LYNCHBURG, Va., July 9, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The
Liberty University Office of the
Provost has announced the appointment of Joseph R. Johnson, DO, FACOOG (Dist.) to the
position of dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM),
effective July 1.
Johnson has been serving as interim dean since December 2020.
"Prior to Dr. Johnson's arrival, Liberty's leadership set a goal
to take LUCOM as a well-established osteopathic medical college,
both in mission and outreach efforts, to the next level of medical
education with more faculty physicians and clinical partners, as
well as increase the number of clinical experiences and medical
education programs for our students," said Liberty Provost and
Chief Academic Officer Scott Hicks.
"We are excited to have Dr. Johnson continue to lead us in this new
role and advance medical training, technology, funding, and
research at LUCOM. His deep desire to serve Christ, and others
above self, makes Him the right leader for LUCOM."
Johnson came to Liberty with over 26 years in the medical field
in active obstetrical and advanced surgical roles. He developed
Oklahoma's first Project ECHO
(Extension for Community Health Care Outcomes), an effort that
joined medical education with care management to empower clinicians
to provide specialty care to rural and underserved communities all
while serving at Oklahoma State
University. He earned his Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine
from the National College of
Chiropractic Medicine in Lombard,
Ill., and his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from the
University of Health Sciences – College of Osteopathic Medicine in
Kansas City, Mo.
Johnson said he is committed to growing LUCOM into a "top five
osteopathic medical school with increased academic opportunities
and clinical rotations that are meaningful — rotations that bring
our students in front of residency directors and residencies at
hospitals, which is the next step of what medical students are
looking for."
He is also committed to serving God with his profession,
emphasizing "service over self."
"The future of LUCOM education and the vision is to allow our
medical students to see how Christian providers work with their
patients and are able to take the healing message to a patient, but
also take the message of Christ to a patient," Johnson said. "We
are trying to produce the next generation of osteopathic physicians
— Champions for Christ — and that requires a lot of us working
together to share with the students our relationship with Christ,
and to mentor them on what it truly means to be a physician of that
quality."
Under Johnson's leadership, working closely with LUCOM
Admissions, LUCOM will soon welcome 162 osteopathic medicine
students in its eighth class.
"Building on the successes of the past, including increased MCAT
scores for admitted students, rising licensing exam scores,
excellent match rates for graduates entering residency programs,
faculty recruitment and development, my goal is to take these 162
students into LUCOM and then graduate 162 new osteopathic medicine
physicians four years later to get them into residency," Johnson
said.
"When I first arrived, it was important to look at the end in
mind and ask: 'What does a medical student that is very, very
successful, has good academics and passes their boards with flying
colors and gets into the residency programs of their choice look
like? And then reverse engineer that to, what does our pipeline
development look like," he explained. "We want to build a robust
pipeline where applicants desire to come to Liberty University and to LUCOM over other
programs. We want to secure our relationship with students and
their families, so the students only want to come to Liberty University. Even if that means waiting a
year to get in — we know that they know that Liberty University is the osteopathic medical
college they are looking for."
Johnson said LUCOM will maintain its steady course of student
recruitment.
"We are adding new teaching platforms with an emphasis on
curriculum design. We are expanding our learning resources for
testing and board preparations. We will develop new clinical
opportunities in rural and underserved areas of Virginia that will provide expanded access for
patients' healthcare. And we will maintain relationships with our
incredible, hard-working alumni," he said. "I am thankful for my
leadership team — Dr. Chad Brands,
Dr. Tim Leonard, and Chris Kennedy — and equally appreciative of the
support from Liberty University Provost
Dr. Scott Hicks. All of us at
Liberty University — faculty and staff,
leadership, and students — are a part of the body of Christ and it
is through His guidance and grace upon Liberty and the work we are
doing, that we may take LUCOM to new heights and continue our
education needs in teaching osteopathic manipulative medicine."
The recruitment process for naming a new dean was carried out
through a collaborative agreement with industry leaders in academic
healthcare system and medical education recruiting, Merritt Hawkins & Associates and AMN
Healthcare.
Media Contact
Office of Communications & Public Engagement, Liberty University, 4345926836,
scottlamb@liberty.edu
SOURCE Liberty University