A ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday marked the unveiling of a facility Ohio University officials are calling an “investment” in the future of medicine.
OU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine celebrated the opening of its new facility, dubbed the Heritage Clinical Training and Assessment Center & Community Clinic, with a formal ceremony and tour. The school was able to remodel the building because of a $2.3 million gift from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations.
“The foundations’ $2.3 million is an investment in the future of the osteopathic medicine profession,” said Jack Brose, dean of OU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine.
The foundations also donated money to help build OU’s Academic & Research Center, which was opened last year.
Richard Vincent, president and CEO of the foundations, spoke at the ribbon cutting.
“The old center, if you didn’t see it in its dungeon-like form, needed a little upgrade, a little face-lift, a little cosmetic surgery,” Vincent said.
The Heritage Center offers medical services to Athens-area residents, many of who are self-employed or work minimum-wage jobs without benefits.
“Often, this clinic is their only source of care,” Brose said.
OU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine stands out from others of its type because it emphasizes patient interaction during students’ first year of school, rather than waiting until their third year, Brose said, adding that this has resulted in medical students who are already comfortable with patients when they begin their residencies.
Jennifer Lykens, a fourth-year medical student, agreed, saying the early emphasis on hands-on learning has been beneficial.
“In my first year, I didn’t know as much about what was going on, but as you learn about physiology and pathology and things like that, you see the things you’re learning about in the patients you’re seeing,” Lykens said.
During its full board meeting Friday, OU’s Board of Trustees approved the naming of the new facility, as well as the naming of two spaces within the building.
The Rauch Classroom was named in honor of Charles Rauch and his son, John Rauch, who have a combined 86 years serving as physicians for Hocking County residents. The Robert J. Hampton, D.O. Emergency/Surgical Simulation Laboratory Suite was named after a gift from OU-COM alumnus Robert Hampton, according to a news release.
OU President Roderick McDavis, who attended the ribbon cutting, said he felt strongly about the facility’s future.
“The foundations and Ohio University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine are working together on innovations that will drastically change the way we treat serious diseases,” he said.
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