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Jeff Heatherington

ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FOR COMP-NORTHWEST: JEFF HEATHERINGTON

Jeff Heatherington, Larry Mullins and President PumerantzFrom childhood through his professional career, osteopathic medicine and community service have played central roles in Jeff Heatherington’s life. For decades, as Executive Director of the Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of Oregon and President of FamilyCare Health, he has committed his time and resources to the osteopathic community.

Heatherington, along with three DOs, founded FamilyCare Health in Portland, Oregon in 1985. Today, the nonprofit organization serves 130,000 Medicare and Medicaid members and is the only osteopathic HMO in the United States. In 2006, Heatherington and Larry Mullins, CEO of Samaritan Health Services, had a cup of coffee to talk about the training of osteopathic medical students. That conversation led to the creation of the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest in Lebanon, Oregon.

In addition to his ongoing advocacy on behalf of the profession, Heatherington and FamilyCare have given millions of dollars in grants and scholarships to Western University of Health Sciences, funding the J. Scott Heatherington, DO Scholarship, recognizing the former president of the AOA, and the Arthur Rott, DO Scholarship, in honor of FamilyCare’s first medical director. Funding from Heatherington and FamilyCare Health has also supported the Medical Anatomy Center, research projects, and other programs.

“As a major donor, Jeff is always there to help our students and the school,” said Kim Ketcham, Assistant Director of Clinical Education at the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific's Northwest campus. “His commitment to supporting the next generation of osteopathic providers will undoubtedly inspire patients, empower communities, and change lives.”