More than 420 people attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Indiana Regional Medical Center’s Fourth Annual Pennsylvania Mountains Rural Health Conference, “Healthcare Innovation” held Nov. 20 at IUP’s Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex.
From left, IRMC Chief Operating Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer for the Pennsylvania Mountains Care Network and co-emcee for the event Dr. Jim Kinneer, Dr. Karin Rhodes, Nick Jacobs, Dr. Bryan Doverspike, and event co-emcee IUP Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Lara Luetkehans (Dr. George Garrow is absent from photo).
The conference, held in conjunction with national Rural Health Day, featured 34 presenters, including members of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s cabinet, Pennsylvania senators and representatives, and key healthcare and industry leaders .
The conference was coordinated by IRMC Chief Operating Officer and Chief Human Resources Office for the Pennsylvania Mountains Care Network Dr. Jim Kinneer and IUP Director of Strategic Partnerships Dr. Christina Koren.
Department of Human Services Secretary Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, Department of Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen, Pennsylvania Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich, and Pennsylvania Commissioner of Insurance Michael Humphreys were part of a panel discussion titled “Implications of H.R.1 and Opportunities Under the Rural Health Transformation Plan.” This panel was moderated by IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine Founding Dean Dr. Miko Rose.
Senate Majority Leader Senator Joe Pittman, 41 st District; Senator Michele Brooks, 50 th District; Representative and Chair, Appropriations Committee Representative Jim Struzzi, 62 nd District; Representative Dr. Arvind Venkat, 30 th District; and Office of the Governor Deputy Chief of Staff Lindsey Mauldin were part of a panel discussion, “Government Impact on Rural Health.” Dr. Koren and IRMC Administrative Laboratory Director Jackie Sansig moderated the panel.
President and CEO of The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania Nicole Stallings offered the keynote presentation, “Our Communities’ Futures Depend on Strong, Rural Hospitals,” addressing rural health opportunities and challenges and what they mean for communities.
From left, Senate Majority Leader Senator Joe Pittman, Representative and Chair Appropriations Committee Representative Jim Struzzi, Representative Dr. Arvind Venkat, Office of the Governor Deputy Chief of Staff Lindsey Mauldin and Senator Michele Brooks during the panel discussion “Government Impact on Rural Health.”
President and CEO of The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania Nicole Stallings offered the keynote presentation, “Our Communities’ Futures Depend on Strong, Rural Hospitals”.
Four area healthcare professionals, including an IUP Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, were honored with the second annual Impact Rural Health Impact Awards and Conemaugh Health Systems was honored with the inaugural Mentoring in Medicine Award. The Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health Director Lisa Davis presented the Rural Health Leader of the Year, Hero of the Year Award, and the Community Stars awards.
The 2025 Impact Award recipients are Dr. Bryan Doverspike, Dr. George Garrow, Nick Jacobs, and Dr. Karin Rhodes. The Impact Awards and the Mentoring in Medicine Awards were selected by the Conference committee.
Katie Donald, vice president of professional and corporate services at Punxsutawney Area Hospital, received the 2025 Pennsylvania Community Rural Health Leader of the Year Award; Dr. Michael McShane, founder of the LION Mobile Health Clinic, was selected for the 2025 Pennsylvania Rural Health Hero of the Year Award; and the National Stars Award was given to Dr. McShane, Dr. Mark Stephens, and the LION Mobile Clinic.
Dr. Kinneer and IUP Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Lara Luetkehans, co-emcees for the event, presented the local awards.
IRMC Chief Operating Officer and Chief Human Resources Office for the Pennsylvania Mountains Care Network Dr. Jim Kinneer, Conference co-coordinator and co-emcee, offered welcoming remarks.
IUP Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Lara Luetkehans was co-emcee for the Conference.
The 2025 recipients of the Impact Awards are:
Bryan Doverspike, DO
As an obstetrician serving the Amish community in Smicksburg, Dr. Brian Doverspike has transformed rural maternal care through a dedicated mobile clinic. His work bridges cultural and clinical gaps by educating midwives on when hospital deliveries are necessary and when home births are safe, significantly improving outcomes for mothers and infants. He has introduced routine pelvic exams, Pap smears, and HPV vaccination discussions, expanding preventive care access for Amish women. His clinic also serves as a training site for Indiana Regional Medical Center residents and medical students, fostering the next generation of rural healthcare providers.
Nick Jacobs, IUP ’69, M’72
Nick Jacobs has been a visionary leader in rural health innovation, founding multiple institutions including the Windber Research Institute and the Clinical and Translational Genome Research Institute. His work has advanced personalized medicine and rural access to genomic research. As a consultant to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Clinical Breast Care Project and founding executive of several health foundations, Jacobs has championed rural healthcare infrastructure and education. His prolific writing and national recognition—including awards from Walter Reed and the Pennsylvania Rural Health Association—underscore his enduring impact on rural health systems and policy.
A 1969 bachelor’s degree in education and 1972 master’s degree in education graduate of IUP, Jacobs is a 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient honored for his leadership in the healthcare and business communities.
He and his wife, Mary Ann Hoysan Jacobs, a 1968 bachelor’s degree and 1993 master’s degree in adult and community education graduate of IUP, have donated more than $40,000 to advance IUP’s school of osteopathic medicine project.
“Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to work with some extraordinary people, people who believe, as I do, that world-class healthcare doesn’t have to stop at major city limits,” Jacobs said as he accepted his award. “Together, we’ve tried to show that rural communities can be leaders in precision medicine, data-driven care, and innovation. Not because we have more resources, but because we have more reason to make every resource count. In rural health, you can’t hide behind bureaucracy or buzzwords. You either solve the problem, or your neighbor doesn’t get care. That’s the reality that makes this work both humbling and inspiring.”
Karin Rhodes
Dr. Karin Rhodes, Special Advisor to the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, has dedicated her career to improving healthcare access for vulnerable populations. With over three decades of experience as an emergency medicine physician and health policy expert, she has led groundbreaking research and implementation efforts to reform delivery systems and strengthen community health. Her work translating evidence into practice has directly benefited rural communities, ensuring that healthcare visits are more effective, equitable, and responsive to local needs. Her leadership continues to shape policy and practice across Pennsylvania and beyond.
George Garrow
Dr. George Garrow, CEO of Primary Health Network (PHN), one of Pennsylvania’s largest community health centers, Pennsylvania’s largest Federally Qualified Health Center, Dr. Garrow oversees its mission of providing access to high quality care to all, especially members of historically underrepresented communities and those who are most vulnerable. Under his leadership, Primary Health Network has also been named as one of "North America’s Inspiring Workplaces."
IUP President Dr. Michael Driscoll offered opening remarks at the Conference.
IRMC CEO Steve Wolfe offered opening remarks at the Conference.
Madeline Metts, a sophomore biology and pre-veterinary major in IUP’s Cook Honors College from Armstrong County and an officer in IUP’s Student Government Association, presented the Mentoring in Medicine award.
Mentoring in Medicine is a 10-week paid summer internship for students who are sophomores, juniors, or seniors in college or completing the first year of medical school. Students must be on a pre-medicine track with plans to become a physician. This competitive internship is open to students in Bedford, Cambria, or Somerset counties.
Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center Emergency Medicine Physician and Mentoring in Medicine Program Director Dr. Alexander Pozun accepted the award, which also recognized Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center President and CEO Rodney Reider for his mentorship and support of the program.
Dr. Pozun said that since the Mentoring in Medicine program began in 2004, 220 students have completed the internship, and 20 of these students completed medical training and have returned to the area for medical practice. Dr. Pozun completed the Mentoring in Medicine program in 2010.
The objective of the program is to provide academically talented college students who are interested in medical fields to have real-life experiences to encourage them to seek careers that will return them to the region; enhance the resumes of college students to provide the clinical experience that will assist them with their applications to medical or graduate school; provide mentoring experiences with physicians that will provide long-term support to these students and encourage the connection to the area.
IUP has established clinical training affiliation agreements for future students in IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine at 18 hospitals and healthcare providers including members of the Conemaugh Health Systems: Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, Conemaugh Miners Medical Center, and Conemaugh Nason Medical Center.
From left, Pennsylvania Commissioner of Insurance Michael Humphreys, Department of Human Services Secretary Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, Department of Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen, and Pennsylvania Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich were part of a panel discussion titled “Implications of H.R.1 and Opportunities Under the Rural Health Transformation Plan”.
IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine Founding Dean Dr. Miko Rose moderated the “Implications of H.R.1 and Opportunities Under the Rural Health Transformation Plan” panel.
The Conference also included a research poster display and competition, coordinated by IUP college of osteopathic medicine Founding Associate Dean of Pre-Clinical Affairs Dr. Luke Mortensen. Dr. Jodie Seybold, Department of Allied Health, received the overall best poster award for her research poster, “Rural Family Kitchen Empowerment (RFKE) Initiative.” Posters were evaluated for innovation, study design, alignment with rural practice, analysis, and presentation.
Posters were presented by faculty, students, and members of the IRMC family medicine residency program. In addition to Dr. Seybold’s work, researchers and their submission included:
- Dana Driscoll, Department of Language, Literature, and Writing faculty member and founding director of IUP’s Center for Scholarly Communications, with IUP graduate Omar Yacoub, “Reflective Writing into Being: A 13-Year Lifespan Examination of How Writing Shapes Identity from Student to Medical Professional”
- Laura Helmrich-Rhodes, Department of Safety Sciences and Environmental Engineering faculty member, “An Exploratory Study of Hazards in Medical Clinics in Pennsylvania Using Federal OSHA Citations”
- IUP student Lauren Mackey, “COVID-19: Strategies to Alleviate Nurse Burnout and Staffing;”
- Kelly Meyer, IRMC Family Medicine resident physician, “The Long Road to Reperfusion: Tourniquet Duration and Rural Access to Trauma Centers;”
- Richard Muth (Division of Student Affairs, “Rurality and Postsecondary Students”
- IUP student John Ograh, “Eliciting Lifestyle Behavior Change in College Students: An Evaluation of Outcomes of a Pilot Motivational Interviewing and Wellness Coaching Program”
- IUP students Hadyn Phillippi and Hayley Roberts, “The Power of the Period: Menstrual Wisdom in Counseling Space”
- Diane Shinberg, Department of School Psychology, Special Education, and Sociology faculty member, “Rural Place Profiles: Examples from the Northern Appalachian Region”
IUP student Madeline Metts; Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center Emergency Medicine Physician and Mentoring in Medicine Program Director Dr. Alex Pozun.
IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine Associate Founding Dean Dr. Luke Mortensen, left, talks with Dr. Jodie Seybold, Department of Allied Health, far right, who received the overall best poster award for her research poster, “Rural Family Kitchen Empowerment (RFKE) Initiative.”
Indiana County Commissioners Michael Keith, Dr. Bonni Dunlap, and Sherene Hess joined IUP President Dr. Michael Driscoll and IRMC CEO Steve Wolfe for welcome remarks.
IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine Founding Dean Dr. Miko Rose joined Special Advisor to Dr. Arkoosh Dr. Karin Rhodes for a breakout session for rural healthcare leadership, “Mobilize & Execute: Post Department of Human Services-Department of Health Regional Rural Health Summit Action Session.”
Additional conference sessions, designed for all levels of knowledge, included:
Attendees gather in an auditorium as they are welcomed to the Fourth Annual Pennsylvania Mountains Rural Health Conference.
- Healthcare Innovations in Pennsylvania, featuring Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Office of the Secretary Director of Innovation Michael Roth; Nulton Diagnostic and Treatment Center President Dr. Larry Nulton; Graystone CEO Jeff Long; Small Town Hope’s Treehouse Founder and CEO Mandi Paronish; Gloria Gates CARE Founder and CEO Dr. Zane Gates; the panel was moderated by IUP Vice Provost Dr. Hilliary Creely.
- Building Sustainable Rural Health Systems: Policy and Practice for Cost Reduction, featuring Pennsylvania Mountain Care Network CIO and COO Mark Volovic; Rural Health Redesign Center Director of External Affairs Steven Davis; and Jake Muskovitz from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council. Punxsutawney Area Hospital President and CMO Dr. Clark Simpson moderated the session.
- Rural Health Innovation to the Classroom, K-12 Educator Workshop, with Armstrong-Indiana Intermediate Unit (ARIN IU 28) Curriculum Specialist Lacie Cook and Training and Consultation Team member Dr. Mariha Shields. ARIN IU 28 Director of Curriculum and Educational Technology Dr. Susan Griffith moderated the session.
- Rethinking Rural Health – Preparing for the Future, featuring Sheetz Employee Benefits and Wellness Senior Manager Travis Eckles; Wayne Maynard from Angel Flight; IUP Department of Professional Studies Associate Professor Dr. Jacqueline McGinty; Janice Miller from the Pennsylvania Nurse Practitioners Association; and Rural Health Redesign Center Executive Director Janice Walters. IRMC CMO Dr. Richard Neff moderated the session.
- Pediatric Readiness in Rural Communities, featuring Dr. Kristin Juhasz, from Indiana, an IUP graduate who works in emergency medicine at UPMC Hammit. IRMC Family Medicine Residency Program Director Dr. Amanda Vaglia moderated the session.
Since its founding in 1875, IUP has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. As IUP celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025 and through the Impact 150 comprehensive campaign, the university honors a legacy of educational excellence while looking to its next 150 years of student success, innovation, leadership in healthcare education, and public service.