Introduction
Background of the Dublin Campus
Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (Heritage College) mission is to educate primary care physicians committed to practicing in Ohio, with an emphasis on primary care, engaging in focused research, and embracing both Appalachian and urban communities. The Heritage College commits itself to providing a clinically integrated, learning-centered, osteopathic medical education continuum for students, interns, residents, and fellows; embracing diversity and public service; and improving the health and well-being of underserved populations.
Over the last 40 years, the Heritage College has grown steadily, with the most rapid expansion occurring in the five years since receiving a transformational $105 million award from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation (OHF) in 2011. The Heritage College is using this gift—the largest single private donation ever given to a college or university in Ohio at that time—to address some of the most pressing health care issues across the state and the nation, including the impending shortage of primary care physicians and the diabetes epidemic.
In pursuit of these goals and thanks in part to the OHF gift, the Heritage College established an additional location in Dublin, Ohio. The focus of this campus is to recruit students from central Ohio who want to stay in the region to train and practice. The Heritage College, Dublin, welcomed its inaugural class of 50 students in July 2014, with OhioHealth as the preeminent education partner for this campus. The Dublin location is COCA approved for a class size of 60 students. This year, the Heritage College welcomed the third class of students to the Dublin campus, the class of 2020, as our Dublin class of 2018 students leave for their third-year rotations in central Ohio.
To learn more about the Heritage College, Dublin, please click here.
The OHF gift was the catalyst for all kinds of growth, including the invitation from Cleveland Clinic to develop an additional location in northeast Ohio. In July 2015, the Heritage College opened its third location in affiliation with Cleveland Clinic at its South Pointe Hospital in Warrensville Heights, Ohio. The 2015-2016 academic year was the inaugural year for training students at three sites synchronously, as students in Dublin joined their classmates in Cleveland and Athens for year-one medical school training. The class of 2019, 240 students strong, moved through the curriculum together, connected via academic technologies and other shared experiences.
History of Successful Accreditation
The Heritage College has a history of thorough, goal-oriented planning and efficient administration that is reflected in part in our success in past accreditation processes. Following our seven-year COCA accreditation site visit in 2007, the College received four commendations, no requirements, and no recommendations. Preparation for the 2007 site visit led directly to the establishment of the Heritage College’s Office of Institutional Assessment and Planning (OIAP) in 2009.
A focused COCA visitation in 2009, during the first year of a class size increase, resulted in the College’s process being described as “a model for how to effectively conduct a class size increase.” In December 2012, the COCA gave approval for the Heritage College to begin recruiting students for its Dublin campus. The inaugural class of 50 medical students began classes in July 2014. The campus welcomed its second class of medical students in July 2015.
The Heritage College received approval to begin operations, student recruitment, admissions, and instruction at the Cleveland campus, after the December 2013 focused visit by the COCA to both the Cleveland and Athens campuses. During this multi-campus visit the college received three requirements, some recommendations, and two commendations. The requirements were around the hiring plan, facilities/building renovations, and adding the word “ethnicity” into the College’s non-discrimination policy, all of which have now been met. Both commendations were within the curriculum standards around clinical evaluation processes and the ability to conduct longitudinal assessments through the OIAP to support and improve the medical education continuum. The inaugural class of 50 medical students began classes in July 2015 at the Cleveland campus.
With two new additional locations, the Heritage College has undergone three focused site visits plus one comprehensive site visit by the COCA over the past three years. A formal/structured self-study process was implemented by the Executive Dean not only to assist with preparations for the most recent comprehensive on site visit, but also for continuous self-assessment work over the next several years (see full accreditation timeline by month/year). Integral to the self-study process has been the creation and appointment by the Executive Dean of the Self-Study Accreditation Team consisting of faculty, staff, and students. This team provides oversight to the self-study process. (link to story on the self-study team) Beginning in July 2013 the Heritage College’s Office of Institutional Assessment and Planning (OIAP) began managing/coordinating accreditation matters for the College. The office’s name also changed to the Office of Institutional Assessment and Accreditation (OIAA).
In November 2014 the Heritage College underwent a comprehensive seven year accreditation visit, which included a focused visit within six months of operations for the Dublin campus. This multi-campus five day visit resulted in no requirements, some recommendations, and two commendations. The college was commended for preparing faculty well in advance for teaching across multiple sites and for the design and use of digital services to deliver teaching, research, evaluation and administration of the academic programs. (link to story on the comprehensive COCA accreditation visit)
On May 18, 2015 the COCA approved extending the accreditation status of the parent campus in Athens to the Dublin campus. The Heritage College’s next comprehensive accreditation visit will occur in Fall 2021.
In November 2015 the Heritage College underwent a successful focused site visit within six months of operations for the Cleveland campus. The College met all standards reviewed, received one recommendation and one commendation. The college was commended for its use of technology to create a seamless interactive medical education across three campuses. (link to brief story on the Cleveland accreditation visit) At its April 16-17, 2016 meeting the COCA approved extending the accreditation status of the parent campus in Athens to the Cleveland campus.
Recruiting efforts continue for all three Heritage College campuses (i.e., Athens, Dublin, and Cleveland).
To view the Heritage College accreditation website please click here.
To view Ohio University’s accreditation website please click here.