Vitals 2 0 2 3
I M P A C T
Miami
Claremore
R E P O R T
Tulsa Wagoner
Sapulpa
Cushing
Bixby Coweta
THE HEALTH CARE CONTINUUM Edmond
Tahlequah Muskogee
PREPARING STUDENTS TO SERVE ACROSS RURAL OKLAHOMA Checotah
Shawnee
Stigler
Norman
Purcell
Hartshorne McAlester
Ada
Talihina
Atoka
Ardmore Madill Kingston
Durant
Hugo
F R OM T H E P R E S I DE N T
DEAR FRIENDS, This year is shaping up to be one of unprecedented growth for OSU Center for Health Sciences and OSU Medicine. With an outstanding leadership team and the commitment from our trusted faculty and staff, I am pleased to report that 2023 is proving to be another record year for our organization. Inside this year’s issue of Vitals, you’ll learn how we are making a difference in the lives of our students and the health of Oklahomans across our state. To say we are living up to our mission is an understatement, and I could not be more proud. To that point, in June we learned we were named number one in the nation by U.S. News and World Report for graduates practicing in health professional shortage areas, which underscores our mission of serving rural and underserved communities. OSU-CHS is also the only institution in Oklahoma to have grown enrollment every year for the last decade, led in part by the growth in our Forensics and Health Care Administration programs. Our first Physician Assistant class graduated in October and a new nursing program launched in Stillwater this fall — all demonstrating OSU’s commitment to leading in health care education in our state. This past fiscal year also brought in sizable new research funding to OSU-CHS — in the amount of nearly $170 million in proposals and $111 million received. This more than doubles the grants we received in the previous fiscal year, due in part to the award of $50 million in ARPA funding as well as significant recent awards related to tribal and rural health. Here in Tulsa, OSU has a lead role in the development of the new Academic Medical District, which includes ongoing planning and construction of the new VA Hospital and also the Oklahoma Psychiatric Care Center, both on track to open by late summer 2025. Along with the planned expansion of the OSU Medical Center, these downtown projects total more than $600 million — the largest health care development ever for downtown Tulsa. We are also aggressively pursuing new approaches to telehealth, thanks in part to the boost of $10 million in ARPA funding. Our goal is to become designated as a Telehealth Center of Excellence, and we are well on our way by delivering specialty care virtually to critical access hospitals across the state. Our state and federal appropriations request will center on this as we identify industry partners and tap into a wide range of population health technologies to deliver more care to Oklahomans. If you’ve not been to campus in a while, please come see us and take a quick tour — you’ll be amazed by what is happening here at OSU-CHS. Thank you for your partnership as we work together to impact the lives of Oklahomans. Go Pokes!
Johnny Stephens, Pharm.D. President of OSU Center for Health Sciences
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Johnny Stephens with medical students Michelle Nguyen (left), Carly Woodard and Joseph Kavanaugh (right) at the OSU Center for Health Sciences.
VITALS
2023 IMPACT REPORT
WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION
TRANSFORMATIONAL EDUCATION
Excelling at our mission
PA Program graduates first class
4
GROWTH & EXPANSION 5
6 8 9
New Oklahoma Psychiatric Care Center breaks ground Academic Medical District Campus updates and improvements Project ECHO, HPNRI work to improve health across Oklahoma
RECRUITING NEXT GENERATION OF PHYSICIANS 10
Outreach and engagement
TRAINING NEXT GENERATION OF PHYSICIANS 12
Meeting the misson
TRANSFORMATIONAL WORK 14
16 17
18
Jim Hess to be inducted into Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame Graduate program growth Student doctor exemplifies D.O. philosophy
RESEARCH & INNOVATION 19 22
Advancing Research CIHRP director selected for two national committees
SUPPORT OF OSU-CHS 23
24
Retired Ardmore physician, family donate $500k to medical school A Stately Affair
RESIDENCY MATCHES 25
Oklahoma Residency Matches
Expansion of virtual care in Oklahoma Care that goes beyond OSU Medicine selected as USA BMX official sports medicine partner
Oklahoma State University, as an equal opportunity employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. Oklahoma State University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all individuals and does not discriminate based on race, religion, age, sex, color, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, or veteran status with regard to employment, educational programs and activities, and/or admissions. For more information, visit https://eeo.okstate.edu. This publication, issued by OSU-CHS as authorized by the Office of External Affairs, was printed by Caye Solutions at a cost of $4,194.33. 600/November/2023
WOR L D – C L A S S E DUC AT ION
EXCELLING AT OUR MISSION CHS earns top spot from U.S. News & World Report
O
SU Center for Health Sciences has earned the No. 1 ranking in the percentage of graduates practicing medicine in Health Professional Shortage Areas and No. 10 in graduates practicing in rural areas from U.S. News & World Report’s annual medical school rankings. HPSAs designate areas and population groups, both rural and urban, PERCENTAGE OF GRADUATES that are experiencing a shortage of PRACTICING MEDICINE IN HEALTH PROFESSIONAL health professionals and can also SHORTAGE AREA be called medical deserts. About 50 percent of OSU-COM graduates are practicing in HPSAs, according to U.S. News data. “Being recognized by U.S. News and World Report for the hard work and dedication of our graduates to serve patients in physician shortage areas, these rural and underserved communities, is a testament to the mission of OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine,” OSU-CHS President Johnny Stephens said. “I’m so proud of our institution, our graduates, our faculty and staff for their unwavering commitment to this mission. By emphasizing innovation and passion for community, OSU-COM produces graduates eager to work in these medical deserts.” Once again OSU-CHS was also ranked as a top 10 medical school whose graduates practice in rural areas. According to the National Rural Health Association, the patient-to-primary care physician ratio in rural areas is 39.8 physicians per 100,000 people, compared to 53.3 physicians per 100,000
#1
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people in urban areas. This uneven distribution of physicians has had an impact on the health of those living in rural areas. “For more than 50 years, OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine has made it a priority to educate and train doctors to go out and serve in rural Oklahoma where there’s the greatest need,” said Dr. Dennis BlanGRADUATES kenship, Dean of OSU-COM. “We PRACTICING IN RURAL AREAS believe in empowering those living in rural and underserved areas who may have dreams of becoming a doctor or a passion for serving others. Recruiting future physicians from small towns and communities in Oklahoma means there’s a greater chance they return to their hometowns and rural communities to practice medicine where they are needed most.” The 2023-24 U.S. News & World Report rankings are from a survey of 192 accredited allopathic and osteopathic medical schools in the United States, which grant M.D. and D.O. degrees, respectively. For the third consecutive year, U.S. News published rankings that focus on medical school characteristics and where doctors practice, working with the Robert Graham Center, a division of the American Academy of Family Physicians, as the data provider to measure how medical schools are performing on key health care issues they and their graduates face.
#10
G R OW T H & E X PA N S ION
University, state, city and philanthropic officials gather during a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Oklahoma Psychiatric Hospital at the Cox Business Center.
NEW OKLAHOMA PSYCHIATRIC CARE CENTER BREAKS GROUND A
n unprecedented public-private partnership for better mental health was showcased March 30, 2023, at a ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Oklahoma Psychiatric Care Center in downtown Tulsa. The 106-bed hospital will replace the current Tulsa Center for Behavioral Health and will feature a 24-hour crisis response Urgent Recovery Center. Projected to open in 2025, the $88.4 million new center represents a partnership between the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS), Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, the City and County of Tulsa as well as several philanthropic organizations led by the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation, said ODMHSAS Commissioner Carrie Slatton-Hodges. “Today, we are recognizing one of the single largest investments in behavioral health ever made by Oklahoma lawmakers,” SlattonHodges said. “We are grateful that so many Oklahomans are beginning to recognize the value and importance of treating mental health issues, and that our legislators are leading the charge.” The 140,000-square-foot Psychiatric Care Center will be located in the OSU Academic Medical District in downtown Tulsa, next door to the new VA Hospital in Tulsa and the OSU Medical Center. Of the $88.4 million needed to construct the hospital, Oklahoma legislators provided $56.4 million in ARPA funding, while private donors and governmental partnerships covered the remaining costs, she said. “The Oklahoma Psychiatric Care Center is a true public-private partnership, and the best version of one. It will be a state-owned asset made better by private support and strong local partner-
ships,” said Bill Major, executive director of the Zarrow Family Foundations. “Mental health care is especially worth investing in to improve the lives of Oklahomans and return people to wholeness. The new psychiatric hospital, located next to the OSU Medical Center, will expand and deepen experiential learning of our medical students in Oklahoma.” OSU-CHS President Johnny Stephens said he and OSU President Kayse Shrum share the vision of the university being the undisputed leader in mental health services and patient care. “OSU Medicine’s physicians, health care professionals, residents and medical students are eager to work with our partners at ODMHSAS to treat patients and make a difference in their lives through mental health services,” Dr. Stephens said. “Building strong partnerships has become a hallmark of OSU. We wouldn’t be here today, celebrating this milestone, without the dedication of so many people working toward the same goal — bringing care to those who need it most.” The Oklahoma Psychiatric Care Center will nearly double the number of beds available to patients and is expected to add 100 new jobs in addition to 50 new residency spots. It will serve an estimated 1,000+ additional patients a year, reducing mental health-related emergency department visits, incarcerations and homelessness. “When people step into this building, they will be uplifted, not discouraged. We want to fill them with hope,” Slatton-Hodges said. “People need to know that behavioral health challenges, including substance use, can be treated just as successfully, if not more so, than other types of illnesses. This is not a secret, and this new hospital stands as a testament to that.” VITALS 2023 IMPACT REPORT // 5
G R OW T H & E X PA N S ION
ACADEMIC MEDICAL DISTRICT
UPDATE
VETERANS HOSPITAL IN TULSA
2025
Scheduled to open in 2025.
Will serve more than 65,000 veterans living in the Tulsa metro area.
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A 275,000-square-foot, 58-bed facility.
Funded by federal, state, private philanthropic, Tulsa city and county dollars.
Up to 50 new OSU Medicine residency spots will be added. It will also serve as a rotation site for medical and physician assistant students.
OKLAHOMA PSYCHIATRIC CARE CENTER
2025 140,000 square-foot, 106 inpatient beds.
Scheduled to open in 2025.
Up to 50 new OSU Medicine residency spots created as well as a rotation site for medical and physician assistant students.
More than 30,000 adults and youth in Tulsa experience severe mental illness or a major depressive episode each year.
University owned and operated by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Funded with capital gifts from charitable, city, county, state and federal entities.
OSU MEDICAL CENTER Currently 556,000 square feet with 235 patient beds and is the only hospital in downtown Tulsa. Founded in 1943, it is the teaching hospital associated with OSU Center for Health Sciences.
Planned phase 1 expansion includes: • New operating room • Clinical support space • Skybridge • 1,000 space parking structure • Surface lot improvements
BIOTECH LIFE SCIENCES BUILDING A 30,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art biotechnology research and development laboratory on the OSU Medical Center campus.
Focus of the work will include National Center for Wellness & Recovery pharmaceutical development, research facilities and labs and clinical trial space.
State legislature has allocated $50 million of ARPA funding for the facility. VITALS 2023 IMPACT REPORT // 7
G R OW T H & E X PA N S ION
CAMPUS UPDATES AND IMPROVEMENTS
I
n August, the new courtyard opened on the OSU Center for Health Sciences campus providing a wonderful green space for activities, events and a place for students, faculty and staff to relax and enjoy the outdoors. It replaces the former medical examiner’s office that was razed after North Hall opened in 2022. Renovation of the Barson Building office and lab spaces will begin in January 2024. Work is already underway in the Forensics Building as construction on the vivarium and lab spaces on the fifth floor of the building continue.
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S E C T ION
PROJECT ECHO, HPNRI WORK TO IMPROVE HEALTH ACROSS OKLAHOMA
O
SU Center for Health Sciences’ Project ECHO and OSU’s Human Performance and Nutrition Research Institute (HPNRI) are working together to improve health outcomes in Oklahoma with support from a $4.5 million grant from the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET). The Extension for Community Health Care Outcomes (ECHO) model enables health care providers in rural and underserved areas to connect with specialists at academic medical centers via a digital platform for training and consultation. Rural communities account for nearly 34% of Oklahoma’s population but struggle to provide robust access to health care due to hospital closures and provider shortages. And according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Oklahoma has the second highest death rate from heart disease in the country. The state also posted the second highest death rate from lower respiratory disease mortality, the fourth highest death rate from cancer and the fifth highest death rate related to diabetes. HPNRI was created in 2022 with a vision to address changeable health outcomes. Now, through the power of research, the academic institute is estab-
lishing the groundwork for developing preventative therapeutic strategies to combat obesity and chronic diseases. With the TSET funding, Project ECHO and HPNRI have already launched the first-of-its-kind Athletic Training – Sports Medicine ECHO line and expanded the current Pediatric Obesity ECHO line beyond medical providers to now include school health professionals as well. The two will also launch the Building Healthy School Communities ECHO line in January. Project ECHO is also using TSET funding to launch Artificial Intelligence in Education ECHO and Peroxisomal Disorders ECHO in October, and a Community Health Worker ECHO in November. Other TSET-funded ECHOs in development include Hypertension Management and Primary Care; Diabetes in Primary Care; Diabetes in Tribal Nations; School Nurses and Diabetes Care; and Supporting Rural Physicians. Project ECHO also receives grant funding from the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Oklahoma State Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and the Zarrow Foundation.
SINCE 2020
74,489 Total ECHO Attendance
62,888 Health Care ECHOs Total Attendance
46.4
Average attendees per sessions
POTENTIAL HEALTH COST SAVINGS
62,888
participants in health care ECHO sessions since 2020. If participants then treat 10 patients, that’s
628,880 patients treated.
If patients aren’t referred to an outside specialist for care, the potential cost savings is
$1,173
per patient.
628,880
patients treated provides potential cost savings of
$737.6 million since 2020.
VITALS 2023 IMPACT REPORT // 9
R E C RU I T I NG N E X T G E N E R AT ION OF P H Y S IC I A N S
OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT NASOM member Caleb Watson in the simulation center at the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation.
A
s part of a $3.5 million grant awarded in September 2022 from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Centers for Excellence, OSU Center for Health Sciences is working to recruit and prepare Native American students to enter medical school. The five-year grant is being used to create a Native American Primary Care Center for Excellence. The funds are being used to develop Native Pathways, which takes students from high school and undergraduate studies to medical school utilizing new and existing recruitment events and preadmissions workshops specifically for American Indian students. 10 // VITALS 2023 IMPACT REPORT
The grant will also provide scholarships and resources for American Indian medical students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty. “Less than 0.2 percent of physicians are Native American in the United States, even less in STEM careers. If students can see someone like themselves in medicine, and a pathway, they can create a vision for themselves in the future,” said Kent Smith, Ph.D., associate dean of the Office of American Indians in Medicine and Science at OSU-CHS.
Operation Orange
In November 2022, Google donated $250,000 to Oklahoma State University for primary and secondary STEM outreach programs. Half of the donation went to OSU-CHS’ elementary through high school outreach programs that are designed to spark interest in medicine and health sciences in children and teens. OSU-CHS hosts several outreach events each year including Operation Orange, Pre-Health Round Up, Dr. Pete’s Immersion Camp, Way Cool Science and Teddy Bear Clinics — all aimed at getting students, especially those in rural and underserved communities, to explore the possibility of careers in medicine and health professions. “The goal of all our programs is to introduce students to the many options available to them in the field of health care,” said OSU-CHS Outreach Managing Director Bria Taylor. “I cannot thank Google enough for this amazing gift. It will truly change lives as we tap the potential of future medical professionals, who will in turn improve the lives of those in their community.”
Mini Medical School
Dr. Pete’s Immersion Camp
Way Cool Science
VITALS 2023 IMPACT REPORT // 11
T R A I N I NG N E X T G E N E R AT ION OF P H Y S IC I A N S
MEETING THE MISSION OSU-COM alumni Dr. Cynthia Nydick meets with a patient at W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah.
O
SU College of Osteopathic Medicine’s mission to produce primary care physicians for rural and underserved Oklahoma is critical to the state as it faces a shortage of primary care physicians. OSU-COM offers four medical education tracks to students to help fill this critical need. Rural Medical Track students get unique hands-on training and experience with physicians who understand the challenges and limited access to medical services in rural communities. They are also given opportunities to experience and collaborate on innovative models of health care such as telehealth and virtual medicine.
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Students in the Urban/Underserved Medical Track obtain hands-on training with physicians who know and understand the benefits and challenges of practicing in an urban and underserved clinic or health system. Through this track, medical students learn about racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and gender health disparities and receive training in treating patients in a free clinic setting. Tribal Medical Track students learn about indigenous medicine, health disparities among American Indian populations and career opportunities in tribal health care through hands-on experience and training. They will also participate in special
MED STUDENTS TAKE PASSION FOR HEALTH CARE AROUND THE WORLD
T
Ashton Glover-Gatewood’s rotation in Alaska.
rotations at tribal clinics or hospitals reserved only for Tribal Medical Track students. Medical students who take part in the Global Medicine program gain experience working in countries with different medical, economic, environmental and cultural factors that influence quality of care. The track also gives students the opportunity to participate in humanitarian outreach and promote the tenets of osteopathic medicine worldwide.
here are a variety of reasons OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine students chose to be part of the school’s Global Health Track, which takes students to different parts of the world where health care is most needed. John Mumey, the Global Health coordinator, said the Global Health Track allows students the opportunity to travel to places they may not have considered before and to utilize and hone the clinical skills they learned in the classroom while being supervised by residents and physicians who are there for guidance and training. “It offers medical students a one-of-a-kind experience alongside their peers,” Mumey said. “They are traveling outside their comfort zone, visiting new countries, interacting with individuals who may speak a different language.” One of the goals for these trips is to help populations who need it the most, Mumey said. “These international rotations allow students to expand their cultural competency regarding medicine, and these skills are imperative no matter where a student decides to establish a practice following medical school,” he said. For many medical students who take part in global health trips, the experience of working in clinics and hospitals without an abundance of resources can also prepare them for what they may encounter when practicing medicine in rural or underserved communities.
OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine students take part in a Global Health trip to Athens, Greece in 2023.
VITALS 2023 IMPACT REPORT // 13
T R A N S F OR M AT IONA L WOR K
EXPANSION OF VIRTUAL CARE IN OKLAHOMA
I
n 2023, OSU Medicine secured $10 million in ARPA funding to provide virtual care to rural hospitals in Oklahoma to better serve the health care needs of residents living in these areas. Through OSU Virtual Care, OSU Medicine provides local support to rural and underserved communities through specialized clinical expertise and care coordination modalities. The goal of virtual care is to provide an innovative, high quality health care delivery option, while also optimizing labor costs and improving economic and clinical value to all sites of care. When a virtual evaluation is necessary, OSU Virtual Care connects providers and care teams with their patients using secure, medical-grade multimedia equipment and technology including
14 // VITALS 2023 IMPACT REPORT
EKG, vital sign monitors and other electronic medical equipment needed to perform assessments of a patient’s condition. Service lines now available through OSU Virtual Care include behavioral health, tele-cardiology, chronic care management, hospitalist, primary care, remote patient monitoring and tele-stroke. OSU Medicine Addiction Services also provides virtual addiction treatment services to multiple areas in rural Oklahoma. As part of a Health Equity grant from the Oklahoma Department of Health, OSU Medicine also secured $400,000 to purchase two mobile clinic vans that will be used to deliver virtual care and outreach in rural Oklahoma.
77%
of Oklahoma’s population live in a Health Professional Shortage Area, which underscores the need for additional access to clinical services.
CARE THAT GOES BEYOND
O
Design planning for a SU Medicine continues its new, freestanding OSU mission of service, research Medicine clinic in Coland access for communities linsville is underway. It through its network of clinics in will provide primary care, the greater Tulsa metro area. urgent care, specialty care Clinicians, staff and patients and radiology services and benefit from the integration and accommodate seven procollaboration among OSU health viders. It is also expected to services that include the OSU Architectural rendering of Collinsville OSU Medicine Clinic. open in 2025. Medical Center, 200 residency OSU Medicine has worked to expand its care and services positions, virtual care services and five research Centers of in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery; addiction and mental Excellence at OSU Center for Health Sciences. health disorders; as well as elite pain management care. OSU OSU Medicine’s future growth and expansion includes partMedicine is also setting a new standard for early detection nerships with the VA Hospital in Tulsa and the Oklahoma Psywith breast MRI screenings utilizing OSU Biomedical Imaging chiatric Care Center that together will add about 100 residency Center’s research-grade MRI located at the Hardesty Center for positions and 30 additional clinical faculty positions when both Clinical Research and Neuroscience. facilities open in 2025.
More than
127,000 patient visits
OSU MEDICINE CLINICS
95
physicians and health care providers
Covering
18
health specialties
27
clinic locations across Tulsa and the surrounding communities
OSU MEDICINE SELECTED AS USA BMX OFFICIAL SPORTS MEDICINE PARTNER
U
SA BMX Foundation announced in September that OSU Medicine would be the organization’s official sports medicine partner for USA BMX racing events at Hardesty National BMX Stadium, BMX Foundation youth programs and the USA Cycling National Team. This partnership is set to provide essential medical care and support to a wide spectrum of the BMX community, spanning from beginner riders to elite-level athletes. By partnering with OSU Medicine, the USA BMX Foundation is taking a significant step toward enhancing the health of its athletes, improve athlete recovery times and advance research in new methods of optimizing elite athlete performance. OSU Medicine will provide sports medicine services to USA BMX athletes at all stages of skill and competition — including next year’s Olympic Games in Paris. “This partnership is an amazing opportunity for OSU’s sports medicine programs to impact athletes at a national and international level,” said Dr. Johnny Stephens, president of OSU Center for Health Sciences. “Providing dedicated sports medicine staff for the USA BMX team ensures that these athletes will benefit from a continuity of care that will enhance and improve recovery and health outcomes.” USA BMX and OSU Medicine will also work with OSU’s Human Performance and Nutrition Research Institute. VITALS 2023 IMPACT REPORT // 15
T R A N S F OR M AT IONA L E DUC AT ION
PA PROGRAM
GRADUATES FIRST CLASS
T
he Physician Assistant Program at OSU Center for Health Sciences graduated its first class of 21 students in October 2023. The inaugural class started in the summer of 2021 and 28 months later those students now begin their careers caring for patients, many of which live in rural and underserved areas. The majority of the new PA graduates are starting jobs in rural communities including Muskogee, Enid, Stillwater and Miami, fulfilling the mission of OSU Center for Health Sciences to serve the medically underserved in Oklahoma. The PA program at OSU-CHS is unique in the state because of the collaborative nature of programs across campus. PA students learn alongside osteopathic medical students and athletic training students in the classroom as well as during clinical training, gaining interprofessional experience in caring for patients similar to what they will encounter when practicing medicine. OSU-CHS started the process of adding a PA program to its Graduate Program offerings five years ago when the program director, Amy Harrison, was hired. Now there is a growing department of faculty and staff who have navigated the first three years of a brand new program and watched their inaugural class graduate.
16 // VITALS 2023 IMPACT REPORT
“This first class is especially near and dear to our hearts since they persevered through the growing pains of a new program. We relied on them to provide feedback, which has guided the evolution of curriculum,” Harrison said. “I am eager to see this first class in the workforce and hear practicing PA’s say they are OSU alumni.”
PA CLASS OF 2023
81% 57% staying in Oklahoma
practicing in rural locations
DR. JIM HESS INDUCTED INTO OKLAHOMA HIGHER EDUCATION HALL OF FAME
I
n recognition of 40-plus years of academic excellence and commitment to higher education, Jim Hess, Ph.D., vice provost of Graduate Programs at OSU Center for Health Sciences, will be inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame in November 2023. With a career spanning more than four decades in higher education and 20 years at OSU-CHS, Hess’ contributions have left an enduring impact on students, faculty and staff across northeast Oklahoma. Hess started his administrative career at Rogers State University, then OSU-Tulsa before coming to OSU-CHS in 2003 where he has served as a professor of family medicine and health care administration, chief executive officer of the OSU Medical Authority and the OSU Physicians Group, chair and director of the School of Health Care Administration, and chair of the School of Forensic Sciences. He now serves as vice provost of graduate programs supervising academic program directors, admissions, new program development and evaluation. His induction comes as no surprise to those familiar with him and his career. “Throughout his tenure at OSU Center for Health Sciences, Dr. Hess has played a pivotal role in shaping and growing the institution’s graduate programs while also fostering a nurturing environment for learning and research,” OSU-CHS President Johnny Stephens said. “His impact on our campus and campuses across northeastern Oklahoma will be felt for decades to come.” Hess said working in higher education is both rewarding and
challenging, but the best part is the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of other people. “There is absolutely no other job like it. It’s been exciting to have an impact on the direction and vision of an institution, effecting change and serving with great leaders,” he said. “I have been blessed to work with great people — it’s the most rewarding aspect of my career. Without those people, this recognition would not have been possible, so this induction into the Hall of Fame really belongs to them.”
GRADUATE PROGRAM GROWTH
O
SU Center for Health Sciences’ Graduate Programs experienced record enrollment in the fall 2023 semester, continuing a trend of enrollment growth for several years. By September 2023, 1,325 students were enrolled in one of OSU-CHS’ five Graduate Programs, a 32 percent increase. There was also a 38 percent increase in the number of credit hours students enrolled in for the fall semester. The most significant growth has happened in the Health Care Administration and Forensic Sciences programs that both offer online degree and certificate programs.
In 2022, the School of Forensic Sciences began offering a Doctorate in Forensic Sciences degree in addition to its Ph.D. in Forensic Sciences. The DFS is a professional doctorate, offered online, with no required research or dissertation component. And in the last year, the School of Health Care Administration earned two national top five rankings— No. 4 for online health care degrees by website EduMed.org and No. 4 in the 2023 Best Online Master’s Degree Programs in Health Care Administration from OnlineMastersDegrees.org.
FALL 2023 GRADUATE PROGRAM ENROLLMENT
625
Health Care Administration
511 Forensic Sciences
96
Biomedical Sciences
72
Physician Assistant Program
21
Athletic Training
VITALS 2023 IMPACT REPORT // 17
T R A N S F OR M AT IONA L E DUC AT ION
STUDENT DOCTOR EXEMPLIFIES D.O. PHILOSOPHY
Jordyn Austin has known she’s wanted to be a doctor since middle school.
“M
y mom is a pharmacist, my grandma was a nurse, my other grandmother was a nursing home manager. I think being around all of that sparked my interest,” she said. And that interest in medicine only grew when she attended OSU Center for Health Sciences’ Operation Orange medical summer camp when she was in high school. Austin, now a fourth-year medical student at OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation, was named the OSU-COM Student Doctor of the Year in early 2023. In addition to classes, labs and studying, Austin has also served as an OSU-COM Ambassador, president of the Oklahoma Osteopathic Obstetrics and Gynecology Student Association and secretary for the Gold Humanism Honor Society. She’s also been active in research co-authoring several peer-reviewed, published articles and posters examining female health conditions and disparities.
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She and 53 of her classmates are also part of the inaugural class at OSU-COM at the Cherokee Nation in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. “It was exciting to be a part of it, to say I was in the inaugural class and be part of all the new things, but it was also challenging,” she said. “The first semester we didn’t have a building, we didn’t have second year students to look up to.” Now Austin is out of the classroom and completing core and elective rotations at clinics and hospitals across the state gaining hands-on, real-world experience before she graduates in May 2024. “I like having that human connection. I feel fortunate when patients open up and are forthcoming with what is going on in their lives. They trust you with that,” she said, and it’s part of the osteopathic philosophy. “You’re seeing the entire patient, getting to know them. It ties well with women’s health. There’s a lot of issues related to other things like stress or hormones. As a D.O. and an OBGYN, you have a more preventative approach.”
R E S E A R C H & I N NOVAT ION
ADVANCING RESEARCH
OSU-CHS Centers of Excellence build on the mission to improve the health of rural and underserved communities by addressing health challenges and promoting collaborative research.
CENTER FOR INDIGENOUS HEALTH RESEARCH AND POLICY Center for Indigenous Health Research and Policy (CIHRP) brings together scientific collaborators and Indigenous and community leaders to eliminate health disparities and cultivate health and wellness in Native American communities. In the summer of 2023, CIHRP received a $3.5 million donation from Novo Nordisk Inc., to fund the Indigenous Foodways and Health Initiative, which will support Indigenous food systems and practices that strengthen language revitalization and access to traditional foods. With this donation, CIHRP’s role will be to support the partnering communities in identifying and implementing measures to evaluate the impact of their programs on Native health. CIHRP is also heading several community-based participatory research studies. The Indigenous Supported Agriculture study, co-
led with the Osage Nation, is in the third year of a five-year study funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. The program provides weekly boxes of fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs and shelf-stable healthy foods to Native families living in the Osage Nation. The goal of this food sovereignty initiative aims to increase food security, reduce blood pressure, prevent and manage diabetes, and improve healthy eating. Another CIHRP initiative is the Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity funded by the Office of Minority Health. The initiative supports revitalization of traditional foods in American Indian and Alaska Native communities including the Choctaw Nation’s Growing Hope program that distributes heirloom seeds to Choctaw Nation families to support the restoration of traditional gardens and improve healthy eating patterns.
VITALS 2023 IMPACT REPORT // 19
R E S E A R C H & I N NOVAT ION CENTER FOR INTEGRATIVE RESEARCH ON CHILDHOOD ADVERSITY In September 2022, the Center for Integrative Research on Childhood Adversity (CIRCA) was awarded $9.5 million from the National Institutes of Health for phase 2 of its program that supports research of Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs. ACEs are a leading public health problem and include child abuse and neglect as well as parental mental illness, domestic violence, incarceration, drug or alcohol abuse and divorce. These affect more than 60 percent of Americans, and Oklahoma has one of the highest rates of ACEs in the U.S. In order to reduce the harmful effects of ACEs, research is needed that better explains how childhood adversity affects developing neurobiological systems and how protective experiences can buffer those effects. During phase 2, researchers will study the effects of ACEs on multiple biological and behavioral systems and identify more effective ways to prevent and treat the effects of ACEs. CIRCA’s Mindful First Responders program was also renewed for a third year from the Oklahoma State Department of Health. The program was created to address the rise in Oklahoma first responder stress and fatigue across the state and builds on proven meditation and mindful movement strategies to help this group repair and build resilience for stressful conditions.
CENTER FOR HEALTH SYSTEM INNOVATION The mission of Center for Health System Innovation (CHSI) is to transform rural and Native American health through the implementation of innovative care delivery and information technology solutions. It is one of the largest health innovation groups in the country and the largest focused on rural and tribal health and predictive health analytics. The CHSI team has generated more than 150 research publications, abstracts and presentations and filed for two patents. The center has also received grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Centers for Disease Control, and Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, and received sponsored research agreements with Google, Verily, Wolters Kluwer and Pfizer totaling more than $10 million. CHSI has developed networks to help guide innovation efforts: • Rural Oklahoma Network, a federally registered practice-based research network consisting of 75 primary care physicians across a network of 39 primary care clinics. • The Oklahoma Business Collective on Health is a network of more than 30 self-insured employers, who are also health care purchasers, representing more than 60,000 employees encompassing rural and urban Oklahomans. • Rural Health Network of Oklahoma provides health IT services and support to rural health care providers operating in 70 counties and eight rural or tribal hospitals.
Johnny Stephens (left), Denise McFarlane and Jennifer Hays-Grudo (right) stand with McFarlane’s painting “The Lost Children” at the Research for Resilience: A celebration of CIRCA event held at the Hardesty Center for Clinical Research and Neuroscience.
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Leaders from OSU and the University of Arizona met in Washington, D.C. in October to discuss progress on recent research initiatives that developed out of the partnership that was formed between the two institutions in 2022. Attending the conference were: Dr. Todd Vanderah (UA), Dr. Mohab Ibrahim (UA), Dr. Frank Porreca (UA) and Dr. Don Kyle (NCWR).
NATIONAL CENTER FOR WELLNESS & RECOVERY The ongoing research partnership between OSU’s National Center for Wellness & Recovery (NCWR) and The University of Arizona continues to progress with joint research projects and grant applications to advance multiple potential life saving projects. These initiatives span the exploration of new Medication Assisted Treatments (MAT) for Opioid Use Disorders (OUD) and pursuing non-addictive pain relief solutions free from undesirable side effects such as respiratory issues and gastrointestinal problems. NCWR continues to work on building out the bench chemistry lab space in the Helmerich Research Center on the OSU-Tulsa campus while simultaneously hiring new chemists to further fuel the NCWR mission. In early 2024, a new NCWR website launch aims to be a one-stop shop of information about the center’s bench to bedside solutions and new discoveries for treating chronic pain. NCWR is investing in addiction treatment, research, education and technology in conjunction with well-thought-out collaborations. These strategic steps are designed to have an enduring significance, furthering efforts to make a difference in pain management and scientific advances that could ultimately help save lives.
The OSU Medicine/ NCWR Addiction Clinic patient volume increased by 55 percent in the 2021-2022 fiscal year.
OSU-CHS RESEARCH GROWTH
$170 million in grant proposals
$111 million in grants received
2x
the grants received in fiscal year 2022
VITALS 2023 IMPACT REPORT // 21
R E S E A R C H & I N NOVAT ION
CIHRP DIRECTOR SELECTED FOR TWO NATIONAL COMMITTEES V
alarie Blue Bird Jernigan, professor of Rural Health and director of the Center for Indigenous Health Research and Policy at OSU Center for Health Sciences, has been appointed to two prestigious national advisory committees — one determining the country’s dietary guidelines and the other looking at how health care disparities have changed in the last 20 years. Jernigan, who is a member of the Choctaw Nation and has a doctorate in public health, will serve on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee. She is the first indigenous person to serve on the DGA committee, which reviews current nutrition science and develops an independent report with science-based advice for the USDA and HHA to consider. The report, along with public comments and agency input, will be used to develop the next set of dietary guidelines for the United States. “I do a lot of work and research in the field of Indigenous food systems and nutrition programs. Indigenous food systems have not been represented on this committee until now,” she said. “In the past, some cultural viewpoints and backgrounds have been left out when developing these guidelines. This time around, a real effort was made to get people from a number of diverse backgrounds and cultures to serve on the committee.” In addition to physicians, dieticians and nutritionists, the new 20-person DGA committee also has public health officials and social scientists serving on it. “Diet is very confusing. Each week we hear something different about food and nutrition. We’re going to study these diets and try to come up with answers,” Jernigan said. “We have to look at what is actually happening in the food system and is it right. We’ve come a long way, but we still have a lot to do to understand Americans’ diet and health.” Jernigan will also serve on a committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine examining the current state of racial and ethnic health care disparities in the U.S. The committee will work to update the Unequal Treatment Report and examine how health care has changed since the report was first published in 2003. “It was a huge report and a landmark study. Scientists and health professionals looked at equity in health care in the U.S.,” said Jernigan. “It was quite a change in how we were learning,” she said, and now she will be part of the committee that will examine the current racial and ethnic disparities in health care to see if those changes in curriculum, training and practice have had an impact. “My task is looking at how we’ve done in the last 20 years. Have we changed, have we improved? I’m a person who works and lives where those disparities are happening. We need more equity in rural and tribal health where disparities are most significant.” 22 // VITALS 2023 IMPACT REPORT
She is the first Indigenous person to serve on the DGA committee, which reviews current nutrition science and develops an independent report with science-based advice for the USDA and HHA to consider. The report, along with public comments and agency input, will be used to develop the next set of dietary guidelines for the United States.
S U P P ORT OF O S U- C H S
RETIRED ARDMORE PHYSICIAN, FAMILY DONATE $500K TO MEDICAL SCHOOL
L
ongtime Ardmore residents, the late Dr. James Turrentine and his wife Regina, pledged $500,000 in February to the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine to establish scholarships for Oklahoma students with a preference for those from Ardmore, Stigler and the surrounding counties. James, who died in August, remained involved in the osteopathic medicine community throughout his career and was the recipient of the Oklahoma Osteopathic Association’s “Outstanding and Distinguished Service Award.” He believed his family’s gift was an investment in Oklahomans. “We hope it will help to educate Oklahomans close to home, and that they will stay close to home to practice medicine,” he said, at the time of the gift. “Osteopathic medicine has a strong history in rural Oklahoma, and we want it to continue.” Dr. Johnny Stephens, president of OSU Center for Health Sciences, said the Turrentines’ gift will support OSU-CHS’s focus to serve rural communities in the state. “All of us at OSU Center for Health Sciences are incredibly grateful for the generosity of Dr. and Mrs. Turrentine,” Stephens said. “The impact of their gift will be felt by our students for decades to
come and allows us to continue to fulfill our mission of educating physicians for rural and underserved Oklahomans. This legacy the Turrentines have created is truly immeasurable.” The Turrentines care deeply about the well-being of their community and the state. Regina – a retired teacher who taught in Missouri and Oklahoma – served as a member of the Board of Regents at Murray State College and was the founder and director of the Ardmore Beautification Council. Leadership Oklahoma recognized her with the Community Leadership Excellence Award in 2004. Education is important to the Turrentines and their legacy is an expression of gratitude to a profession that has been good to them. At the time of his donation, James said the osteopathic profession provided a great life for he and his wife, and one he was proud to be able to give back to. He said he hoped his story would inspire future physicians to give back to their community in meaningful ways. “Life has been good to us. For some reason, we’ve had a guiding hand that put us in the right direction,” he said in February. “We want to leave a legacy and a better world. This is a way we can continue to educate future osteopathic physicians.”
VITALS 2023 IMPACT REPORT // 23
S U P P ORT OF O S U- C H S
A STATELY AFFAIR
RAISES SCHOLARSHIP MONEY FOR TULSA CAMPUSES
I
n June 2023, OSU-CHS and OSU-Tulsa hosted the biennial A Stately Affair gala to raise money for scholarships for students from both campuses. This year’s gala, held at the Cox Business Center, raised $2 million to benefit OSU-CHS and OSU-Tulsa students. OSU President Kayse Shrum along with OSUCHS President and OSU-Tulsa Interim President Johnny Stephens presented Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. with the Icon Award during the event. Attendees also enjoyed a menu inspired by traditional Cherokee cuisine.
FOUNDATION FUNDRAISING FOR CHS | 2022-2023
$1.47 million 168 amount raised for scholarships
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number of OSU Foundation scholarships awarded
$16.2 million+ amount raised for institutional support and scholarship funding
R E S I DE NC Y M AT C H E S
54%
of OSU-COM’s Class of 2023 matched to Primary Care residencies.
SPECIALTY MATCHES
23%
IN AND OUT-OF-STATE MATCHES
26%
19%
17%
31%
25%
8% 17%
27%
7% n Pediatrics 8%
n Primary Care in Oklahoma Matches — 31%
n Emergency Medicine — 19%
n Remaining — 26%*
n Specialty in Oklahoma Matches — 27%
n Internal Medicine — 17%
*Matched in specialties including Anesthesiology, ENT, Neurology, Pathology, Psychiatry, Radiology, Surgical specialties and Urology.
n Primary Care Out-of-state Matches — 25%
n Family Medicine — 23%
n OBGYN — 7%
n Specialty Out-of-state Matches — 17%
Ochije Okonya, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences/McAlester Regional Health Center Family Medicine
DURANT Mary Samantha Baze, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences/ AllianceHealth Family Medicine
NORMAN
Emma Michelle Harrington, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences/ AllianceHealth Family Medicine
James Hobbs, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences/ Norman Regional Health System Emergency Medicine
Zane Rulon, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences/ AllianceHealth Family Medicine
William Gentry Palmer, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences/ Norman Regional Health System Emergency Medicine
Ande Taylor, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences/ AllianceHealth Family Medicine
LAWTON Grant Kevin DeWitt, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences/ Comanche County Memorial Hospital, Emergency Medicine
Chance Matthesen, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences/ Comanche County Memorial Hospital Emergency Medicine
Jessica Barnes Robison, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences/ Norman Regional Medical Center Emergency Medicine
McALESTER Stephen Ferry, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences/McAlester Regional Health Center Family Medicine
VITALS 2023 IMPACT REPORT // 25
R E S I DE NC Y M AT C H E S
Gregory Don Balcerak, D.O. University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Internal Medicine
Elizabeth Grace O. Pascual, D.O., M.S. University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Pathology – Anatomic and Clinical
Dalton Brady Delaney, D.O., Ph.D. University of Oklahoma Internal Medicine - Pediatrics
Brayden McKay Rucker, D.O. University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Anesthesiology
Adrianna F. Elbon, D.O. St. Anthony Hospital Obstetrics and Gynecology
Nicholas Bijan Sajjadi, D.O. University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Orthopaedic Surgery
OKLAHOMA CITY
Matthew William Gibson, D.O. University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Family Medicine Benjamin Cole Heigle, D.O. Integris Health Diagnostic Radiology Tate Thomas Mason, D.O. Integris Health Southwest Medical Center Emergency Medicine
Abbey Lynn Stephens, D.O., M.S. Integris Health Southwest Medical Center Emergency Medicine Jesi Nelisiwe Whitley, D.O., M.S. University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Family Medicine Kayla Zabala, D.O. Integris Health Southwest Medical Center, Emergency Medicine
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STILLWATER Ikuko Mukai-Cheh, D.O., Ph.D., M.A. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences/ Stillwater Medical Center Internal Medicine
TAHLEQUAH Ali Sohail Khan, D.O. Osteopathic Medical Education Consortium of Oklahoma (OMECO) Internal Medicine Connor Barrett Polson, D.O. Osteopathic Medical Education Consortium of Oklahoma (OMECO) Internal Medicine Adam Wesley Warren, D.O., Pharm.D. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences/ Cherokee Nation Family Medicine
Skylar Allan Williams, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences/ Cherokee Nation Family Medicine
TALIHINA Hillary Marie Patocka, D.O. Osteopathic Medical Education Consortium of Oklahoma (OMECO) Family Medicine
TULSA Erin Elizabeth Ahrberg Chonka, D.O. University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine Internal Medicine Rachel Marie Ammons, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Emergency Medicine
Matthew Bruns, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Diagnostic Radiology
Cody Jay Hillman, D.O. University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine Internal Medicine
Blake Eugene Burrows, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Anesthesiology
Whitnie DeAnn Holten-Nickel, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Internal Medicine
Audrey Elaine Byrd, D.O. Osteopathic Medical Education Consortium of Oklahoma (OMECO) Family Medicine
Caleb Wayne Jones, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Emergency Medicine
Analise Joy Claassen D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Emergency Medicine
Micah Daniel Kee, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Internal Medicine
Hunter Collins, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences General Surgery
Cameron Lewis, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Emergency Medicine
Benjamin Paul Firth, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences General Surgery
Courtney Michelle Mapes, D.O. University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine Family Medicine
Bradley Gleason, D.O. University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine Internal Medicine
Marah Avery Marler, D.O. Osteopathic Medical Education Consortium of Oklahoma (OMECO) Obstetrics and Gynecology
Corey Mark Hembree, D.O. Osteopathic Medical Education Consortium of Oklahoma (OMECO) Family Medicine
William Nowlin, D.O. University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine Internal Medicine
Erik David Odom, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Psychiatry
Brent Spurling, D.O. University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine Emergency Medicine
Laney Palmer-Mitchell, D.O. University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine Family Medicine
Jourdan Lancaster Waddell, D.O., M.P.H. University of Oklahoma College of Community Medicine General Surgery
Daniel Robert Parks, D.O. Osteopathic Medical Education Consortium of Oklahoma (OMECO) Pediatrics Victor Reich Martins, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Emergency Medicine Sierra Schupbach, D.O., M.B.A. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Psychiatry Mitchell Scott, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Internal Medicine Wilson Thomas Sprinkles, D.O., M.S. Osteopathic Medical Education Consortium of Oklahoma (OMECO) Pediatrics
David Anthony Wenger, D.O. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Mariah Beth West, D.O. Osteopathic Medical Education Consortium of Oklahoma (OMECO) Family Medicine Madalyn Joy Whitmill, D.O. University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine Pediatrics Tiga Wright, D.O. University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine Emergency Medicine
VITALS 2023 IMPACT REPORT // 27
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