The gift will support several initiatives, including the funding of student scholarships, the procurement of healthcare training equipment, and the construction of a new health sciences center.
Columbus State Community College has received $1.5 million from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation, an organization seeking to improve healthcare and quality of life. Columbus State Community College has announced its plans to work toward doubling the number of healthcare graduates it educates to take up careers in the region’s healthcare facilities, and this significant gift from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation will help bolster that initiative.
According to an article on Columbus State Community College’s website, Katy Trombitas, who serves as the vice president for advancement and as the executive director of the college’s foundation, shared her enthusiasm for the gift and what it means for the college. She is quoted as saying, “The generous support from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation is a powerful endorsement of Columbus State and our students as vital contributors to regional healthcare. Together, we’re advancing a model that allows students to gain access to affordable education and healthcare careers, while the community reaps the rewards of a diverse, well-trained workforce.”
The gift from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation will support two key components in the school’s mission to double its output of healthcare graduates. The gift will help fund an endowment that will assist students in paying for their healthcare education. It will also go toward the procurement of healthcare education equipment, including patient beds, EKG machines, surgical equipment, and more. The money will also help pay for equipment upkeep and maintenance.
As part of the school’s mission, it is also planning to begin construction on a new healthcare training center in the spring of 2025. The center, OhioHealth Center for Health Sciences, was funded in part by OhioHealth’s donation of $25 million. The center will increase the school’s capacity to train healthcare students.
Speaking of Columbus State Community College’s venture, Susan Beaudry, the vice president of the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation, said, “The impact of this initiative by Columbus State will be felt far beyond the walls of the college, through the lives transformed by educational opportunity and the communities strengthened through improved access to healthcare.”
For more information about Columbus State Community College, visit the school’s website.