ONE YEAR OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS
FIVE YEARS OF GROWTH
FORTY YEARS OF
LEADING WITH CARE
December 2016
Dear Friends,
More than 40 years ago, a group of very special physicians – Ohio D.O.s – stepped up with their advocacy efforts
and donations to support a bold vision: the creation of an osteopathic medical school in Ohio. Thanks to these
physicians and the Ohio Osteopathic Association, Ohio was already a stronghold of osteopathic medicine, at that
time ranking third among U.S. states for its number of practicing D.O.s. On September 16, 1976, we welcomed
24 medical students and thus began years of “firsts”: our first Convocation, first day of anatomy lab, first day of
rotations and in 1980, our first Commencement.
Forty years after our founding, we were again in a year of “firsts.” In 2015-2016, we opened our third campus in
Cleveland in affiliation with Cleveland Clinic, exactly one year after opening our second campus in Dublin. We held
our first Convocation & White Coat Ceremony with a class of 240 students – our largest class ever, 10 times larger
than our first class entering in 1976. We had our first video broadcast of live instruction connecting students at our
three campuses. The list of “firsts” goes on.
Five years ago, another very special group stepped up to support a bold vision, launching us into this period of
unprecedented growth. In 2011, the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation awarded our college $105 million in support
of our college master plan, Vision 2020: Leading the Transformation of Primary Care in Ohio. This transformational
gift set in motion new programs and evolution in our areas of strength, and it was the catalyst for many other
growth opportunities.
Last year, as we marked our 40th anniversary, we celebrated our students, faculty, staff, alumni, partners and
friends who have made the Heritage College a nationally recognized medical school and a leader in the medical
education profession, having graduated 3,386 osteopathic physicians since 1980. Nearly 60 percent of our
graduates practice in Ohio, and almost 50 percent practice in primary care specialties nationwide.
Our commitment to leading in the development of primary care physicians to address the most pressing health care
challenges in Ohio is unwavering. It has been since our founding. There are incredible opportunities and challenges
facing medicine today, and massive changes underway in health care delivery. We are blessed with the support and
partnership of so many alumni, friends and organizations who make our physician training, research advancements
and community services possible. We thank all for their generous support toward our shared goals and their key
role in our successes, which contribute to the improved health and well-being of the populations we serve.
ORIENTATION WITH THE PRESIDENT
Ken Johnson, D.O., FAAO
Executive Dean
07
08