The fund, administered by American Osteopathic Foundation, will support scholarships and training for osteopathic medical students
CHICAGO—October 22, 2021—A one-million-dollar donation is being gifted to the American Osteopathic Foundation by Jeffrey S. Grove, DO, an osteopathic family physician and president of the American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF) Board of Directors. Dr. Grove made this generous commitment to help the AOF launch an LGBTQIA initiative that addresses the profession at three levels, as medical students, as practicing physicians and as educators within the healthcare field. Dr. Grove’s contribution is earmarked for educational scholarships to osteopathic medical students who self-identify as a member of an LGBTQIA+ community.
“Giving back to the profession I love is something that I do without reservation,” said Dr. Grove. “I am heartened to support LGBTQIA+ osteopathic medical students in their journey of growth and acceptance. Ultimately, better patient care starts with physicians who are better supported in the pathway through medical school.”
Dr. Grove is the founder and inspiration behind several other LGBTQIA+ expansion initiatives across the country. His gift will anchor the AOF’s recently launched LGBTQIA+ Health Equity & Inclusion Initiative, which aims to better understand and address the healthcare needs of the LGBTQIA+ community through educational scholarships, CME training, and diversity-enriching programs.
“The Foundation is humbled by Dr. Grove’s generosity,” said Rita Forden, AOF CEO. “His gift to the AOF’s broad-based initiative moves us closer to a world without discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and where those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer, intersex, or asexual (LGBTQIA+) will have access both to excellent healthcare in an environment free from prejudice, as well as the education that underpins it.”
The AOF launched the LGBTQIA+ Health Equity and Inclusion Initiative in 2021 to undertake the work of better understanding and addressing the healthcare needs of the LGBTQIA+ community. LGBTQIA+ medical students lack visibility and access to the support services available to other minority status groups, according to recent research in the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine.
Dr. Grove is a graduate of Florida Southern College and earned his osteopathic degree from the Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine (SECOM). He served both his internship and residency at the Sun Coast Hospital in Largo, and then joined Suncoast Family Medical Associates, where he currently practices. He also serves as president and CEO of Paxton Medical Management, a physician-led organization providing expert healthcare through an integrated system of tools and services connecting physicians and patients.
“I’m thrilled to work with the American Osteopathic Foundation to deliver on a long-held dream of mine,” said Dr. Grove. “Together we can improve outcomes for medical students, both LGBTQIA+ and their peers, creating a safer, more welcoming space for our future physicians and their patients.”
Since 1949, the American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF) has supported research, programs, and services that promote osteopathic medicine and enhance patient-centered care. As a leading, national-serving nonprofit foundation, the AOF provides grants, scholarships and awards to osteopathic medical students, DOs, researchers, and educators. And guided by its deep knowledge of the field, it funds, leads, convenes, and collaborates to address the needs of the osteopathic profession. Along with the generosity of donors and the strength and vision of its many partners, the AOF continues to advance the osteopathic profession, making a positive, impactful difference in the communities it serves —locally, nationally, and across the globe.