I would like to respond to the article entitled “Diagnosis Disarray.” Some students may recognize that I was one of the former medical pro-viders at the Health Center at NU. I remain an instructor at NU with close ties to the University. I think the flavor of your article very accurately describes the degree of chaos that has been created within the Health Center under the leadership of Senior Vice President Philomena Mantella and Dr. Roberta Berrien.
Dr. Berrien is quoted as saying: “Some folks have left for personal reasons, some have left for opportunities to advance in their careers, some have left because of the transition.” I remain close friends and colleagues with all of the departed from the Health Center staff … to a one, their reasons for leaving were a response to the disregard and disrespect demonstrated through the merger by doctors Mantella and Berrien. The staff worked diligently through the merger process, even appealing to President Freeland on several occasions, to try to improve the management void at the Health Center.
Additionally, Dr. Berrien characterizes unrest as a response to increased hours and having to carry pagers. I personally have left for a position which is much more demanding, from a work-load perspective, to be in an environment where my professional contribution is valued. Doctors Berrien and Mantella made it very clear to all of us through the merger we were expendable.
Most importantly, the changes that Dr. Mantella has attempted at the Health Center were ones that the previous staff had beseeched her to move forward years ago. After Dr. Alexander Beckett’s departure in 2001, we pleaded with the University administration to increase availability of mental health services (a major focus of the current merger). Though Dr. Mantella asserts that “The reality is that we’ve pumped resources and lines into the health center,” this is really only a recent phenomenon, long overdue in the face of the needs of the students at Northeastern, which were laid out for the University adminstration four years ago.
The students at Northeastern have lost a highly skilled and committed group of health care providers, the quality of which cannot be replaced. The administrators responsible for this loss should be held accountable by the students at NU and thier families. Susan Brill, my former colleague states very accurately “I don’t know if they’ll be able to get people who were as good as they had. It’s going to take a long time.”
— David R. McBride, MD, is an associate professor at Tufts University School of Medicine.
