2024 Year in Review
Dear Friends,
As I reflect on 2024 at OSU Center for Health Sciences, I could not possibly be prouder
of what our team has accomplished. As they say, this past year has been one for the
record books.
A major milestone that drew international media attention was the historic first graduating
class from the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation in Tahlequah.
These 46 students are the first to graduate from the nation’s first tribally affiliated
medical school, and we know a large percentage of this class are now doing their residency
programs in rural Oklahoma communities. This campus is a key part of our strategic
mission to train physicians who will someday serve rural and underserved communities
in our state.
This year also saw some of our researchers garnering international media attention
for CHS. Specifically, Dr. Kyle Simmons, a professor of pharmacology and the director
of our biomedical imaging center, is conducting groundbreaking research on the use
of semaglutide for treating alcohol use disorder. As the world waits with anticipation
on how GLP-1 medications can improve many aspects of human health and wellness, I’m
grateful to see OSU Center for Health Sciences on the front lines making a difference.
In late summer, we hosted a “topping off” ceremony to mark 50% construction completion
on the new veterans hospital in downtown Tulsa. We were joined by federal, state,
county and city officials who have lent their unwavering support to this project,
along with loyal donors and other partners who are working to make this big idea a
reality. We look forward to completing construction in fall of 2025 and opening the
hospital in 2026.
Another exciting effort underway is our OSU Medicine Virtual Care initiative, as advancing
technology allows us to reach across our state and provide specialty care where it’s
desperately needed. Remote patient monitoring and virtual services in cardiology,
stroke care, behavioral health and hospitalist care are just a few of the efforts
OSU is leading to address both patient needs as well as health care workforce shortages.
This technology is also allowing us to provide vital care to students in rural schools
across Oklahoma.
And if these accomplishments weren’t enough, we saw a jaw-dropping 32% increase in
enrollment at OSU-CHS this fall! This reflects the increasing demand for our graduate
programs, particularly in the areas of forensic sciences and health care administration.
Enjoy these and many other topics covered in this magazine, and please stay in touch
throughout the coming year.
Go Pokes!
Johnny Stephens, Pharm D
President, OSU Center for Health Sciences