INSTITUTIONAL HERITAGE
CELEBRATING A GOLDEN JUBILEE, Lavinia “Vinnie” Lafferty’s career as executive assistant to the president and secretary to the Board of Trustees at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine has spanned five decades, five presidential tenures and thousands of students. She has witnessed the College’s growth, both in scope and size: the acquisition and construction of the present City Avenue campus, the opening of the healthcare centers, the sale and demolition of the hospital, the addition and expansion of academic programs, the institution’s reach into the South. Hers is an immeasurable institutional memory and an invaluable understanding of collegiality, of the very heart of the PCOM family. You can say she indeed owns a piece of PCOM history.
A RARE DISTINCTION Mrs. Lafferty shares the distinction with very few: holding the same job for over a half a century. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, on average, workers change jobs 12 to 15 times—nearly every 4.4 years—throughout their careers. Millennials expect to stay in a position for less time (2.5 to 3 years), equating job-hopping with career advancement. “I was hired at the College on May 11, 1970,” she says. “I stayed because I could grow; I could learn something every day. If you like what you do, it isn’t work, it is a pleasure. Why change what you love? My motto has always been, ‘If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.’ ”
A HUMBLE BEGINNING In 1970, Mrs. Lafferty found herself going through a divorce, looking for employment close to home and to her toddler. 10
PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE
Mrs. Lafferty’s family doctor was an osteopathic physician, so she knew about the profession, and her son’s pediatrician practiced at the Frederic H. Barth Pavilion. She thought to apply to PCOM. Shortly thereafter, she was hired to work for the College controller, the office located in the Moss House (now, the Levin Administration Building). The position lasted four years. In September 1974, she was transferred into the President’s Office, joining Nancy McCullen, then secretary to the president. Mrs. Lafferty would go on to serve under Thomas M. Rowland, Jr., one of the most beloved figures in the history of the College, until his passing. “President Rowland was the ultimate professional; his whole demeanor was one of authority. He had served in World War II. He was very involved with the students and faculty and cared about them deeply. I remember that—even as he suffered from lung cancer—he came into work every day. At times, he ran PCOM from his hospital bed in Barth Pavilion.”
THE BEST OF TIMES, THE WORST OF TIMES AND BACK AGAIN In November 1984, J. Peter Tilley, DO, was elected as the College’s fifth president. “He had been vice president of operational affairs, a radiologist,” says Mrs. Lafferty. “When he assumed office, I remained in my post and continued my work.” Unfortunately, the mid-1980s marked the emergence of managed health care; reimbursement policies changed the face of medicine. Obtaining a medical degree became less appealing. During this time, the College and Barth Pavilion faced financial and management problems. “Things went from the sublime to the ridiculous,” Mrs. Lafferty notes.
