Strategic Plan

The Baptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine Strategic Plan 

“Expanding Horizons in Medical Excellence” 

The Baptist Health Sciences University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (BUCOM) is part of a 115-year history of education and health care in the Mid-South area. Baptist University has grown from a single diploma of nursing program in 1912 to a university awarding associate, baccalaureate, and doctoral degrees in a variety of health care programs. Baptist University partners organizationally and strategically with Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation (BMHCC) to fulfill the 115-year mission of healing, preaching, and teaching for the communities we serve. Baptist Memorial Health Care provides a comprehensive care network that includes six full-service hospitals, ten community hospitals, six critical access hospitals, a specialized women’s and children’s hospital with a dedicated pediatric emergency unit, a comprehensive cancer care network, fitness and rehabilitation centers, urgent care clinics, imaging centers, ambulatory services, and a large and diverse physician network. Baptist Memorial Medical Education residency and fellowship programs and the Baptist Clinical Research Institute further strengthen Baptist’s ability to provide exceptional care. Wherever you go in the Baptist health system, you find the same shared goal - to help people achieve health for life through compassionate service inspired by faith. 

The University’s bold new venture is to build a college of osteopathic medicine that aspires to be among the most forward-thinking medical schools in the nation.  

Goal A.
Develop clinically skillful, compassionate, and culturally competent physicians who are grounded in osteopathic philosophy and ready to meet future healthcare workforce needs.  

Initiative 1: Build an academically successful and diverse student body that is committed to the mission of BUCOM and the values of osteopathic medicine.  

Initiative 2: Leverage BMHCC’s extensive network of hospitals, clinics, residency and fellowship programs, and care settings to provide exceptional clinical rotations and unique opportunities to prepare BUCOM students to excel in graduate medical education. 

Initiative 3: Support existing graduate medical education programs and expand the graduate medical education pipeline to better meet community needs within our defined service area.    

Initiative 4: Assist interested graduate medical education programs in meeting the requirements of osteopathic recognition. 

Goal B. 
Train physicians to provide exceptional patient-centered care with an emphasis on primary care and interprofessional team-based care that addresses the needs of the community, especially underserved and underrepresented populations.  

Initiative 1: Recruit medical school applicants from areas of pervasive disparities in health care, especially in underserved urban and rural communities impacted by sociodemographic inequities. 

Initiative 2: Expand BUCOM’s presence across Arkansas, Mississippi, and West Tennessee, with a focus on increasing access to care in these communities, particularly primary care for underserved and underrepresented patient populations.  

Initiative 3: Leverage relationships with existing BHSU graduate and undergraduate health care programs to provide innovative longitudinal interprofessional simulation and learning experiences throughout the curriculum.  

Goal C. 
Invest in the people, systems, and infrastructure required to achieve institutional excellence, support future growth, and create a culture of wellness and engagement for the BUCOM community.   

Initiative 1: Attract and retain well-qualified faculty to support future growth in medical education, research, and quality clinical care.  

Initiative 2: Develop systems and processes to facilitate effective operations, communication, and stewardship of resources. 

Initiative 3: Build a state-of-the-art facility around best practices in medical education. 

Goal D. 
Advance research, innovation, and scholarly activity to improve health and wellness for all.

Initiative 1: In partnership with BCRI, conduct multidisciplinary research that advances basic and clinical science, including osteopathic manipulative medicine and osteopathic principles and practices. 

Initiative 2: Identify pathways to provide students the knowledge and skills needed to embrace research and scholarly pursuits.  

Initiative 3: Create a research environment that supports and sustains excellence. 

Initiative 4: Collaborate with like-minded partners for biomedical, clinical, osteopathic manipulative medicine, osteopathic principles and practices, and educational research in the Mid-South region. 

Initiative 5: Establish an osteopathic neuro muscular medicine clinic in which faculty and students can care for patients and conduct osteopathic clinical research. 

Implementation Team Members Responsible for Plan Development 
Dr. Betty Sue McGarvey, President-BHSU
Dr. Barry Schultz, Provost / Vice President of Academic Affairs-BHSU
Dr. Peter Bell, Dean/Vice Provost-BUCOM
Dr. David Klink, Senior Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs-BUCOM
Dr. Beth Choby, Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs-BUCOM 
Dr. Alisa Dyson, Assistant Dean of Academics-BUCOM 
Dr. Adonna Caldwell, Vice President of Administrative Services-BHSU 
Dr. Tammy Fowler, Vice President of Enrollment Management & Student Affairs-BHSU 
Leanne Smith, Vice President of Financial & Business Services-BHSU 
Megan Bursi, Director of Marketing & Alumni Affairs-BHSU 
Dr. Cameron Conn, Director of Planning & Institutional Effectiveness-BHSU 
Dr. Magaret DeBon, Executive Director, Developmental Research-BCRI 
Dr. Mark Swanson, Vice President and CEO-BMG
Dr. Anne Sullivan, ACGME DIO, Chief Academic Officer-BMME 
Dr. Collins Rainey, Medical Education-BMME 

Notes: The Baptist Clinical Research Institute (BCRI)is BUCOM’s system affiliate and partner in achieving our primary research initiatives. The Baptist Memorial Medical Group (BMG) is BUCOM’s system affiliate and partner in developing clinics. Baptist Memorial Medical Education is BUCOM’s system affiliate and partner in achieving our GME initiatives. 

BUCOM Strategic Plan 2023-2028