Saturday, September 26, 2009

16 Seconds of Community

My Next Sub-par Hulu Addiction:

Friday, September 25, 2009

Ze was reading my blog and....

Well, he thought he'd like to chime in on the protest debate. Debate protest?

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Sorry Jon, your reign could last only so long.

To: Jon Howland; With: Humor

All health care aside, this is some funny shit:
















Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Monday, September 21, 2009

Free Speech for All, Even Douche Bags

Elevating the debate, one sign at a time:








Saturday, September 19, 2009

Bill Clinton on Health Care

Finally, someone is letting out the dirty little secret that America isn't getting what we're paying for. We spend more money on health care than any other country in the world and have worse health outcomes than nearly every developed nation on Earth.

It's only two minutes; have a listen:

Friday, September 18, 2009

Respect (Ze)

And I've always been such a fan of disrespect...


Thursday, September 17, 2009

Assuming it's not all bullshit, I kinda like this guy:

"
Office of the Dean

Biddeford Campus
11 Hills Beach Road
Biddeford, ME 04005
(207) 602-2340 T
(207) 602-5977 F

September 17, 2009

Dear Students, Staff and Faculty of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine;

I am pleased to have joined the University of New England team and to be a part of the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Maine’s medical school has been critical for addressing the primary care and rural health needs of the state, the region and the country. Whether our students choose a primary care or ‘specialty’ care career option, they are assured that their excellent education will give them a solid foundation for professional success.

Throughout the years, our students’ success has been based upon a superb and committed faculty body that has served as both educators and mentors. I am proud to be your dean, and I am proud to be at UNECOM. As with any complex organization…and a university with a medical school is just that…there will always be challenges. I
recognize that fact! And I also recognize that it will take all of our efforts to assure continued success within the University of New England and the College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Although my comments are meant to be general in nature, I am actively engaged at this point with the recent issues surrounding University Health Care (UHC). UHC has been an important part of our community, serving the patients in this region, training the next generation of osteopathic physicians and employing some of the finest
and most committed faculty and staff in the state. I am committed to explore all options available for assuring the success of UHC and protecting the complex multi-faceted missions of the College of Osteopathic Medicine and the University of New England. Over the next several weeks, I will work with President Ripich, Dr. Pezzullo, Nancy Kiernan, MBA, Larry Turner, Dr. Bates and other internal and external leaders within the health care community to develop an appropriate solution. My goal is to identify a solution that assures: 1. Quality services
and continuity for our patients; 2. Excellence in medical education (including those uniquely Osteopathic Principles); and 3. Ongoing commitment to our loyal faculty and staff. But I will need everyone’s assistance
(faculty, staff and student alike) in maintaining the same high level of patient centric care, medical and health related student education and staff morale as we work to develop a model for the future.

These are challenging times for health care in this country. However, the University of New England, with its renowned College of Osteopathic Medicine; its rapidly growing College of Health Professions and the new College of Pharmacy is well positioned to impact the health and health care for the state of Maine, New England and the nation. In my other role as Senior Vice President for Health Affairs, I will work closely with Dean Ward, Dean Kay, Provost Carter and President Ripich to advance the university’s health mission in all arenas, both public and private. Thank you again for your commitment to the University of New England and our College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Yours Truly,

Marc B. Hahn, DO
Senior Vice President for Health Affairs and
Dean, College of Osteopathic Medicine
University of New England
"

Just a Stall...

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Ok, A Few Shots...

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.







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Nerdy Space Photography

Too sleepy and neuro-y to upload shots from the rally. In lieu of those images, check these out:




The kid in me likes the colors and the wonder!

The adult in me wonders if the colors represent atomic wavelengths or the Doppler effect!

(A few more Hubble masterpieces here.)

Friday, September 11, 2009

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

UNECOM Rally -- Medical Students and Osteopathic Physicians

.
Hey! I hacked onto this laptop I found in the library and saw this satire and ice thing opened up! The owner was writing something about respect for authority and the dangers of communism, but I said, "To hell with that!" I'm going to post something that totally goes against what this guys stands for and that he would never condone. Ha! I bet he'll be mad when he finds out, because he never approved this message!

from,

Theiving Library Computer Guy Who Happens To Be a White Female and Not A Teenager


Dear UNECOM Students:
For those of you that are concerned about the current state of the University and the College of Osteopathic Medicine, a group of D.O.'s and myself have been organizing a gathering (so-called "rally") to be held AT 2PM THIS SATURDAY THE 12TH OF SEPTEMBER at Monument Square in Portland (Downtown District). We already have a very large number of practicing D.O.'s showing up, many of whom are your preceptors, professors and health care providers! We were discussing the importance of student involvement in showing support for osteopathic medicine and it was decided that students are wanted (and are needed!) to come to the demonstration to stand side-by-side practicing D.O.'s and be very frank about the goings-on in UNECOM recently. This event will be covered by the media and is sure to make quite the impact.

I will be the student contact person - please email me at my NON-UNE email address (for obvious reasons): RMSmith8@gmail.com. If interested in making posters and materials for the rally, let me know, and I will put you in contact with the D.O. that is leading this up (who all of you guys know). Do note that I am on a rotation now with long hours, and will most likely only respond in the evening.

Again, the rally will be at 2PM, this weekend-Saturday, Monument Square, Portland. If you need a ride, let me know, and perhaps myself or a volunteer can form a so-called "caravan" to get you to Portland. A physical outpouring of support is essential - so please consider attending. The Board is meeting on MONDAY the 14th now - so time is of the essence!

If you will be in attendance -- please send me an email at the ABOVE GMAIL address -- as we need roughly accurate counts.

I am meeting with this group of D.O.'s tomorrow early AM - so will have more to pass on about this at that time.

Any questions, please give me an email -- RMSMith8@gmail.com.

All the best,

Ryan M Smith, OMS-IV
Past Student Trustee, UNE Board of Trustees

Socialism

Yeah yeah, it's not his finest work, but at least it distracts you long enough to keep you from scrolling down. Enjoy.




---
Jonathan Story has no official opinion about health care, reformed or otherwise. As a Republican he has never been sick himself or known anyone who was sick.

The Official Song of Healthcare Reform

Please note: The Official Song of Healthcare Reform was written as a satirical commentary on the national health care debate and not about the 20,000 patients who will lose their health care with the closure of UHC this November.



Don't Leave Us Behind (The Official Song of Healthcare Reform... - Click here for more home videos

PS.

I know satire is largely unprofessional, but come on: At least you're glad I'm not this guy, right?
Now there's a way to embarrass an institution and ruin a gunner's chance at a competitive orthopedics residency, right?! :-P*












*Now that's how you emoticon! See, my smiley came with a wry grin and a tongue deviating left on protrusion. Even if - after the multiple links to the placebo journal, the use of hyperbole and the dueling punctuation at the end of the statement - you were still wondering about my intent, little Sarcastic Sammy was there to set you straight.

Happy Typing!

---

Jonathan Story has no official opinion about health care, reformed or otherwise. As a Republican he has never been sick himself or known anyone who was sick.

University of New England Closes Health Clinics

Patients using six community health clinics run by the University of New England appear to have been left out of the loop, and in the lurch, on the impending closure of University Health Care services.

University officials have remained mostly silent on the reasons to close the clinics in Biddeford, Saco and Portland on Nov. 2. The university reached a memorandum of understanding on Aug. 14 with Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford that may lead to the continuation of some services provided by the clinic. But where this leaves patients is unknown at this point.

While staff learned in August about the closures, patients are only learning about the situation through media reports. Rose St. Onge of Saco saw her doctor Monday and was told nothing.

"I was there last night," St. Onge said. "They said zip. I'm ticked off. I finally found a doctor I like. I finally found a doctor my son likes. Some notice, other than in a newspaper story, would have been appreciated. You do want to be on a good rapport with your customers."

St. Onge and her 14-year-old son have been using University Health Care for the past three or four years. She would like to continue seeing her doctor in the future but is unsure if that will be possible.

"This is above and beyond. I have to shop for a new doctor now. My attitude is I want to wait and see. But I can't," she said.

University Health Care is a community service of the university and its College of Osteopathic Medicine, offering health care for patients of all ages in the six clinics and two student health centers. The university's statement indicates the student health centers on the Portland and Biddeford campuses will remain open but it is uncertain who will operate the student health centers.

The clinics are located on Beach Road in Biddeford, Forest Avenue in Portland and Main Street in Saco.

Calls to University Health Care clinics were referred to Director of Marketing and Communications Kathleen Taggersell, who did not answer questions after releasing the statement Tuesday afternoon. Medical Director Christopher Pezzullo was not in his office Tuesday and could not be reached for comment.

The only potential indication St. Onge noticed was when her doctor had reduced her office hours to two days a week recently but did not give a reason.

"Over the past few years, it has become clear that it is not feasible for UNE to continue to operate UHC in its current form," read a press statement released on Tuesday. Senior university officials were at a conference in Boothbay and could not be reached for comment on whether the decision was financially based.

"Our decision to cease operation of UHC in its current form did not come easily, and we certainly appreciate the impact of this announcement on UHC's 82 employees and the community we serve," the statement reads.

The talks between the university and Southern Maine Medical Center have centered on providing services once the clinics close and enhancing the existing relationship between the two entities.

"We have had a long relationship with UNE," Southern Maine Medical Center Vice President of Community Relations and Development Sue Hadiaris said. "We are both working as quickly as we can. We realize they have established a time constraint of Nov. 2. If we had a longer period of time, we could look at alternatives for providing each of their services."

Hadiaris said the review of University Health Care services has just begun. Hospital officials are reviewing each service to see if they fit within the hospital's mission and, more importantly, its resources.

"We do understand the uncertainties that are out there," she said. "We are mindful of the situation patients, physicians and other professional providers are in."

"While no decisions have been made, we are hopeful that some or many of the services will be offered under SMMC after Nov. 2," the statement reads. "It is early in the process and active discussions with SMMC are under way."

Hospital trustees are expected to decide Oct. 5 whether the center can take on some of the services being provided by the clinics.

"UNE and SMMC will keep current UHC providers and staff informed as soon as decisions are made," the statement reads. "We are hopeful that many of the service lines and employees will benefit from these discussions and that our educational programs will be enhanced, as well. As discussions proceed in the coming weeks, it is UNE's hope that we will be able to announce a continuation of some or all of the UHC services, through another model. UNE students will continue to gain valuable professional experiences at numerous outstanding clinical campuses and affiliates throughout the Northeast with whom we have partnered for many years."

---

Article quoted from keepmecurrent.com:

(http://www.keepmecurrent.com/news/local/article_f7c0278e-9742-11de-ad7a-001cc4c03286.html)

---

Jonathan Story has no official opinion about health care, reformed or otherwise. As a Republican he has never been sick himself or known anyone who was sick.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Samoans Swinging Southpaw

Samoa becomes the first country in almost 40 years to pull a Rocky I this late in the game.

Let's watch!

Monday, September 7, 2009

Friday, September 4, 2009

Beavers Think They're So Fucking Clever...



Yeah, so I'm taking a breather on the whole UHC thing. Maybe after Neuro I'll write more and more creatively, but until then their just ain't enough of my brain to go around. Sorry.

If anything pertinent comes up I'll let you know. Until then I'm afraid it's just more silly videos and the occasional snow penis.

Happy Laboring.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Nothing Controversial Here...

To any new readers who stumbled across this site in a Google Search for UNECOM, you're in the wrong place. I don't even know what a UNECOM is!

Mostly, I just post short videos of kittens and write about my allergies. Among them are: pine nuts, shell fish and- Wait, I can't let the cat out of the bag just yet! You'll have to check back later to learn about the rest of them and how they affect my eating habits.

Well, enjoy!






Oh, and just as a matter of housekeeping, I've come across a number of these on campus recently:



If you know why they're turning up now or have any idea how to get rid of them, please speak up. I think they're scaring all the little pussy cats on campus and keeping them from coming out to play!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Quick! Look over there!!!


Hey Everyone!

Look at that shiny object down there.

No, don't scroll too far!

It's just here. Right here. No need to look any further. I bet there's not even anything down there. Probably just an add for an overpriced libido-reducer. You wouldn't be interested. Nope, just the three minutes to watch this really shiny video is probably all the time you have. You are a very important person, after all, and I have nothing but the utmost respect for you and your opinions.

Long live The Man!



(Ze Frank Tries to Understand Health Care Reform)

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

UNECOM: The Beginning of the End

I was going to use a different title for this post, but after my last comments concerning the financial goings-on at UNECOM and the alleged failures of judgment of our dominatrix overlord, UNE, I opted for a graver though more subdued introduction. As it happens, I just used up my last tiny shred of clout on that opening sentence, so instead of writing I'll let a few UNE notables share their words (You know: from folk's whose names are engraved in the buildings on campus.).

If you're not a UNECOMer the closing of University Health Care won't mean much, so don't look for a punch line or a deeper message here. If you are part of the flock, check out http://sites.google.com/site/unecomconcern/home for more information.

If you've got an opinion, please use the contact information below to let the board of trustees know where you stand.

---

Timeline of Events - Prepared by Dr. Christopher Pezzullo

Time Line


  • 6/1/08 Dr. Cawley starts as VPCA, John Gimpel starts as Dean, Dr. Pezzullo starts as Medical Director
  • 6/10/08 Dr Cawley forces resignation of Drs. Stockwell and Garrett, Finance Director of UHC Becky Behme is fired
  • 9/1/08 Dr. Cawley gives her notice, will be a VP at Maine Health
  • 10/1/08 UHC Transition Team (Cawley, Allcorn, Gimpel, Pezzullo, Ward) starts 2x/mo meetings
  • 10/15/08 DCO (Nancy Kiernan) starts, and joins transition team
  • 10/31/08 Dr. Cawley’s last day
  • Transition Team headed by Seth Allcorn, VP Finance meets to excitedly plan for a new UHC that is interprofessional, intercollegiate and financially secure
  • 2/15/09 Seth tells us that the President wants to shut UHC down. We re-double efforts to create a salvageable UHC
  • 3/17/09 Dr. Pezzullo proposes to Board of Trustees Finance Committee a $20/hour teaching allocation, banked in arrears—they endorse a $400,00 allocation using this model
  • Seth no longer engaged as Transition Team leader states that there’s no way to “make it work”
  • 6/16/09 3 Proposals offered to President for UHC: Stand-alone Corp., MSO, shrunk-down COM-centric model
  • 7/2/09 President rejects all proposals, says she’s shutting UHC down
  • 7/15/09 June figures show that UHC makes its first 1-month profit in almost a decade!
  • 8/4/09 90-day notice letter of termination sent to all 100 UHC employees
  • Closure of UHC will result in nearly $2 million in costs, near-abandonment of >20k patients, continued costs to train medical students outside of UNE and the loss of all medical clinics at COM/UNE
---

Second Letter from Dr. Owen Pickus to BOT

Dear Members of the Board,

I am sure this ongoing debate over UHC is growing somewhat tiresome for many of you. Unfortunately, I must continue the dialogue. The update below by Dr. Ripich, once again fails to respond to the most important fundamental question. Since SMMC and Maine Health have made no promises regarding any ultimate committeement to UHC, what happens in the alternative? Moreover, Dr. Bates assures me that Dr. Ripich was given three viable alternates to salvage UHC, she choose none of them. Instead, she unilateraly elected to close UHC. Only after that decision was made did Dr. Bates offer to contact SMMC for their interest. He asked Dr. Ripich for 120 days to negotiate and achieve the best terms possible if a deal could be struck. Rather than accept his advice, she offered 30 days to make a deal and simulatneously announced the UHC closure. By going "public" with this position, she placed the University and Dr. Bates in the unenviable task of arranging a deal with Maine Health with their awareness that we had little left on the table to offer. Any good business person knows that you go into a posture to strike a deal with another party without displaying your weaknesses. Clearly this did not happen here and now Maine Health can pick and choose the best parts of UHC and dismiss the rest. According to Dr. Bates and Dr. Pezzullo, this has left us at the mercy of Maine Health to dictate our future. Finally, as comments flow from the community regarding the UHC closure, we cannot with any assurance make statements of how we will support our students, the Health Center or our existing patients at UHC. Understand this is not about Dr. Ripich but about the community perception of how UNE does it's business. So far, the feedback from outside UNE and also from within has been less than supportive. Please reconsider the need to have a sub-committee formed now to deal with this difficult situation.

Thank you all for you continued interest,
Owen Pickus

---

Letter from Dr Geraldine Ollila to BOT

Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Members of the BOT:

Over the past ten years, UNE/COM has seen rapid growth and an equivalent rise in its national prestige. Alumni support has been instrumental in contributing to this success. Remarkably, our Osteopathic physician graduates have been a cornerstone of healthcare in Maine participating in student education and fund raising for COM. Recent change and instability at UNECOM (as outlined below) has raised serious concerns from our valued alumni and Osteopathic physician graduates that must be critically evaluated and challenged.

* Potential closure of UHC, 100+ jobs at risk, loss of student education sites, 20,000 plus patients displaced. Potential acquisition by Maine Health resulting in an uncertain future for UHC.
* COM Dean turnover, local and nationally respected Dr. Boyd Buser passed over for Dean. Dr. Jackie Cawley appointed interim Dean with significant local controversy over ties to Maine Health. Dr. John Gimpel appointed and resigned within one year. Dr. Cawley reappointed as Dean, accepted position, withdrew within 48 hours. COM Dean position remains unfilled contributing to further uncertainty.
* Loss of longstanding Osteopathic residency, displacing desperately needed local Osteopathic physicians.
* Unprecedented number of UNE/COM senior staff/management turnover (Dean of COM, VP Financial Affairs, Dean of Students, and other VP’s of the University).
* Pursuit of a Dental school in uncertain financial times with excessive expenditures in the exploration process with no success to date.
* Turmoil at COM has resulted in a significant drop off of student applicants of 2.8% (the largest decline in the country) while nationally the application rate to other Osteopathic medical schools has risen by 8.9%.

I implore you as Board members to independently evaluate these events raised by our valued alumni and osteopathic physician graduates. These decisions may have permanent impact on UNE/COM.

Thank you for your time and consideration at these critical times.

Sincerely,

Geraldine Ollila D.O., P.T., UNE’ 88, COM 93

---

Letter from Dr. John Peterson to the BOT

Dear Chairman Morel and members of the UNE Board of Trustees:
John M. Peterson, D.O. here. I was a member of the founding class at UNECOM and I have been the Executive Director of the Vermont State Association of Osteopathic Physicians & Surgeons, Inc. for over 25 years. I recently received a copy of Dr. Pickus' letter regarding the situation with UHC from one of my association members and have also discussed the situation with our president John Johansson, D.O./UNECOM '82.
I am writing to express our extremely serious concerns with this matter as well as our ongoing concerns about the direction that UNE appears to have taken under the leadership of Dr. Ripich.
As a member of the founding class, I can recall very well that St. Francis College was on the verge of becoming an afterthought in the world of educational institutions, when I arrived on the campus. It is my strong belief that without the reorganization of St. Francis College and with the addition of the COM as UNE that the institution would have joined the ranks of extinct educational facilities. With the start of the COM and the graduation of the inaugural class, UNE began to flourish and has now become a world class institution of learning in many fields.
The university and the COM has benefited greatly from the donations of numerous generous individuals including Mr. Alfond, Dr. Pickus, Dr. Morgane and the Lowney family as well as many osteopathic physicians and their patients who all firmly believe in Osteopathy and what it has to offer patients in New England as well as wherever our graduates come to practice.
Several years ago, as I assume you all recall, there was a great deal of consternation over the selection process for the new dean of the COM under Dr. Ripich's leadership. It remains my opinion that we lost an excellent candidate in Dr. Buser, who subsequently was selected to be the dean at the school in Pikeville, KY. That was their gain and our great loss. I can't think of anyone more dedicated to Osteopathy in general and to New England in particular than Dr. Buser, who is also one of the trustees of the AOA.
At that time there was a great deal of anger in the New England osteopathic community both from graduates of the COM as well as from practicing physicians about how Dr. Ripich handled the situation as well as the lack of communication with the alumni and with the practicing D.O.s in New England. I wrote to Dr. Ripich and to the board recommending more and better communication about any events that would vitally impact our profession in this region. I recall receiving assurances that there would be better communication in the future, but clearly that has never happened.
We are distressed that the elimination of the UHC was apparently a unilateral decision by Dr. Ripich without the consultation or the advice of the Board of Trustees. The impact of this decision has major potential adverse effects on the healthcare in the communities involved, on the faculty and on the education of our students.
We are also very concerned about the selection process for the new dean of the COM, about which we remain very much in the dark. We need a strong dean who will look after the COM as well as furthering the advancement of Osteopathy in the region, but we are concerned that someone will be chosen who will only rubberstamp the decisions of Dr. Ripich, instead of standing up for and representing the COM as well as the profession in our region.
As it now stands, we are forced to offer a vote of no confidence for Dr. Ripich in terms of leading the university and, most importantly, in respecting and carrying forward the vision of the founders of the COM and the university.
Respectfully submitted,
John M. Peterson, D.O.
UNECOM 1982
Executive Director, Vermont State Association of Osteopathic Physicians & Surgeons, Inc.

---

Student Concerns

Please Read and Comment
Students would like to maintain a uniquely Osteopathic Education and have a place to practice while they are doing so. With the proposition of a buyout, the fact that SMMC is not an Osteopathic hospital must be understood. It is unlikely this institution will foster the climate of Osteopathy that we, as students, are interested in maintaining.

Accreditation is up for review in January 2010. With this much of a decrease in clinical faculty, Dr. Bates has stated we will not be able to pass. The inability to pass this review is due to the significant reduction in student to faculty ratio and the reduced amount of time students are able to spend with clinicians.

Recently, Dr. Ripich made a decision to close down UHC and terminate the entire clinical faculty including the OMM faculty keeping only the heads of the departments.


1. The quality of our education will undoubtedly suffer. SMMC has already said they will not allow physicians working for them to have more than 30% of their time purchased by UNECOM. This said, we currently have 8 OMT-only faculty, allocating 40-60% of their time to UNECOM activities. There is no guarantee from SMMC stating the physicians currently on staff will be rehired.

2. The cost of our education is one of the highest in the country. Closing the student clinic will decrease opportunities for preceptorships and decrease the overall quality of our education without a concurrent reduction in our tuition.

3. The further dilution of Osteopathic culture which will occur with the closure of UHC fundamentally alters the character the students expect and demand from this institution. Students matriculated to a school with a strong foundation in Osteopathy and community service, but the closure of UHC is radically opposed to these ideals.

4. The NMM residency operated jointly by the University and UHC is being put into jeopardy at a time when GME is calling for the expansion of residency positions.

5. Because of the need to buy out contracts and the cost to shut down UHC, there will be an incredible financial burden placed on the students who will in turn see no dividends. Closure of UHC will have an immediate financial impact to the University potentially in excess of two million dollars. President Ripich argues that the clinic’s budget should not be subsidized with student tuition. The use of tuition money for the closing of UHC is by far more inappropriate than using the money toward UHC and our education. The expense of University Health Care is one of the factors that contributes to the cost of our education and should not be viewed as a burden.
***Dr. Pezzullo states that UHC had a profit in July of over 200k which is the first profit in over ten years. This shows that his hard work was turning the financial situation around and may have led to future profits. It clearly will cost far more to close it down. The most appropriate financial decision is to rescind the closing of UHC and keep it with UNECOM.

*** It is less expensive to have the faculty hired by UNE than to hire them as adjunct.

6. The potential loss of accreditation would dramatically affect all students' careers, but would have particular significance to those students who are participating in military HPSP scholarships. These students would no longer be allowed to study at UNECOM, as participants in the HPSP program are required to attend accredited medical schools. However, military student physicians are still under contract to the United States Army/Navy/Air Force. These students would have two choices; one would be to transfer to another Osteopathic medical school. The other would be to immediately repay the United States Government over $80,000 in tuition, fees, expenses, and stipends (approximation of total disbursement to current second year students).
**This fact was obtained through direct communication with the United States Army HPSP Office of Student Management.

7. The decision to close UHC and terminate the associated faculty was made unilaterally and without regard to the input of students or faculty. The full COM Board of Trustees was not apprised of the situation before action was taken. This further highlights the lack of transparency with financial matters and institutional planning. (emphasis added)

8. This should all be viewed in light of the fact that plans are in progress to nearly double class size. Doubling of class size with dramatic reductions in OMM faculty will seriously dilute the Osteopathic character of our school, a fact which many students find simply unpalatable.

Until these concerns are sufficiently addressed, the students of UNECOM will not settle for what they are given, they will fight for what they expect and deserve from this great institution.

The best decision for students educationally is to keep UHC with UNECOM.

The best financial decision is to rescind the termination of clinical faculty as well as OMM faculty and keep our faculty intact.

UHC is an educational expense, as are the faculty. They have always been a part of the tuition.

---

Contact info for BOT

Ann Butterworth ’77 ’81, Secretary, Treasurer
Michael Campinell, Student Trustee
Daniel D’Entremont
Brian Dallaire, Pharm.D.
Mark Doiron, Vice Chair
Jenna Fucetola, Student Trustee
Alfred H. Fuchs, Ph.D.
Vincent E. Furey, Jr.
Sandi Goolden
Karin A. Gregory
Keith R. Jacques, J.D.
Joseph F. Karpinski, D.D.S.
Charles J. Kean, III, C.P.A.
Robert Leonard, D.O. ’86
Michael A. Morel, Chair
James Norwood, Jr. ’66
Diane M. Nugent, D.O. ’92
Eugene A. Oliveri, D.O.
Gary Palman, D.O.
Owen Pickus D.O.
Hugo Ricci ’66
Danielle Ripich, Ph.D., President (ex-officio)
Alice Savage, M.D., Ph.D. ’55
Terrance J. Sheehan, M.D.
Normand E. Simard
Kenneth G. Simone, D.O. `87
Melinda Small, Ph.D.
Gerald Talbot
John E. Thron
Tonia Hanson Tibbetts
Harold E. Woodsum, Jr., L.L.B.

Ann.Butterworth@libertymutual.com
mcampinell@mail.une.edu
mdoiron@hannaford.com
ddentremont@maine.rr.com
bdallaire@usa.net
afuchs@bowdoin.edu
jfucetola@mail.une.edu
vfurey@maine.rr.com
sgoolden@maine.rr.com
kjacques@sesg.com
jfkarpy@webtv.net
cjk@macpage.com
hairdr@pol.net
mmorel2@maine.rr.com
Jim@newbalanceva.com
dmn ugent@maine.rr.com
picooliveri@aol.com
palmag@spectrummg.com
opickus@maine.rr.com
hukathy@msn.com
dripich@une.edu
sav1121age@fairpoint.net
tsheehan@medicalmutual.com
norm7077@aol.com
ksimone@sunburypc.com
mysmall@suscom-maine.net
gtalbot@maine.rr.com
JohnEThron@aol.com
tibmar@pivot.net
hwoodsum@maine.rr.com

---

In these turbulent times, I'm sure members of the board would welcome any and all input.

(If you skipped to the end hoping for a bit of humor, sorry to let you down. If you scroll down a little further, there's a bit of bog-snorkeling I think you might like.)