ERIE, PA – The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), Millcreek Community Hospital (MCH), Medical Associates of Erie (MAE) and the Erie community will unite the week of April 14-20 to recognize the commitment and professionalism of the nation’s osteopathic physicians during National Osteopathic Medicine (NOM) Week.
According to the American Osteopathic Association, NOM Week annually brings the osteopathic medical profession together to focus on one common goal: increasing awareness of osteopathic medicine and doctors of osteopathic medicine in communities across the country.
As part of the local recognition of NOM Week, Erie Mayor Joseph Schember issued an official proclamation recognizing LECOM’s growth as not only the nation’s largest medical college but also its status as the country’s only osteopathic academic health center.
Additionally, both the Pennsylvania House and Senate passed resolutions last week recognizing April 14-20, 2019, as Osteopathic Medicine Week in Pennsylvania. The resolutions were co-sponsored by Erie area legislators Rep. Ryan Bizzarro and Sen. Dan Laughlin, respectively. In his support for the Senate resolution, Laughlin sited “the important role that osteopathic physicians play in improving the lives of thousands of patients across the Commonwealth and the nation.”
LECOM, along with MCH and the clinical practices of MAE, honors all the contributions by osteopathic physicians in the Erie region and their dedication to improving the health of their community through education and awareness-based efforts, as well as by delivering quality health services.
There are currently more than 145,000 osteopathic physicians and osteopathic medical students in the U.S., including 8,500 doctors of osteopathic medicine in Pennsylvania.