Lt. Gov. Duffy Participates in Launch of New Medical School in Middletown
Inaugural Class Expected to Begin in August, 2014
Middletown, N.Y. - Lieutenant Governor Robert J. Duffy joined President Kadish to officially launch the development of the new Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM) at the site of the former Horton Hospital complex in Middletown, N.Y. The ceremony was attended by local officials, members of numerous medical associations and Touro faculty and administrators. In addition to the anticipated growth of the Orange County region’s healthcare and educational systems, speakers enthusiastically pointed out that the project is expected to serve as a boon to the local economy.
“TouroCOM’s expansion to Middletown will create new career pathways, better job opportunities and enhanced medical care for area residents, ultimately improving both the physical and economic health of the community,” said Dr. Kadish. “In five years this will be a vibrant place.”
Dr. Kadish thanked Duffy and Governor Andrew Cuomo’s entire administration for the role it played in bringing the project to fruition.
“Today we celebrate a victory for the state and the county, and we are grateful to Governor Cuomo for his support.”
Last month, the school received the necessary approvals and accreditation for the new campus from the American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation. Construction is already underway and is expected to be completed by early 2014.
“The new Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine will help create new jobs and support local businesses in the Middletown community, representing yet another successful demonstration of Governor Cuomo’s vision to drive economic growth by investing in higher education,” said Duffy. “I commend Touro for bringing the medical school to the Hudson Valley, and by doing so, demonstrating a continued investment in New York and our students.”
Dr. Ron Israelski, the director of academic affairs at the Orange Regional Medical Center in Middletown which will serve as the flagship hospital for the school, said that the project will encourage local youth to remain in the area.
"How nice would it be if people who grow up here and train here stay and give back to our communities?" Dr. Israelski asked. "Hopefully with a medical school and other medical education programs we can retain and keep our brightest, most heartful young people close to home."
He added: "This is the right project with the right school and the right location at the right time."
The venture was awarded $1 million from the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council and is projected to create more than 500 direct jobs and nearly 300 indirect jobs.
“A project of this nature only gets completed with the help of many people, but if you have the support of people like the lieutenant governor, Mayor Joseph DeStefano and the brilliant leadership of Touro College, it makes it easier to do,” said Tony Danza, a partner in the Danza-Leser Group, the property’s owner, which is investing $24 million to renovate the facility.
TouroCOM will offer a four-year degree program in osteopathic medicine at the new Middletown campus, with the inaugural class expected to begin in August, 2014. When fully operational, the campus will enroll more than 500 students and occupy 110,000 square feet of space.
