Ohio Medical School Dean Accepts VP Position at New York Institution
Contact: Gary Snyder, Associate Director of Communication, at (740) 593-2199.
Editors: A 300-dpi photo of Ross-Lee is available for Internet download at www.oucom.ohiou.edu/media/Ross-Lee_Barbara.jpg.
ATHENS, Ohio (October 19, 2000) -- Barbara Ross-Lee, D.O., dean of Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-COM) since 1993, has accepted the dual positions of Vice President for Health Sciences and Medical Affairs and Dean of the School of Allied Health and Life Sciences at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT). Ross-Lee will leave Ohio University on Jan. 31, 2001, and begin at NYIT in February 2001.
"While it is with deep regret that I will leave the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Ohio University, this new position will allow me to broaden my involvement with osteopathic medical education, as well as with allied health education and health policy," said Ross-Lee. "On a personal level, I am looking forward to being together in the same city with my husband, Ed, who has accepted a position in NYIT's College of Education."
"We have accomplished a great deal in the past seven years. I am confident that OU-COM is well positioned to continue being a leader in medical education and health-care delivery for years to come. It has been an honor to serve this college and this University as dean."
Ross-Lee is known throughout the medical education world for her accomplishments in modernizing the way future physicians are educated so that they are prepared for the challenges of 21st Century medicine. Throughout her tenure at OU-COM, she stressed the themes of unity, community, continuity and visibility.
A strong proponent of training medical students, interns and residents in a consistent, continuum curriculum, Ross-Lee was the driving force behind the creation of the Centers for Osteopathic Research and Education (CORE) system. The CORE, established in 1995, includes a statewide network of 13 teaching hospitals where more than 800 medical students, interns and residents train. Ross-Lee has been instrumental in the development and implementation of new curriculums at OU-COM centered on primary care and active learning models. Under her leadership, the Department of Biomedical Sciences was created at OU-COM and biomedical science, clinical and sociocultural research initiatives expanded.
The College of Osteopathic Medicine's strong track record in training the highest percentage of primary care physicians of any Ohio medical school was strengthened during Ross-Lee's administration. In 1998, the medical school was ranked number one among the nation's 143 medical schools in the American Medical Student Association Foundation's Primary Care Scorecard in the training of family medicine physicians.
Ross-Lee also championed the expansion of outreach services to Southeastern Ohio residents through the college's Mobile Health Unit, which provides immunizations and health screenings to children and adults throughout the region. Her commitment to improving the health of rural Americans was further spotlighted in the creation of the medical school's Center for Appalachian and Rural Health Research in 1999.
Under her leadership, the medical school developed leading-edge medical education technologies, such as the Ohio Osteopathic Network of Excellence, a teleconferencing system that connects the college, students, physicians and the 13 CORE hospitals. CORENET, an on-line medical information and curriculum resource, was also established.
Through her accomplishments and emphasis on visibility, Ross-Lee helped raise the stature of OU-COM into a national leader in medical education, according to Ron Portanova, Ph.D., chairman of the college's Department of Biomedical Sciences.
"Dr. Ross-Lee has provided strong leadership and established the COM as a leader in medical education, health policy and community service," said Portanova. "Among her accomplishments was the establishment of the Department of Biomedical Sciences as an integral unit within the college. This effort was a manifestation of her appreciation of the fundamental importance of the basic sciences in medical education.
"As a medical educator of considerable vision, she has worked to effect important curricular reform based on the integration of the basic science, clinical and social aspects of medical education," said Portanova. "Her lead in the establishment of the Primary Care Continuum curriculum reflects on that commitment. She has fostered a correct vision of the essence of medical education as a continuum of life-long learning and through the CORE system has established postgraduate programs that underscore that vision."
According to Ohio University President Robert Glidden, Ph.D., "The creativity and enormous energy that are trademarks of Dr. Ross-Lee's leadership brought us real results. She has been a tireless advocate for decent, basic health care for the families in Southeastern Ohio, particularly its children. We wish her well and thank her for her years of devotion to Ohio University and its community."
After receiving input from OU-COM administration and faculty, Ohio University Provost Sharon Brehm, Ph.D., will name an interim dean of the medical school. A national search for a permanent dean will then be conducted.
Brehm praised Ross-Lee's contributions to education, health care and Ohio University.
"Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee is an inspiration to students and academians alike," said Brehm. "Her commitment to family health has led to improvements in basic services to many impoverished families in Appalachian Ohio. Under her leadership, OU-COM has become a national model in the use of technologies for medical care and medical education. We are very grateful for Dr. Ross-Lee's dedication, commitment and many contributions to the college and to Ohio University."
According to NYIT President Edward Guiliano, Ph.D., "Dr. Ross-Lee has a national reputation in the fields of health policy and primary care and a history of promoting faculty research, which will help boost our School of Allied Health and Life Sciences to the next level and will enhance NYIT's visibility in the fields of health and medicine. I look forward to working with her."
The first osteopathic physician to participate in the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowship, Ross-Lee served as legislative assistant for health to Sen. Bill Bradley. She has a strong background in health policy issues, and serves as an advisor on primary care, medical education, minority health, women's health and rural health-care issues on the federal and state levels.
Ross-Lee graduated from Wayne State University with a bachelor of science degree in biology and chemistry, and a master's degree in teaching special populations. Graduating from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in September 1973, she ran a solo family practice in Detroit prior to pursuing an academic medicine career. Ross-Lee is a Fellow of the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians. She has lectured widely and has also published more than 30 scholarly articles on a variety of medical and health-care issues.
Ross-Lee was appointed in 1999 as a member of the National Institute of Health Advisory Committee on Research on Women's Health and served as a member of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She is executive director of the Institute for National Health Policy and Research, and serves on the board of directors for the Association of Academic Health Centers, the National Fund for Medical Education, and the National Health Service Corps' Association of Clinicians for the Underserved. She also served on the Institute of Medicine's Committee on the Future of Primary Care.
She was recognized for her contributions to the state and inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame in 1998. Her other awards include the "Magnificent 7" Award presented in 1993 by Business and Professional Women/USA. She has also received the Women's Health Award from Blackboard African-American National Bestsellers for her contributions to women's health, the 1994 Distinguished Alumni Award from Wayne State University, and the 1999 Alumnus of the Year Award from the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Ross-Lee received the Distinguished Public Service Award from the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine of the New York Institute of Technology. Most recently, Ross-Lee received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Michigan State University Alumni Association.
