Indiana University of Pennsylvania and two healthcare providers in Cambria County celebrated clinical training affiliation agreements for future students at IUP’s College of Osteopathic Medicine with signing events on October 29.
Laurel Pediatric Associates and the IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine signed a formal clinical training affiliation agreement on October 29. From left, IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine Senior Interim Associate Dean of Operations and Associate Founding Dean for Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith; certified registered nurse practitioners Juliann Moore, Brady Ratosky, and Mandy Beck; IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine Founding Dean Miko Rose; Laurel Pediatric Associates President Elaine Confer and physicians Ajay Singh and Karl Berger.
IUP signed agreements with Highlands Health Medical Center and Laurel Pediatrics Associates of Johnstown this morning at Highlands Health Medical Center and this afternoon at Laurel Pediatric Associates.
At the signing event with Highlands Health Medical Center, Executive Director Rosalie Danchanko and Tara Lucas, CRNP, inked the formal agreement with IUP’s College of Osteopathic Medicine Founding Dean Miko Rose and IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine Senior Interim Associate Dean of Operations and Associate Founding Dean for Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith.
Other community leaders in attendance at the Highlands Health Medical Center signing included Johnstown Deputy Mayor Chuck Arnone, Cambria County commissioners Thomas Chernisky and Keith Rager, Amouree Pasquerilla representing Senator Langerholc, and Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Elizabeth Dunmore.
“This is an historic event for Highlands Health and another example of collaboration,” Danchanko said. “Highlands has a high percentage of patients who are facing a loss of their health insurance in January 2027. Through this partnership, we will have additional resources to serve the most vulnerable.”
Representatives from Laurel Pediatric Associates signing the agreement were Laurel Pediatric Associates President Elaine Confer, physicians Karl Berger and Ajay Singh, and certified registered nurse practitioners Mandy Beck, Juliann Moore, and Brady Ratosky.
IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine signed a clinical training affiliation agreement with Highlands Health Medical Center on October 29. From left, IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine Senior Interim Associate Dean of Operations and Associate Founding Dean for Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith, IUP’s College of Osteopathic Medicine Founding Dean Miko Rose, Executive Director Rosalie Danchanko and Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner Tara Lucas.
“When you train in an ambulatory care setting like Laurel Pediatric Associates, visual onsite observation is the very best way to learn history taking and the physical exam,” Confer said. “We also hope that these future medical students will return to our community to practice medicine.” Confer earned her undergraduate biology degree from IUP.
“The healthcare community has been incredibly supportive of our College of Osteopathic Medicine and excited about establishing clinical training affiliation partnerships,” IUP Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Lara Luetkehans said. “We could not be successful in our mission to educate the next generation of physicians for our rural communities without them,” she said.
“There is a critical shortage of primary care physicians, especially in rural communities, and establishing clinical training sites in rural communities is an essential part of preparing physicians to meet the needs of those rural communities,” Dean Rose said. “I thank all of our partners.”
“The addition of Laurel Pediatrics and Highlands Health Medical Center to our existing Johnstown rotation sites is allowing us to continually develop the Johnstown area into one of our major clinical training locations within our statewide clinical education network,” Smith said. “We greatly appreciate these new partnerships and look forward to welcoming students next year who will begin early clinical experiences at these sites next summer.”
Securing clinical training sites for students is part of the successful accreditation process; IUP has secured 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 (COCA), 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 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’s approved class size is 120 students.
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.
With the agreements signed today, IUP has completed 27 formal signed agreement events with hospitals, medical centers, and health care provider sites, and has a total of 44 agreements in place. Because of the success in securing these clinical training affiliation agreements, students in IUP’s College of Osteopathic Medicine will have the opportunity for early clinical experiences during their first two years of study.
Other formal clinical training affiliation agreements in place are with Clarks Summit State Hospital, Adelphoi Village, Croyle-Nielsen Therapeutic Associates, Inc., Alternative Community Resource Program, Small Town Hope, Matthew Dvorchak MD Family Medicine Practice, Sharon Regional Health System, Warren State Hospital, Conemaugh Miners Medical Center, Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers, Wayne Memorial Hospital, Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber, Conemaugh Meyersdale Medical Center, Torrance State Hospital, 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.
IUP’s College of Osteopathic Medicine and IUP’s commitment to addressing the rural health crisis has 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.
Fundraising for the IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine 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.
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 a college of osteopathic medicine. 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.
About IUP
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 Highlands Health Medical Center
Highlands Health Medical Center was born out of relief efforts following the Johnstown flood of 1977. Over the years, as services expanded beyond greater Johnstown, the name was changed to Laurel Highlands Free and Charitable Medical Clinic. Then, in 1998, the clinic became Highlands Health Clinic. Today, it is known as Highlands Health Medical Center, still a nonprofit organization, certified as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike, dedicated to helping all in need of medical services, serving patients from its headquarters in Johnstown and Somerset, with plans to open a variety of prevention education clinics easily accessible to people in need throughout the Laurel Highlands area.
About Laurel Pediatric Associates
Laurel Pediatric Associates provides experienced pediatric healthcare for children from birth through 21 years. It has two locations: one in Johnstown and one in Somerset. LPA is a group of professionals in child care, all committed to the welfare of children. It provides all aspects of primary care, including newborn care, preventative medicine, immunizations, asthma management, emotional disorders including anxiety and depression, learning difficulties including ADHD management, autism, dermatology including eczema and acne, sleep disorders, and behavior disorders. LPA also provides follow-up care for specialty clinics, including endocrinology, rheumatology, neurology, and cardiology.