James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., president of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM), has named Linda Arnold the interim vice president of integrated marketing and chief communications officer for the medical school.
“I’m very pleased Linda Arnold has joined our team,” Nemitz said. “Her background and experience will be invaluable in furthering WVSOM’s vision and increasing our footprint regionally and nationally.”
Arnold is the founder and former chair and CEO of a multistate marketing company that grew to have offices in Washington, D.C., West Virginia and Montana, with clients as far away as Hawaii. She has a 25-year track record of working with media on a statewide, regional and national basis.
“Arnold’s experience in health care and higher education dovetails nicely with our current 10-year plan,” Nemitz said. “And her pursuit of a Ph.D. in integrative medicine, along with her master’s degree in counseling and an MBA, will complement our leadership team’s expertise.”
As a syndicated columnist of the weekly newspaper and online columns “Live Life Fully” and “Life 101,” Arnold has examined issues of health and wellness for more than a decade.
“I’m excited to combine my professional experience in marketing and public relations with my passion for health and wellness on behalf of WVSOM,” Arnold said. “The medical school is a major economic force in the state and region.”
Nemitz said he is pleased that the school continues to be a leader in medical education, particularly with its emphasis on producing primary care physicians for rural populations.
“We’re proud of our rankings as No. 1 in West Virginia for providing primary care physicians and No. 1 in the United States among all medical schools graduating physicians who practice in rural areas,” Nemitz said.