Joseph Dieterle, DO '70, FACOP, FAAP, retired from pediatric practice with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, South Jersey offices, in January 2012. At the time of his retirement, he had served as a member of the staff of Shore Medical Center (Somers Point, New Jersey) for 23 years. He also chaired the medical center's Department of Pediatrics from 1993 to 2008.
Upon the completion of his pediatric residency in 1974, Dr. Dieterle joined the staff of PCOM, becoming one of the earliest members of President Thomas M. Rowland Jr.'s whole-time clinical faculty. In 1980, he was named chairman and professor of the Department of Pediatrics, and in 1983, the director of medical education. In 1985, he was promoted to vice president of academic affairs and dean, a position he held until 1989. During his tenure at the College, Dr. Dieterle developed a robust pediatric department with multiple subspecialties. He originated the Minority Student Scholarship Fund as well as the DO/MBA program.
Dr. Dieterle has held professional memberships/leadership positions in the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, the American Association for Higher Education, the American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians, the American Osteopathic Association, the American Board of Pediatrics, the American Osteopathic Board of Pediatrics, the American Association of University Administrators, the American Osteopathic Directors of Medical Education, the Childbirth Education Association, the Governor's Task Force for Perinatal Health, the National Board of Examiners of Osteopathic Physicians, the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association and the Philadelphia Pediatric Society. He has been a member of the PCOM Board of Trustees since 2003, and an emeritus professor since 2013.
A three-time NCAA Div. II All American swimmer, Dr. Dieterle was inducted into the La Salle University Hall of Athletes in 2003. In 1982, he received the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching. He was the 2012 recipient of Shore Medical Center's Chairman’s Award. In 2015, he was honored with the O. J. Snyder Memorial Medal, PCOM's highest award.
A distinguished fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians and the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Dieterle holds a bachelor's degree from La Salle College (now La Salle University) and a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from PCOM. He completed his internship at Flint Osteopathic Hospital, Flint, Michigan, and his residency at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, Philadelphia. He was the first DO to complete a pediatric residency at St. Christopher's, and the first pediatric resident to take both the osteopathic and allopathic boards.
Born in Philadelphia, Dr. Dieterle lives in Okatie, South Carolina, with his wife, Mary Margaret (Peggy) Lynch Dieterle, BSN, MS, PNP, a pediatric nurse practitioner. They have two children, Joseph A. Dieterle III, MBA, and Megan L. Dieterle, MA. They were predeceased by Kara E. Dieterle Sutton.
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