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December 2002
Lights of Love
 For the third year in a row, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine hosted "Lights of Love" -- a benefit for the Ronald McDonald House. Students, faculty and staff bought heart-shaped paper ornaments for $1. The ornaments were hung on paper trees on campus, while real lights, representing the hearts, were strung on a live tree outside.
The lights were turned on during a noon-time ceremony Friday, December 13. PCOM President, Matthew Schure, PhD (right), presented the money earned from Lights of Love to Jim Murray, the former Eagles general manager who was instrumental in creating the Ronald McDonald House in 1974.
November 2002
PCOM researchers make news
 Brian Balin, PhD, professor, pathology, microbiology & immunology and Denah Appelt, PhD, associate professor, biomedical sciences, were interviewed on ABC's Philadelphia affiliate television station WPVI-TV. The segment, featuring their research on Alzheimer's Disease, aired on the station's HealthCheck report.
Drs. Balin and Appelt led a research team whose members included Christopher Scott Little, PhD, instructor, pathology, microbiology & immunology, Chris Hammond, senior research assistant, pathology, microbiology & immunology and Angela MacIntyre, PhD, post-doctoral fellow, biomedical sciences. Their work shows a link between the bacteria Chlamydia pneumoniae and the amyloid plaques found in the brains of people who have sporadic, non-hereditary Alzheimer's Disease. Presented in July at The 8th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders in Sweden, their new research builds on their ground-breaking work published in Medical Microbiology and Immunology in 1998 that discovered Chlamydia pneumoniae in 90 percent of brains taken from individuals who had suffered from Alzheimer's Disease. Their new work shows that the bacteria, when sprayed into the noses of mice, can cause progressive deposition of amyloid plaques, in essence creating a partial model of Alzheimer's Disease.
"We believe this could be a trigger mechanism for the pathology in Alzheimer's Disease," says lead researcher Dr. Balin. "People have been suspecting infectious agents for decades but, until more recently, could not find infectious correlates with this disease. It is very difficult to pinpoint an infectious cause for a progressive, chronic disease. We also believe that our isolation of Chlamydia pneumoniae from the human Alzheimer's Diseased brain and induction of pathology in normal mice is 'proof of principle' that this can be a causative mechanism turning on pathology."
This research has garnered publicity in other venues as well. An article citing the research appeared in the November issue of Targets, a review journal produced in the U.K. In November Dr. Appelt presented their research at the Society for Neuroscience in Florida and Dr. Balin presented at the 33rd Annual Symposium of The Eastern Pennsylvania Branch of the American Society for Microbiology. Also in November, Drs. Balin and Appelt presented their findings to the PCOM community and a local Rotary Club hosted by the college.
Octotober 2002
The End of an Era
The PCOM community said farewell to City Avenue Hospital with a tribute on Tuesday, July 30. Originally dedicated in 1967 as the Frederic H. Barth Pavilion in honor of the former PCOM president, the hospital officially opened its doors to patients in 1968. During the following 35 years, the hospital played a key role in the lives of PCOM students and faculty and provided essential health care services to area residents.
Built with a $7.1 million grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the hospital comprised five floors above ground, two floors below ground and 228 beds, nine surgical areas and 18 radiology labs. In 1996, PCOM sold the hospital to Graduate Health System, which then sold the facility to Allegheny Health System. When Allegheny went bankrupt in 1998, all of its hospitals, including City Avenue, were taken over by Tenet Health System. Tenet closed City Avenue Hospital in 2000, and PCOM bought the vacant property in March 2001. After demolition is completed, the four-acre site will remain a grassy area while plans for its future use are considered
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The hospital demolition mid-December. | | | |
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Larry Belkoff, DO, MSc, professor of surgery, urology division, (left) and Kenneth J. Veit, DO, MBA, dean, opened the time capsule housed in the hospital's cornerstone. Dr. Belkoff served as president of the medical staff and subsequently as medical director of City Avenue Hospital until it closed in 2000. | |
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September 2002
Holistic Medicine: Primary Care for the 21st Century
September 20 - 22
PCOM and the American Board of Holistic Medicine have created a three-day conference for physicians and health care practitioners that will present the healing art, science and practice of holistic medicine. Among the complementary modalities that will be taught are biofeedback, Chinese medicine and acupuncture, homeopathic medicine, meditation and yoga. The conference will address how these, and other modalities, can be used to treat chronic conditions such as addictions, Alzheimer's disease, back pain, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and osteoarthritis, just to name a few. CME credits are available for this conference, which will be held at PCOM. For more information or a complete brochure, call or e-mail Linda Miller, Office of Continuing Medical Education, 215-871-6348 or click here.
PCOM Golf Classic
The 10th annual PCOM Golf Classic will be held at the Whitemarsh Valley County Club in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania on Monday, September 30. Proceeds from the Golf Classic help support PCOM´s community health care centers. A range of sponsorships for players and non-players are available. For more information, call or e-mail EVENTures at 215-462-7171, rsvp@eventures.net.
August 2002
Degree Programs Commencement August 4
PCOM's graduate school programs will celebrate commencement on Sunday, August 4, 11:00 a.m. at the Adams Mark Hotel on City Avenue. Graduates will receive degrees or certificates in these areas: Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology, Master of Science in Clinical Health Psychology, Master of Science in Health Sciences - Physician Assistant Studies, Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences and Certificate of Respecialization in Clinical Psychology. The keynote address will be given by David A. Baron, M.S., Ed., DO `78. Dr. Baron is Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Temple University School of Medicine.
June 2002
 DO Commencement June 2
PCOM conferred the doctor of osteopathic medicine degree to 248 graduating DO students on Sunday, June 2, at the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts in Philadelphia. Presenting the commencement address was William H. Gray III, president and chief executive officer of The College Fund/United Negro College Fund. Mr. Gray is a former United States Congressman and served as chairman of the Democratic Caucus and later as Majority Whip. He was the first African American to chair the House Budget Committee and was the highest-ranking African American ever to serve in Congress.
New Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in School Psychology Program offered
PCOM´s doctoral program in School Psychology is an innovative, applied professional psychology program designed especially for working school psychologists. The curriculum provides students with the knowledge and skills to assume the role of a school psychologist, practice in a variety of settings and be prepared for eligibility for national certification for Pennsylvania licensure. The overall design of the graduate program is guided by the standards for training in school psychology set forth by the National Association of School Psychologists. The first class will enter in fall 2002. more
May 2002
Admissions to hold DO and graduate degree information sessions
The office of admissions has scheduled a series of information sessions for students interested in PCOM´s DO or graduate degree programs. Each session will include a tour of the campus, the opportunity to meet with PCOM students and admissions representatives and a question and answer session. To reserve a space for any of these sessions, please call 800-999-6998 or 215-871-6700. All sessions will be held in the Office of Admissions, Evans Hall, from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. on the following days.
DO Program: June 5 and 19, July 10, 24 and 31.
Graduate degree programs: June 12 and 26, July 17 and 31.
March 2002
PCOM Healthcare Centers host community health fairs
The PCOM Healthcare Centers are teaming up with the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile to host community health fairs at each of the Philadelphia-based PCOM Healthcare Centers. Children will be offered free health and dental exams, and refreshments, giveaways and tours will be offered to all. The goal of these fairs is to educate local residents about the PCOM health care resources available in their neighborhood. All of the health fairs will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The dates are as follows: PCOM Healthcare Center -- Cambria Divison, 2100 W. Cambria St., April 25; PCOM Healthcare Center -- Lancaster Avenue Division, 4148 Lancaster Ave, May 2; PCOM Family Practice, 4170 City Avenue, May 9 and PCOM Healthcare Center -- Roxborough Division, which will be held off-site at Northern Home for Children (rear entrance) 5301 Ridge Avenue, May 15.
February 2002
New Master of Science program in forensic medicine
A forensic medicine track has been added to Master of Science degree program. This advanced degree track is designed to provide health care professionals, including physician assistants, nurse practitioners, paramedics and physicians, with advanced knowledge, skills and credentialing.
The forensic medicine track focuses on the emerging demands and roles of medico-legal investigations by medical examiners and medical examiner staff. The program is based on a shared, interdisciplinary faculty drawn from PCOM´s basic sciences and physician assistant departments as well as the medical examiner's office. It will provide graduate education opportunities not only for regional health practitioners, but for PCOM alumni as well.
More information
January 2002
 PCOM President Inaugurated
Matthew Schure, PhD, was inaugurated as PCOM's seventh president on Friday, January 25, 2002. The ceremony was held on campus as part of the College's Founders' Day activities. He was installed as PCOM's president and chief executive officer on November 1, 2000.
Dr. Schure previously served as president and chief executive officer of New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) in Old Westbury, NY. At NYIT, Dr. Schure led an eight-school institution that includes New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. His accomplishments at NYIT include increasing student enrollment; implementing technology-enhanced learning environments at the three campuses and remote sites; increasing the breadth of the curriculum, including the creation of a School of Allied Health; initiating the first major development campaign; and renewing NYIT's financial strength. His efforts also resulted in NYIT receiving multiple accreditations.
He received both his master´s and doctorate in educational psychology from Columbia University - Teachers College. Dr. Schure is very active with osteopathic professional organizations, including the American Osteopathic Association and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. Complete inaugural text
College Celebrates Founders´ Day
January 25, 2002
The annual observance of Founders´ Day commemorates the founders of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine: Oscar J. Snyder, DO and Mason W. Pressly, DO. To honor PCOM´s founders and those who continue to make the institution great, the College awards an O.J. Snyder Memorial Medal and a Mason W. Pressly Memorial Medal. photos
The recipient of this year´s O.J. Snyder Memorial Medal is Joseph M. Pellettiere, Jr., DO `48. Dr. Pellettiere, who practices family medicine in Brooklyn and Queens, New York, played a key role in creating the Alumni Association´s DO Student Loan Fund. He says of this contribution, "I have always done all I can to encourage medical students and young osteopathic physicians to stick with it, even when the going gets tough." Dr. Pellettiere has earned a great deal of respect during his many years of practice, and has twice been named Physician of the Year by the New York State Osteopathic Medical Society. He has enjoyed the position of director, vice chairman and acting chairman of the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians and now serves as secretary. A former clinical assistant professor of family practice at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, he holds life membership in the AOA, American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians and New York City Osteopathic Society of Physicians and Surgeons.The recipient of this year´s Mason W. Pressly Memorial Medal is Edward J. Armbruster,DO`02). Armbruster is being honored for his leadership and enthusiasm for helping others and enhancing medical education through positive change. Armbruster was elected president of the Class of 2002 and representative to the College´s student government. In addition, his clerkship group chose him as its leader. He was also elected to serve on the National Board of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association as well as its PCOM chapter. With graduation just months away, Armbruster looks forward to a career in orthopedic surgery, incorporating osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) as a routine part of his practice. "PCOM has supported the person I am and the kind of doctor I want to be," he says. |
