PARTNERSHIPS:
OPTIMUS PRIMARY
Strengthening the Pipeline of Medical Professionals
Muncie has something no other city in Indiana has: an array of healthcare anchor institutions located in close proximity to one another, making it one of the leading physician training centers in the state. In 2016, these organizations formed a strategic, collaborative partnership, called Optimus Primary, to boost local physician training programs and retention—efforts that are especially critical today as the United States as a whole faces a physician shortage and, concurrently, as Delaware County ranks 85th out of 92 Indiana counties in health outcomes, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
It is with these factors in mind that our community—through Optimus Primary—has undertaken these bold initiatives focused on recruitment, innovative training experiences, emphases on healthy lifestyles and disease prevention, and overall excellence in the provision of medical education. As of 2023, Ball Brothers Foundation has committed over $2.5 million to Optimus Primary programs.
Take a look at some of the initiatives our community has accomplished through Optimus Primary.
IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie is a teaching hospital that is home to the longest standing graduate medical education (GME) program outside of Indianapolis. More than 60 resident physicians train every year at
IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, conducting more than 25,000 patient visits annually. New funding from Ball Brothers Foundation is helping upgrade virtual learning technology and obstetrics training equipment for residents to provide best-in-class learning opportunities.
Ball State University and the IU School of Medicine-Muncie have partnered up to create a live-learn community for full-time IUSM-M students located in the Village Promenade apartment complex just off Ball State’s campus. This is the first live-learn community of its kind for medical students in the United States and bolsters Muncie’s reputation as a community engaged in medical education innovation.
The IU School of Medicine-Muncie has created a new scholarly concentration in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. This concentration is helping to recruit students to Muncie who are interested in improving community health. To further attract additional students, new funding from Ball Brothers Foundation is helping to establish a summer internship program for medical students to participate in community-based scholarly projects. In the pilot program, all interns went on to choose Muncie as their location-of-choice to complete their clinical years.
Meridian Health Services is tackling mental health challenges head on through expanding “Mental Health First Aid” for physicians-in-training and new mid-level providers. The training will help providers quickly identify signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges within the primary care setting and then make appropriate connections to additional care.
Open Door Health Services is using new BBF funding to support its new “OB Right Start” program. Pregnant women will receive intensive wrap-around support and prenatal care beginning early in their pregnancies. Medical students completing rotations at Open Door will gain firsthand experience providing OB and other integrated services within the primary care setting and will build confidence to serve under-resourced patients. In a county with high infant mortality rates, this has great potential to benefit babies, mothers, and future physicians.
Several years ago, BBF seed funding helped to create a novel community-based Healthy Lifestyle Center. IU School of Medicine-Muncie and Ball State University students work hand-in-hand to provide services to Delaware County residents focused on diet, exercise, behavioral change, hearing, speech and more. New funding from BBF is helping to expand offerings including support for tobacco cessation and diabetes prevention. Through their work in the Health Lifestyle Center, future healthcare workers tackle some of our community’s biggest health and lifestyle challenges.
Ivy Tech Muncie has used Ball Brothers Foundation funding to help develop a new Diagnostic Medical Sonography associate degree program to respond directly to a critical need for sonographers. A general pathway and cardiac pathway are preparing students to hit the ground running with advanced diagnostic technology used in hospitals.
Optimus Primary News
For the past eight years, local healthcare providers and colleges/universities have been working together to build East Central Indiana’s reputation as a statewide leader in medical education. The region’s medical school, largest hospitals, rural clinics, urban neighborhood centers, nursing schools, and others are reimagining healthcare training in ways that have the potential to change the future of healthcare delivery.