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Southeast Health and the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) are pleased to announce that Sara-Bethany Weir, DO, board-certified in Family Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, has joined the Ashford Clinic medical team.

In addition to practicing at the clinic, Dr. Weir is also an assistant professor of Family Medicine in the Clinical Sciences division at ACOM.

Dr. Weir, a 2018 graduate of ACOM and a native of Ozark, comes back to the Wiregrass from Lansing, Michigan, where she served as a family practice physician at Sparrow Medical Group Holt, which is part of Sparrow Hospital. She completed her residency at McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital at Michigan State University in Lansing, Michigan.

In addition to earning her medical degree at ACOM, Dr. Weir received her dual Bachelor of Science degrees in biomedical and nutrition science from Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama.

The ACOM Ashford Clinic is managed by the Southeast Health Medical Group with clinical support provided through the medical college. The clinic’s medical director is Justin G. Hovey, MD, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. The clinic also allows ACOM medical students a hands-on patient experience in a rural clinic setting.

Dr. Weir’s husband, Connor Weir, DO, who is also an ACOM graduate, is a general surgeon at Southeast Health Surgery Clinic.

DOTHAN, Ala – The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) is proud to announce it has received the 2023 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award. The award was announced earlier today by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

The HEED Award is a national honor recognizing U.S. health colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. ACOM is proud to be one of 62 other recipients nationwide that will be featured in November/December issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine.

This accolade is a testament to ACOM’s pursuit of excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).  The application process for this award is a comprehensive and rigorous self-evaluation that required us to delve deep into our policies, strategies, programs, initiatives, demographics, and protocols.

“At ACOM, we believe in the profound impact of embracing diversity, which enriches the very fabric of our community and elevates the educational experience, Susie White, MA, contracts and policy manager/interim DEI officer. “We hold in high regard and celebrate the unique perspectives, backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences that each member brings to our institution.  This fosters a unifying environment where every individual is treated with the utmost respect and dignity.”

“The Health Professions HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees — and best practices for both — continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a Health Professions HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for schools where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.”

Other recipients of the 2023 INSIGHT Into Diversity Health Professions HEED Award are:

T. Still University of Health Studies

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, University of California, Davis

Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine

California State University Los Angeles, Patricia A. Chin School of Nursing

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

FDU Health at Fairleigh Dickinson University

Frontier Nursing University

Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College

Jane and Robert Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston, Texas

Johns Hopkins School of Nursing

Kansas City University

Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine

Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine

Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing

MGH Institute of Health Professions

New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing

Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry

Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Purdue University

School of Nursing, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine

State University of New York College of Optometry

Texas A&M University Irma Lerma Rangel School of Pharmacy

The Medical College of Wisconsin

The Medical University of South Carolina

The Ohio State University College of Medicine

The Ohio State University College of Nursing

The Ohio State University College of Optometry

The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy

The Ohio State University College of Public Health

The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine

The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix

The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York

Tulane School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

University of California Riverside School of Medicine

University of California Irvine School of Medicine

University of California, Davis, School of Medicine

University of Cincinnati College of Nursing

University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy

University of Cincinnati College of Allied Health Sciences

University of Florida College of Dentistry

University of Florida College of Pharmacy

University of Houston Andy and Barbara Gessner College of Nursing

University of Kentucky, College of Medicine, Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

University of Louisville Health Sciences Center

University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Nursing

University of Michigan Medical School – Michigan Medicine

University of Minnesota School of Nursing

University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine

University of Rochester School of Nursing

University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine

University of Virginia School of Medicine

University of Wisconsin–Madison, School of Pharmacy

Vanderbilt University School of Nursing

Virginia Commonwealth University, College of Health Professions

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine

Weill Cornell Medicine

For more information about the 2023 INSIGHT Into Diversity Health Professions HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com. For more information about ACOM, visit www.acom.edu.

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) held an open house event recently to officially unveil their new open-air pavilion. This facility will serve as a multi-purpose space, seating up to 224, and will be available for student and staff events, teaching opportunities, recreation, and more.

This project was approved by the ACOM Board of Directors in mid-2022, and groundbreaking on the pavilion took place Fall of that year. This pavilion is conceptualized to also include a still-in-progress community garden, which will include fruit and vegetable-producing plants. This addition is the campus’s latest expansion that will offer unique opportunities for learning.

The new pavilion and community garden were envisioned and planned with the assistance of many faculty and staff. This project represents ACOM’s continued commitment to its core values through the development of innovative areas for enhanced learning and campus life.

Cassandra Abrams and Lauren Feaster, second year students (OMS II) recently attended the monthly meeting for Grow Southeast Alabama to discuss their research on rural healthcare.

The ACOM students presented their research project during the meeting on access to healthcare in rural areas of Alabama and how a mobile clinic could benefit an area. Establishing medical care for underserved rural communities is a topic that is familiar to ACOM with a recent groundbreaking of a new clinic in Taylor, Alabama, which will join our existing ACOM Ashford Clinic in Ashford, Alabama. This passion is reflected in ACOM students like Cassandra and Lauren. Their passion and hard work on this research project is admirable, and their acknowledgment by Grow Southeast Alabama is a tremendous accomplishment.

Grow Southeast Alabama is an organization representing 11 Alabama counties working together to market the region, also known as the “Wiregrass”, towards opportunities for cultural and economic growth and development. In addition to target industries such as aerospace, agriculture, fabrication, manufacturing, automotive, and logistics, Grow Southeast Alabama is also working towards promoting and advancing healthcare-related industries in southeast Alabama.

Preparing for a Comprehensive Site Visit with COCA

We’re pleased to announce that ACOM is in the midst of preparing for our upcoming Comprehensive Site Visit, an important evaluation by our accrediting body: the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA). This event is scheduled to take place from December 4th to 7th, 2023.

The Comprehensive Site Visit holds importance as it serves as a comprehensive review aimed at addressing all COCA standards. This evaluation process involves an in-depth, on-site assessment, where COCA examines ACOM’s adherence to accreditation standards in detail.

Central to this visit is our dedicated Self-Study, an introspective report compiled by ACOM. This comprehensive self-assessment is submitted to COCA, showcasing our commitment to complying with all COCA standards. You may connect with COCA to share your thoughts on ACOM’s Comprehensive Site Visit and Self-Study:

Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation

Address: 142 E. Ontario St., Chicago, IL 60611-2864

Phone: (312) 202-8124

Email:

Thank you for your support as we work diligently to achieve our accreditation goals and enhance the quality of education at ACOM.

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) continued its dominance last week of the national simulation competition by claiming its fifth national championship in the last seven years.

Since 2017, ACOM has also won three international championships.

The most recent national championship came June 15-17 in Phoenix, Arizona as ACOM bested seven other teams vying for the crown, which included two teams from ACOM. The other schools represented were: Armed Forces College of Medicine/Egypt, University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), Universidad Autonoma de Gaudalajara School of Medicine (UAG Owls), Yale School of Medicine and Instituto Technologico de Santo Dimingo.

The “Biohazards,” which was comprised of all first-year female students, included, Hannah Rose Mixon (Captain), Sireen Salin Hilo, Sandra Fanous, Sanjana Rasamsetti and Sonia Patel.

“I’m proud of this team of first-year students,” John T. Giannini Jr, MD, associate professor of Internal Medicine/director of Simulation said. “This championship speaks to the simulation program and the integral component it plays in ACOM’s curriculum and training. They are seeing the same cases in the simulation lab that they are learning about in the classroom.”

In addition to Dr. Giannini, the simulation program faculty includes Jim Nolin, FNP-C, instructor of Primary Clinical Skills, Dianne Walker, simulation curriculum coordinator, Justin Bonds, simulation technology specialist and four sim fellows.

“We are proud that this success represents the solid and strong foundation of medical education that all of our students receive,” said James C. Jones, DO, FACEP, ACOM Dean. “This is reinforced through their training in the simulation center.”

Dr. Giannini, Mr. Nolin and Ms. Walker, who head ACOM’s program, are well respected in the simulation world.

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) was the most represented osteopathic medical school at this year’s DO Day event, with personnel featured in three different informational sessions.

Dr. Richard Thacker, ACOM’s Associate Dean of Clinical Resources, presented on the bill-making process, as it pertains to healthcare and education-related bills. Meanwhile, ACOM Alumni Dr. Aerial Petty and Dr. Shawn Hamm presented during the Strengthening the Physician Workforce, and The Current State of Congressional Committee Work sessions, respectively.

DO Day is an advocacy event held annually by the American Osteopathic Association. It is the profession’s largest public policy and advocacy event and is hosted in conjunction with National Osteopathic Medicine Week (NOM Week). This year’s event took place from April 15-20, and included a virtual conference as well as in-person congressional meetings.

The state funded Alabama Medical Education Consortium (AMEC) was incorporated in 2004 as a 501C3 to increase the number of physicians in rural and underserved areas of Alabama. The AMEC Pipeline successfully brought third- and fourth-year medical students to Alabama for their last two years of medical school developing statewide core sites for clinical training to provide community-based education.  The core teaching sites were later committed to the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) for placement of its third- and fourth-year medical students for clinical clerkships.

A second mission began in 2017 to assist hospitals with startup state funding and consultation to develop residency programs. Recognizing that many physicians tend to practice near where they train, AMEC began conversations with Alabama hospitals about developing residency programs.  AMEC and ACOM have successfully worked to develop and enrich the growing number of teaching hospitals in Alabama. In 2023, 13 Alabama hospitals had established Graduate Medical Education programs.

We are pleased to share the data below about the programs and the resident/physician population generated by AMEC/ACOM efforts.

Medical student graduates from AMEC’s Pipeline – 328; 121 licensed in Alabama

Residents in AMEC-affiliated programs have grown from 21 in 2017 to 231 in 2023

Number of residency graduates in 2021 – 21; 97 projected for 2023

Residency graduates licensed in Alabama – 33