Shane Speights, D.O., Promoted to Dean of NYITCOM’s Site at A-State

Shane Speights, D.O., has been promoted to dean of NYITCOM’s site at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro (A-State).

He succeeds Barbara Ross-Lee, D.O., who served as the inaugural campus dean.

Speights will provide leadership for students, faculty and staff members in curriculum (pipeline programs, undergraduate medical education, and graduate medical education); community outreach and engagement; clinical service programs; research, and professional/governmental relations. He will report to Wolfgang Gilliar, D.O., dean of NYITCOM.

“Shane is the ideal choice to lead our Arkansas campus,” said Ross-Lee. Speights was instrumental in establishing NYITCOM at A-State, the first osteopathic medical school in the state, where he served as associate dean of clinical education. “He is an experienced primary care practitioner, educator, and administrator. Moreover, he is a lifelong Arkansas resident who understands the health indicators of the Delta Region,” she went on to say.

Speights received his medical degree from the University of Health Sciences and College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kansas City. He is board certified by both the American College of Osteopathic Physicians and the American Board of Family Medicine. He completed his residency training at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences Northeast Family Medicine Residency, St. Bernards Medical Center and served as past president of the Arkansas Osteopathic Medical Association.

“I look forward to championing the mission of the Arkansas campus started by Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee, which is to educate osteopathic medical physicians in Arkansas for Arkansas,” said Speights. “The demand for better healthcare in Arkansas is great, especially among the disparate populations, and no single entity can overcome this challenge. Through collaborative partnerships across the educational continuum we can raise this state and region of the nation to the level of care it needs and deserves.”