Friday 29 July 2022
Media contact: Sara Plummer | Communication Coordinator | 918-561-1282 | sara.plummer@okstate.edu
OSU Center for Health Sciences commemorated the opening of the campus’s newest North Hall building with a ribbon cutting ceremony, as well as the 50e anniversary of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at an event Thursday, July 28 in the lobby of the new facility.
The 120,000-square-foot North Hall building is home to the Chief Medical Examiner’s new office in Tulsa, as well as new anatomy and neuroanatomy labs, three classrooms, 65 graduate student study spaces, 21 conference and meeting rooms, and department and administrative office spaces .
“We are all very grateful for the culture that we have in the Cowboy family, and part of that culture is not doing it alone. We believe in collaboration and partnership, and it is our valued partners who have helped us get here today,” said OSU-CHS President Johnny Stephens. “This building represents growth both in our Physician Assistant program and in our graduate programs at OSU-CHS. New facilities like these help us attract and train the best and brightest students in the state and give us room to grow in the future.”
Working with state lawmakers, including Senator Roger Thompson and Representative Kevin Wallace, secured a portion of funding for the facility that more than doubles the square footage of the medical examiner’s office in Tulsa and doubles the size of the anatomy lab. significantly enlarged and a dedicated neuroanatomical laboratory for medical, physician assistant, and graduate program students.
“I appreciate my close friends at OSU and the medical examiner’s office coming together to work on a plan for a space that meets the critical needs of such an important state government function,” Thompson said. “I also appreciate OSU’s leadership in state health care and always support the vision of President Kayse Shrum and Dr. Stephens. I have no doubt that many more great things will come from this campus and am grateful for OSU’s many prosperous partnerships with the state of Oklahoma.”
Wallace recalled a few years ago when OSU and the Chief Physician’s Office put forward a plan for a joint space that would not only meet the needs and accreditation requirements of the Medical Examiner’s Office, but would also provide more laboratory and teaching space. for OSU to continue training the state’s next generation of physicians.
“It has been easy to support the joint effort and I know I speak on behalf of my colleagues in the House when I say we appreciate the collaboration between the two entities to realize this state-of-the-art facility for the state,” Wallace said.
dr. Eric Pfiefer, chief medical officer, said that at the heart of North Hall is an advanced and unparalleled facility.
“In my position, I’ve seen medical research offices all over the country, and this one is unmatched,” Pfeifer said, and the same can be said of OSU-CHS’ lab spaces. “What comes out of this school will rock the medical world.”
The North Hall project began while Shrum was president of OSU-CHS and dean of the medical school, and it is just the latest example of collaboration and partnership that has become a hallmark of the institution in its 50-year history.
“At OSU, we are proud of the partnerships we have forged with public, private and philanthropic entities across our great state,” said Shrum. “It is also a beautiful day on the occasion of the 50e anniversary of our College of Osteopathic Medicine and to consider the impact a facility like this will have on our mission to prepare the next generation of physicians and health professionals to serve Oklahoma.”
Several notable alumni also attended the event and spoke about their ongoing relationship with the school, including Dr. Trudy Milner, who graduated from OSU-COM in 1988 and is now a member of the OSU/A&M Board of Regents.
“I started my journey to become a doctor in 1984. I had worked as a nurse and had two young daughters, so I wasn’t your typical medical student,” Milner said. “And while the progress all around us at OSU-CHS is really something to see, I can tell you that the quality of education goes back to day one at this medical school. I have always been so proud to call myself an alumna of OSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine.”
dr. Dennis Blankenship graduated from OSU-COM in 2001 and is now interim dean of his alma mater.
“When I wanted to become a doctor, my dream was to return to my hometown and practice primary care. During my journey, I fell in love with emergency medicine and my path changed as I found a new passion in teaching,” said Blankenship. “I started educating students and residents in emergency medicine and that is still one of the best parts of my job. I am so proud of our university and our students and graduates.”
Stephens said it’s hard to believe it’s been 50 years since the college was founded to educate doctors for rural and underserved Oklahoma.
“I am proud to say that we fulfill this mission every day with more than 3,800 alumni and more than 800 physicians working across the state,” he said. “As we celebrate 50 years of our College of Osteopathic Medicine on our campus, we look forward to continuing our mission to educate primary care physicians for rural and underserved Oklahoma.”