MDNews - Cleveland-Akron-Canton

PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHEAST OHIO MEDICAL UNIVERSITY COVER FEATURE – cultural issues that may not be emphasized as much in traditional medical curriculum, so we're providing more of that," Dr. Gershen explains. "We are also recruiting mentors in the community, including people from faith-based organizations, civic groups and business organizations, to encourage students to go into medicine, encourage them to stay there and then welcome them on the other end to be practitioners. And hopefully they will stay longer." He points out that the average family practitioner earns about $175,000 a year and generates about $1 million in economic activity. So in addition to the care given, each of these practitioners is hiring nurses and other health professionals, they buy goods and services, they attract businesses, and it's really an economic development engine. "And then there is the second economic development engine — our research mission — which produces economic activity through commercialization, science, building new research facilities, hiring scientists and others to work in the laboratories ... and also the indirect jobs as a result of that. Because as NEOMED grows, Rootstown and the surrounding areas will grow." New and Expanded Research Efforts NEOMED has a $10 million portfolio focused primarily on four areas: orthopedics and skeletal biology, cardiovascular and metabolic disease, auditory neurosciences and community health. "Our faculty has had remarkable success researching skeletal biology, auditory neuroscience, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, health services, Parkinson's medications, psychiatric care and other areas," says Dr. Gershen. "But we need to build on this critical mass and do even more." Recently, NEOMED added two scientists to its research team: cardiologist Marc John Young-Ling Chiang, PhD, professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Pathology, works with a research assistant in one of NEOMED's research labs. Recently, construction began on an 80,000-square-foot facility which will house research and graduate education programs. S. Penn, MD, PhD, FACC, from Cleveland Clinic and skeletal biologist Fayez Safadi, PhD, from Temple University. Dr. Penn was jointly recruited by NEOMED and Summa Health System. Dr. Safadi's recruitment was made possible with financial support from the Ohio Third Frontier. Both scientists are reportedly bringing to NEOMED millions of dollars in research grants. In order to support this growing enterprise, Dr. Gershen has initiated a master Education for Service is a comprehen- sive program that encourages students from the local communities to enter medical or pharmacy school and then return to their communities to practice after residency. The initiative is being offered throughout Northeast Ohio elementary and high schools and includes K-12 programs in health care careers and academic services, role model and mentoring programs, undergraduate and professional school experiences in primary care and underserved com- munity settings, and scholarships in exchange for service in rural or urban underserved areas. "In doing this we feel students would benefit from a curriculum that focuses on public health issues and health disparities plan which will increase the size of the campus from 475,000 square feet to 650,000- 700,000 square feet. Phase 1 of the 2-phase plan will include an 80,000-square-foot facility for research and graduate education. Ground has already been broken, and construction is expected to be completed within two years. "When we move faculty from the old building to the new building, we will renovate the old building to become a public/private partnership zone, whereby we will invite companies to come and work on our campus; have access to our resources — our technology, our laboratories and other facilities; and work with our scientists on commercializing intellectual property," says Dr. Gershen, who points out that NEOMED is a founding member of the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron. Plans for a new health and wellness center on campus and expanded educational facilities are also currently underway. In addition, consideration is being given to building student residences and offering other amenities to provide a higher quality of life for NEOMED students while they're attending the University and to attract a higher quality of student. "We want to enhance mutually-beneficial relationships, pursue additional public/ private partnerships, broaden our revenue streams and get more people engaged with our University," says Dr. Gershen. "That's our agenda." For more information about Northeast Ohio Medical University, visit www.neomed.edu. n 10 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton MD NEWS MDNEWS.COM SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

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