Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) inaugurated its Jacksonville campus on July 17, establishing the city’s first medical school. The opening followed a $50 million investment in the facility located on Jacksonville University’s Arlington campus. A ribbon-cutting event welcomed approximately 75 students enrolled in the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program, which emphasizes preventive care and whole-body health.
Richard Terry, who assisted in developing LECOM’s locations in Jacksonville and Elmira, New York, stated that the institution aims to create future medical positions for Northeast Florida. He noted that the partnership provides students with a comprehensive medical education alongside the university experience.
LECOM acquired the 9.87-acre site along Dolphin Pointe Boulevard in March 2025 for $5.22 million. The campus is part of the 55-acre JU Medical Mall, which also includes the JU Health Sciences Complex, an orthodontics teaching clinic, an occupational therapy facility, and the Dolphin Pointe Health Care nursing center.
The school has arranged clinical training partnerships with Baptist Health, UF Health St. Johns, and AdventHealth for its third- and fourth-year students. This location serves as LECOM’s fifth campus. The institution, headquartered in Erie, Pennsylvania, also operates in Greensburg, Elmira, and Bradenton. Since its founding in 1992, LECOM reports graduating over 18,000 healthcare professionals.
The campus represents a second postgraduate expansion for Jacksonville University, which launched its law school in 2022. Chancellor Tim Cost expressed surprise that Jacksonville previously lacked a medical school or honors college, crediting the university’s board of trustees for supporting the initiative.
