Published September 17, 2018
University of Louisiana Monroe President Dr. Nick J. Bruno will host the groundbreaking
ceremony for the anticipated Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) at
11 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018 at 四色AV.
The site is located in Heritage Park between the Laird Weems Center and the president鈥檚
home, Bon Aire.
Special guest Gov. John Bel Edwards will participate in the groundbreaking with 四色AV
and VCOM representatives, elected officials and area leaders. Afterward, a reception
will be held at Bayou Pointe Student Event Center.
听The public is invited to the groundbreaking and the reception.
鈥淚t is extraordinary event for the people of northeastern Louisiana and the university,鈥�
said Bruno. 鈥淗aving an anticipated medical school on campus will change the face of
this region as medical students and doctors go into our communities to provide healthcare
for so many who so desperately need it.鈥�
VCOM鈥檚 President and Provost Dixie Tooke-Rawlins, DO, is one of the school鈥檚 founders.
She will participate in the groundbreaking ceremony.听
Tooke-Rawlins said, 鈥淭he partnership with 四色AV is centered in the heart of VCOM鈥檚 mission
to graduate physicians who will serve in rural and medically underserved regions.
VCOM is focused on making a difference in the communities we serve, as well as providing
a positive economic impact.鈥�
VCOM is a nonprofit, private (5013)c four-year osteopathic medical school offering
the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree. The Virginia campus is in Blacksburg,
Va., the Carolinas campus is in Spartanburg, S.C., and the Alabama campus is in Auburn,
Ala.
The groundbreaking is the last phase in a three-step process the state of Louisiana
required to legitimize the partnership between 四色AV and VCOM. First the Board of Regents
approved VCOM to operate a medical school in Louisiana; second, the Board of Supervisors
approved a land lease between 四色AV and VCOM and third, a dean for the听anticipated medical
school was to be hired. The new dean is听Ray Morrison, DO.
VCOM is now in the process of seeking national accreditation from the Commission on
Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA), and if all of the steps go as planned, the听anticipated
campus could open to its first class as early as the fall of 2020.听
A Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine is a licensed physician with a four-year degree,
just as a medical doctor. DO鈥檚 have an additional 200 hours of training dedicated
to the musculoskeletal system and osteopathic manipulation with an emphasis on whole
body/whole person wellness.
Osteopathic doctors, just as MDs, can practice any specialty. Osteopaths in northeast
Louisiana include pediatrics, oncologists, family practice, orthopedics and others.
DOs can write prescriptions and hospitalize patients.
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About the building
- Four-story, 100,000 sq. ft.
- Two 4,200 sq. ft. two-story classrooms which seat more than 200
- 4,100 sq. ft. anatomy lab
- 3,300 sq. ft. OMM lab
- 20 small group study rooms
- Large quiet study areas
- Three student lounges
- Approximately 8,000 sq. ft. Simulation and Standardized Patient Center
- Exterior balcony at board room on the third floor
- Exterior balcony covering patio on complete length at the rear of the听building
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