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Governor Steve Beshear's Communications Office
Gov. Beshear Announces Expansion of Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine
PIKEVILLE, Ky.– Joined by Department for Local Government (DLG) Commissioner Tony Wilder and local officials, Gov. Steve Beshear today announced funding for an expansion of the Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine (PCSOM).
The Governor presented a $500,000 Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant to Pikeville College for the construction of a new facility for a clinical skills training and evaluation center.
“Pikeville College’s expansion will be critical in addressing the Commonwealth’s shortage of physicians and will improve health care access for Kentuckians, particularly in rural areas of the state,” said Gov. Beshear. “Access to a primary care physician greatly affects individual health status, and this project will help meet the medical needs of our citizens.”
PCSOM currently lacks specialized space to conduct clinical skills training that includes standardized patient-based evaluation. The construction of a new nine-story, 65,576 square-foot building will provide more physical space for the medical school and improve clinical instruction. Within the building, the Clinical Skills Training and Evaluation Center will house 12 specially equipped examination rooms that will serve as high-quality training and testing centers for students in programs using standardized patients and high-fidelity patient simulators.
“Pikeville College has served this region for 121 years,” said former Governor and Pikeville College President Paul Patton. “This project will make certain we continue in that role for a long time to come. The state’s Osteopathic Medicine Scholarship program for Kentucky students has made medical school affordable for many of our citizens and contributed substantially to the number of primary care physicians practicing in rural areas of Kentucky.”
The new facility will include two lecture halls; a gross anatomy lab; two research labs; small group classrooms; student study space; and additional faculty, staff and administrative offices. It will contain the Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Lab and house the free outpatient clinic, an important instructional and community service facility.
As a result of the expansion, PCSOM plans to increase its class size and graduate 125 new physicians each year, which is an increase of 50 over current physician capacity.
“By upgrading its facilities and training more physicians, PCSOM will expand primary care options in Appalachian Kentucky,” said DLG Commissioner and ARC designee Tony Wilder. “In addition to being an asset to the Pikeville community, this project will contribute to growth and a higher quality of life throughout the region.”
The expansion will significantly enhance training in diagnostic and clinical skills for medical school students as well as communication skills with patients. This preparation will provide students with a better understanding of patients’ needs and teach them a more humanistic approach as they develop professional, compassionate and competent relationships with patients.
In addition to the ARC grant, the $29.5 million project is receiving funding from the USDA Rural Development, private funding and local investment.
Established by Congress in 1965, ARC partners with federal, state and local governments in efforts to support sustainable community and economic growth throughout Appalachia. ARC funds projects ranging from education and job training to housing and business expansion, transportation and infrastructure development. Kentucky’s 54 most eastern and south-central counties qualify for ARC funding.
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