Founding Dean of IUP’s Proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine Honored by City, State as One of Pennsylvania’s Top Leaders

Miko Rose, founding dean of Indiana University of Pennsylvania's proposed college of osteopathic medicine, has been named one of Pennsylvania's Fifty Over 50 by City & State Pennsylvania.

Rose was honored at the publication's networking event on October 29 in Philadelphia, joining "50 of Pennsylvania's most influential leaders in government, business, and media-those who are shaping the future of our state."

The recipients are recognized in the October 28 issue of the publication.

"Dr. Rose's experience and her enthusiasm and vision continue to propel IUP's proposed college of osteopathic medicine toward success," IUP President Michael Driscoll said. "She hit the ground running in November and hasn't stopped.

"This well-deserved recognition reinforces what we see every day: she is a dedicated, passionate leader who is focused on improving the state of rural health care for Pennsylvanians. We are very pleased that she was chosen for this honor," he said.

In addition to the 2024 honorees, three lifetime achievement honorees were recognized during the ceremony: Michael Nutter, former mayor of the Philadelphia; Rep. Dan Frankel, from the 23rd District; and Maureen Rush, president of the Philadelphia Police Foundation.

The event also featured a number of speakers, including Pennsylvania House of Representatives Speaker Rep. Joanna McClinton.

"This is an incredible honor," Rose said. "I am very grateful to IUP for the nomination and to both IUP and the community for its outstanding support for my work and for the proposed college of osteopathic medicine," she said. "This community has welcomed me and my family with open arms.

"Everyone that I have met, including health care practitioners and administrators, legislators, leadership boards, and faculty and staff of the university, continue to demonstrate that they are fully on board with the proposed college of osteopathic medicine and its mission, and that they join us in our excitement for how it will transform the university, the community, and rural health care for decades to come."

Rose, a board-certified physician in psychiatry and neurology who is nationally known for wellness programming, began work as the founding dean for Indiana University of Pennsylvania's proposed college of osteopathic medicine in November 2023.

Rose came to IUP from Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she was associate professor and chief of the Division of Psychiatry in the Department of Clinical Medicine and assistant dean for Clinical Education.

She was also an associate professor and program director of the Joy Initiative Wellness Program at Michigan State University. She founded and started the Joy Initiative at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and College of Osteopathic Medicine schools. She completed her medical training at Michigan State.

In May, she was elected as a fellow of the American College of Neuropsychiatrists by the Fellows of the American College of Neuropsychiatrists/American College of Osteopathic Neurologists and Psychiatrists. Candidates for ACN fellowship are nominated by two current fellows and are reviewed by the ACN Board of Governors. Fellows must be board certified and serve the American College of Neurologists and Psychiatrists in some capacity.

Prior to entering medical school, Rose worked as a program officer, fundraiser, and advocate for the underserved with a focus on overcoming domestic violence and trauma.

Rose has more than 25 years of experience and formal training in life coaching. Drawing upon her experiences with underserved communities, she now creates and facilitates happiness training programs for medical providers and trainees across the country.

In 2013, she was awarded the SAMHSA American Psychiatric Association Minority Leadership Fellowship Grant, from which she built the foundation to develop emotional resilience, happiness, and mindfulness trainings tailored to meet the unique needs of medical providers.

She is responsible for offering one of the first formal classes on happiness and joy in medical schools in the nation-which she taught as a for-credit class in two medical schools for the past nine years. This curriculum has since expanded to provide training for peak performance for team coaches, trainers- and student athletes.

In 2019 and again in 2024, Rose received an award as one of the top medical educators in the country, the National American Osteopathic Medical Educator Fellowship Teaching award, which is a five-year fellowship.

Rose is a 1995 graduate of Wellesley College, with a degree in psychology, and a 2009 graduate of Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she earned her doctor of osteopathic medicine degree. She is the recipient of a number of competitive scholarships and fellowships, has been an invited presenter at more than 50 conferences and professional meetings, and has authored more than 20 articles in professional publications and journals.

"A school of osteopathic medicine at a public university like IUP has the potential to not only address the critical need for rural health care, but it can be part of the solution to breaking the poverty cycle-both for the patients who will have access to quality health care that allows them to be well and meet their career and personal goals, and for talented students who will have access to affordable, quality medical education. I'm a first-generation physician who grew up on food stamps and powered milk, so I know how an education can change lives," Rose said.

IUP's Council of Trustees endorsed the exploration of a possible development of a college of osteopathic medicine at IUP in December 2022.

IUP chose to explore a proposed college of osteopathic medicine based on several factors, including the critical need for rural health care: there are not enough trained physicians to provide care to Pennsylvania's citizens: the ratio of patients to available primary care physicians is 1,367 to 1, according to the United Health Foundation.

There are only three colleges of osteopathic medicine in Pennsylvania, all at private universities; IUP's proposed college of osteopathic medicine would be the only college of osteopathic medicine at a public university.

National studies show that graduates from programs of osteopathic medicine are more likely to pursue primary care in rural and underserved areas-57 percent of all doctors of osteopathic medicine practice as general practitioners, and more than 20 percent of DO graduates practice in rural areas. Demand is high for osteopathic medicine training: in 2021, 22,708 applicants competed for 8,280 seats at schools of osteopathic medicine.

In July and August, respectively, founding associate dean of Clinical Affairs Ryan Smith and founding associate dean of Preclinical Affairs Luke Mortensen, joined the team.

IUP signed its first clinical training affiliation agreement with Punxsutawney Area Hospital in June and its second clinical training agreement with Indiana Regional Medical Center in September.

IUP's proposed college of osteopathic medicine continues to draw support from a wide range of constituencies:

• In October, Senator Pittman and Rep. Jim Struzzi announced that $2 million from the 2024-25 statue budget has been set aside for IUP's proposed college of osteopathic medicine.
• At its October meeting, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Board of Governors approved $2 million in funding for design for the health sciences cluster, which will include the proposed college of osteopathic medicine facilities. This action follows the February approval of the 2023-24 capital budget that included $500,000 for a facilities feasibility study for academic facilities for IUP's health sciences cluster and proposed college of osteopathic medicine, now underway;
• In July, IUP graduates Tim and Debra Phillips Cejka gifted $2 million;
• In June, the Foundation for IUP committed $20 million;
• In May, Congressman Guy Reschenthaler included $2 million for IUP's project among his FY25 requested community projects and Senator John Fetterman included $2 million for IUP's proposed college of osteopathic medicine project on his list to advance in the FY25 Community Project Funding process.
• IUP received a $150,000 allocation for the project in the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2024, which was sponsored by Congressman Reschenthaler and Senator Fetterman and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 9;
• In January, IUP's Alumni Association Board of Directors authorized a donation of $500,000;
• In December 2023, Senator Pittman announced that as part of the 2023-24 state budget, $2 million was set aside for IUP's new college of osteopathic medicine. These new dollars are an investment above and beyond what IUP receives in the budget and will be used largely to support the operations at the start of the medical school;
• In July 2023, IUP graduates Nick Jacobs and Mary Ann Hoysan Jacobs donated $40,000 to advance the project. Nick Jacobs is a 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient who has a 1969 bachelor's degree in education and a 1972 master's degree in music education; Mary Ann Jacobs has a 1968 bachelor's degree in music education and a 1993 master's degree in adult and community education; and
• In May 2023, Rich Caruso, a 1983 accounting graduate from Meadow Lands, 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient and former president of the Foundation for IUP Board of Directors and current board member, announced a pledge of $1 million for the project.

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