OCOM’s Ribbon Cutting Event
March 10, 2024
The Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine (OCOM) made history Sunday, March 10th, as officials cut the ribbon on Central Florida’s newest medical school. Located in Winter Garden, FL, in the neighborhood of Horizon West, the three-story, 144,000-square-foot facility cost $75 million and took the contractor just 18 months to build. BakerBarrios, an Orlando-based architecture firm, did the design. OCOM has modernist-style architecture and is a single 3-story building encompassing 144,000 square feet. The building has an Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Lab, Virtual Anatomy Lab, Research Lab, Simulation Lab, Library, and multiple large classrooms. Students will have access to multiple private and small-group study spaces. There are a multitude of study spaces as well as health and wellness spaces. This building provides all of the comforts a student doctor would need to be balanced and well-rounded in a medical school setting. Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine was the vision of Drs. Kiran and Pallavi Patel, co-founders of the school. The region’s deficiency in physicians and residency programs motivated them to take a leap of faith by developing an osteopathic medical school.
More About the Founders of OCOM
Dr. Kiran C. Patel and Dr. Pallavi Patel are the founders of OCOM. Hailing from India, Pallavi Patel and Kiran Patel, from Zambia, crossed paths during their medical studies in Ahmedabad, India. Their academic journeys led them to Columbia University in New York, where Dr. Kiran Patel specialized in Cardiology, while Dr. Pallavi Patel focused on Pediatrics. Building on their expertise, the couple ventured into private cardiology practice in the Tampa Bay area, where Dr. Kiran Patel not only garnered acclaim as a physician but also envisioned a distinctive future for healthcare.
Rather than resisting the shift towards managed healthcare, Dr. Kiran Patel, a proponent of "control your own destiny," set out to create solutions aligning with the physician's perspective. In 1982, the Patels initiated a physicians' practice ownership and Management Company, rapidly expanding to 14 practices encompassing Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Cardiology, catering to thousands of patients in Hillsborough County.
Rather than bemoaning the rise of HMOs, Dr. Patel took charge of his fate by establishing a physician-owned, physician-operated health plan – WellCare! Under his guidance, WellCare evolved into Florida's largest Medicaid HMO, serving over 200,000 members. Pioneering advancements in managed healthcare, Dr. Kiran Patel acquired and revitalized a struggling New York/Connecticut HMO in 1999, merging it with WellCare to form WellCare Management Group. By then, WellCare boasted revenues surpassing $1 billion, a membership exceeding 400,000, and a workforce of over 1,200.
In 2003, the Patels divested the majority of their business interest, redirecting their focus to various philanthropic initiatives. Renowned for their generosity, Drs. Kiran and Pallavi Patel have actively contributed to diverse programs in health, education, arts, and culture, both locally and globally. Their commitment to making a positive impact has solidified their reputation as philanthropists dedicated to uplifting communities.
