EKU’s osteopathic medicine program moves ahead. How soon could it produce physicians?
Eastern Kentucky University’s proposed osteopathic medicine program has been given another green light in the approval process.
Monday, the Council on Postsecondary Education — which oversees the state’s higher education institutions — agreed to submit a funding request to the General Assembly for the program. The CPE will request, over two years, $8 million in initial operating expenses and $42 million to be held in escrow, which is required for accreditation and would be returned to the state after operations begin.
The budget request was unanimously approved by the council, with faculty representative Kellie Ellis, who is a professor at EKU, abstaining from the vote.
EKU would become the first public doctorate of osteopathic medicine program in Kentucky. The University of Pikeville, which is a private institution, offers the same degree. If approved by the state and the program receives accreditation, the first class at EKU could enroll for the fall 2031 semester, with that class graduating in spring 2035.
The possible program introduction comes as elected officials consider multiple pieces of legislation aimed at addressing the state’s physician shortage, particularly in rural areas. Senate Joint Resolution 116 directs the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville and EKU to conduct a study finding solutions.
“There is no doubt that access to high quality health care is something that we’re looking to try to solve as we move forward,” said David McFaddin, president of EKU. “Our goal, no matter where you live, is for every Kentuckian to have access to that high quality primary care.”
Osteopathic medicine “considers the whole person: body, mind and spirit,” and osteopathic physicians can practice in a variety of medical fields and specialties, according to the American Osteopathic Association.
A study from the Cicero Institute, a public policy think tank, found that nationwide, the country will face a shortage of 120,000 physicians annually by 2030. In Kentucky, that could be a shortage of 2,926 doctors. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has designated 40 counties in Kentucky as health professional shortage areas for primary care providers.
The program at EKU would include a focus on rural medicine, with clinical placements in those settings, McFaddin said. He added that osteopathic doctors are more likely to practice in rural or medically underserved areas.
Once launched, the DO program at EKU would enroll 150 students per class, or 600 students total. McFaddin told the CPE on Monday that while there’s “still a long journey” to establishing the program, the university is prepared financially and academically.
“Truly, I think, from an academic standpoint, from an institutional standpoint, we’re ready to deliver on this program,” McFaddin said.
McFaddin said the existing medical schools in Kentucky received more than 14,500 application last year, with 509 spots available for students. Additionally, states of similar populations like Louisiana, Alabama and South Carolina, have at least four medical schools, while Kentucky has three, he said.
“As we look at our population continuing to grow, and our health outcomes not necessarily moving, the truth is we believe that there is room for a public doctor of osteopathic medical program here in Kentucky,” McFaddin said.