Dr. Scott Stoll 's testimony at UNT Board of Regents

The following verbal testimony on November 20, 2009 by Scott Stoll, DO, PhD
                           Former Chairman of Department of Osteopathic Medicine-UNTHSC
                           Former Tenured Professor-UNTHSC
                          Former UNT Health Board Member
                          Former Director of Physical Medicine Research Institute

I am sincerely humbled and honored to be among such distinguished public servants and I appreciate this opportunity to address the UNT System Chancellor, Board of Regents and this audience. My name is Scott Stoll. I received my DO from TCOM and my PhD from UNT. Upon graduation from TCOM, I was awarded the Wayne O. Stockseth Award for the Most Outstanding Osteopathic Graduate and have proudly worn the watch to this day.

I am an osteopathic physician specialist. I am residency trained and am both MD and DO board certified. Next month, I will complete 20 years of service to the State of Texas through my work at UNTHSC. A little over a year ago, in September 2008, I was promoted to full professor with tenure in recognition of my efforts in teaching, research, clinical service, administration, and community engagement. My wife Myra and I give annually to a UNT College of Arts and Sciences scholarship fund as well as to the UNTHSC Foundation. As a proud alumnus, I bleed Eagle Green and was looking forward to another 20 years of service and retirement from the University of North Texas Health Science Center.

However, as you all know, the events of this last year have been difficult and traumatic for me and my family and left me with no real choice but to resign effective in January 2010.

Forbes lacks sensitivity to Salzberg's insults onto DO profession

After 6 weeks of insulting blogs posted by Dr. Salzberg on Forbes, Forbes has failed to respond to the outcry of the osteopathic community and its patients. Hundreds of letter to editor and comments, Forbes has remained silent on the issue. The least that Forbes could have done and can still do is to do a fair coverage of DOs' contributions to the healthcare of this great nation.


The following letter to editor of Forbes

Dear Editor:

I would like to bring to your attention about the 2 blogs posted by Dr. Salzberg on osteopathic medicine. The mispresentation in an insulting manner of osteopathic medicine as a profession has caused an uproar and comments on the blogs over the past few days. I do not know what motives behind the blogs against Osteopathic medicine are? is he trying to get notoriety? The two blogs have totalled 50,000 viewings and 310 comments.

Open Letter to UNTHSC Educators: Take a stand against discrimination!

Dear my former TCOM/UNTHSC professors and faculty members:

First, I would like to apologize to you all for taking the liberty to write to you about the issue that would affect the future of TCOM and UNTHSC. UNT Health Science Center leaderships have been planning to start up an allopathic medical school on campus for the past two years. The stated reasons for supporting of such a plan include the prestige of an MD school, potential of increase in research funding and clinical rotation sites.

I would like to extend my deep gratitude to you all for having been doing a great job of teaching us despite the limited resources at the early days. You have been instrumental to the success of TCOM, its graduates and students. TCOM has been ranked among the top 50 medical schools for primary care for the past 9 years and the students have achieved the highest average scores in COMLEX step 1, 2 and 3 for the past few years in a row. Recently, TCOM was placed at the top over all the medical schools in Texas according to the study of “medical social mission” published in the Annals of Medicine. You are actually helping to train physicians of the future responding to the health care needs of the state of Texas.

Dr. Scott Stoll: Longterm needs versus short-term gains

The following comments made at UNT Board of Regents, March 26th, 2009 by Scott Stoll, DO, PhD.

“My name is Dr. Scoït Stoll and Í am a Professor and Chairman at UNTHSC-TCOM. I am an alumnus and have had the honor and privilege of serving here for 18 years.

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the Chancellor and the UNT Board of Regents for coming to Fort Worth to discuss the option of adding an MD degree program on the UNTHSC campus. I believe that the reason you have seen so many letters to public officials, editorials, lobbyists, and formal resolutions is that individuals apposed to adding an MD degree program were concerned that their voices would not be heard or listened to. This meeting helps to alleviate this concern.

“Caveat Emptor:” 'Personal Ambition is Not Answer to North Texas' Physician Shortage

Imagine having a low-cost yet highly effective antibiotic (TCOM DO's) to treat your infection (physician shortage). Then all of the sudden, someone, perhaps with initial good intention, hijacks the drug and tells you he's developing a brand-name medication (MD school) that is  equally as effective as your ole reliable antibiotic (DO school) and it's completely FREE?

Sounds incredible, right? Yet, this is exactly what Scott Ransom, DO, president of the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) in Fort Worth, Texas is proposing. Dr Ransom wants to give Texas and Tarrant County this new prescription (MD-designated medical school) at no cost even though the current one (TCOM’s DO-designated medical school) has been working great for four decades. How nonsensical is that?

Former president of TCOM alumni association supports osteopathic identity of UNTHSC

The following letter to UNT Chancellor on December 14th, 2008 by Jim Froelich, DO, TCOM class 1981, Former president of TCOM alumni association

The recent departure of Dean Marc Hahn from TCOM has caused great concern among many alumni.  Despite the verbiage describing his departure as a voluntary resignation, you and I know better.   Similarly, Dr. Palmarozzi’s removal seems uncalled for and has created great unrest and anger among her peers.  The leadership that Dr. Hahn and Dr. Palmarozzi have provided has been critical to the college.  They have established then maintained primary care, osteopathic orientation and highest quality education as the heart, soul and core of TCOM.  The loss of these fine physician administrators is regrettable and a major loss to TCOM and the HSC.

These and other events at the Health Science Center have brought to light several troubling questions concerning the leadership and direction of the HSC.  Since Dr. Ransom’s arrival, we have watched an exodus from TCOM of some of the finest osteopathic educators, physicians and researchers in the nation.  Unfortunately their replacements are much less oriented to osteopathic medicine and the bedrock of primary care.  Research and specialty training are displacing primary care as the educational focus and the “new direction” of the institution.  Is that by Dr. Ransom’s design, your design or is this “new direction” the course charted and supported by the UNT Board of Regents? 

Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM)’s achievements and contributions to the health care needs of Texas

TCOM graduates make significant contributions to health care in Texas.  In a recent study of medical social mission[1], TCOM ranked best among the seven medical schools in Texas.  The study evaluated the numbers of “graduates who practice primary care, work in medically underserved communities or are themselves minorities.”[2]  This record of accomplishment and the institution that it belongs to should be celebrated and expanded to accommodate even more students.  UNTHSC should be proud that it already has a medical school that has graduated more than 3,000 alumni.  These graduates have served well the community in Tarrant County and Texas by producing 65 percent of its graduates specializing in primary care and 34 percent serving in small towns of fewer than 25,000 people. About 585 osteopathic (D.O.) physicians practice in Tarrant County, including 245 specialists and 340 in family practice. More than 36 percent of the primary care physicians in Tarrant County are osteopathic physicians.[3]

TX-ACOFP's support of osteopathic identity of UNTHSC

The following letter to DOs dated on December 22nd, 2008 by Nancy Chasteen, DO, President TxACOFP

I have been quiet for the past several weeks on the issue of the joint M.D. degree plan for UNTHSC. Initially, I had some strong feelings and made them known. I have read all of your letters, all of the information that has been gathered and the information and rationalization from Dr. Ransom.  I have not changed my mind from my first reaction.

There is nothing to be gained for the osteopathic profession, the people of the State of Texas, the school or our graduates in pursuing this course. Those resources that are now limited will only be further strained by being made to cover two programs. Osteopathic physicians, and especially TCOM graduates, have provided more primary care to the citizens of Texas proportionately than all the MD programs combined. The changes anticipated for medicine will rely even more heavily on primary care physicians. If we don’t have those doctors available, it leaves the door open for justifying the use of physician extenders to provide that care. This is something even the MD’s would not like to see happening.

Resolution calling for Degree Designation Change to MD, DO

The following resolution calling for a formal Poll for Degree Designation Change to MD, DO, Submitted by a group of DO students and DOs.

this resolution was defeated at SOMA spring convention 2010.

1. WHEREAS, According to a study conducted by the AOA in 2000¹, only 11% of Americans recognize the DO degree designation.  Although more may recognize it today, one can reasonably expect that the percentage continues to be in the minority, and

2. WHEREAS, Numerous other healthcare providers who are not fully licensed physicians are now designated “doctor,” including NMDs, DNPs, DPTs, DPMs, DCs, and ODs, and

3. WHEREAS, Other countries (such as Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom) issue a DO degree that stands for “Diploma in Osteopathy,” and those who are granted this degree are limited manual medicine practitioners instead of fully licensed physicians. These similar degrees are confusing for everyone in the global medical community, and

Letter of hispanic support of osteopathic identity of UNTHSC

The following letter to UNT Chancellor dated December 19, 2008 on by Hector Lopez, DO, Commissioner USDHS Commission to End Health Care Disparities, AOA Chair Council Minority Health Issues

  

As a proud 81 TCOM class graduate, and TOMA’s first Hispanic President, I was amused with the whispered “allopathic TCOM change” rumors, but shocked to hear that two of TCOM’s premiere staff members had been terminated in order to accomplish a detrimental change of direction for our beloved Alma Mater.  I recall my father telling me that if our home was on fire, we better not stand around talking about it. Thus, I am glad that you will soon have a meeting of the minds to discuss this crisis of identity by our TCOM leadership and the future direction of UNTHSC.