ACOFP President

By Ronnie B. Martin, DO, FACOFP dist.

May 6, 2008

Primary Care at Center Stage of Politics
Noting the presidential candidates for the 2008 election all have campaign platforms that call for reform of the American health care system and that they are looking at lowering costs and increasing access to health care for every citizen provides an opportunity for our voices to be heard.

For example, Presidential candidate John McCain recently stated that health care is "too expensive, these costs are a threat to the ability of Americans to have health insurance, the gateway to better health care." McCain further has stated, "We must move away from a system that is fragmented and pays for expensive procedures, toward one where a family has a medical home, providers coordinate their efforts and take advantage of technology to do so cheaply, and where the focus is on affordable quality outcomes. America can have a health care system that is characterized by better prevention, coordinated care, electronic health records, cutting edge treatments -- and lower costs."

The ACOFP and the AOA, as members of The Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative (PCPCC), support the calls for reform of the health care and medical delivery system in the United States. The ACOFP along with other members of the PCPCC has endorsed the development of a patient centered medical home that represents a partnership between the patient and the physicians and utilizes the talents and skills of a dedicated health care team for all citizens.

We believe that a primary care physician providing direction and oversight of timely and appropriate health care for the patient in a patient centered medical home, coupled with a system that provides access for all patients and places an emphasis on the health of the patient rather than the health care system, is the key to improving the quality of lives of our patients and controlling cost.

Dr. Heiles on the Hill for DO Day
On April 24, nearly 900 osteopathic physicians and medical students descended upon Washington DC to attend DO Day on Capitol Hill. Kenneth Heiles, DO FACOFP dist. ACOFP Vice President, joined over 50 osteopathic family physicians at the event. ACOFP and AOA members met with their Representatives and Senators to advocate for long-term physician payment reform which is the ACOFP’s top legislative issue. Thank you to all ACOFP members who participated and we look forward to even greater participation in spring 2009.

Activities in the Keystone State
It was my honor to install Katherine Galluzzi, DO FACOFP dist. as the President of the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Family Physicians Society on Friday, May 2 at King of Prussia Valley Forge Convention Center and extend the gratitude of the ACOFP Board of Governors to outgoing president, Dr. Thomas R. Czarnecki.

At the meeting I had the opportunity to update the membership on our efforts in meeting our mission, vision and values, including our efforts on reform of Medicare payment systems, reform of the graduate medical education regulations that impinge the development and modernization of osteopathic family medicine resident programs, our efforts to make osteopathic medicine and the osteopathic family physicians both respected and recognized by all patients in the United States, and our efforts in the development of the patient centered medical home.

During the weekend, I consulted with Dr. Carol L. Henwood, ACOFP Board of Governors member, Dr. Glenn G. Miller, a past ACOFP President, Dr. Kieren Knapp, a past ACOFP President, and Dr. Steve Rubin, immediate past ACOFP President, among other notables. Dr. Ajluni, AOA President and Dr. DiMarco, AOA President-elect attended the concurrent POMA convention and were present for the banquet celebrating Dr. Jeffrey Lindenbaum as the new president of POMA on Friday night. It was my pleasure to extend ACOFP's congratulations to Dr. Lindenbaum, a long time leader for ACOFP and the Conclave of Fellows.

We also expressed appreciation to POMA's outgoing president, Dr. Samuel J. Garloff, for his leadership this year. Dr. Ajluni presented an update on the Greatness Campaign, a vison of the late AOA President Dr. John Stroseider.

I am appreciative to Mario E.J. Lanni, the Executive Director of POMA, his staff, the leadership of POFPs and especially to Dr. Henwood for her hospitality. Pennsylvania has more than 1,000 DO’s in active practice, 166 residents in 32 ACOFP programs and 1,200 students enrolled at PCOM and LECOM. The 100th annual Conclave was attended by more than 1,500 physicians this year.

August 31 Deadline for ACOFP’s Fellows Program Applications
Fellows nominating members of ACOFP for the designation of Fellow or applying for the designation of Distinguished Fellow must submit a completed application no later than August 31, 2008. The Fellow Designation signifies the recognition of a member’s experience, dedication and contribution of the highest order to the advancement of family practice by their peers. The ACOFP’s Distinguished Fellow designation honors the exceptional members of the Conclave of Fellows. This award will be presented to those Fellows who have distinguished themselves through service to ACOFP as well as by their support of the ACOFP’s local and national governance and committee structure.

Get to Know Your Board of Governors
“Iowa has been called many things, fly over country, flat, boring, and even Heaven. One thing it has never been called is culturally diverse. That’s one of the main reasons our family became involved in the American Field Service (AFS) foreign exchange student program. My wife and I wanted our children to experience people from different cultures and it seemed easier to bring somebody else’s kids here rather than send our kids all over the world.

“Since 1992 our family has hosted two students from Belgium, two from Brazil, and one student each from Argentina, Sweden, Japan, and Iceland. Several of the foreign kids have been back to visit us and we have traveled to Brazil for the wedding of one. Opening your family and your life to a total stranger from a foreign country who also happens to be a teenager may seem a little crazy. But we have found it to be a tremendously rewarding experience. The students arrive as strangers but leave as family.”—Kevin de Reginer, DO FACOFP and Governor of the ACOFP.

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's CareerCenter today.

Back to Campus
Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine ACOFP Student Chapter, Thaddeus M. Pajak, President, contributed to the school’s 5K race by providing information about nutrition, specifically for distance runners. An article from a 2007 Runners World Magazine was cited to provide the 15 best foods to eat after a run or workout. These foods focused on glycogen restoration, muscle building, and free radical elimination. The chapter composed a one page handout with colored images of the 15 foods runners should eat on weekly basis.

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