The results of the research were presented to the NEOUCOM Board of Trustees, who after careful and thoughtful deliberation, unanimously voted to approve to move a name forward for further consideration.

The name that was approved for further action by the Board is Northeast Ohio Medical University.

"The new name being presented is one that is very close to NEOUCOM's roots, and also pays respect to the geographic area that we serve and to our successful educational and research programs in medicine, pharmacy and community health," said President Jay Gershen. "We look forward to getting this name approved by the legislature and further developing the brand as a premier medical university."

Although NEOUCOM has been considering a name change for many years to better reflect the institution's growth as a medical university with many colleges of study, the decision to move forward with a name change was made final after reviewing the results of the research, which indicated strong support for a new name and rebranding effort among constituent groups.

"The current name no longer reflects who we are as a University. In addition to a College of Medicine and a College of Pharmacy, we also added a College of Graduate Studies last year," said Gershen. "We are a strong institution with a health sciences curriculum, and we want a strong name that reflects who we are and who we serve."

The name change is one part of a multi-phase transformational process the University is undertaking. Other initiatives currently underway include a strategic plan, organizational review and campus master plan.