• OhioHealth Marion General’s Grow Your Own Medical Staff program gives local students hands-on experience and mentorship as they explore careers in medicine.
• Several Marion physicians are program alumni who returned to practice in the community and now help mentor the next generation.
• The program’s first participant since its 2023 relaunch has been accepted into medical school, bringing its goal of growing future Marion physicians full circle.

A familiar face can make a difference in healthcare. At OhioHealth Marion General Hospital, that belief is at the heart of the Grow Your Own Medical Staff program, an initiative that invests in local students interested in pursuing careers in medicine.

“The Grow Your Own program is designed for students in Marion and surrounding communities who want to become physicians,” said Kerrie Reinhard, director of Medical Staff Affairs at OhioHealth Marion General Hospital and head of the program. “We offer them an opportunity to work in the hospital setting and gain experience with the hope that eventually they will come back and practice here.”

The program originally existed at Marion General years ago before being relaunched in 2023 to continue that investment in the next generation of providers. Several physicians currently practicing at Marion General were once Grow Your Own participants themselves and now help guide the program as part of the steering committee.

“The greatest feeling is knowing that there’s quite a few of us that have gone through the program and the program works because we came back to our hometown and we’re giving back to the community that gave so much to us,” said Heather Columber, DO, OhioHealth family medicine physician and Grow Your Own program alumna.

Participants work as patient support assistants while also connecting with physicians, shadowing different specialties and learning more about careers in medicine.

For Delaney Tabbert, a Grow Your Own participant who is beginning medical school this August, the experience helped confirm her career path.

“I definitely attribute this program to one of my main reasons for deciding that I wanted to become a physician,” Tabbert said.

As a patient support assistant in the emergency department, she gained experience taking vital signs, performing EKGs, assisting with CPR, transporting patients and learning how hospital teams work together.

Beyond clinical skills, students gain confidence and a better understanding of what it means to care for people in their own community.

“Recruiting to a smaller community isn’t always easy,” Dr. Columber said. “But what we do have is caring for people that you live with or that you go to church with, that your kids go to school with. Medicine is about building relationships.”

That focus on relationships is a key part of the Grow Your Own experience. Each student is paired with physician mentors who help guide them throughout the program. Physician champions provide support within different specialties, giving students someone to learn from and envision as a future example.

The program also creates opportunities for students to connect with medical students and residents, who share their experiences navigating the path to becoming a physician. Students also learn more about physician opportunities and community needs through OhioHealth provider recruitment leaders.

“The personal connections that these students are now making, I think that is what makes it so special and just so different,” Dr. Columber said. “I made great relationships with some of the providers that I worked with, and they are some of my greatest colleagues now and long-term friends.”

For Beth Hardwick, a Grow Your Own participant and aspiring physician, those relationships have helped shape the kind of physician she hopes to become.

Hardwick was mentored by Dr. Columber and said watching her care for patients with a deep understanding of their lives outside the hospital showed her the importance of practicing medicine in a community where you know the people you serve.

One experience especially stood out. While working in the postpartum unit, Hardwick cared for a patient who lived nearby and whom she knew personally. She later saw the patient and her new baby at home in the community.

“Being able to care for her and her new child was really cool,” Hardwick said. “I get to see them doing well, and that was a really cool moment for me. That’s the benefit of working where you live.”

“Finding students in this area that want to become physicians, want to come back, work in their hometown, take care of their neighbors and their friends — that’s something really special,” Reinhard said.

And she’s already seeing that vision come to life.

“We had our first student get accepted into medical school,” Reinhard said. “I’m so proud of her and looking forward to seeing her come back and practice in Marion someday.”

Applications for the Grow Your Own Medical Staff Program open mid-November and remain open through Feb. 1. Students interested in learning more can contact Kerrie Reinhard at 740-383-8671 beginning in November.

The 80,000-square-foot, three-story facility is designed to double the number of Columbus State graduates in high-demand fields such as nursing, respiratory care and surgical technology.

When completed in 2027, OhioHealth Hall will be a state-of-the-art learning center featuring hands-on labs, simulation spaces, classrooms and student-focused amenities. It will be located next to Mitchell Hall, the college’s School of Hospitality & Culinary Arts, at the corner of Cleveland Avenue and East Spring Street.

“OhioHealth Hall will have a huge impact on our community by preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals that will care for local residents for generations to come,” said Dr. David Harrison, president of Columbus State. “Our healthcare programs lead to well-paying, meaningful jobs that also address key community needs.”

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services projects a 14.5 percent increase in healthcare support jobs by 2030, far faster than other industries. Meanwhile, the Aspen Institute predicts central Ohio will need 9,000 additional healthcare workers by 2028 to meet the needs of a growing population.

To support this pipeline, Columbus State is putting healthcare education front and center in its plans for growth. About 1,700 students are currently enrolled in nursing, surgical technology, medical imaging, respiratory therapy, and sterile processing. These programs will be at the heart of OhioHealth Hall. The college also launched a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in 2024 to provide further training opportunities.

The project is backed by a public-private partnership with OhioHealth, which provided a $25 million philanthropic endowment to support instruction and other operation costs of Columbus State’s healthcare programs. The gift is one of the largest-ever donations to an American community college.

“This is a critical time to invest in the healthcare workforce as the region’s population grows,” said Stephen Markovich, MD, president and CEO of OhioHealth. “We’re proud to invest in a talent pipeline our entire region will benefit from, and to continue our deep partnership with Columbus State to ensure we continue to meet the growing and changing needs of the diverse communities we serve.”

OhioHealth Hall is part of a larger campus transformation supported by the $300 million Franklin County bond issue. $66.5 million is dedicated to construction of the facility with additional support from state funding and philanthropy. The Columbus State Foundation is also working to raise another $10 million for specialized equipment inside the building.

A one-of-a-kind partnership with Guernsey County high schools and OhioHealth Southeastern Medical Center is helping students explore healthcare careers before they graduate. The HEART program (Hospital Education And Real-World Training) gives juniors and seniors hands-on experience in the hospital, and in some cases, job offers.

The program allows students to shadow healthcare workers in respiratory therapy, cancer care, imaging, physical therapy, lab services, environmental services, nutrition and registration.

“It is an absolutely wonderful program,” said Madi Fraley, career navigator at Meadowbrook High School. “Students loved it. They experienced so much.”

One of those students is Kendyl Trott, an 18-year-old Meadowbrook graduate who participated in the program during the 2024–2025 school year. Trott completed a rotation in radiology, a field she had been interested in for a long time, and now works as a patient support assistant in the hospital’s float pool. This fall, she’ll begin studying radiology at the University of Rio Grande.

“This, from my perspective, is a generational and foundational investment by OhioHealth to strengthen the community we serve,” said Wendy Elliott, president of Southeastern Medical Center. “Many times young people think only in terms of doctors and nurses when they think about hospital careers. Those are great professions, but there are many other phenomenal jobs. By exposing these young people to hospital careers, they get a broader view of opportunities, and we grow our pipeline of local talent.”

That pipeline is already taking shape. This past year, two HEART students were hired by the hospital, and another is in the interview process. Christopher Haight, human resources advisor at Southeastern Med, works closely with Fraley and Tricia Nichols, a career navigator at Cambridge High School, to help students gain real-world experience while also supporting the hospital’s staffing needs.

“We’re very pleased with the caliber of young workers we’ve hired,” Haight said. “This is a testament to the high school career navigators who are very aware of our needs and values and regularly recommend great candidates. I consider them part of the team and reach out to them first when any jobs become available.”

And it’s not just a one-way benefit. Students are helping the hospital improve, too.

“The students bring a fresh set of eyes and ask important questions that allow the hospital to think about processes in a new way,” Elliott said.

For the upcoming school year, HEART will expand to include a fall session for 12 juniors interested in healthcare careers and a spring session for seniors who are seeking entry-level jobs after graduation. The program will also add lectures on topics like hospital finances, wellness practices, health insurance, career pathways and life safety skills.

“It’s eye-opening,” said Nichols. “It’s really exciting, and it gets them out of the box. They have nothing but good things to say, and they get other students interested.”

The HEART program supports the hospital’s goal of doubling the number of associates between the ages of 16 and 20 while continuing a proud tradition of hiring from within the community.

To learn more about student opportunities at OhioHealth, click here.

As hospitals everywhere deal with high turnover among new nurses, OhioHealth is taking a proactive approach to support nurses during their first year on the job, and it’s already making a real difference.

“The transition from nursing education to the real world, especially when you're supporting high-acuity patients, can be overwhelming,” said Le-Ann Harris, chief operations officer at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center. “At OhioHealth, we understand this. And we're constantly asking ourselves, ‘How can we better support new nurses and help them navigate that critical first year and beyond?’”

In response to this challenge, OhioHealth launched a Nursing Residency Program in 2023, designed to support every new nurse at all 16 of its hospitals. 

“Each new nurse is paired with a mentor and preceptors to help them transition to bedside care, determine where they want to go in their careers and prepare them for the next step,” Harris said.

In addition to on-the-job mentorship, the program includes monthly classes where nurses continue to learn and refine their clinical skills. Topics range from medication safety to ethics to empathy, all while creating connections with fellow nurses who are navigating the same stage of their careers.

“Through this approach, new nurses are part of a peer group that is growing together and holding each other accountable,” Harris said.

The results speak for themselves. Nearly 1,500 new nurses have participated in the Nursing Residency Program so far, and the added support has helped reduce nursing turnover by 12 percent system-wide. The program also supports nurse well-being and drives better patient care.

“The benefits of investing in nursing onboarding are manifold: less burnout, greater retention and nurses who feel empowered to improve patient outcomes,” Harris said.

To hear more from Le-Ann on a variety of topics in nursing, be sure to follow her on LinkedIn.

The AIAMC presents the award on an annual basis to its institutional member that best exemplifies creative and innovative approaches to medical education and research which result in better patient outcomes. Joy Walton, MD, medical director, community care and associate program director, Internal Medicine Residency Program, OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, and Alexandra McKenna, DO, OhioHealth associate program director, accepted the award in New Orleans at the annual awards dinner sponsored by the AIAMC.

The institution selected for this prestigious honor must demonstrate an innovation in the following categories:

• The development and/or implementation of innovative medical education programs for residents, physicians and other staff and may include curriculum development and implementation, assessment methodologies, and/or outcomes related to medical education initiatives.
• Innovation significant themes such as provider well-being, quality improvement, population health, health disparities and/or cultural competency initiatives involving residents, physicians and other staff and related outcomes.
• The development and/or application of scientific discoveries. Areas of research may include education, health care improvement, biomedical research and/or translational research.

OhioHealth was chosen for this honor based upon its work entitled, Beyond Checking a Box: Developing Best Practices Around Screening for Social Determinants of Health.  Six leading national organizations that provide care to underserved populations were identified, and the OhioHealth team developed a set of interview questions focusing on social determinants of health (SDOH) screening practices and tools.  They transcribed this qualitative data from focused interviews into a summary table and identified common themes. Based on these best practices, a new SDOH questionnaire was developed, made available in written form in English and in Spanish, and implemented into Community Care in July 2024

“OhioHealth lives our mission every day; to improve the health of those we serve.  That mission extends to every single person we care for, regardless of where they are on their health journey.  We know social determinants of health can limit access to care and impact long-term outcomes; up to 60% of your health is determined solely by your zip code.  Our goal is to honor the dignity and worth of each person, tailoring our services to break down barriers and integrate care for our most vulnerable patients.  To be recognized by AIAMC for innovation for our work in this space is an honor and only inspires us to continue to advocate for health equity through reimagining healthcare delivery for our marginalized communities," said Dr. Walton.

“What made OhioHealth’s application stand out was their ability to review best practices nationally and develop an optimal tool for their local needs,” stated AIAMC Executive Director Kimberly Pierce Burke. She continued, “This work has been recognized at a system level and is now being lateralized to five other pilot sites within OhioHealth.  Kudos to their team for this impressive work!”

“I am so very proud of the work our teams have done in this critical space," Elizabeth Zmuda, DO, director, Medical Education, OhioHealth Doctors Hospital said.  “For a large health system to embrace a forward-thinking approach to a long-standing challenge in the communities we serve shows a true passion for doing everything we can to help patients and their families.”

About The AIAMC

The Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers is a national membership organization made up independent teaching hospitals delivering exceptional patient care through education and innovation. With more than 70 institutional members, our size provides an environment that encourages and supports networking and collaboration. We actively develop and apply real-world solutions to thrive in the continually changing regulatory and accreditation environment. The AIAMC has a 36-year track record of connecting graduate medical education as a strategic asset for achieving better outcomes. For more information on the AIAMC and its membership, visit www.aiamc.org.

At OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, four nursing directors are proving that leadership and learning go hand in hand. While managing their full-time roles, Erin Dobda, MHA, BSN, RN, NE-BC; Dawnyel Donaldson, MHA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC; Erika Beck, MHA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC and Chelsea Zigan, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, are also working toward their Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees at Franklin University.

For them, continuing their education is all about growth, both for themselves and for the care they provide. They’re not only strengthening their own skills but making a real impact on patients and caregivers alike.

“Education is the foundation for everything we do in healthcare - and the more we know, the better care we can bring to this community,” said Le-Ann Harris, chief operations officer at Grant Medical Center.

Balancing full-time leadership and doctoral coursework is no easy feat, but their commitment to both their education and the patients they serve is clear. With their advanced training, these four leaders are helping shape the future of nursing at Grant.

“These ladies are committed to higher education because they care about our patients and our city,” Harris said. "I am like a proud mother, enthusiastically watching Erin, Dawnyel, Erika and Chelsea go down this path and cheering them on every step of the way.”

This is the kind of growth OhioHealth is proud to champion. Through the OhioHealth Foundation, nearly $500,000 was awarded in 2024 to 428 Nursing Excellence Scholarships, made possible by donors, many of whom are grateful patients. These scholarships help associates pursue advanced degrees, take skills-based training courses and accelerate their careers.

This impact goes beyond leadership. Last year, 222 patient support assistants sought scholarships to begin their nursing careers, many working toward their BSN.

To support OhioHealth Nursing Excellence, visit giving.ohiohealth.com/nursing.

To hear more from Le-Ann Harris on a variety of topics in nursing and leadership, be sure to follow her on LinkedIn.

This opportunity is made possible through a collaboration between Pickerington Local School District (PLSD) and OhioHealth, offering upperclassmen in PLSD’s biomedical science program a hands-on introduction to healthcare. What starts in eighth grade as an exploratory course can evolve into years of immersive learning, leading to a senior capstone shadowing opportunity with real doctors and real patients. 

Since the program’s launch in 2012, it has grown steadily, with enrollment doubling from fewer than 40 students in 2016 to more than 80 in 2025. 

“I always remind people, to get 80-some students rotating through is pretty much unheard of,” Andy Harris, STEM biomedical science coordinator at PLSD, told CityScene Magazine. “I engage with a lot of other schools and different types of programs around the state, and they’ll have, like, 12 kids. We have a success problem where it’s some 82 kids.” 

Before participating, students must complete prerequisite courses covering foundational medical knowledge and problem-solving skills. Students must be 16 to shadow and 18 to observe surgery. 

The opening of Pickerington Methodist Hospital in December 2023 has provided even more specialties for students to explore. Participants are exposed to more than 360 different career paths in healthcare, helping them determine what interests them, and just as importantly, what doesn’t. 

“Somebody might say they want to be a surgeon, but then we get the (cadaver) pigs out, and they can’t stay in the room,” Harris said. “Or they shadow an anesthesiologist and realize it’s a lot of waiting. If you want a chill job for 30 years, that’s great. If you want action, you might need to rethink things.” 

The program not only helps students shape their career but also gives them useful skills for school and life. 

“There’s a second-year class called human body systems, and for me personally, that kind of taught me how to study, and taught me I didn't have the best studying habits,” said PLSD senior Brayden Blake. “It was a difficult class for me, a lot of memorization. So, I think going to this class and then the next three years really helped me understand how to study properly and learn those habits.” 

Sasha Williams, athletic trainer and STEM program coordinator at Pickerington, said the benefits of this early exposure to healthcare careers are undeniable. 

“I wish I had something like this when I was in college,” she said. “A lot of healthcare workers say the exact same thing. These kids are at such an advantage to have this experience in high school. It’s so important.” 

Originally established years ago, the program was reinstated in 2023. Under the leadership of the hospital’s medical staff and executive committee, this initiative is filling a critical need for local healthcare professionals by equipping students with invaluable skills and experiences. 

Participants in the program work at the hospital and have the opportunity to shadow physicians, gaining insights into the daily workings of a hospital environment. This not only helps students stand out on college applications but also allows them to build meaningful connections with healthcare professionals who may later write letters of recommendation. 

The program has been a success in the past. Currently, there are five OhioHealth providers practicing in Marion who were once part of this program. That includes Heather Columber, DO, who specializes in family medicine. 

“My experience as a student in this program absolutely helped me get to where I am today,” said Heather Columber, DO. “I am glad to see this program return and to be able to offer the same support I once received to students who are passionate about studying medicine.” 

Other providers who once participated in the program include Matthew White, MD, Michael McCleese, DO, Kyle Feldmann, MD, and Andrew Brown, DPM. They, along with Dr. Columber, also now serve on the program's steering committee, guiding the next generation of healthcare providers. 

“This program is vital to help build our pipeline for future healthcare providers,” said Matthew White, MD, Medical Director of Emergency Services at OhioHealth Marion General Hospital. “We are facing a shortage of doctors across the country and Ohio is no exception. By supporting students who are entering careers in medicine, it’s a huge win.” 

“This program gives students a leg up—they go in with more experience than their peers,” said Kerrie Reinhard, OhioHealth Marion General Hospital Director of Medical Staff Services. “We hope they want to come back here and work once they are physicians.” 

Applications for the 2025 cohort are due February 1, 2025. The program is open to local high school students, with information distributed to schools in the area, including Marion Technical College and The Ohio State University at Marion. Interested students can find more details on the OhioHealth website or by contacting the medical staff office at 740-383-8717. 

With its focus on mentorship, hands-on learning, and community building, Marion General Hospital’s "Grow Your Own Medical Staff Program" is paving the way for future healthcare leaders while addressing a vital need. 

To learn more about student opportunities at OhioHealth, click here.

Turning 50 is a big milestone for anyone, but for a program that has turned out amazing medical leaders who provided exceptional care, that is truly something to celebrate.

On May 18th, OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program celebrated 50 years of training family medicine leaders.

During this daylong celebration, more than 200 program alumni, former staff and guests attended events including an office tour, picnic and an evening celebration at the Columbus Art Museum, sponsored by OhioHealth Medical Education.

Distinguished guests and speakers included Riverside Hospital President Rob Cercek, the longest-serving program director in the program's history Edward Bope MD, and Program Alumnus, President and CEO of OhioHealth, Steve Markovich, MD.

“I am so proud of what this residency program has become,” stated Dr. Markovich. “This program has created an amazing culture here spanning decades, and that was very evident today.  We have developed the best and brightest from this program, so having this day to celebrate and look back is perfect.”

Throughout the day a sense of community and continuity was felt by all, as alumni enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect and share their experiences with current program residents.

Alumni from around the country expressed appreciation for the opportunity to connect, and current residents enjoyed learning more about the rich history of the program. The achievement of osteopathic recognition and the program's participation in a national innovative pilot program set to begin in 2024.

“We take the time to honor our past, while working towards some spectacular advancements in the future,” said Steve Auciello, MD, Program Director, OhioHealth Riverside Family Practice. “I am excited to see where we are next year, and for decades to come.”

To learn more about OhioHealth medical education, click here. 

Project SEARCH, a collaborative effort between OhioHealth, Tri-Rivers Career Center and Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, connects students with employers, providing invaluable training and education aimed at finding rewarding careers.

Throughout the year-long program, participants immerse themselves in hands-on learning experiences at Marion. This year, the program proudly saw four interns successfully complete their training.

To learn more about Project SEARCH - Marion, click here.

“Emergency medicine is all about being adaptive and being able to think in situations where we might not always have the resources that we think we do," said Meenal Sharkey, MD, Assistant Program Director of Emergency Medicine at OhioHealth Doctors Hospital. "So, this is just a prime example of translating our skillset from the hospital into a different situation.” 

Because you never know when a true emergency might strike. These training exercises gave residents a realistic taste of the challenges they could face during in-flight emergencies, while honing skills that will help them in the walls of more traditional spots for care. 

“I feel like it makes it real life. It’s really important to learn this stuff in a lecture format, but I don’t feel like, unless you’re doing it in real life and experiencing that, you’re actually ready," said Hajirah Ishaq, DO, an Emergency Medicine Resident at Doctors Hospital.

They were presented with several patient cases, from a heart attack to a young person experiencing an allergic emergency, allowing residents to explore what works best in real-life scenarios. 

“It helps our learners get a different feel of, you know, something that they would like to do versus what somebody else would like to do. So, it makes their toolbox that much bigger by having that many more perspectives available to them," said Dr. Sharkey.  

The program, met enthusiastically by the learners. 

“Any sort of learning that doesn’t happen in the classroom is always going to be felt with more joy, I think to a learner. Just because they’re being able to move and hands on get some learning experience rather than just reading something out of a textbook," explained Dr. Sharkey. 

And putting it together was no small feat. 

“For a whole year this has been a lot of work to actually make this day happen," said Dr. Ishaq. 

“The staff was amazing. They were just very helpful and very supportive of our decision to do this and very accommodating," said Dr. Sharkey. 

They are grateful to everyone who helped make this experience a reality. 

“I’m really happy that I chose OhioHealth specifically, because I feel like I’ve been very supported, not just by my program, but the hospital itself coming all the way from top leadership," Dr. Ishaq shared.

“It just speaks volumes to how much importance is placed on education," said Dr. Sharkey. 

The Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship, established in 1974, has graduated nearly 80 fellows. Program director, Bruce Kerner, MD, highlighted the fellowship’s widespread influence and impact their graduates have made worldwide. “They’re in the continental United States, all the way to Hawaii, all the way to Puerto Rico, and even the Middle East,” said Dr. Kerner.

The Family Medicine Residency Program, accredited in 1971 and having graduated its first class in 1973, is also celebrating this same milestone. As one of the oldest and largest family medicine programs in the country, it has trained over 500 physicians.

“Our mission really is to train comprehensive, equitable, and innovation physicians,” said Alysia Herzog, MD, program director of the Family Medicine Residency program. The program takes pride in their full scope approach, bringing up flexible and adaptable physicians to successfully serve any community.

“We have a great team, and I think that really gives you a lot of opportunities for success,” Dr. Herzog said. She is thankful for the dedicated staff and OhioHealth leadership’s support in educating the next generation of physicians.

To learn more about both programs, click the links below:

Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship - https://www.ohiohealth.com/medical-education/fellowships/colon-and-rectal-surgery-fellowship-grant-medical-center

Family Medicine Residency - https://www.ohiohealth.com/medical-education/residencies/family-medicine-grant-medical-center

The AIAMC presents the award on an annual basis to its institutional member that best exemplifies creative and innovative approaches to medical education and research which result in better patient outcomes.

“OhioHealth Medical Education has an amazing story to tell,” Brad Gable, MD, MS, FACEP, System Medical Director, OhioHealth Simulation said.  “From our critical work in continuing education for our physicians and front-line teams, our human simulation program, 3-D printing, virtual reality and much more, we are on the cutting edge of innovation. This award is validation for the hard work our teams put in every day to continue making OhioHealth a global leader in the learning space, and we thank the AIAMC for the honor.”

OhioHealth was chosen for this honor based upon their program entitled, Resident Escape Room to Promote Quality and Patient Safety Concepts. Escape rooms have been widely used in nursing, pharmacy, and to a lesser degree resident education. The use of escape rooms to deliver patient safety and quality improvement education has been less widely reported. As a new generation becomes the primary population of medical residents, growth of hands-on experiential learning, like escape rooms, will be needed to match learner needs.

In groups of three to four, learners from all OhioHealth residency and fellowship programs completed nine puzzle escape rooms over a 15-minute period. Upon completion, a 15-minute group debrief clarified learning points from each puzzle. Following the debrief, learners responded to a standard Return on Investment in Learning questionnaire. A total of 307 of OhioHealth’s 409 residents and fellows completed the escape room education (75.1%). Learners’ self-reported confidence increased (agree/strongly agree) in their ability to: describe key aspects of quality improvement (94%), explain important aspects of patient safety (96.5%), and demonstrate the event reporting process for patient safety events (96.2%).

The institution selected for this prestigious honor must demonstrate an innovation in the following categories:

• The development and/or implementation of innovative medical education programs for residents, physicians and other staff and may include curriculum development and implementation, assessment methodologies, and/or outcomes related to medical education initiatives.
• Innovation significant themes such as provider well-being, quality improvement, population health, health disparities and/or cultural competency initiatives involving residents, physicians and other staff and related outcomes.
• The development and/or application of scientific discoveries. Areas of research may include education, health care improvement, biomedical research and/or translational research.

“What made OhioHealth’s application stand out was their creative and insightful approach to teaching the next generation of physicians,” stated AIAMC Executive Director Kimberly Pierce Burke. She continued, “They also proved that award-winning innovation can be quite affordable, as the total cost of materials for the escape room was just $94.75. Kudos to their team for this impressive work!”

About The AIAMC

The Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers is a national membership organization made up independent teaching hospitals delivering exceptional patient care through education and innovation. With nearly 80 institutional members, our size provides an environment that encourages and supports networking and collaboration. We actively develop and apply real-world solutions to thrive in the continually

changing regulatory and accreditation environment. The AIAMC has a 33-year track record of connecting graduate medical education as a strategic asset for achieving better outcomes. For more information on the AIAMC and its membership, visit www.aiamc.org.

About OhioHealth  

Based in Columbus, Ohio, OhioHealth is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, charitable, healthcare outreach of the United Methodist Church.  

Serving its communities since 1891, it is a family of 35,000 associates, physicians and volunteers, and a network of 12 hospitals, 200+ ambulatory sites, hospice, home-health, medical equipment and other health services spanning a 47-county area.  It has been recognized by FORTUNE as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” 14 times since 2007. 

OhioHealth hospitals include OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital, OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital, OhioHealth Hardin Memorial Hospital, OhioHealth Marion General Hospital, OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, OhioHealth Shelby Hospital, OhioHealth Grove City Methodist Hospital and OhioHealth Berger Hospital. For more information, please visit our website at www.ohiohealth.com.  

The organizations have long conducted joint medical and health research. “The agreement smooths the startup process, essentially easing the administrative burden at both institutions so we can focus on the science and the patients,” said Joe Shields, Ph.D., Ohio University vice president for research and creative activity.

“Ohio University has strength in its academics, and we have a large patient population, as well as physicians and other providers who want to conduct research from a clinical or patient care perspective,” said Doug Knutson, MD, vice president for quality and patient safety at OhioHealth and lead for the OhioHealth Research Institute. “Our staff benefit from the research expertise, infrastructure and support of Ohio University, and their staff benefit from an access to patients, patient data and the clinical environment.”

The agreement builds on their longstanding relationship, especially in training medical and health sciences students. OhioHealth is the preeminent education partner for the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Dublin campus. Many OhioHealth physicians have faculty appointments with Ohio University.

“This collaboration provides a framework that allows us to join our research strengths with the resources of a large medical system,” Ohio University President M. Duane Nellis said. “Our relationship with OhioHealth has the potential to yield research results that can have regional, national and global impacts on health care.”

OhioHealth researchers have worked on projects with faculty and students from the Heritage College and the College of Health Sciences and Professions. Joint endeavors have included areas of population health/health disparities, direct patient care and patient-reported outcomes. OhioHealth has also provided research mentorship for medical and graduate nursing student projects.

“We’ve achieved so much with OhioHealth in training physicians and health professionals who serve our communities,” said Kenneth Johnson, DO, Ohio University chief medical affairs officer and executive dean of the Heritage College. “This agreement furthers our ability to serve Ohio.”

“The agreement also makes it easier for more researchers throughout the University to collaborate with OhioHealth,” Johnson said.

“Our collaborations have been important in furthering health in the populations we care for,” Knutson said. “With this agreement, we’ve removed barriers. We’ve made it so much easier for our physicians and faculty to conduct locally relevant research that gives us insight and creates solutions to the health issues faced by our patients and by our communities.”

The memorandum of understanding governs issues of confidentiality; regulatory compliance; sharing of data, biological samples and facilities; intellectual property; and publication of research findings. “We now share common language. We now have agreed-upon templates, so we’re not starting from scratch with our legal departments with each new project,” Shields said. “If someone is sending biological samples from OhioHealth to Ohio University, the basic agreement is there, and we fill in the details specific to that project.”

Ohio University maintains a high level of research activity on a wide variety of medical and health-related areas, including clinical research and trials. The OhioHealth Research Institute participates in regional, national and international research clinical trials, networks and research studies.

“Engaging in high-quality research plays a vital role in OHIO’s mission to advance knowledge and supports creative activity,” said Ohio University College of Health Sciences and Professions Interim Dean John McCarthy, Ph.D. “CHSP is proud to continue its collaborative efforts with OhioHealth, and we look forward to leveraging our collective research to better understand the global dimensions of health and healthcare issues while further addressing the needs of underserved populations.”

“It’s amazing to see all of the practical technology you have to train medical professionals,” Anna Masovets, from the Ukraine delegation, said.

These medical professionals spent several hours to learn how this team puts together everything from 3-D printing, creating very realistic simulations for physicians and other learners to be their best and stay their best.

“To have people come in from outside who work with ministries of health and other countries to see that we are on the cutting edge of that with OhioHealth really reinforces the work we do,” said Brad Gable, MD, medical director for OhioHealth Simulation.

The hope is to take what they can from these lectures and hands-on learning, and take it back home to make things better there.

“What I’m seeing is they are looking at this to, thinking of potentially starting their own center, on a smaller scale,” said Masovets.

For the OhioHealth team, it’s a proud moment to see what they have created.

“We are pretty lucky have world class simulationists here,” Dr. Gable said. “You almost forget when you are in in everyday, it becomes the norm for our team.”

“They are getting inspiration and ideas that it can be done differently,” Masovets said.

And this is not the only group to visit. Recently, a group from Japan toured, along with others planned from around the globe.

“To see different ways to doing the same thing, that it can be taught the world over, this is truly the universal language,” Dr. Gable said.

“Oh my gosh! Nina Passen, doctor," said Dr. Nina Passen.

It’s also the start of a solution to a growing problem.

“One of the main issues confronting this country right now is our physician shortage," Dr. Matthew Kunar, Director of Medical Education, OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital said.

Dr. Matthew Kunar says Ohio faces the same doctor shortage as the rest of the nation.

“We estimate by year 2025 that we’ll be over 300 family or primary care physicians short," Dr. Kunar said.

Heritage College Dean, Dr. Bill Burke says that hits close to home.

“Within Franklin County alone there are over 20 federally declared manpower shortage areas," Dr. Bill Burke said.

In 2011 the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation recognized the problem and offered a forward-thinking solution - a 105-million-dollar gift to the Heritage College, to start a new campus in Dublin.

Fifty students comprised the pioneer class. Their lecturers were in Dublin or broadcast live from the Athens campus, and they had hands-on clinical skills, anatomy and OMM training right on campus.

“The faculty and staff here are incredible. The support staff has been second to none," Dr. Passen said.

OhioHealth hospitals and the physicians at those sites who provided critical training experiences for Heritage College students stepped up in a big way, providing opportunities for these students to rotate through key medical specialties.

“This campus wouldn’t be possible without partnership, and great partnership with OhioHealth is a clear example of that," Dr. Ken Johnson, Heritage College Executive Dean and Ohio University Chief Medical Affairs Officer said.

"Such as Mansfield and Marion and Dublin Methodist, where I am at. We’ve never had a medical student step through the door until two years ago," Dr. Kunar said.

The staff here wanted the best and brightest, but also critically important? Local students, who wished to specialize in primary care.

“Primary care encompasses family medicine, pediatricians, and internal medicine practiced in the office," Dr. Passen said.

“That was the mission of this campus is to sort of fast-track students to be interested in primary care, people that are interested in helping their communities," Dr. Chris Buchsieb, a new graduate said.

Chris Buchsieb is just what everyone hoped for in the new graduates. He plans to work in primary care, he’s from Central Ohio, and he’ll do his residency at Riverside Methodist Hospital.

“I’m looking forward to going back to train at the hospital that I was born in," Dr. Buchsieb said.

The connection between many within the first class to Central Ohio is no accident.

“Our goal was to try to attract students from Central Ohio, train them in Central Ohio, and keep them in Central Ohio," Dr. Johnson said.

A home-grown solution to easing the doctor shortage.

Really, it’s about community," Dr. Buchsieb said.

The new, beautifully designed space, OhioHealth Family Medicine Grant, opened on October 30 and is an option for the full-spectrum of primary care services downtown. It is also the home of the Grant Family Medicine residency program. Services are provided by both family medicine residents and the board-certified family medicine faculty. The 23,000 square foot office provides:

• Primary care medical home with the option for same-day walk-in visits and extended hours for additional convenience (9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday)
• Wellness, prevention and illness care for all ages, newborns to seniors.
• Comprehensive obstetrics care, including prenatal visits, delivery at Grant and postpartum care by family medicine physicians, as well as the opportunity for group prenatal care using the Centering Pregnancy model.
• Pediatric wellness and illness care for newborns, children and adolescents.
• Focused primary care services for special populations, including geriatrics, substance-dependent mothers and patients recently discharged from the hospital.
• X-ray and lab services
• 40 examination rooms
• An appropriate, alternative primary care option for patients currently seeking emergency care for primary care needs, with the ability to establish as a regular patient and have an ongoing medical home
• Free parking in the Blue Garage or free valet parking at the Surgical and Heart Center across the street.

“OhioHealth Family Medicine Grant expands access to care to those who live and work downtown and provides a primary care medical home for patients to ensure they are receiving the right care, at the right place, at the right time, at an affordable cost,” said Michael Lawson, president, OhioHealth Grant Medical Center. “Some patients who visit the emergency department at Grant have conditions that can best be treated by a primary care physician. This new location provides them with convenient access to care for those non-life threatening conditions.”

Other benefits to patients who receive their primary care in an office-based practice like OhioHealth Family Medicine Grant, instead of the emergency department, include:

• Typically faster service than in the emergency department, because these primary care providers are dedicated to non-life threatening healthcare needs.
• The cost of visiting a primary care physician is significantly lower than the cost of a visit to the emergency department.

Medical Education

OhioHealth Family Medicine Grant supports the development of future generations of physicians who will see patients at this location, giving the residency program one true home.

“As we think about the future of healthcare, it’s important that we continue to support medical education,” said Joel Shaw, MD, director of medical education at Grant. “With the opening of this location, the Grant Family Medicine Residency will have a true home. With all of our 30+ family medicine residents in one location, we will ensure that we are providing them with the best possible residency experience that is truly collaborative.”

The Grant Family Practice Centers and Outpatient Care Center will transition to the new site over a three-year period from the three current locations:

• Grant Outpatient Care Enter – 393 E. Town Street
• Grant Family Practice Center – OhioHealth Grove City Health Center, 2030 Stringtown Road
• Grant Family Practice Center, OhioHealth Eastside Health Center, 4850 E. Main Street

As the residents will be transitioning away from at the Grove City Health Center and Eastside Health Center, OhioHealth Physician Group plans to add primary care physicians in or near both locations and is currently recruiting to do so. Additionally, family medicine residents from OhioHealth Doctors Hospital will remain at the Grove City Health Center.

“This new location also offers a great service to the downtown community, which has a shortage of primary care physicians,” said Dr. Shaw. “Our goal is always to keep patients at the center of everything we do, and I believe we’re doing that as we’ll be able to offer this convenient and high quality service for our patients for years to come.”

About OhioHealth

OhioHealth is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, charitable, healthcare outreach of the United Methodist Church. Based in Columbus, Ohio, OhioHealth is currently recognized as one of the top five large health systems in America by Truven Health Analytics, an honor it has received six times. It is also recognized by FORTUNE Magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” and has been for 11 years in a row, 2007-2017.

Serving its communities since 1891, it is a family of 29,000 associates, physicians and volunteers, and a network of 11 hospitals, 50+ ambulatory sites, hospice, home-health, medical equipment and other health services spanning a 40-county area.

OhioHealth hospitals include OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital, OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital, OhioHealth Hardin Memorial Hospital, OhioHealth Marion General Hospital, OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, OhioHealth Shelby Hospital and OhioHealth Rehabilitation Hospital. For more information, please visit our website at www.ohiohealth.com.

During this event, 40 students from the medical school and the physician assistant program at OHIO’s College of Health Sciences and Professions received presentations on how to handle mass casualty situations and then were given an opportunity to apply what they have learned through mass casualty simulations – one simulating a structural collapse and another simulating a school shooting.

A number of emergency medicine physicians from OhioHealth, members of Summa Health System – Akron campus simulation team, and representatives from local agencies engaged in emergency response spent the day on site at the Heritage College, Dublin, to conduct the training.

The hope with the program is to show the innovative disaster preparedness training these future health care leaders are receiving through the collaboration between first responders, OhioHealth and the Heritage College.

They say that practice makes perfect. But how do you get that hands on practice when you are preparing to be a doctor or a surgeon? At OhioHealth, there is a team that specializes in making sure it is as real as it can be.

Within OhioHealth Medical Education lives a group of very passionate workers. One of those team members inside the Human Simulation team is Katie Minser. Minser, 27, has a background that you wouldn't necessarily think would be in charge of an anatomy lab, but it is right where she wants to be. You see, Minser has a theater set design background. Now, she is in charge of ordering cadaver parts, setting up scenarios, and building trainers for others to learn from.

“It was kind of the left brain-right brain pull,” she told The Columbus Dispatch. “I still wanted to be artistic, but I still wanted to help people, and I wanted to work in medicine, because I always thought it was kind of like a fascinating puzzle.”

Minser takes great pride and care when it comes to setting up orders from a tissue bank in Arizona. She knows that what they are working on is beyond this life, the work being done could save a life now.

“You have to remember that this, at one point, was somebody’s mother, somebody’s father, somebody’s somebody,” she told the Dispatch.

For some of the work being done in the labs, Minser actually uses animal parts. She says many of those parts are as close to human anatomy as you can find. On occasion she will call up a butcher shop and order cow eyes, pig lungs, and more.

She says the people working there are usually curious at the start of their conversations, but once they learn about what the animal parts will be used for, they are very impressed.

On the other hand, trying to get Minser's mother to be able to describe to friends and family exactly what she does day in and day out isn't as easy!

"I'm kind of the wizard behind the door. So Mom will tell people, well, she deals with some dead people, she is in the lab, well, I'm not sure what she does all the time. I tell her mom, just say she works in medical education, and we'll stick to that!"

"It's weird," she acknowledged to the Dispatch. "It is like having my own creature shop."

To read the article from The Columbus Dispatch, simply click the logo.

Medical malpractice depositions probably rank high on the list of things physicians hope to never be involved in. However, statistics suggest physicians will most likely have to face at least one in the course of their careers.

Residents in the OhioHealth Grant Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program appreciate being educated and prepared for anything they may face in their careers, including being deposed. Fortunately, another group of individuals in downtown Columbus could also use some help preparing for depositions – students at Capital University Law School.

Sarah Sams, MD, Associate Program Director, Grant Family Medicine Residency, had the idea to create a program to benefit both her residents and the law students. After discussing her idea with Capital, the law school created an interdisciplinary deposition course aimed at providing cross-disciplinary training to medical residents and law students.

“Residents need this experience,” Dr. Sams explained. “The chance of getting deposed at one time or another in their career is super high.”

The law students’ final exam for this course requires them to defend a medical expert’s deposition in a mock medical malpractice case. Third year residents from Grant play the role of both the defendant doctor in the medical malpractice action and the plaintiff’s expert witness. Prior to the exam, the law students and residents meet for a brief preparation session to discuss the deposition process, resident concerns and potential deposition questions.

The Grant Family Medicine residents participate in this course as part of the Practice Management component of their program. They receive instruction on the ways physicians interact with the legal system during a Practice Management Boot Camp and monthly sessions so by the time they participate in this course, they have a full understanding of its importance.

“Invaluable,” is how Lola Oluyitan, MD, PGY3, in the Grant Family Medicine Residency, described her participation in this course. “It is a great experience to actually put yourself in that position,” she said.

The law students appreciate the residents’ participation as well, considering before this program evolved the law students would play the doctor roles. Adam Rhodes, second-year student at Capital University Law School explained it is helpful for the residents to bring their terminology and knowledge of medicine to the process.

“It is nice real-world experience for everyone. It offers something bigger than what we see on paper,” Rhodes said.

Local media was on-hand to view the depositions.  To view the NBC4 story, click the video above.  To read The Columbus Dispatch article, click on their logo.  

Imagine being a medical student. You’ve sat in class and you’ve read countless textbooks. You’ve spent hours studying and taking tests. Maybe you’ve even watched medical dramas on TV. But now it’s finally time for you to go into a hospital and experience patient care first hand. You’re ready, right?

That first trip into a trauma bay or operating room can be intimidating. Medical professionals moving around, all with a critical job to do. A patient is laying on the gurney, scared and in pain following a car crash.  Maybe they're even unconscious. And you’re right there in the middle of it. Suddenly you seem to have forgotten everything you’ve learned.

“I’ve seen people panic and be frozen,” says Shay O’Mara, MD, medical director of trauma services at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center. “It can be completely confusing and the situations can be terrible. It helps to have at least had some sort of simulated experience beforehand.”

Eric Williams, the co-creator of the Immersive Media Initiative and associate professor in media arts and studies at Ohio University in Athens, had an idea. What if medical students could go behind the scenes at a hospital first and really experience it, without physically being there?

With immersive media and virtual reality, they can do just that.

“It really allows the viewer to step into an actual location,” says Eric. “Imagine if you are a surgeon in an operating room. You can now have 100 medical students looking ‘over your shoulder.’ Not only that, they can look beyond where a traditional camera wants you to look – they’re able to look in literally every direction, plus have360 degree

 audio. You can hear the monitors behind you, someone talking across you. You can look up an

d see the monitor. All of that is possible in immersive media.

Eric and his team of students from Ohio University, as well as Dr. Petra Williams, assistant professor in the department of physical therapy at Northern Arizona University, recently spent a day in the trauma bay at Grant. They set up their 360 degree cameras to capture every angle of the trauma bay. They then stitched the video clips together into one file. When the medical student views the footage using special goggles, they can see the room from any direction.

“We can use this new technology in a more powerful way to educate our students to be ready to enter high-risk, high-intensity healthcare situations that have low tolerance for error,” says Dr. Williams.

“Medical students think they are ready for intense real life situations and they get in those real life situations and they freeze or they forget,” says Eric. “So the idea is, how do you acclimate students to that level of realism? This is one of those steps to get them ready. Go spend 20 minutes in the heat of a trauma situation. We’d eventually like to shoot in the back of an ambulance or in a helicopter, just to simulate what those experiences are like.”

“The transition into a clinical site often takes time for a medical student to get up to speed quickly,” says Dr. Williams. “We want to use this immersive technology which gives you that physical presence in a place they haven’t been. But can we also facilitate their transition in competence? To begin to train their eyes and ears in real situations where they can being to develop their competence sooner and faster.”

Medical students at OU will begin using the videos this school year as part of their education. And Eric says this is just the beginning of ways this technology can be used.

“We are figuring it out and it’s great that we are figuring it out with OhioHealth.”

The team at Grant is excited to be involved with a project that is helping to educate the next generation of physicians.

“This is sort of the next generation of educational materials,” says Dr. O’Mara. “We always talk about 'how do we orient people to the chaos of the trauma bay without putting them in the middle of it and being involved in patient care before they ever even seen it.' This gives us the opportunity to allow people to see what is happening in a chaotic situation without being in the way or putting anyone at risk. This is just a fantastic experience. We can’t wait to see the final product.”

Through partnerships with Pickerington Local School District, Ohio University and a medical college in Nashville — OhioHealth is bringing high school and college students onto our campuses to learn about healthcare up close. For us, it’s an opportunity to inspire and educate the next generation of quality medical professionals. It could also lead some of them to come here and practice.

A new level of learning in Pickerington

High school seniors in the Pickerington Local School District don’t just learn about biomedical science.

They live it.

Thanks to a new partnership between the school district and OhioHealth Pickerington Medical Campus, 38 students are taking classes on-site at the campus. The students, all seniors, enrolled in the district’s biomedical sciences program to learn about healthcare careers, conduct research, meet with experts and watch real-life medical procedures.

The program, based out of the campus’ 2,000-square-foot learning space, is equipped with technology, such as stress testing devices, a medical-grade treadmill, microscopes, smart TVs and 3D printers. Students also visit departments on campus and, as the year progresses, will complete job shadowing and internships.

“It changes the game for us,” says teacher Andy Harris. “Instead of having a healthcare provider come in and speak to our students in a classroom, now we can actually walk down the hallway and see things in action. We can see what the real healthcare world looks like.”

For Jenn Miller, MA, AT, ATC, OhioHealth’s coordinator for the program, witnessing the students’ enthusiasm has been incredible. They’re interested in anesthesiology, nursing, emergency medicine, sports medicine and surgery. Some want to conduct concussion research, others dream of curing cancer or building prosthetic limbs.

“They come up with amazing questions that baffle me every day,” she says. “They want to see so much. They want to learn. I’m so impressed with how much they know and how much they really want to use what they’re learning to change the face of healthcare.”

Rob Davies, PT, director of the OhioHealth Pickerington Medical Campus, says the partnership is also an opportunity for associates.

“Taking part in teaching the minds of future healthcare providers is a very powerful opportunity for us,” he says. “We’re excited about sharing knowledge and gaining knowledge at the same time.”

Partners in training

Our relationship with The Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine has long been a strong one. Now we’re building on that relationship by collaborating with the university’s Dublin campus to provide students with clinical training.

Offering clinical training for medical students is not unusual in itself, says Doug Knutson, MD, system vice president for academic affairs. What’s different is OhioHealth participates directly in devising how to best implement Dublin students’ clinical trainings, which begin with half-day experiences in the first year of medical school and continue on to clinical rotations in the third and fourth years.

The hope is, by having these students train at our care sites, they’ll go on to complete their residencies here and, ultimately, work for our organization.

Collaboration begins even before the clinical experiences start with our representatives assisting in the recruitment of students into the university’s medical program.

“We’re able to help choose students who are more patient-centered and will fit in well with our OhioHealth culture,” Dr. Knutson says.

Bill Burke, DO, dean of the Ohio University Dublin campus and former head of medical education at OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, says the collaboration also benefits the university.

“When you’re working with an innovative and cutting-edge institution like OhioHealth, you can take advantage of that knowledge and expertise,” says Dr. Burke. “It helps us make sure we are also innovating and that we’re producing the type of student who is going to manage healthcare in the future.”

Summer learning

Two medical students from Meharry Medical College, one of the nation's oldest and largest historically black academic health science centers, traveled to Ohio this summer to participate in externships at our hospitals.

These externships are part of an effort to bring diverse students, especially those with Ohio roots, here to train and, eventually, to practice.

One of those students, Sterling Atkins, a second-year medical student, spent eight weeks helping conduct research on educational materials for stroke patients at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital. He also shadowed vascular neurologist William J. Hicks II, MD.

“It was really awesome,” he says. “I got to run around with Dr. Hicks whenever there was a stroke alert in the hospital. I got to see a couple of interventional radiology procedures. I got to see it really happen.”

This story was originally published in the November/December 2015 issue of UpFront, an OhioHealth associate publication.