Indiana University of Pennsylvania and four healthcare providers in Cambria County, including a solo private family medicine practice, celebrated the signing of clinical training affiliation agreements for future students at IUP’s College of Osteopathic Medicine on June 15 and 16.
On June 15, IUP signed agreements with Croyle-Nielsen Therapeutic Associates, Inc. and Alternative Community Resource Program, both in Johnstown. On June 16, IUP signed agreements with Small Town Hope and Matthew Dvorchak, MD, Family Medicine Practice, both in Hastings.
On June 15, IUP signed a clinical training affiliation agreement with Alternative Community Resource Program in Johnstown. Pictured from left are ACRP Board Chair Carol Onufro; President and CEO of ACRP Frank Janakovic; IUP COM Founding Associate Dean of Pre-Clinical Affairs Luke Mortensen; Glenn Kashurba, child psychiatrist associated with ACRP; IUP COM Founding Dean Miko Rose; IUP COM Founding Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith; Cambria County Commissioner Tom Chernisky; IUP COM Director of Admissions and Student Affairs Jamie Murphy.
At the signing event with Croyle-Nielsen Therapeutic Associates Inc., Jesper Nielson, CEO of CNTA, and Angie Richard, CNTA clinical director, signed the formal agreement with IUP’s College of Osteopathic Medicine Founding Dean Miko Rose and IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine Associate Founding Dean for Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith. Other community leaders in attendance included Cambria County Commissioners Tom Chernisky and Scott Hunt.
“Now more than ever, it is important to address the mental health in our rural communities. Partnering with IUP’s program is a big step towards changing the face of how mental health services are delivered and addressing the shortage of practitioners in the area,” CNTA Clinical Director Richard said. “Moving forward, we are excited to have IUP’s students with us to hone their skills to address the needs of their patients. We know that having a practitioner who is adept in meeting the patient where they are at is crucial to patients feeling as though they are seen, heard, and valued.”
Signing the IUP COM-Alternative Community Resource Program clinical training agreement are, from left, ACRP Board Chair Carol Onufro and President and CEO of ACRP Frank Janakovic.
President and CEO of ACRP Frank Janakovic and Carol Onufro, ACRP board chair, signed the formal agreement for ACRP during the June 15 event. Additional speakers for that event included Glenn Kashurba, a child psychiatrist, and Cambria County Commissioner Chernisky.
“This event highlighted the shared commitment to address critical healthcare workforce shortages, improve access to quality healthcare in rural and underserved communities, and strengthen the collaboration among healthcare providers,” CEO of ACRP Janakovic said. “By investing in these partnerships, they will make mental health services accessible, and this project will subsequently advance long-term health care equity across the region to ensure that rural residents receive the care and supports they need.”
Founder and Executive Director of Small Town Hope Mandi Paronish joined Rose and Smith for the clinical training agreement, signed June 16 between IUP COM and Small Town Hope. The signing event, which also included remarks from Commissioner Chernisky, was held at The Treehouse at Small Town Hope.
Signing the clinical training affiliation agreement on June 16 between IUP COM and Small Town Hope, from left, IUP COM Founding Dean Miko Rose, IUP COM Founding Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith, Founder and Executive Director of Small Town Hope Mandi Paronish
“I believe that our collaboration with the IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine represents more than a partnership—it represents a shared belief that every child and every family deserves access to compassionate, innovative, and community-centered care,” Paronish said.
“By bringing together healthcare providers, educators, community organizations, and the next generation of physicians, we create stronger pathways to health, learning, mentorship, and opportunity. The meaningful relationships we have formed here are the foundation of lasting change. Every partnership expands our reach, strengthens our mission, and allows us to touch more lives than we ever could alone. Together, we are so very capable. More connected and for what better purpose than for a future where children can thrive, families feel supported, and communities grow stronger for generations to come. I am so proud and excited to be a part of this instrumental enhancement for our local community and look forward to the good it brings,” she said.
The clinical training agreement signed June 16 with Dvorchak’s practice is the first agreement with a rural family medicine private practice. This signing event included remarks by Commissioner Chernisky and Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Elizabeth Dunmore, with Dvorchak, Rose, and Smith signing the agreement.
IUP COM Founding Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith and IUP COM Founding Dean Miko Rose sign the clinical training affiliation agreement with Alternative Community Resource Program
“IUP continues to see incredible support for our College of Osteopathic Medicine from the healthcare community, from state and federal agencies, from our alumni, and from legislators throughout the Commonwealth,” IUP President Michael Driscoll said.
“When we began our work in 2022 to establish a college of osteopathic medicine as part of our mission to address the rural healthcare crisis and change the landscape of rural healthcare, we were told that securing the clinical training agreements would be our biggest challenge. Within a year, we more than exceeded the number of required agreements, and our IUP COM continues to be received with optimism and confidence as we create and strengthen relationships and partnerships,” he said.
The clinical training affiliation agreements with Croyle-Nielsen Therapeutic Associates, Inc., Alternative Community Resource Program, and Small Town Hope reflect the IUP COM’s commitment to preparing its graduates to meet the unique mental and behavioral health needs of patients in rural communities.
On June 15, IUP COM signed a clinical training agreement with Croyle-Nielsen Therapeutic Associates Inc. of Johnstown. From left, Cambria County Commissioner Scott Hunt, CNTA Clinical Director Angie Richard, CNTA President Amy Croyle Nielson, CNTA CEO Jesper Nielson, IUP COM Founding Dean Miko Rose, IUP COM Founding Associate Dean of Pre-Clinical Affairs Luke Mortensen, IUP COM Associate Founding Dean for Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith, IUP COM Director of Admissions and Student Affairs Jamie Murphy, Cambria County Commissioner Tom Chernisky, IUP Distinguished Alumni Award recipient and IUP COM supporter Nick Jacobs.
“There is a critical shortage of both primary care physicians and mental and behavioral health physicians in Pennsylvania, especially in rural communities,” Dean Rose said. “The IUP COM’s program and curriculum addresses these issues, understanding that rural primary care physicians are often called upon to provide behavioral and mental health care and advice for their patients.
“One of the foundational elements of IUP’s College of Osteopathic Medicine is a focus on training that integrates mental health competencies for our students to adequately address mental and behavioral health of their future patients,” she said.
A unique feature of IUP’s curriculum for the doctor of osteopathic medicine degree is its four-year, longitudinal required coursework on mental and behavioral health and rural health. The program requires future students to complete additional clinical rotations in rural primary care and psychiatry, beyond what is required by national accreditation standards.
“These three providers will provide important clinical and educational experiences in treating adult and child mental and behavioral health, but there is so much added value to our students being in these rural, community-focused agencies,” Dean Rose said. “The emphasis on team-based care, building relationships with families, and the opportunity for our students to gain real-life insight into the needs and challenges of serving patients in rural communities, especially in some of the most needed specialties, will prepare our students to truly serve their communities,” she said.
From left, signing the IUP COM Clinical Training Affiliation Agreement with Croyle-Nielsen Therapeutic Associates are IUP COM Associate Founding Dean of Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith and IUP COM Founding Dean Miko Rose.
Securing clinical training sites for students is part of the successful accreditation process; IUP has secured more than 290 percent of the needed clinical training spots, surpassing the 120 percent required for accreditation.
IUP’s Council of Trustees endorsed the exploration of a possible development of a college of osteopathic medicine at IUP in December 2022. There are only three colleges of osteopathic medicine in Pennsylvania, all at private universities; IUP’s College of Osteopathic Medicine is the only college of osteopathic medicine at a public university in the Commonwealth.
In May, the IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine officially received pre-accreditation status from the American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, which means that IUP can begin recruiting and admitting students to its College of Osteopathic Medicine and begin medical instruction within the approved osteopathic medical curriculum.
IUP anticipates its first class of 60 students entering the program in fall 2027. Colleges holding pre-accreditation status are permitted to admit no more than 50 percent of the approved class size in the first year, and no more than 75 percent of the approved class size in year two, transitioning to the approved class size in years three and four. IUP’s College of Osteopathic Medicine has an approved class size of 120 students.
The IUP COM and Small Town Hope clinical training affiliation agreement includes remarks from Cambria County Commissioner Tom Chernisky
With the agreements signed June 15 and 16, IUP has completed 24 formal signed agreement events, with a number of additional agreements in process, representing more than 40 individual training sites affiliated with the IUPCOM to date.
Other formal clinical training affiliation agreements in place are with Sharon Regional Health System, Clarks Summit State Hospital, Torrance State Hospital, Conemaugh Meyersdale Medical Center, Warren State Hospital, Conemaugh Miners Medical Center, Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers, Wayne Memorial Hospital, Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber, Conemaugh Nason Medical Center, Penn Highlands Healthcare, Clarion Psychiatric Center, Armstrong County Memorial Hospital, Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, Broad Top Area Medical Center, Hyndman Area Health Centers, Nulton Diagnostics and Treatment Center, The Primary Health Network, Indiana Regional Medical Center, and Punxsutawney Area Hospital.
IUP also has a pre-clinical training agreement with the Indiana County Coroner’s Office for IUP students in a number of programs, as well as for future students at IUP’s College of Osteopathic Medicine.
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.
IUP’s College of Osteopathic Medicine and IUP’s commitment to addressing the rural health crisis have resulted in funding from individual donors, foundations, agencies, and legislators totaling more than $54 million, including seven million-dollar or multi-million-dollar gifts and grants.
On June 15, IUP COM signed a clinical training agreement with Croyle-Nielsen Therapeutic Associates Inc. of Johnstown. From left, CNTA Clinical Director Angie Richard, CNTA CEO Jesper Nielson, Cambria County Commissioner Scott Hunt (at podium), IUP COM Associate Founding Dean for Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith, IUP COM Founding Dean Miko Rose
Fundraising for IUP COM is part of IUP’s Impact 150, IUP’s $150-million comprehensive fundraising campaign; its themes are raising funds for healthy students, including supporting students academically and personally; a healthy university, including maintaining IUP’s commitment to excellence and innovation; and healthy communities. The campaign is named in honor of the university’s sesquicentennial celebration, celebrated during the 2025–26 academic year. As of March 31, IUP’s Impact 150 comprehensive fundraising campaign stands at more than $114.5 million, or 76.34 percent of goal, with 50,150 gifts from 13,138 donors.
Rose was hired as the founding dean of the IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine in November 2023; the hiring of a founding dean is one of the first steps to establishing the college. Founding Associate Dean Smith and Founding Associate Dean of Preclinical Affairs Luke H. Mortensen joined the team in 2024. Jamie Murphy joined the team in January as director of IUP COM admissions and student affairs.
Doctors of osteopathic medicine, or DOs, complete four years of osteopathic medical school, with an emphasis on preventive medicine and comprehensive patient care. They are trained to recognize the interrelated unity among all systems of the body, each working with the other to promote overall health and wellness. Osteopathic medical schools have a long tradition of serving rural communities. Physicians who are trained in osteopathic medicine are four times more likely to select primary care specialties and almost twice as likely to practice in rural areas as allopathic (MD) students are.
On June 15, IUP COM signed a clinical training agreement with Croyle-Nielsen Therapeutic Associates, Inc. of Johnstown. From left, CNTA Clinical Director Angie Richard, CNTA CEO Jesper Nielson, Cambria County Commissioner Tom Chernisky (at podium), IUP COM Associate Founding Dean for Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith; IUP COM Founding Dean Miko Rose
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.
Once fully operational, IUP’s College of Osteopathic Medicine is expected to generate almost $50 million in annual economic impact for the Commonwealth. Long-term, if just 60 percent of IUP’s College of Osteopathic Medicine graduates remain in Pennsylvania, the annual economic impact for the state is estimated at $1.3 billion.
About Croyle-Nielsen Therapeutic Associates, Inc.
On June 15, IUP COM signed a clinical training agreement with Croyle-Nielsen Therapeutic Associates, Inc. of Johnstown. From left, CNTA Clinical Director Angie Richard and CNTA CEO Jesper Nielson
Croyle-Nielsen Therapeutic Associates, Inc. is a person-centered provider of mental and behavioral health services, wellness services, and a variety of services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, operating in the Laurel Highlands region of Pennsylvania. Its therapists have over 100 years of combined experience providing the highest quality mental health therapy to people of all ages with a variety of therapeutic needs. Beyond providing excellent, client-focused general therapeutic and psychiatric solutions, it also specializes in grief counseling, trauma-informed therapy, EMDR, dual diagnosis, depression and anxiety therapy, physical health/mental health interactions, geriatric therapy, and children’s therapy.
The agency is passionate about helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities live balanced, healthy, and happy lives through innovative, person-centered solutions in behavior support, residential services, supported employment, and community participation services. As a medium-sized company, the agency is proud to have the feel of a small-town provider. The agency believes that compassion for our clients and commitment to individualized service is paramount to providing outstanding services with the power to positively affect lives, and that operating a healthy company is about much more than making a profit; operating a healthy organization is about serving the needs of its clients, providing a great environment for its employees and contractors, and making a positive impact on peoples’ lives and its communities.
The agency’s goal is to nurture a company culture emphasizing fairness, inclusion, social consciousness, and wellness while infusing fun, belonging, and a culture of gratitude, committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect, constantly striving toward leaving the world a better place than it was found.
About Alternative Community Resource Program
Glenn Kashurba, child psychiatrist associated with Alternative Community Resource Program, was a speaker for the June 15 clinical training affiliation agreement signing with the IUP COM and Alternative Community Resource Program in Johnstown. Pictured from left are CEO of ACRP Frank Janakovic, Glenn Kashurba at podium, IUP COM Founding Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith, IUP COM Founding Dean Miko Rose.
In 1989, ACRP initially began working with youth through child welfare and juvenile justice, but there was an almost immediate realization that services needed to be provided to entire families. Through the years, ACRP has also expanded its coverage. Originally servicing clients in Johnstown, there are now 12 offices and multiple school and office locations covering Cambria, Somerset, Bedford, and Blair counties, employing over 325 individuals and serving 6,000 clients, students, and families annually in the home, school, and our communities.
ACRP has a program that offers services, based on the client’s ability to pay, by offering a sliding scale fee schedule. It is the goal of the Alternative Community Resource Program to meet the complete needs of the child in a comprehensive approach. When children develop, they have basic needs including emotional, health, mental, social, and the need to develop through play. In each of its 32 programs, ACRP addresses the needs of children and carries them into, and sometimes through, adulthood.
Every day in our region, there are children who struggle with abuse, neglect, or psychological and emotional disorders that keep them from living a normal, happy life. It is the mission of the Alternative Community Resource Program to respond to the needs of such children and their families. ACRP works as an alternative to placement while providing comprehensive programs and treatment to address emotional, behavioral, and academic issues. This service spectrum includes treatment for adults through our Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic. At ACRP, individuals are afforded the opportunity for personal growth and development regardless of race, color, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. Since 1989, ACRP has upheld its commitment to meeting the needs of the children and families it serves.
About Small Town Hope
From left, Cambria County Commissioner Tom Chernisky, IUP COM Founding Dean Miko Rose, IUP COM Founding Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith, Founder and Executive Director of Small Town Hope Mandi Paronish, IUP COM Founding Associate Dean of Pre-Clinical Affairs Luke Mortensen
Small Town Hope is a nurse-led, rural health care organization and is a designated nonprofit 501(c)(3). Small Town Hope strengthens families by supporting children’s health, early learning, and community wellness in rural Cambria County. The Small Town Hope mission is to serve and support the health and wellness of the pediatric population by creating and supporting unique programs designed to inspire, educate, and strengthen the dynamics of the family. Small Town Hope recognizes the value of family-centered care. The vision is that connecting children and their families to opportunities for wellness builds a healthier community.
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. IUP’s Impact 150 comprehensive campaign is designed to honor a legacy of educational excellence while looking toward a future of innovation, public service, and leadership in healthcare education, including the first college of osteopathic medicine at a public university in the Commonwealth.