ACOFP President

"I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve."
– Albert Schweitzer

March 12-16, 2008
ACOFP 45th Annual Convention & Exhibition
Hyatt Regency Denver
Denver, Colorado

Registration Details

By Steven F. Rubin, DO, FACOFP dist.

February 22, 2008

Senate Committee Hears Testimony on Health Care Workforce
Last week, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing entitled “Addressing Healthcare Workforce Issues for the Future.” The hearing was intended to address the current and upcoming physician shortages. Testimony and discussion at the hearing surrounded the general theme that primary care shortages must be addressed immediately. Rural and underserved areas are suffering the most and need help. Solutions considered were establishing new primary care residency slots, increasing physician reimbursement, dramatically increasing funding for Title VII and NHSC, and creating new and expanded loan forgiveness programs for students. While there were no conclusions drawn beyond something must be done to fix this problem, there was a clearer understanding that increasing coverage to uninsured Americans would not equate to guaranteed access to physicians due to shortages that exist so therefore is not the appropriate solution. The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) and the AOA submitted a joint written testimony on behalf of the osteopathic profession to the Senate HELP Committee.

Register Today for ACOFP's Annual Convention!
This year’s convention will feature a lecture on Diabetes Mellitus: Complexity and Complications Resulting from Core Defects. The urgent crisis of a growing population of type 2 diabetic patients combined with new targeted guidelines for treatment mandates that all family physicians possess a thorough knowledge of the pathophysiological processes and core defects associated with type 2 DM. Clearly delineated standards of care, prevention and treatment of the disease and its complications are more important than ever. This intensive one-hour session will assist busy family practice physicians to identify the latest guidelines and available treatment for type 2 DM. The complications of untreated diatbetes have implications for the U.S. health care delivery system that impacts both patients and their physicians.

Support Casino Night!
At the 2008 ACOFP Annual Convention in Denver, the Auxiliary will be presenting “Casino Night”, a new fundraiser. Casino Night will be on Thursday, March 13, 2008 from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm and will be located in the same room as Fun Night. An evening of fun and casino gaming, with fantastic and leading state-of-the-art raffle prizes to be won. Help make this fundraising event a success by providing a donation or sponsorship.  The deadline for sponsorship is February 27, 2008. All proceeds will fund student scholarships, as well as student and resident programs.

Looking for that Perfect Fit?
Visit ACOFP’s interactive, online job board. ACOFP CareerCenter is your resource for making online employment connections in the fields of osteopathic medicine. To find a job or fill a position, visit ACOFP CareerCenter today.

ACOFP’s Fit for Life
CNN’s Accent Health says “Practice forgiveness.”

Back to Campus
Governor Kenneth A. Heiles, DO, FACOFP, dist., visited the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in December 2007 at the invitation of WVSOM ACOFP Student Chapter President, Teah Bayless. Dr. Heiles spoke to the students on “The Future of Family Physicians and the Role of the ACOFP”. He toured the campus and met with WVSOM Dean Michael Adelman, DO, Associate Dean of Graduate Medical Education Lorenzo Pence, DO, FACOFP and Chair of Family Medicine, Craig Boisvert, DO, FACOFP as well as Kathy S. Gunter, DO, of the West Virginia ACOFP State Society.

Make your opinions known! Send an email to me and ACOFP. Share your thoughts, make comments, and tell us what you have been doing in regards to osteopathic family medicine.

To unsubscribe from Leading the Osteopathic Way, click here
and put "unsubscribe" in the subject line.