The Heart of Health, Here at OHIO

Of the nearly 30,000 students studying at Ohio University campuses (opens in a new window) in Ohio or through OHIO Online (opens in a new window), about one-third of them are preparing for a career in health care. More than 4,300 are enrolled in graduate or undergraduate nursing programs (opens in a new window). Just under 1,000 are medical school students in OHIO’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (opens in a new window). Still more are studying fields like physical therapy (opens in a new window), athletic training (opens in a new window), environmental health (opens in a new window), music therapy (opens in a new window), health communications (opens in a new window), health care administration (opens in a new window) … and the list goes on. That all adds up to make OHIO the largest producer of health care professionals for the state of Ohio.

What’s perhaps a bit odd about that—or at least different—is that OHIO does not operate an affiliated teaching hospital like many universities preparing students for health careers. Instead, OHIO maintains active partnerships with several well-known hospitals, including OhioHealth (opens in a new window), Cleveland Clinic (opens in a new window), Nationwide Children’s Hospital (opens in a new window), Kettering Health (opens in a new window) and many more. We also work closely with nonprofits, research institutes and community entities, leveraging the work of students and faculty to help solve health challenges in communities across the state, especially in the Appalachian region that is home to OHIO’s residential campus in Athens (opens in a new window).

This approach isn’t one of circumstance but rather of purpose. It means our focus is simply different. What’s important to us is how our work improves lives in a way that lasts for generations, and we recognize that demands we operate as a convener and not a competitor. We aren’t just treating patients (although we do that too) but looking for big, collaborative solutions that make our communities healthier together.

We hear from our students that they choose OHIO because they want to be a part of something big. They know that life-changing solutions demand a continuum of care that takes many partners. We know we can’t deliver those solutions alone, but we can serve at the center, driving collaboration and communication to improve care from the heart.

Learn more about OHIO’s health care education initiatives at the links below.

Rising to the Top
How the University became a key provider of health care professionals in Ohio

Innovation with Impact (opens in a new window)
Creatively responding to state and community needs

Meeting the Needs of Rural Health
Bobcats returning post-graduation to serve their communities

Leading the Fight Against Disease
How faculty and alumni are changing the field of health care

Blockbuster Discoveries Continue (opens in a new window)
Human growth hormone research and its implications for diabetes and cancer treatment

OMNI’s Injury & Pain Research Center (opens in a new window)
Leading national research on the neurological impact of knee injuries

Wellness for All
Addressing unmet community health care needs with free and low-cost programs

Working Toward Health Equity
Preventing substance use disorder and promoting mental health

OHIO’s Diabetes Institute (opens in a new window)
Offering free care to those in need

Translating Discovery into Application
Research leads to patents and commercial ventures

The Business of Health Care (opens in a new window)
Alumni who have gone on to launch companies that touch millions

This story originally appeared in The Heart of Health: Showcasing Ohio University’s Leadership in Health Education.

Feature photo by Ben Wirtz Siegel, BSVC ’02