Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine celebrates 10-year anniversary of Cleveland campus

The 花季传媒 Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of its Cleveland campus, marking a decade of growth, community engagement and innovative medical education. The event honored the vision, partnerships and people who helped turn an idea about training a new generation of physicians who would practice in northeast Ohio into a reality.

Located at Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital in Warrensville Heights, the Cleveland campus was born from a collaborative effort between Cleveland Clinic leaders and officials at 花季传媒 and the Heritage College.

花季传媒 President Lori Stewart Gonzalez called the anniversary a testament to the power of having partners with a shared purpose.

鈥淭he opening of our Cleveland campus in 2015 was more than an expansion鈥攊t was a promise,鈥� she said. 鈥淎 promise to deepen our engagement in this region, to serve local communities more directly, and to offer our students even greater opportunities to learn and grow in clinical environments that reflect the diversity and complexity of modern health care.鈥�

Brian Harte, M.D., president of Hillcrest and Mentor Hospitals and a key figure in the formation of the campus, reflected on the early days, calling the initiative a 鈥渜uintuple win鈥� for the Clinic, South Pointe, the city of Warrensville Heights and northeast Ohio.

鈥淐leveland Clinic is a better and stronger organization because of the work that started some 14 years ago,鈥� said Harte. 鈥淔or South Pointe, it meant a new look to the hospital campus, renewed sense of purpose and revitalized link to its long history of osteopathic education as a core institution. For Cleveland Clinic it offered a path towards not only additional investment in education鈥ut also a chance to innovate with a partner around curriculum and teaching and a recruiting pipeline for much needed primary care and other physicians. For Warrensville Heights, it meant having a medical school in the heart of the city. And for northeast Ohio and Ohio communities, it means continued development of physicians for Ohio 鈥� and specifically primary care physicians for Ohio.鈥�

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Since its launch in July 2015 with 51 students, the Cleveland campus has focused on addressing primary care shortages in underserved communities. That strategy has worked.

• 340 graduates have completed their training at the Cleveland campus.
• 59% of them live and work in northeast Ohio.
• Nearly a third of all Heritage College alumni now serve the region, with over 1,500 practicing physicians in northeast Ohio.

In addition, today, the Heritage College is the largest public medical school in the state, matching more students into primary care residencies in Ohio than any other, and leading in the retention of graduates within the state.

鈥淭he Cleveland campus has directly contributed to all of these accomplishments,鈥� said Ken Johnson, D.O., executive dean of the Heritage College and chief medical affairs officer of 花季传媒. 鈥淭his campus is fulfilling its original intent: expanding access to primary care for northeast Ohioans.鈥�

The Cleveland campus has also led the way in curriculum innovation through programs like the Transformative Care Continuum, a unique six-year track that combines medical school and residency to rapidly prepare students for careers in family medicine. Launched in 2018, the program graduated its first physicians in 2024, with 64 percent joining Cleveland Clinic as attending physicians.

鈥淣obody has been able to replicate it,鈥� said Isaac Kirstein, D.O., dean of the Heritage College, Cleveland.

During the celebration, Kirstein was praised for his leadership and dedication.

鈥淚saac doesn鈥檛 simply manage a campus, he nurtures it. He stands watch over the values that define us. In every sense of the word, he is our Cleveland Campus Guardian,鈥� said Johnson.

Kirstein reflected on the past decade and his biggest takeaway.

鈥淲e fulfill dreams,鈥� he said, recalling moments when parents, many of them physicians, coated their children at white coat ceremonies and when first-generation students and children of immigrants crossed the stage, realizing the American dream. 鈥淲e鈥檝e done something good, and everybody who is here is here because we鈥檝e done good. We鈥檝e done good for Cleveland, we鈥檝e done good for northeast Ohio, Ohio and beyond.鈥�

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Few people have witnessed the transformation of the Cleveland campus as closely as Terra Ndubuizu, senior director of administration and one of its very first employees. Raised in Warrensville Heights, she saw the campus as a chance to be part of something bigger.

鈥淭here was such a strong sense of pride and anticipation, knowing that we were laying the foundation and shaping the culture of the campus from day one,鈥� said Ndubuizu. 鈥淚鈥檝e stayed because the work is meaningful and aligns with my values鈥here鈥檚 a deep sense of community here鈥攕tudents, faculty, and staff all support one another, and that teamwork shows every day.鈥�