Inaugural Trustees and officers instated.

The Board of Trustees for the proposed Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine met for the first time Monday (March 26, 2019) and instated Trustee members and approved bylaws and policies. Francis Gibson, MSW, MBA, Utah House Representative and House Majority Leader, and CEO of Orem Community Hospital was appointed Chair.

The Board of Trustees is the governing body of the proposed Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine and will oversee management responsibility for the construction, completion, and eventual operation of the proposed college as well as the management of the accreditation process.

The proposed Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine will be established in Provo and has received broad support financially and throughout Utah County. The makeup of the Trustee members demonstrates this support.

In addition to the instatement of the new Board of Trustees, the proposed Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine received letters of endorsement from Provo City, Brigham Young University, Utah Valley University, the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, the Utah Hospital Association, the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce, Utah County Commissioners, Provo School District,  hospital systems and elected officials.

Board Officers approved and instated include:

  • Francis Gibson, MSW, MBA, Board Chair
  • Morris D. Linton, Board Vice-chair
  • Sean R. Curzon, Board Secretary
  • Trevor Smith, Board Treasurer

The proposed Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine executive officers approved by the Board:

  • Richard P. Nielsen, PT, DHSc, ECS, Founding President and Chief Executive Officer
  • John Dougherty, Founding Dean
  • Jennifer Brown, CNT, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
  • Michael Rhodes, MD, Associate Dean for Medical Affairs
  • Jeff Bate, MBA, Chief Financial Office

Speaking to the Board, Gibson said, “The proposed Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine will be vital for the community, the state, and the world. I’m looking forward to working with each of you on the Board who will sacrifice and donate your time to make this medical school a great school.”

One of the key goals of the proposed Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine is to help increase the supply of doctors in the region. According to studies by the Association of American Medical Colleges, Utah is ranked 49th in the nation for active patient care, primary care physicians per 100,000 population and 44th in the nation for active physicians per 100,000. Utah is ranked 44th among all states in the number of MD and DO student enrollments with most Utah resident medical students leaving the state to pursue their medical degrees.

“As a state we are growing at a very fast pace,” said Gibson. “We already know students will stay and work where they are educated. This school will give Utah students an opportunity to receive a medical education they can use to provide healthcare to people throughout the state.”

The appointed executive staff and Board will now focus on the accreditation process as construction begins on the proposed medical school campus.

The architect for the proposed Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine is MHTN Architects based in Salt Lake City. The construction project is managed by Westland Construction based in Orem, Utah.

The inaugural proposed Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine Board of Trustees members include:

Francis Gibson, MSW, MBA –
CEO – Orem Community Hospital – Intermountain Healthcare
Majority Leader – Utah House of Representatives
Spanish Fork, UT

Richard P. Nielsen, PT, DHSc, ECS
Founding NCOM President

John Dougherty, DO, FACOFP, FAOASM, FAODME
Founding Dean

Andy Noorda
Managing Member – The Canopy Group
Lindon, UT

Greg Stuart
CEO – Strategic Partners Group
Bountiful, UT

Heather Kahlert
Vice President – The Kahlert Foundation
Lehi, UT

Sean R. Curzon, DO
Internal Medicine – Revere Health
Orem, UT

Michael Skurja, DPT
President – Wasatch Education, Inc., Chair of the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions Board of Trustees
San Diego, CA

John R. Curtis
United States Congressman – Utah’s 3rd Congressional District
Provo, UT

John F. Nemelka, MBA 
NightWatch Capital Advisors, LLC
Mapleton, UT

Brent Israelsen, JD
Executive Chairman – Thunder Biotech, Inc.
Alpine, UT

Kent Loosle
President – Mountain Point Medical Center – Steward Healthcare System  Lehi, UT

Kimball Anderson, FACHE
CEO – Timpanogos Regional Hospital
Orem, UT

Trevor Smith, PhD
System Executive Director of Health Promotion and Wellness – Intermountain Healthcare
Salt Lake City, UT

Vanessa Halvorsen, DO
Otolaryngology/Facial Plastics resident – Freeman Hospital
Joplin, MO

Jonora Searles, RN 
Vice President of Operations – EltonCo Investment
Southlake, TX

Norman Wright, PhD
Dean of the Woodbury School of Business – Utah Valley University
Orem, UT

Lieutenant Commander Shannon Lorimer, DO
Orthopedic Oncology Fellow – Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine
Salt Lake City, UT

Morris D. Linton, JD
Retired Senior Counsel at Intermountain Healthcare
Adjunct Professor – J. Reuben Clark Law School (BYU)
Salt Lake City, UT

About the proposed Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine

The proposed Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine would be an independent and freestanding institution overseen by a governing Board of Trustees located in Provo, Utah.

Founded and located in Provo, Utah in June 1998, Wasatch Educational will manage the development of the proposed Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine. wWasatch Educational is the holding company of Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. The mission of Wasatch Educational is to promote and develop healthcare education institutions.