Exhibits

We maintain physical and virtual exhibits to feature and raise awareness of the items from our collections, and to educate on the history of osteopathic medicine in New England.

Permanent Exhibit

This display in the Harold and Bibby Alfond Center for Health Sciences honors the history of osteopathic medicine in New England and highlights artifacts from the NEOHC collection.

Maine’s Osteopathic Hospitals

Our current exhibit in the Community Osteopathic Medicine Clinic features the history of Maine’s osteopathic hospitals.

When osteopaths began to arrive in Maine in the early 20th century, they found a political and legal atmosphere hostile to osteopathy. They were denied licensure by boards dominated by allopathic doctors, denied privileges at hospitals, and threatened with arrest for practicing medicine. Dr. Albert Chittendon led the legislative fight to escape from under the thumb of the American Medical Association (AMA). In 1919 osteopaths secured an independent Board of Examination and Registration, and in 1929 they added surgical and obstetrical privileges. In light of this progress, the AMA threatened any hospital or M.D.s working with D.O.s with loss of AMA approval. Without access to laboratories, x-rays, and surgical rooms, the osteopaths had to start their own hospitals. Over the next 20 to 30 years, D.O.s opened hospitals large and small across the state of Maine.

The Osteopathic Hospital of Maine

The Osteopathic Hospital of Maine (OHM) was the largest osteopathic hospital in Maine. Located in Portland, the hospital opened in 1937 on Pleasant Ave. In 1940 it moved to its permanent location on Brighton Ave. OHM merged with Maine Medical Center in 1996.

James A. Taylor Osteopathic Hospital

The Bangor Osteopathic Hospital was incorporated in 1939. Originally a 32 bed hospital, in 1942 it moved to a slightly larger facility. Finally in July 1960 the hospital moved into a brand new building and was renamed the James A. Taylor Osteopathic Hospital.

Waterville Osteopathic Hospital

The Waterville Osteopathic Hospital opened on September 6, 1943. It moved to a new facility in 1995 and became Inland Hospital.

Others

Throughout the mid-20th century, small osteopathic hospitals opened throughout Maine. These included Tri-County Hospital in Kittery, Clyde Smith Memorial Hospital in Skowhegan, Barron Memorial Hospital in Brunswick, Bryant Hospital in Millinocket, Harbor Hospital in York, as well as hospitals in Saco, Presque Isle, Lincoln, and Dover-Foxcroft. By the end of the century, these hospitals had closed or merged with allopathic hospitals.

Hand Over Hand

The Hand Over Hand short video series documents the history of osteopathic medicine in Maine and New England and features interviews with UNECOM faculty, faculty emeritus and prominent and influential practitioners.