ACOFP President

By Jan D. Zieren, DO, MPH, FACOFP dist.
March 12, 2009

Highlights from the 46th Annual Convention!
In my first edition of Leading the Osteopathic Way, I would like to thank all of you for participating in the 46th Annual Convention & Exhibition. This year's Convention was a great opportunity for renewal and reflection and your attendance made it a success.

My inauguration took place on March 4 at the close of the Congress of Delegates. The convention was a grand occasion that included the hugely successful DO Day on the Hill. The DO Day on the Hill resulted in 1,300 physicians and students visiting their Representatives and Senators on Capitol Hill.

Board of Governors Election
ACOFP's Board of Governors has a few newly-elected members. Please join me in congratulating these members of the 2009-2010 Board of Governors:

Dr. Kenneth Heiles from Arkansas as the President-elect, Dr. George Sawabini from Michigan as the Vice President, and Dr. Paul Martin from Ohio as the Secretary/Treasurer.

Dr. Larry Anderson from Georgia and Dr. Jeffrey Grove from Florida were elected to a three-year term as Governor, Dr. Gregory Smith from Colorado was elected to a two-year term as Governor.

This year's Resident Board Member will be Dr. Ronna Compton from Kentucky and the Student Board Member will be Lynn Wilson from Pennsylvania.

Dr. Mark Sikorski from Michigan was again elected as the Speaker of the Congress of Delegates and Dr. Paul Morris from New Jersey as the Vice Speaker.

Honors and Awards
The Convention also marks a time when we honor those among us who shine and make our profession better. This year's Osteopathic Physician of The Year was awarded to Dr. Steven Rubin for his remarkable success both professionally and personally. The Young Osteopathic Physician of the Year was awarded to Dr. Jay Shubrook Jr. for his leadership and his commitment to educating future physicians. Congratulations to you both!

At the President's Banquet, we spent time honoring a select few for their Lifetime Achievement and Distinguished Service.

This year's Lifetime Achievement Award winners were Dr. Harold Thomas and Dr. Royce Keilers. Dr. Thomas has earnestly passed on the osteopathic legacy to future generations and Dr. Keilers has spent an entire career building bridges for the profession. Thank you both for your contributions to osteopathic family medicine.

We honored three individuals for their Distinguished Service: Dr. Roberta Wattleworth, Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee, and Dr. Howard Neer. Dr. Wattleworth was honored for her work guiding our student leaders. Dr. Ross-Lee was honored for her advocacy efforts on behalf of our profession. Dr. Neer was honored for his work advancing osteopathic family medicine through his service to the greater osteopathic profession at the AOA.

Congratulations to all!

Seeking Grant Reviewers
The Primary Care Medical Education Branch (PCMEB) of the Division of Medicine and Dentistry (DMD), Bureau of Health Professions BHPr), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), is seeking potential grant reviewers for the following Title VII grant program areas:

Academic Administrative Units in Primary Care
Predoctoral Training in Primary Care
Residency Training in Primary Care
Faculty Development in Primary Care
Residency Training in General and Pediatric Dentistry
Physician Assistant Training in Primary Care

Funds are awarded for the grant program areas to train primary care health professionals in family medicine, general internal medicine and general pediatrics, in support of HRSA's mission to improve access to health care services for people who are uninsured, geographically isolated or medically vulnerable. Potential grant reviewers need to register in HRSA's reviewer database.

New Outreach Resource
ACOFP has developed a template of a press release for members to use in their local areas regarding physicians visiting Capitol Hill as part of DO Day on the Hill. To access the press release template, go to ACOFP.org and download the word document. It is set up for members to update with their name and issues. More public outreach resources will be available throughout the year.

Back to Campus
Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine ACOFP Student Chapter President, Thaddeus M. Pajak, invited Shawn Craig Saylor, DO, Connemaugh Family Medicine Residency Johnstown, PA second year resident and Dennis Eckles DO to VCOM to give a presentation on practicing Osteopathic Family Medicine in an Allopathic medical system.

With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Eckles recounted starting up his practice in rural western Pennsylvania. He was one of three osteopathic physicians in the area at that time, and faced an uphill challenge to gain acceptance from his colleagues and form a strong practice. This presentation allowed students to both embrace osteopathic practice and learn more about the AOA accredited Connemaugh Family Medicine Residency Program.

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.

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