Western University of Health Sciences Release: Oregon State Senate Welcomes COMP-Northwest
LEBANON, OR--(Marketwire - April 18, 2011) -
| Highlighted Links |
WesternU website |
The Senate unanimously approved Senate Resolution 2, co-authored by state Sen. Alan Bates, DO, D-Medford, and state Sen. Frank Morse, R-Albany, during its April 18, 2011 session. The resolution congratulates COMP-Northwest upon its creation and wishes the college success in the future.
Morse, in remarks to his Senate colleagues, praised the leadership of Western University of Health Sciences President Philip Pumerantz and Samaritan Health Services President and CEO Larry Mullins.
"This enterprise is a classic example of the presence of defined and compelling need, visionary leadership, outstanding management, and the ability of the private sector to accomplish great things," Morse said.
COMP-Northwest (http://www.westernu.edu/northwest-about) will open on July 30, 2011 with a gala celebration and white coat ceremony for 100 new students. COMP-Northwest is the second medical school campus of the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, which is part of Western University of Health Sciences (http://www.westernu.edu/) in Pomona, Calif. The 54,000-square-foot facility is on the 50-acre Samaritan Health Sciences Campus in Lebanon, Ore.
Morse's hometown of Lebanon is a community that has struggled to find its place following the demise of the timber industry, but it is a can-do community that has welcomed the new medical school in every way, he said.
"Mr. President and colleagues, let us welcome Western University of Health Sciences to Oregon," Morse said. "(COMP-Northwest) will provide the doctors our state needs to serve our families for generations to come. Truly in the spirit of Samaritan Health's vision, which is 'Building healthier communities together,' and WesternU's vision, 'To teach, to heal, together,' a partnership has been formed, and Oregon truly is the beneficiary."
Dr. Bates, who earned his DO degree from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences - College of Osteopathic Medicine, said COMP-Northwest students will primarily come from the Northwest, and many are expected to stay and practice in the Northwest. This is the first new medical school in Oregon in more than 100 years, while the state's population has quadrupled in that time.
"The shortage of primary care physicians in the state is acute, and as we move to transformation and we move towards a primary care home for our patients, and as we move towards a broader approach to our patients and team support for those patients, this school will be a key to it," Dr. Bates said.
The Senate Resolution is the latest example of the community support received by COMP-Northwest.
"We are honored to receive support from the Oregon State Senate," said COMP-Northwest Executive Associate Dean Paula Crone, DO. "We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of excitement and interest from residents, business owners, health care professionals, and many others throughout the state."