Pharmacy program announced

The Ohio Board of Regents approved the program plan in November.
ROOTSTOWN -- The Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine will have its own pharmacy program beginning in fall 2007.
The NEOUCOM Board of Trustees has approved the creation of the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Pharmacy and named Dr. David D. Allen as the founding dean.
The Ohio Board of Regents unanimously approved the pharmacy program last month, clearing the way for the NEOUCOM board to give final approval to the plan.
"By offering the doctor of pharmacy program, NEOUCOM is taking the lead in the interdisciplinary training of health care professionals and addressing a community need: a shortage of pharmacists," said Dr. Lois Margaret Nora, NEOUCOM president and medical school dean.
"National organizations such as the Institute of Medicine have identified the need for better teamwork among health care providers," Dr. Nora added. "Good teamwork and improved communication translates into better, more cost-effective patient care with fewer medical errors."
The first class of 75 pharmacy students will be admitted in the fall of 2007.
Additional business
NEOUCOM is a community-based, public institution that provides interdisciplinary training of health professionals. The educational consortium includes the Rootstown, Ohio, campus, eight teaching hospitals, 10 associated hospitals and two health departments. The college offers a combined B.S./M.D. program with the University of Akron, Kent State University and Youngstown State University.
In other business, the trustee board:
* Elected Dr. William F. Demas to fill James R. Schubert's unexpired term as chairman through May 2006. Schubert died Dec. 7. Dr. Demas, a member of the NEOUCOM board since 2003, is a professor of clinical radiology and is a member of the University of Akron Board of Trustees. The board also elected Demas as chairman through May 2007.
* Received a report from independent auditors Hausser and Taylor that showed there were no findings of recovery or citations in the annual audit for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005.
* Learned of the receipt of $487,497 in cash contributions to the NEOUCOM Foundation in the first six months of fiscal 2005, the highest amount ever received in that time period. Additionally, contributions to the college's annual fund were $127,222 for the period, also a record.
* Learned of the receipt of $3.5 million in external grants and agreements for the first quarter of fiscal 2005, a $1.1 million increase over last year during this time period. Federal grants accounted for $2.4 million of the total.