More than 70 years after its inception, the New England Medical Center (NEMC) will once again bear the Tufts University name in its official title. The downtown Boston teaching and research hospital will now be known as the Tufts-New England Medical Center (T-NEMC). Administrators at both institutions say the re-implementation of the Tufts name will increase the already strong connection between the institutions and could lead to increased collaboration.
The NEMC first bore the Tufts name from 1929 - when Tufts helped collaborate with the Boston Dispensary to create the NEMC - until the 1980s. University President Larry Bacow believes that the official affiliation has come at a particularly good time. "We look forward to exploring new ways in which out shared teaching and research enterprise could address some of today's most challenging health issues," he told The Boston Herald.
Despite the fact that Tufts and the NEMC have not been associated officially since the 1980s, many area residents already believe that the two organizations are not necessarily separate. T-NEMC President and CEO Thomas F. O'Donnell, Jr. stated that the name change is simply an affirmation of a widely-held conception. "Most patients and doctors link the name anyway," he said. Also, many chiefs of service at the NEMC also hold appointments at Tufts School of Medicine and chair respective departments within the school.
While the name change does not necessarily translate into an increase in collaboration between Tufts and the T-NEMC, many felt the distinction of name was important. "The relationship between Tufts and the hospital is stronger than it ever was, and we believe it's a proper expression of who we are," T-NEMC Chairman Malcom Sherman said. Bacow hopes that official recognition will be beneficial to both institutions, and that increased collaboration with the T-NEMC will extend across the University to encompass the Schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, and the Friedman School of Nutrition, Science, and Policy.
The name change is also good news for Tufts medical students, as the official connection will facilitate access to extensive research and educational opportunities in clinical care. Tufts' School of Medicine dean, Dr. John T. Harrington, expressed his optimism, saying, "I am glad to see the relationship reinvigorated, and I anticipate many benefits for both institutions."
The T-NEMC, which includes the Floating Hospital for Children, is Boston's first full-service, private teaching hospital. Its achievements include the first preparation of Human Growth Hormone, the creation of the world's first pediatric trauma unit, and the performance of the first successful laser heart surgery.
