On October 2, the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) campus was filled with 750 faculty members, staff, students and visitors who had gathered to celebrate the inauguration of Richard S. Rafes, JD, PhD. Members of the school’s Board of Governors inducted Dr. Rafes as the school’s fifth president and presented him with a traditional school mace and ceremonial medallion.

Prior to the inauguration, WVSOM held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its new 19,000 square-foot Clinical Evaluation Center and opened the building for visitors to tour. The school also announced plans to acquire a mobile health unit, the “Rural Health Outreach Vehicle/Emergency Responder.” The new vehicle will send students and physicians to communities throughout the state and allow WVSOM to respond to emergency situations such as natural disasters.