Touro College Celebrates New Medical School Campus in Middletown
A Milestone for Touro College, Middletown, Orange County and the Hudson Valley
Middletown, N.Y. – Marking a major milestone for Middletown, Orange County and the Hudson Valley, Harlem-based Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM) Sunday celebrated the grand opening of its new campus in Middletown, as 135 students comprising the Inaugural Class of 2018 donned white coats and took the Osteopathic Oath in the White Coat Ceremony, signifying the official start of their careers as medical students.
“The ceremony is a momentous occasion for the students as they embark on this new chapter of their lives and further marks our partnership with the City of Middletown and the surrounding communities,” said Dr. Alan Kadish, President and CEO of the TouroCollege and University System. “TouroCOM’s expansion to Middletown will help improve the region’s healthcare system, provide new education and career pathways to local residents, and drive economic growth throughout the area. We could not be more pleased to be a part of this community.”
Kenneth J. Steier, DO, Dean of the TouroCOM Middletown Campus thanked the Middletown community, OrangeRegionalMedicalCenter leadership, and local leaders for their passionate support in bringing the school to fruition.
The TouroCOM faculty was joined by Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus and Middletown Mayor Joe DeStefano at the Paramount Theatre to welcome students and officially launch the new medical school.
According to Mayor DeStefano, “Middletown has become a city of higher education where student physicians will have a profound influence on our citizens.”
Middletown native and Graceland actor, Aaron Tveit also took the stage to offer words of encouragement to the new class and to congratulate them on their entry into medical school.
The new TouroCOM campus, located at the site of the former HortonHospital in Middletown, opened its doors to students on July 30 when classes began.
To date, approximately $25 million has been invested to transform the deserted hospital space into a 21st century, tech-centric medical school. Renovations to the facility began with a special ceremony attended by Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy in July 2013. The new campus features state-of-the-art medical training equipment and technologies, including one of the nation’s first virtual holographic training centers.
The project, which was awarded $1 million from the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council (MHREDC), will create more than 100 direct jobs and is anticipated to create nearly 500 indirect jobs.
The Touro College and University System is one of the largest healthcare educational systems in the nation and offers a wide array of degree programs in the medical and health sciences fields. In addition to colleges of osteopathic medicine in New York, the Touro system also includes colleges of osteopathic medicine in Nevada and California. Touro also has colleges of pharmacy in both New York and California, as well as graduate and undergraduate schools of health sciences in New York, Nevada and California. Together with New York Medical College in Westchester County, the Touro College and University System educates approximately 5,300 health sciences students annually.
