If good news travels fast, words of hope must move at the speed of light.

At least that's what Murrysville teen Kelsey Barner found out when she began compiling her inspirational collection of cancer stories, "In Their Own Words."

The book, a 155-page paperback, was published last month in time for Murrysville's Relay for Life May 30 and 31.

It has 30 personal accounts of how patients, family members and caregivers have dealt with this overwhelming disease.

Kelsey, 15, is a sophomore at Franklin Regional High School. She came up with the idea for a book not only to raise money for her Relay for Life team, FR Starz, but to lend encouragement to those experiencing the trials and triumphs of cancer.

In November, with help from local American Cancer Society representatives, she put out the word that she wanted to hear from anyone willing to share a story of how cancer has affected his or her life.

She received e-mails and letters from people as far away as Maine and South Carolina, candidly expressing their experiences. All are in the book.

So far, the response and attention are beyond what Kelsey expected. About 125 of the 300 existing self-published copies have sold. And she is already getting responses from several readers who want to share their stories as well. A second book is on the back burner.

Kelsey explained that when she started this project, she didn't want a collection of sad stories. All of the responses show what their authors gained, in a positive sense, from a life-changing diagnosis.

"It's surprising because some of these are really devastating stories," said Kelsey's mother, Kim.

One that stood out to Kelsey was from a 19-year-old man from New Mexico. He was diagnosed with stage-3 Hodgkin's lymphoma, but has been cancer free for the past year. He explained, in his teenage vernacular, how the "doctor dude" told him about this cancer.

Another story from Florida hit close to home for Mrs. Barner.

Tom Cromie, of Rotonda West, formerly of Murrysville, shared a short story about his emotional and physical struggle with lung cancer in 2004. His attitude changed completely with the help of a friend and neighbor who also was battling cancer: Joe Leftwich.

"I had to hold back tears when I got to that point in his story," Mrs. Barner said.

Mr. Leftwich was a Franklin Regional School District administrator who was greatly responsible for bringing the Relay for Life to Murrysville and influencing the Barners to becoming involved with the cause. He died in the fall of 2006.

Kelsey's brother, Taylor, 17, also has a Relay team, Joe's Army, named for Mr. Leftwich.

"We all worked on the book," Mrs. Barner said. "The idea came from Kelsey."

And so did the funds to self-publish 300 copies. Kelsey contributed about $1,500 of her own money to the publishing costs. Mrs. Barner and her husband, Ron, helped collect and review the stories. Taylor contributed to the layout and design of the finished product.

Once the book was published, Kelsey, an unassuming teenager with a quiet smile and a pony tail, found she wasn't prepared for the attention it would generate.

Actually embarrassed to sign a copy for her first customer, she then signed several books at home to avoid future requests.

So far, the Barner family has sold the book through word of mouth. It sells for $15 with all of the money going to the American Cancer Society.

"We are exploring other venues [for marketing the book]," Mrs. Barner said.

There is a display at Walker's Pet HoTail in Murrysville, where Kelsey works. The Barners also have made initial contact with some larger local book sellers.

At a recent reception celebrating the book and its writers, David Schaffner Jr., one of the authors and a cancer survivor from Shaler, said that as he read, he got "goose bumps."

"He said that at the time he was [going through treatments], he felt like he was all alone," Mrs. Barner said.

"That was the response I was looking for," Kelsey said.

"In Their Own Words" may be purchased by e-mailing thebarnerfamily@comcast.net.

Seton Hill University is taking steps to address a 20 percent shortfall of physicians in Pennsylvania.

On Tuesday, at a joint press conference at its Greensburg campus, Seton Hill announced a partnership with Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine to train physicians. Enrollment in the first class in August 2009 is anticipated to be 104 students and the number is expected to grow to 400 students in a few years.

Excela Health, which runs hospitals in Greensburg, Jeannette, Latrobe and Mount Pleasant, said the program will be a welcome addition. The system currently could use 154 more physicians, according to Dr. Ralph Capone, the system's chief medical officer.

"We are partnering with LECOM because it's the right thing to do," he said, noting that part of the doctors' training will be at system hospitals. "Locally, we are experiencing a loss of primary care physicians, general surgery, family medicine and internal medicine."

The high cost of malpractice insurance in Pennsylvania and higher salaries in other areas make it difficult for providers such as Excela to attract physicians.

Michele Moore Ridge, wive of former Gov. Tom Ridge and chairwoman of the Seton Hill Board of Trustees, said Seton Hill and the medical school engaged in more than a year of research and discussion with physicians, community leaders, elected officials and others before proceeding with the partnership.

"Our research and discussions gave us a clear understanding of the need for expanded medical education in southwestern Pennsylvania," she said. "We affirmed that a partnership between LECOM and Seton Hill would increase the percentage of medical school graduates who stay in the area to serve the medical needs of rural southwestern Pennsylvania communities, provide preventative health care information and protocol and help forestall Pennsylvania's health care crisis."

Michael J. Visnosky, chairman of the medical school's board, said he would expect the doctors who train locally to stay in the area.

"The training site for doctors often becomes their home," he said. "We expect positive grown in your medical community with the economic benefits that flow from that within a very short time."

In April, the Council of Osteopathic College Accreditation approved the partnership. Greensburg will be the third campus for the Erie school, which also has a campus in Bradenton, Fla.

The main difference between doctors of osteopathy and medical doctors is historical. Osteopaths emphasized total body health, which included manipulation as a treatment, while medical doctors focused more on treating specific ailments, often with drug therapies.

"Historically, D.O.'s were not into surgical procedures and were more into manipulation, but these days there's not much difference," said Charles Moran, director of media relations for the Pennsylvania Medical Society. "The only difference is the type of school they went to."

Osteopaths, like medical doctors, can enter any field of medicine including psychiatry, surgery, obstetrics and sports medicine and are considered medical doctors when they complete all requirements.

At Seton Hill, students will spend their first two years on campus engaged in a problem-based learning curriculum. The third and fourth years will be spent on rotations in hospitals in local and surrounding areas.

In problem-based learning, students develop learning objectives in basic science or clinical care needed to solve the patient case. Faculty facilitators guide the students as they gain medical knowledge.

A longtime Pittsburgh medical educator, Irving Freeman, will direct the academic program.

"Our students will be presented with actual cases and they will develop learning objectives with the help of facilitators," he said. "Students are not passive learners. They are mastering knowledge. This makes them better physicians after they complete their training. They develop styles of thinking and styles of learning.

The Erie college has committed to an initial investment of $4 million to renovate and equip two Seton Hill campus buildings. The Reeves Library will be equipped to access electronic data bases in Erie. Lynch Hall will be renovated and house small meeting rooms and faculty offices.

In addition to Excela, Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center of Johnstown will be involved in training student doctors.

"We've really had a challenge in filling the void we have in physicians so this is a great day for our community," said Kim N. Hollon, executive vice president and chief executive officer of Excela. "It will help the underserved population and bring tremendous economic benefits to our community.

"Being involved in teaching makes us better providers and better Health Care deliverers. Also, an academic environment attracts physicians."

Seton Hill's partnership with the medical college includes the creation of a cooperative degree program. Qualified Seton Hill undergraduates will be able to complete the Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degrees in as few as seven years.

The medical college opened in Erie in 1993 and added the Florida campus in 2004.

Seton Hill University, founded by the Sisters of Charity, is a coeducational Catholic liberal arts university in Greensburg. Chartered in 1918, Seton Hill offers more than 30 undergraduate programs and nine graduate programs, including a Master's degree in physician assistant.