Letter to Acting Assistant Secretary Mahaffie - A Medical School In Elmira Is Just What The Doctor Ordered For The Southern Tier
Letter
Dear Acting Assistant Secretary Mahaffie,
I write to bring to your attention Lake Erie College of Medicine's (LECOM) proposal to the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) regarding the college's proposed branch campus at Elmira College. As one of the largest medical schools in the United States and a major presence in the healthcare field, LECOM's proposal has a wide array of community support. It could greatly benefit a rural swathe of New York State, but, thus far, has been denied by COCA.
As the medical school with the largest number of applicants in the United States, LECOM is looking to expand, and Elmira has an existing foundation of strong support that will help promote the success of a medical school. For years now the LECOM-Elmira proposal has been a cornerstone of efforts to revitalize the community and the surrounding area. Local leaders, elected officials, economic development specialists, educators, and healthcare administrators have diligently worked to ensure that the community is well-prepared for a new medical school. State and local funding commitments have been made to complement LECOM's investment in the creation of an environment that meets the needs of the school, its students, and faculty.
Not only is a new medical school widely welcomed, it could be transformational for a region facing significant healthcare challenges. The Southern Tier and Western New York have some of the state's worst health outcomes, with a patient-to-primary care doctor ratio of 1500:1. Chemung County, home to Elmira College, ranks 50th out of 62 counties in the state for health outcomes. LECOM-Elmira's training program would focus on primary care and rural practice, with an aim to bolster the number of primary care physicians in the region. LECOM has already made a significant contribution and investment in New York State. It has established a network of clinical training sites throughout New York State. It has established partnerships and affiliations with healthcare facilities throughout Upstate New York, with many in the Western and Southern Tier regions, and has placed nearly 200 residents at these affiliated institutions, working to fill the void in areas of most need. The proposal would help continue on this path.
LECOM-Elmira has received accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. An appeal is once again up for review by COCA, a division of the American Osteopathic Association, which in turn is accredited by the US Department of Education. I am aware that a thorough multi-step process is prescribed by both federal and state government with the intention that only the highest caliber institutions obtain approval to deliver instruction to future practitioners of osteopathic medicine. Local and LECOM officials are concerned that their proposal is not being judged on its merits. I urge USED to ensure COCA conducts an equitable and expeditious review of the appeal, based on COCA's published standards and the factual evidence presented in LECOM's application.
Sincerely,
Charles Schumer
United States Senator
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