Congressman Guy Reschenthaler has put IUP’s proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine in his wish list for funding in the 2025 fiscal year for community projects.
Reschenthaler is requesting $2 million for the proposed college, and he said that it would be used as funding to support facility infrastructure, equipment and other project-related expenses for the new school. This comes on the heels of a $150,000 allocation in federal Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2024, which was sponsored by Reschenthaler and Senator John Fetterman and was signed into law on March 9th.
In his statement, Reschethaler called it a valuable use of taxpayer funds because “it will help build a rural osteopathic medical school in an underserved area and increase healthcare access for the surrounding area.”
IUP President Dr. Michael Driscoll said he was appreciative of the support provided by Reschenthaler saying that he got the chance to speak with the congressman about the role universities play to support community needs. He added that once it’s open, “the college will provide a financially feasible career path for students to become medical doctors and will add physician resources that are sorely lacking in rural western Pennsylvania.”
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