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.