November 8, 2012 -- Western University of Health Sciences is honoring FamilyCare Health Plans during its annual “A Tribute to Caring” gala on Nov. 10, 2012 in Anaheim, Cal. Earlier this year, FamilyCare donated $2 million to the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest (COMP-Northwest) located in Lebanon, Ore., for scholarships to support osteopathic medical students interested in primary care.
FamilyCare President and CEO Jeff Heatherington has a history with the COMP that dates to its founding in 1977. While serving as director of the Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of Oregon, Heatherington helped bring together Western University of Health Sciences and Samaritan Health Services to build the COMP-Northwest campus in Lebanon, Ore.
“We are pleased to receive this honor,” said Heatherington. “As a health plan rooted in osteopathic medicine, we are committed to helping these medical students graduate and fill the shortage of primary care providers in our communities.” The gift was placed in an endowed scholarship fund named in memory of Heatherington’s father, J. Scott Heatherington, D.O., and Arthur Rott, D.O., one of the founders of FamilyCare.
“In this our 35th anniversary year, there is no finer tribute than to gather with key friends and donors, like Jeff, to celebrate the tremendous return on their investment in us,” said WesternU President Philip Pumerantz, PhD. “As most of you know, the University’s partnerships in the communities we serve across the region, nation and world are part of the lifeblood of our institution. These partnerships help train new generations of healers in a wide variety of areas, and establish lasting bonds between WesternU and community organizations, schools, governments and business.”
