MDNews - Cleveland-Akron-Canton

COVER FEATURE Jay A. Gershen, DDS, PhD, (second from left) established an ambitious agenda when he became president of Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) in September 2010. Much of that agenda has already been accomplished with the help of his staff, some of whom are pictured here (L-R): Jeff Susman, MD, dean of the College of Medicine; Walter Horton, Jr., PhD, dean of the College of Graduate Studies and vice president for Research; and David Allen, R.Ph, PhD, dean of the College of Pharmacy. What's New at Northeast Ohio Medical University (Formerly NEOUCOM) ON By Robert Janek AUGUST 27, 2010, Jay A. Gershen, DDS, PhD, was inaugurated as the sixth president of the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy (NEOUCOM). Listening to his inaugural speech, and the ambitious agenda he laid out for the University, no one could NOT be impressed. Ten months later, when Dr. Gershen was interviewed for this story, much of that agenda had already been accomplished. "We specialize in partnerships, and that's why we are able to have such a broad agenda," says Dr. Gershen. "We have very strong partnerships with our four universities; we have very strong partnerships with our 8 going on 11 hospital partners; we have very strong partnerships with the business community. And I really feel by getting out, by getting the University out and interfacing with all of these institutions and organizations, it helps us with our mission of education, research and service to the community." 8 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton MD NEWS MDNEWS.COM SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011 A New Name, a New Partner What's in a name? Everything, according to Dr. Gershen. "Our former name (Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine/ NEOUCOM) has served us wel l for the past 38 years, but we have outgrown it," he explains. "We are no longer a single college. We are a university with a College of Medicine, a College of Pharmacy and a College of Graduate Studies which offers a master of science degree in public health, master and doctoral degrees in integrated pharmaceutical medicine and a certificate in bioethics. So we needed a name that would better define who we are." Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) does that, according to Dr. Gershen, and the name is signifi- cant for three reasons: + Northeast Ohio recognizes the University's history, heritage and the geographic area it serves PHOTO © JOE SMITHBERGER, SMITHBERGER PHOTOGRAPHY, NORTH CANTON

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