Relations Susan Eads Role, JD, MSLS, served on the planning committee for the PDC meeting.

VCOM to Offer Pre-Med Post-Baccalaureate Program

This fall, Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) will offer a one-year, pre-medical post-baccalaureate program for students interested in pursuing a medical degree (osteopathic or allopathic) or a master’s degree in biomedical sciences. Participating students will be able to engage in one of the school’s international medical service trips and will receive hands-on training through clinical experiences with local patients.

DMU-COM Forms Partnership with Foster Group

Photo: Members of the Foster Group team met with DMU administration recently to celebrate their partnership. From left: Buck Olsen, CFP, Jerry Foster, CFP, University President, Gov. Terry E. Branstad, Phil Kruzan, Sr., CFP, Mark Stadtlander, CFP, and Kent Dramer, CFP.

Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine (DMU-COM) has announced a four-year collaboration with the Foster Group, Inc., a local financial planning and investment advisory firm. The partnership will allow at least five additional students each year to participate in medial mission trips. The school will receive $10,000 annually from the Foster Group Fund for Global Health, enabling more students to join faculty and staff on spring trips to Belize or El Salvador. In the past, DMU-COM students have traveled to Uganda, Mumbai, and other Third World countries to provide health care to those in need.

ATSU-SOMA Receives $100,000 in Grants

A.T. Still University of Health Sciences School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA) has received approximately $100,000 in funding from the Arizona Area Health Education Centers (AHEC). A $75,000 grant will be used for the school’s Arizona Rural and Underserved Health Workforce Training Project; another $25,000 grant will fund the American Indian Rural Service (AIRS) Training and Northern Arizona Rural Service (NARS) Training Projects. The programs are beneficial to the school’s first-, second- and third-year medical students, who receive hands-on training in small groups at community health center campuses throughout the nation.

LECOM Students Receive APOMA Scholarships

Photo, from left: LECOM medical students John Treven, Jessica Burke and Peter Thomas each received a $2,000 scholarship check from the Advocates for the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association. Missing from the photo are LECOM students Timothy Burg, Domenic Turco, Kristy Wolfel and Gregory Yost.

Seven students from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) recently received $2,000 scholarships from the Advocates for the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association (APOMA). Fourth-year students Timothy Burg and Gregory Yost and third-year students Domenic Turco and Kristy Wolfel each received the APOMA Scholarship, awarded to recipients who demonstrate leadership and citizenship. Second-year medical students Jessica Burke and John Treven received the APOMA KIN Scholarship, a one-time recognition given to sons, daughters or grandchildren of POMA members for displaying leadership and community service. The Carlo J. DiMarco, DO, Presidential Scholarship was awarded to Peter Thomas, OMS-II.

LECOM-Bradenton Students Receive Awards

Benjamin Cox, a first-year osteopathic medical student at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine-Bradenton (LECOM-Bradenton), placed first in the American College of Osteopathic Family Physician’s (ACOFP) fifth annual Namey/Burnett Preventive Medicine Writing Award Competition. Cox will present his paper, “Best Wishes for Good Health,” at ACOFP’s national conference in March. Stephanie Jean-Baptiste, OMS-I, received a $1,000 scholarship from the Hillsborough County Osteopathic Medical Society.