Osteopathic college in Fort Smith on track, ASU effort hit with a denial

The planned Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine at Chaffee Crossing in Fort Smith remains on track for a fall 2016 opening, but the application by NYiT for an osteopathic college at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro has been denied.

The NYiT College of Osteopathic Medicine had applied for an “Additional Location” request with the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the Jonesboro campus. COCA sent a letter to NYiT on Sept. 22, informing them the request was denied. Notice of the denial was made in a Dec. 15 letter from the Arkansas Osteopathic Medical Association to its members.

The City Wire contacted Konrad Miskowicz-Retz, associate vice president of accreditation for COCA, to learn why the request was denied. The only response from COCA was to confirm the request had been denied.

In July, the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board granted NYiT certification for three degrees to be offered at the Jonesboro location. At the time, NYiT said it would invest $6 million in the Jonesboro operation, and ASU planned to invest $4 million.

“Collaborating with a nationally respected, well-established osteopathic medical school and dozens of partners in the mid-South medical community will enable us to address the shortage of primary care physicians in the underserved Delta,” ASU Chancellor Dr. Tim Hudson said in a statement.

The Arkansas Osteopathic Medical Association (AOMA) did not endorse the NYiT effort to locate a campus in Jonesboro. Among several objections, the AOMA did not believe physicians trained in Jonesboro would remain in Arkansas because the NYiT residency programs are not in Arkansas. The 10 categories reviewed by COCA for an additional location includes “a letter of comment” from a state association. (Link here for the official accreditation standards and procedures.)

“The AOMA supports the responsible growth of the osteopathic profession and thereby respects the decision of the COCA to deny NYIT of their substantive change request,” noted a statement from AOMA sent to The City Wire. “Our association supports and endorses organizations who adhere to the COCA's College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) Accreditation Standards and Procedures.”

Despite the September denial, ASU officials believe the process is on track for a fall 2016 opening.

“The quest for a College of Osteopathic Medicine is on schedule,” Hudson wrote in a letter dated Nov. 21, almost two months after COCA notified the parties that the application for the Jonesboro campus was denied.

In the same letter, Hudson said he appreciated the work of NYiT to open the school for students in the fall of 2016. The September rejection does make a fall 2016 opening more difficult based on the procedural time required by COCA.

‘MISLEADING’ AOMA STATEMENT
Jeff Hankins, vice president for strategic communications and economic development for ASU, said the AOMA is “misleading” in its portrayal of the application denial. Hankins issued this statement to The City Wire when asked about the denial and Hudson’s belief that the accreditation process is on track: “The e-mail distributed today by the Arkansas Osteopathic Medical Association concerning the status of NYIT’s partnership with Arkansas State to develop an additional osteopathic medical school in Jonesboro is misleading and without context regarding the complex accreditation process.

“Frankly, we are disappointed that the AOMA is attempting to politicize the accreditation process and that the organization never contacted us for clarification on our standing. In fact, the AOMA has never provided our partnership’s efforts to advance osteopathic medical education in Arkansas any assistance, refusing at times to answer basic questions regarding procedure or to engage in dialogue with principals guiding the process.

“As is common with these types of applications, our initial petition resulted in a denial by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation with a clear description of the additional information they require. We look forward to our next presentation to the COCA on April 18 when we will provide this information.

“We remain confident that NYIT-COM’s additional site on the Arkansas State University campus will be approved, and we continue to anticipate a fall 2016 opening. Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee of NYIT will be establishing an office on the A-State campus in January to continue ongoing planning.”

The AOMA rejected Hankin’s claims of politicizing the process or attempting to mislead. The AOMA issued this statement: “(T)he AOMA's intent was to address queries regarding information that concerns the osteopathic profession in Arkansas. The AOMA reported the news given to us and stated the facts accordingly and accurately. The AOMA has made no attempt to discredit NYIT-COM or ASU, and are deeply saddened by ASU's VP for Strategic Communications erroneous comments about means for keeping interested parties informed with accurate information.

“Our information can be validated by the national accrediting agency – COCA. Members of our organization found it misleading when information regarding COCA's action to deny NYIT was not effectively communicated to them by NYIT or ASU following the initial decision or their lack of filing an appeal of the decision. With regards to Mr. Hankins statements about our association's lack of support or communication with their project: We again are saddened by these statements. As Mr. Hankins well knows, for numerous years prior to NYIT's involvement, the AOMA met with and attempted to aid ASU in their efforts to establish a school of their own. Our association has appropriately documented every meeting with their institution and its leaders.”

OSTEOPATHIC COLLEGE IN FORT SMITH
The process seems smoother in Fort Smith. Kyle Parker, president and CEO of the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine, said dirt is literally being moved to prepare for the planned fall 2016 opening with a first cohort of 150 students.

The new osteopathic school will be housed in a three story, 100,000-square-foot building valued at more than $31 million.

A fully operational osteopathic college is expected to serve about 600 students, and employ around 65 (full-time equivalent jobs) with an average salary of $103,000. That impact does not include adjunct professors that will be needed for the school. The school is located on Chaffee Crossing land (200 acres) donated by the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority.

Parker said construction pads are finished on 27 acres, and $32.5 million has been placed in escrow as part of the COCA requirements. The college will get the money back after the first class graduates. The COCA staff has reviewed and approved a feasibility study, according to Parker, with a site visit planned for early 2015. The next stage of review with COCA is set for April, with “provisional” approval hoped for in August.

Also, the college has hired 13 employees, including senior staff.

Parker would not directly discuss the NYiT application denial.

“I don’t know why they (NYiT) failed or why they were denied. … We’re just working on what we are doing here in Fort Smith,” Parker said.