On September 9, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Adelphoi Village celebrated the formal signing of a clinical training affiliation agreement for future students at IUP’s College of Osteopathic Medicine.
From left: Adelphoi Vice President for Behavioral Health and Community-Based Services Theresa Matson, Adelphoi CEO Nancy Kukovich, IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine Founding Dean Miko Rose, IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine Associate Founding Dean for Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith.
Adelphoi CEO Nancy Kukovich 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.
Adelphoi Vice President for Behavioral Health and Community-Based Services Theresa Matson also presented remarks during the ceremony. Adelphoi Village Board members John Driscoll and Keith McDowell were recognized during the event.
“The ability to serve teenagers and youth is critical right now,” Founding Dean Rose said. “We know that access to adequate mental health care services for children and adolescents is at an all-time crisis, and health care shortages are hardest hit in our rural areas,” she said.
“If we want to focus on growing our communities throughout our rural regions, we must work to develop strong mental health resources for our youth,” she said. “In so many communities, many youths are planning to leave and not return. To support the economic development of rural communities, we need to focus on caring for our youth, so that they will be inspired to stay and to become service leaders,” she said. “It’s absolutely essential that we provide the support that our youth need—and deserve—to thrive in these rural areas if we want our communities to not just survive, but to thrive.”
“Adelphoi Village’s emphasis on team-based care and building relationships with families will provide a unique opportunity for our future students to gain real-life insight into the needs and challenges of serving adolescents and families in rural communities,” Rose said.
Rose recognized IUP Council of Trustees member Laurie Kuzneski for making the connection between Adelphoi Village and the IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine.
“Mental health care cannot be separated from health care, especially because mental health issues often lead to other health issues,” Trustee Kuzneski said. “The work that Adelphoi Village does to meet the needs of mental health care of youth and adolescents in our rural communities is vital, and having this relationship between IUP and Adelphoi Village will provide important experiential opportunities for our future students in the College of Osteopathic Medicine,” 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.
“We have intentionally made mental health a cornerstone of our medical education program,” IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine Associate Dean Smith said. “While we don’t expect all of our graduates to become psychiatrists, we have designed the didactic education and clinical training such that each graduate will possess the core knowledge needed to implement principles of psychiatry and mental health in whatever specialty they choose to practice.”
“We are excited about the tremendous opportunity to partner with IUP and its College of Osteopathic Medicine,” Adelphoi CEO Kukovich said. “With Adelphoi Village programs serving rural communities across Pennsylvania, this affiliation is a natural fit and will give future physicians meaningful exposure to the behavioral health needs of children and families. We have a long-standing relationship with IUP and are proud to employ many IUP graduates, so we see this partnership as an important extension of our shared commitment to strengthening the communities we serve,” Kukovich said.
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.
“Clinical partnerships are an essential part of IUP’s progress toward establishing a College of Osteopathic Medicine focused on preparing physicians for practice in rural Pennsylvania,” IUP Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Lara Luetkehans said. “This agreement strengthens our current relationship with Adelphoi, a rural community partner that has relationships with other IUP programs and regularly employs our graduates, while broadening the clinical experiences available to future medical students.”
IUP anticipates its first class of 64 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; 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 approved class size is 120 students.
With today’s agreement, IUP has completed 25 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 Croyle-Nielsen Therapeutic Associates, Inc. and Alternative Community Resource Program, both in Johnstown; Small Town Hope and Matthew Dvorchak, MD, Family Medicine Practice, both in Hastings; 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 preclinical 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.
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 College of Osteopathic Medicine 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.
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.
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.
About Adelphoi Village
Adelphoi Village is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing outcome-based treatment and support services to children, youth, and families. Headquartered in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Adelphoi Village serves communities across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through a continuum of care that includes residential treatment, foster care and adoption, multisystemic therapy, behavioral and mental health services, secure care, and detention. For more than 50 years, Adelphoi Village has helped children and families overcome challenges, achieve positive outcomes, and move toward successful futures.