Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Vision 2020 Award

The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation has been a longtime advocate for and supporter of Ohio University and its Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine through advocacy at the local, state, federal and national level of government, associations, etc., and has provided significant financial support and investment into our shared mission and vision. Since 2000, the OHF has awarded $123 million in support of education, research, training and scholarship at Ohio University. Summary of These Gifts

In 2011, the OHF approved the $105 million Vision 2020: Leading the Transformation of Primary Care in Ohio award to transform the Heritage College into a nationally prominent institution that trains primary care physicians to serve the rural and underserved areas in Ohio. With this award, the Heritage College is addressing some of the most pressing health care issues across the state and the nation—including the impending shortage of primary care physicians and the diabetes epidemic. Our goal is for these changes to propel us to the forefront of primary care, medical education and research among all medical schools nationally.

In 2018, the Heritage College began working with the OHF and Ohio University leadership to re-envision the OHF Vision 2020 award. The purpose of this re-envision was to align the remaining funds to deliver the greatest impact, focusing on investments in capital, research and scholarship.

A second amendment to the OHF award was executed on June 11, 2020, which renamed the Vision 2020 award to Accelerating Impact: Medical Student Debt Relief and Research Innovation. The first nine years of the grant fortified the Heritage College’s infrastructure, focusing on primary care education, scholarships and research. The remaining funds were leveraged, along with the committed Ohio University and Heritage College match funding, for the award’s greatest impact. The Accelerating Impact award focuses on concluding Vision 2020 (early sustainment of OHF-funded programs), creating a strong foundation for the future (debt buy-down and growth of the student scholarship endowment) and strengthening research and innovation. 

About the OHF Vision 2020 Award

Vision 2020 includes strategies to increase the number, quality and training of primary care physicians practicing in Ohio; to advance clinical research, care, access and training; to strengthen community outreach; and to support the development of a consortium of central Appalachian colleges of osteopathic medicine. Since this award was announced in 2011, the Heritage College has made exceptional progress in meeting the Vision 2020 goals and objectives, including creating new partnerships, expanding research and educational opportunities and attracting national interest in the Heritage College’s mission and accomplishments.

One of the major initiatives of the Vision 2020 investment was to create a central Ohio extension campus. This vision was realized with the 2014 opening of the Heritage College, Dublin. The increased visibility created many additional opportunities, as demonstrated by one of the most significant – the 2015 opening of the Heritage College’s third campus in Cleveland.

In recognition of this award, the medical school was renamed the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine.

The Ohio University Board of Trustees approved a resolution naming our new Athens medical education facility Heritage Hall to honor the generosity of the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation for making the new building possible.

The Heritage College is extremely grateful for the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s remarkable investment and continued commitment to our mission and vision.