By HFT Staff

The Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (HCOM) has been awarded a WELL Certification at the Silver level for Heritage Hall, the college’s new, state-of-the-art medical training facility on the Athens campus. 

Designed in partnership with architecture and design firms Perkins&Will and DesignGroup, this is one of the first medical education facilities in the nation to earn this achievement from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). 

The 120,000 square foot Heritage Hall is modeled on the three tenets of osteopathic medicine, “mind, body and spirit,” which are expressed through openness, infusion of light, and a focus on wellness that fosters collaboration, connectivity and physical activity.

WELL is a roadmap for supporting the health and well-being of people and organizations. The WELL Building Standard is a library of holistic evidence-based building and organizational strategies that, when implemented, can improve the health and wellbeing of people. 

Earning WELL Certification of Heritage Hall was a long time in the making, which started with the initial vision for the facility that became integral to its construction. Opened in 2021, Heritage Hall has numerous WELL features including prominent staircases and a one-eighth mile track that encourage movement inside the building. The Well Certification was awarded in February 2024. 

The construction of Heritage Hall was made possible by a major gift from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation. The OHF’s historic $105 million award to the college in 2011 included $21 million for the building’s construction. 

“Congratulations to Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine for achieving WELL Certification, setting a bar for leadership in higher education and medicine,” says Rachel Hodgdon, IWBI president and CEO. “Woven into its everyday mission, Ohio University continues to demonstrate a strong dedication to health and well-being, embracing WELL and marking its commitment to people-first places." 

“By designing with the WELL Building Standard, the Heritage College has imbued our wellness philosophy into our learning, teaching and working environment. It gives me great pride to know that we are ‘walking the walk’ of wellbeing through a facility that fosters the very type of healthy lifestyle that osteopathic medicine promotes,” says Ken Johnson, D.O., executive dean of the Heritage College and chief medical affairs officer for Ohio University. “I would like to personally thank all who contributed to our design and construction efforts. Because of your dedication, Heritage Hall is a wonderful testament to the values of the osteopathic medical profession.”