President Langell highlights growth, innovation at Akron Press Club luncheon

NEOMED President John Langell, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., outlined the University’s recent growth and future vision during an Oct. 21 luncheon hosted by the Akron Press Club.

Dr. Langell began with a brief history of NEOMED, noting that the University was founded to address Ohio’s need for primary care physicians. Later, the institution expanded to include the College of Pharmacy. Today, he said, NEOMED continues to anticipate and respond to changing community needs and gaps in healthcare.

“We are growing because people are recognizing the value of our graduates,” Dr. Langell said, pointing to expanding enrollment and academic programs. The College of Medicine continues to grow and is expected to welcome 230 students next year. He also highlighted the new Certified Mental Health Assistant (CMHA) program, a master’s degree program from the College of Graduate Studies that is designed to help meet behavioral health workforce needs.

Dr. Langell discussed NEOMED’s expanding clinical impact, including the recent opening of the Blessed Family Dental Clinic at the Bitonte College of Dentistry, which began offering head and neck cancer screenings in September. He also noted that NEOMED Health Care is projected to serve 20,000 patients annually in the Rootstown office and Kent State University location.

The presentation also showcased the University’s Coordinating Centers of Excellence, particularly the Criminal Justice CCoE’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training program, which equips first responders with strategies to safely de-escalate mental health crises.

Dr. Langell concluded with an overview of NEOMED’s growing research portfolio and partnerships with health systems, including University Hospitals. He also previewed plans for a new Live-Learn-Innovate building, emphasizing NEOMED’s ambitious goal: “We want NEOMED to be the gold standard for health and sciences universities.”