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BIDDEFORD, Maine

UNE's medical school Dean Marc B. Hahn meets with First Lady Michelle Obama to discuss best practices for veterans

Dean Marc B. Hahn, D.O., University of New England senior vice president for health affairs and dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, was among a select group of medical school deans who met Jan. 11, 2011 with First Lady Michelle Obama. 

The meeting was part of the Mrs. Obama and Dr. Jill Biden's Joining Forces Initiative, a national program to mobilize all sectors of society to provide opportunities and support to meet the unique physical and mental health care needs of service members and their families.

Mrs. Obama announced a major commitment by the country's top medical colleges and universities to create a new generation of doctors, medical schools, and research facilities to ensure that veterans, service men and women receive the medical care they deserve.

"I'm inspired to see our nation's medical schools step up to address this pressing need for our veterans and military families," Mrs. Obama said.  "By directing some of our brightest minds, our most cutting-edge research, and our finest teaching institutions toward our military families, they're ensuring that those who have served our country receive the first-rate care that they have earned."

"The event was well-attended," said Dean Hahn, "and the First Lady gave a nice speech in which she mentioned the hard work and efforts of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine and the Association of American Medical Colleges to address psychological and brain trauma injuries in our veterans. Mrs. Obama expressed her appreciation to the medical school deans for their support for continued research and efforts."

Dean Hahn is chair-elect of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine and a military veteran who spent eight years on active duty, including time at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he was chief of pain management and served as anesthesiologist for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

Curricular Efforts Underway

UNE's College of Osteopathic Medicine - Maine's only medical school and the number-one provider of physicians to the state - has curricular efforts under way to address these critical issues with returning veterans.

Dean Hahn explained that "the UNE College of Osteopathic Medicine has included Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as a part of its curriculum, and we are working with the other colleges within the university for a 2012 UNE InterProfessional Education Collaborative event looking at traumatic brain injury.  In addition, researchers within the UNE College of Osteopathic Medicine have developed an animal model for PTSD;  that model, in fact, won a scientific research award at the 2011 annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine in March 2011."

Mrs. Obama was joined by leaders from academic medicine who are committed to pursuing groundbreaking research in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and uniting with America’s medical schools to enhance education and share research, information, and best practices.

This event took place at Virginia Commonwealth University.

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.