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Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine outlines growth, workforce goals and partnerships
Summary
Dr. Tracy Farnsworth of the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine told the Senate Health and Welfare Committee the college has expanded enrollment, increased class size with accreditor approval, and is pursuing institutional accreditation and research collaborations with Idaho State University to address a statewide physician shortage.
The Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) briefed the Senate Health and Welfare Committee on the college's growth, partnerships and role in addressing Idaho's physician shortage.
Dr. Tracy Farnsworth, ICOM president, told senators Idaho ranks near the bottom nationally on physicians per capita and in resident physicians per capita. "We are dead last in the nation in physicians per capita," Farnsworth said, and added that Idaho would need "roughly 1,400 additional physicians" to reach the national average. She said about one-third of Idaho physicians are over age 60 and that the state must scale training to keep pace with population growth.
Farnsworth described ICOM's development: the school matriculated its first class in 2018, has graduated roughly 450 students, and more than 99.5% of graduates entered residency programs. She said the accrediting body recently allowed ICOM to increase its class size from 150 to 220 students per year. Farnsworth emphasized ICOM's partnership with Idaho State University (ISU), noting shared facilities on the ISU Health Sciences campus in Meridian, interprofessional training, and a new research collaboration that enables dual appointments and affiliate faculty roles between the institutions.
Farnsworth also said ICOM is pursuing institutional accreditation to offer complementary academic programs and that the school has clinical rotation partnerships with hospitals across the state, citing St. Luke's, St. Al's, EIRMC and Bingham among affiliated sites. She told the committee that ICOM is privately owned and that Rice University (Houston) is a primary owner; she said Rice is considering stepping away from ownership in the coming months.
Two ICOM student doctors, Annie Hoffman and Joshua Morcom, spoke briefly about their reasons for coming to ICOM and their experiences. Hoffman said exposure to osteopathic physicians through Boise State athletics helped prompt her interest. Morcom described ICOM as providing opportunities to train locally; he noted his father worked in wildland firefighting and public service.
Senators and Farnsworth discussed Idaho's aging population and the role of prevention and public health. Farnsworth said prevention receives a small share of national health spending, and she urged more emphasis on disease prevention and health promotion as long-term strategies to reduce costly delayed care.
No committee action was required; the presentation served as an informational update.
