DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES JOINS IUP FOR CLINICAL TRAINING AGREEMENT SIGNING

IUP officials were joined by Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh yesterday to announce the signing of a clinical training affiliation agreement for the proposed IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine.

DHS Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh today joined leadership from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) to announce the signing of a clinical training affiliation agreement for students at IUP’s proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine at Torrance State Hospital. This partnership with IUP will educate and train future osteopathic physicians in a clinical setting at Torrance State Hospital while also addressing the urgent need for health care professionals in rural and underserved communities.

(Photo provided by PA Department of Human Services)

The agreement will allow students to train at Torrance State Hospital as part of their course work in the later years of their education. Dr. Arkoosh said that the availability of rural health care in Pennsylvania is one of the state’s major challenges.

IUP President Dr. Michael Driscoll said that not only will the proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine will increase the number of available doctors for rural health care, and that the state has supported the idea, but it is a team effort to get it going.

This marks the 12^th clinical training affiliation agreement for the proposed school, and while it will focus on psychiatric care, it is similar to agreements with IRMC, Punxsutawney area hospital and others in the region.