WesternU COMP-Northwest to be named Heatherington College of Osteopathic Medicine

LEBANON, Ore., July 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Western University of Health Sciences' College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest will be named the Heatherington College of Osteopathic Medicine in honor of Jeff Heatherington and the Heatherington Foundation for Innovation and Education in Health Care. Heatherington is a leader, philanthropist and lifelong advocate for osteopathic medicine in Oregon. This is the first time in WesternU's 48-year history that a college site will be named for a major benefactor and advocate. 

Through his leadership of the Heatherington Foundation and FamilyCare, Inc., Heatherington stands as WesternU's largest donor. The Foundation is credited with more than $50 million in total giving to WesternU and the donation of 150 acres of riverfront property in Lebanon, Oregon to build a new campus and launch a graduate program in behavioral health therapy.

Heatherington has been a leader in the osteopathic profession for almost 50 years. He was Executive Director of the Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of Oregon, a member of the Oregon Health Council, and chair of the Coalition for a Healthy Oregon. He received the Distinguished Service Certificate from the American Osteopathic Association in 2007 and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Osteopathic Foundation in 2021.

In 2007, Heatherington teamed up with Samaritan Health Services leadership in Corvallis, Oregon and began talking about expanding clinical training for D.O. students. This vision eventually led to the founding of COMP-Northwest in 2011. The College has graduated over 1,100 Osteopathic Physicians, many of whom are practicing in Oregon and the Northwest. He served as a dedicated Board of Trustee member and was recognized with a Doctor of Humane Letters by WesternU.

WesternU President Robin Farias-Eisner, MD, PhD, MBA, said, "This naming is more than symbolic. It reflects a legacy built on advocacy, innovation and service. It is a strategic step forward for the University's mission to educate tomorrow's health care leaders through humanistic, whole-person care. This strategically located property will soon be the site of a new, state-of-the-art building for the Heatherington College of Osteopathic Medicine, the only osteopathic medical school in Oregon. His giving is a powerful testament to his profound belief in the power of education and his dedication to advancing the health sciences, with a particular commitment to osteopathic medicine and primary care."

Heatherington's roots in osteopathic medicine run deep, profoundly shaped by the pioneering work of his father, Dr. J. Scott Heatherington. Born in 1919, Dr. J. Scott Heatherington was a distinguished osteopathic physician and surgeon. He served as the President of the American Osteopathic Association, two-term President of the American Academy of Osteopathy, and Dean of the Oklahoma College of Osteopathic Medicine. His dedication was recognized with numerous accolades, a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996, and the A.T. Still Medallion of Honor in 1998. 

"My father's passion for osteopathic medicine and his dedication to teaching truly laid the groundwork for my own commitment to the field," Heatherington said. This familial legacy is further honored by the endowed scholarship at COMP-Northwest, named for Dr. J. Scott Heatherington, cementing the Heatherington family's profound and enduring connection to WesternU and to osteopathic medicine. 

About Western University of Health Sciences

Western University of Health Sciences (www.westernu.edu), located in Pomona, Calif. and Lebanon, Ore., is an independent nonprofit health professions university, conferring degrees in biotechnology and pharmaceutical sciences, dental medicine, medical sciences, nursing, optometry, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy,  physical therapy, physician assistant studies, podiatric medicine and veterinary medicine. WesternU is home to WesternU Health, where the best in collaborative health care services is offered.

SOURCE Western University of Health Sciences