WesternU’s COMP-Northwest to Carry the Heatherington Name in Historic First

WesternU honors Jeff Heatherington and the Heatherington Foundation by renaming COMP-Northwest as Heatherington College of Osteopathic Medicine.

LEBANON, OR, UNITED STATES, July 29, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Western University of Health Sciences will rename its College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest in honor of philanthropist and osteopathic medicine champion Jeff Heatherington, along with the Heatherington Foundation for Innovation and Education in Health Care. COMP-Northwest will now be known as the Heatherington College of Osteopathic Medicine.

This marks a historic moment for WesternU, representing the first time in the institution’s 48-year history that a college site will bear the name of a key benefactor and advocate. The renaming recognizes Heatherington’s deep and lasting commitment to advancing osteopathic medicine and health care education in Oregon.

Heatherington, through his leadership of FamilyCare, Inc. and the Heatherington Foundation, has become the University’s most significant donor. His support totals more than $50 million in philanthropic contributions, including the gift of 150 acres of riverfront land in Lebanon, Oregon—designated for the construction of a new state-of-the-art facility and the expansion of WesternU’s academic offerings to include a graduate program in behavioral health therapy.

A distinguished voice in the osteopathic medical field, Heatherington has spent nearly five decades championing the profession. His service includes roles as Executive Director of the Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of Oregon, Chair of the Coalition for a Healthy Oregon, and membership in the Oregon Health Council. He was honored with the American Osteopathic Association’s Distinguished Service Certificate in 2007, and the American Osteopathic Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021.

In 2007, Heatherington collaborated with leaders at Samaritan Health Services in Corvallis, Oregon to explore ways to expand clinical training opportunities for D.O. students. That vision became reality in 2011 with the founding of COMP-Northwest, which has since graduated over 1,100 Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, many of whom now serve patients in Oregon and throughout the Northwest. Heatherington was later appointed to the WesternU Board of Trustees and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in recognition of his extraordinary impact.

“This naming is not just a gesture. It symbolizes a legacy rooted in service, advocacy, and innovation,” said WesternU President Robin Farias-Eisner, MD, PhD, MBA. “The Heatherington College of Osteopathic Medicine reflects our long-term commitment to whole-person care, and it will stand as Oregon’s only osteopathic medical school. Mr. Heatherington’s generosity and vision will continue to shape the future of health sciences education for generations to come.”

The Heatherington family’s connection to osteopathic medicine spans generations. Jeff Heatherington’s father, Dr. J. Scott Heatherington, born in 1919, was a distinguished osteopathic physician and surgeon. He served as President of the American Osteopathic Association, completed two terms as President of the American Academy of Osteopathy, and held the position of Dean of the Oklahoma College of Osteopathic Medicine. He was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996 and the A.T. Still Medallion of Honor in 1998, two of the highest honors in the profession.

“My father’s lifelong devotion to osteopathic medicine and education continues to inspire me,” Jeff Heatherington said. “His leadership set the standard, and I’m proud to help carry that forward.”

That legacy is preserved in the Dr. J. Scott Heatherington Endowed Scholarship at COMP-Northwest, a lasting tribute to the Heatherington family’s deep-rooted ties to osteopathic medicine and to WesternU.

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.

Rodney Tanaka
Western University of Health Sciences
+1 (909) 469-5402
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