Campbell University officially began work on the buildings that will house the state's newest medical school at a Groundbreaking Celebration on Thursday. The new School of Osteopathic Medicine will open less than a mile from Campbell's main campus in 2013. During the ceremony, the school announced that the new building would be named after benefactor Leon Levine, founder of Family Dollar stores. Speakers at the event included: Governor Beverly Eaves Perdue; Bob Barker, chair of the Campbell Board of Trustees; Dr. Jerry Parker, President of Campbell; Dr. John M. Kauffman, Jr., Dean of the Campbell School of Osteopathic Medicine; the Honorable Oscar N. Harris, Chairman of the School's fundraising campaign and Mayor of Dunn; NC House Member Rep. David R. Lewis and several others. The need for more primary care physicians and the concept of the medical home were highlighted heavily during the various presentations. The school will have 150 students per class and will have an economic impact of $300 million and create over 1,150 new jobs in its first 10 years of existence. NCAFP EVP represented the Academy at the groundbreaking ceremony. Both Dean Kauffman, DO, and Vice Dean Brian Kessler, DO, were among the special guests who attended NCAFP's Annual Meeting in Asheville last week. Look for more on Campbell's plans in an upcoming issue of North Carolina Family Physician magazine.

For additional coverage on the event, see http://www.campbell.edu/news/item/school-of-medicine-groundbreaking-a-hi...