News

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine will present the 2024 Wiregrass District Science Fair early in 2024.

The Wiregrass District Science Fair is a recurring annual event where local middle schoolers, as well as fourth and fifth graders, participate by presenting projects in one of several categories including Chemistry, Robotics & Communication Technology, Bio-Medical Engineering, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Engineering Technology, and more. Last year’s event saw more than 150 projects presented by some of the area’s most talented young minds.

The upcoming event will be held on Wednesday, February 21st at the Dothan Civic Center. If your school would like to participate, please reach out to Christina Kennedy, PhD, ACOM Director of Community Partnerships, at or by calling 334-944-4030

Southeast Health and the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) are pleased to announce that R. Wayne Parker III, PharmD, has been elevated to associate professor of Pharmacology.

Prior to his promotion, Dr. Parker served as assistant professor of Pharmacology since 2017.

Dr. Parker received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy from Auburn University in Auburn.

Dr. Parker’s research interests include opioid overdose pharmacology and population health with naloxone. He has served on the Alabama Opioid Task Force since 2019. Dr. Parkers spends much of his time educating the community about the dangers of opioids, especially Fentanyl, and the use of Narcan to reverse the effects of addictive pain drugs.

Students from ACOM’s Neurology and Psychiatric Interest Group, joined Physicians, nurses, first responders and clinicians from throughout the region gathered at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine Friday to participate in Southeast Health’s  annual Stroke Symposium. The event, sponsored by the Southeast Health Foundation, provided attendees the opportunity to learn about the latest technology and information concerning stroke care. As a Level II Trauma Center and Comprehensive Stroke Center, the Emergency Department (ED) at Southeast Health Medical Center offers the highest level of care in the region. We are one of three hospitals in Alabama designated as a Level I stroke center. Because of that designation, we continue to be committed to the advancement of stroke care through continuous education on the science and treatment of stroke. To learn more about our comprehensive stroke care, click on https://www.southeasthealth.org/stroke-care/.

On behalf of the Dean’s Cabinet, we are pleased to announce Christina M. Kennedy, PhD, has added director of Community Partnerships to her current duties as associate professor of Physiology.

As director of Community Partnerships, Dr. Kennedy will help strengthen ACOM’s relationship with the local community, healthcare organizations, and various stakeholders. She will impact our mission by fostering positive relationships, driving initiatives, and engaging with the community.

Dr. Kennedy, who has been a member of the ACOM faculty for 10 years, earned her Bachelor of Science in biomedical sciences and her doctorate degree in basic medical sciences from the University of South Alabama in Mobile.

On behalf of the Dean’s Cabinet, we are pleased to announce Richard R. Thacker, DO, MACOI, has been named associate dean of Clinical Sciences and Martin Sinclair Clemmons, DO, FACOI, will assume the role of interim associate dean of Clinical Resources.

Prior to taking over his new role, Dr. Thacker served as associate dean of Clinical Resources for more than two years. As associate dean of Clinical Sciences, he will oversee clinical curriculum, including collaboration with the clerkship directors, course directors and the Curriculum Committee.

In addition to his new role Dr. Clemmons will continue as department chair of Primary Care in the division of Clinical Sciences. As interim associate dean of Clinical Resources, he will oversee third- and fourth-year clinical training through ACOM’s expansive network of hospitals, clinics and preceptors.

Please join us in congratulating and supporting Dr. Thacker and Dr. Clemmons in their new leadership roles.

Southeast Health and the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) are pleased to announce that Sara-Bethany Weir, DO, board-certified in Family Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, has joined the Ashford Clinic medical team.

In addition to practicing at the clinic, Dr. Weir is also an assistant professor of Family Medicine in the Clinical Sciences division at ACOM.

Dr. Weir, a 2018 graduate of ACOM and a native of Ozark, comes back to the Wiregrass from Lansing, Michigan, where she served as a family practice physician at Sparrow Medical Group Holt, which is part of Sparrow Hospital. She completed her residency at McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital at Michigan State University in Lansing, Michigan.

In addition to earning her medical degree at ACOM, Dr. Weir received her dual Bachelor of Science degrees in biomedical and nutrition science from Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama.

The ACOM Ashford Clinic is managed by the Southeast Health Medical Group with clinical support provided through the medical college. The clinic’s medical director is Justin G. Hovey, MD, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. The clinic also allows ACOM medical students a hands-on patient experience in a rural clinic setting.

Dr. Weir’s husband, Connor Weir, DO, who is also an ACOM graduate, is a general surgeon at Southeast Health Surgery Clinic.

DOTHAN, Ala – The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) is proud to announce it has received the 2023 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award. The award was announced earlier today by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

The HEED Award is a national honor recognizing U.S. health colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. ACOM is proud to be one of 62 other recipients nationwide that will be featured in November/December issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine.

This accolade is a testament to ACOM’s pursuit of excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).  The application process for this award is a comprehensive and rigorous self-evaluation that required us to delve deep into our policies, strategies, programs, initiatives, demographics, and protocols.

“At ACOM, we believe in the profound impact of embracing diversity, which enriches the very fabric of our community and elevates the educational experience, Susie White, MA, contracts and policy manager/interim DEI officer. “We hold in high regard and celebrate the unique perspectives, backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences that each member brings to our institution.  This fosters a unifying environment where every individual is treated with the utmost respect and dignity.”

“The Health Professions HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees — and best practices for both — continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a Health Professions HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for schools where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.”

Other recipients of the 2023 INSIGHT Into Diversity Health Professions HEED Award are:

T. Still University of Health Studies

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, University of California, Davis

Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine

California State University Los Angeles, Patricia A. Chin School of Nursing

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

FDU Health at Fairleigh Dickinson University

Frontier Nursing University

Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College

Jane and Robert Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston, Texas

Johns Hopkins School of Nursing

Kansas City University

Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine

Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine

Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing

MGH Institute of Health Professions

New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing

Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry

Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Purdue University

School of Nursing, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine

State University of New York College of Optometry

Texas A&M University Irma Lerma Rangel School of Pharmacy

The Medical College of Wisconsin

The Medical University of South Carolina

The Ohio State University College of Medicine

The Ohio State University College of Nursing

The Ohio State University College of Optometry

The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy

The Ohio State University College of Public Health

The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine

The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix

The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York

Tulane School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

University of California Riverside School of Medicine

University of California Irvine School of Medicine

University of California, Davis, School of Medicine

University of Cincinnati College of Nursing

University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy

University of Cincinnati College of Allied Health Sciences

University of Florida College of Dentistry

University of Florida College of Pharmacy

University of Houston Andy and Barbara Gessner College of Nursing

University of Kentucky, College of Medicine, Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

University of Louisville Health Sciences Center

University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Nursing

University of Michigan Medical School – Michigan Medicine

University of Minnesota School of Nursing

University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine

University of Rochester School of Nursing

University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine

University of Virginia School of Medicine

University of Wisconsin–Madison, School of Pharmacy

Vanderbilt University School of Nursing

Virginia Commonwealth University, College of Health Professions

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine

Weill Cornell Medicine

For more information about the 2023 INSIGHT Into Diversity Health Professions HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com. For more information about ACOM, visit www.acom.edu.

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) held an open house event recently to officially unveil their new open-air pavilion. This facility will serve as a multi-purpose space, seating up to 224, and will be available for student and staff events, teaching opportunities, recreation, and more.

This project was approved by the ACOM Board of Directors in mid-2022, and groundbreaking on the pavilion took place Fall of that year. This pavilion is conceptualized to also include a still-in-progress community garden, which will include fruit and vegetable-producing plants. This addition is the campus’s latest expansion that will offer unique opportunities for learning.

The new pavilion and community garden were envisioned and planned with the assistance of many faculty and staff. This project represents ACOM’s continued commitment to its core values through the development of innovative areas for enhanced learning and campus life.

Cassandra Abrams and Lauren Feaster, second year students (OMS II) recently attended the monthly meeting for Grow Southeast Alabama to discuss their research on rural healthcare.

The ACOM students presented their research project during the meeting on access to healthcare in rural areas of Alabama and how a mobile clinic could benefit an area. Establishing medical care for underserved rural communities is a topic that is familiar to ACOM with a recent groundbreaking of a new clinic in Taylor, Alabama, which will join our existing ACOM Ashford Clinic in Ashford, Alabama. This passion is reflected in ACOM students like Cassandra and Lauren. Their passion and hard work on this research project is admirable, and their acknowledgment by Grow Southeast Alabama is a tremendous accomplishment.

Grow Southeast Alabama is an organization representing 11 Alabama counties working together to market the region, also known as the “Wiregrass”, towards opportunities for cultural and economic growth and development. In addition to target industries such as aerospace, agriculture, fabrication, manufacturing, automotive, and logistics, Grow Southeast Alabama is also working towards promoting and advancing healthcare-related industries in southeast Alabama.