Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine holds multi-campus celebration for 50-year anniversary

The Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine marked its 50th anniversary with a high-energy, multi-campus celebration, recognizing five decades of advancing medical education and improving health across the state. The event connected faculty, staff, students and alumni across Athens, Dublin and Cleveland for a decade-by-decade journey through the college’s history. 

“Today, we’re celebrating fifty years of vision, grit and purpose, fifty years of caring for Ohio and shaping the future of medicine,” said Ken Johnson, D.O., vice president of Health Affairs and senior strategist for Health Partnerships, as he kicked off the historical tribute.

The program opened with the 1970s and a look back at the events that led to the creation of the college. Plans for a medical school at Ohio University date back to 1823 when land was set aside near Grosvenor Hall. More than 150 years later, championed by the Ohio Osteopathic Association, state legislators and Governor James Rhodes, House Bill 229 passed. Charged with admitting students within one year, founding dean Gerald A. Faverman, D.O., rapidly assembled a curriculum, faculty and clinical partnerships. In fall 1976, 24 pioneering students entered Grosvenor Hall, laying the foundation for what would become a statewide institution.

“What brought everyone together wasn’t prestige. It was purpose, the belief that where you live should never determine the quality of care you receive,” said Johnson.

During the celebration, each campus dean reflected on the decade that shaped their own connection to the college. Bill Burke, D.O., dean of the Dublin campus and a 1988 graduate, highlighted the 1980s as a period of bold growth under Dean Frank Myers, D.O.

“The 1980s were the decade the college found its heartbeat,” Burke said. The college awarded its first degrees, expanded its facilities and launched one of the nation’s first simulated patient labs. 

“It was a time when the dream first imagined in Grosvenor Hall grew into a statewide force for healing, learning and service, and when some of us discovered that this place would shape not just our careers, but our lives,” he added.

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Tracy Shaub, D.O., dean of the Athens campus and a 1992 graduate, reflected on the transformative leadership of Barbara Ross-Lee, D.O., during the 1990s. When Ross-Lee took the helm of the college, she made history as the first Black woman to lead any U.S. medical school.

“She brought inclusion, innovation and bold, forward-thinking ideas,” Shaub said. “She challenged us to see our role as physicians in a broader, more meaningful way.”

During that decade, the college launched the Center of Excellence for Multicultural Medicine and the nation’s first Osteopathic Health Policy Fellowship, expanded community-based clinical education and earned national recognition as a leading producer of family physicians.

Interim Senior Dean Jennifer Gwilym, D.O., a 2003 graduate, described the 2000s as a time of resilience and strategic growth under the leadership of Dean John “Jack” Brose, D.O.

“Even as higher education wrestled with financial uncertainty, the college remained grounded in its mission,” Gwilym said. “As we bolstered clinical operations and expanded college research, we were also strengthening partnerships with the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation and hospitals across the state – relationships rooted in trust and shared vision.”

Isaac Kirstein, D.O., dean of the Cleveland campus, recounted the transformational 2010s, which saw Johnson step in as executive dean and included the opening of new campuses and a historic $105 million gift from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation.

“That game-changing investment gave us a bold new trajectory and a new name,” Kirstein said. “Three campuses. One mission. A decade of innovation, growth and bold ideas.”

Johnson closed the program by reflecting on the challenges, such as the pandemic, and achievements of the current decade. Recent milestones include the opening of Heritage Hall in Athens in 2021; planning for the Heritage Translational Research Center; a 2024 report quantifying $63 million in annual social and economic impact from Community Health Programs in southeastern Ohio; a $70 million commitment from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation in 2025; and a new partnership with Kettering Health Network to support future growth.

“Even in the most uncertain moments, our purpose never wavered,” he said, noting that the college’s faculty, staff and students “proved that resilience and compassion are the foundation of osteopathic medicine.”

Today, in its 50th year, the Heritage College stands as Ohio’s largest public medical school and leading producer of primary care physicians. Most graduates remain in Ohio to practice, fulfilling the founding promise to serve communities across the state.

Johnson told attendees the main takeaway from the celebration is to recognize that the college’s success is a reflection of the work, dedication and resilience of its students, faculty and staff.

“Fifty years after opening our doors, we are still guided by the same ideals that shaped our founding: compassion, integrity and the belief that care leads here. As we celebrate this golden milestone, we know the best chapters are still ahead.”