Health Education Cooperative (HEC) for the NY-Penn Area, 1972 - 1978
Scope and Contents
This series contains meeting minutes, correspondence, clippings, and reports related to the Health Education Cooperative (HEC) for the NY-Penn Area.
Dates
- Creation: 1972 - 1978
Creator
- From the Collection: Gordon, S. Stewart (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Materials in this collection have been thoroughly reviewed for possible restrictions. Some folders in the collection have been designated as restricted, and these designations can be found in the title information for those folders in this finding aid. Restricted files generally fall into three categories. First, there are files that contain information about students that are protected by FERPA. Second, there are files that contain information about performance evaluations, raises, discipline, and hiring of University personnel. Third, there are files related to the Binghamton Foundation. If you have questions about the restricted materials or wish to access this collection, please email speccoll@binghamton.edu
Historical note
The Health Education Cooperative (HEC) for the NY-Penn Area was a project to support continuing education of health professionals in Broome, Tioga, Chenango, Susquehanna, and Bradford counties.
Starting in the late 1960’s, Binghamton University began to explore the possibility of opening a medical school on their campus. The Director of Institutional Research, Alex J. Ducanis, wrote a feasibility study which was released in 1969.
In discussions about the report, it quickly became clear that in order to support a medical school there would need to be teaching hospitals in the area. The University applied for state Health Planning Commission funds to create a second feasibility study in 1971, this time focusing on teaching hospitals in New York and Pennsylvania. The University joined with the Upstate Medical Center, the Broome County Medical Society, and several Broome County hospitals for the study.
By 1973, the study had morphed into the more modest Health Education Cooperative (HEC) for the NY-Penn Area, which was funded by the University and the Central New York Regional Medical Program. The goal of the Cooperative was to support continuing education of health professionals, attract medical professionals to the region, and coordinate health education resources. The project focused on Broome, Tioga, Chenango, Susquehanna, and Bradford counties and was headed by William E. Vandament. There was additional administrative support from the NY-Penn Health Planning Council.
In 1974, HEC received a major grant from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW). At the time there were about 65 health-related organizations, professional groups, and individuals who were members of the group. The grant allowed the HEC to hire 3 full time staff, who created a directory of health programs in the area, arranged seminars on various subjects, and created a speaker’s bureau. Topics covered in seminars included care for dementia patients, community care for the mentally ill, and management of diabetes.
While the idea was never completely rejected, Binghamton University never opened the medical school. This is probably due to funding issues, since SUNY and the state legislature were focussed on building up their existing medical education infrastructure in Syracuse, Buffalo, and Brooklyn, rather than opening new medical schools. HEC periodically pushed for the creation of a medical school, but nothing came of this project.
HEC ceased operations sometime around 1978.
Extent
From the Collection: 24 Linear Feet (25 boxes and 1 map case folder)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Arrangement
This series has been kept in the order it was recieved by the archive.
Repository Details
Part of the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections Repository