aoma digest fall 2015

Volume 30, No. 3Fall 2015

INSIDE■ Embracing the Mind, Body, & Spirit ■ AOMA 2015-2016 Board of Trustees■ 2016 Clinical Case Competition and Poster Forum

Body • Mind • SpiritNOVEMBER 7 & 8, 2015

AOMA Digest Fall 20151

2015-2016 Board of TrusteesPresident

Kristin Nelson, D.O., FAOCO-HNSPresident Elect

Shannon Scott, D.O., FACOFPImmediate Past President

Adam Nally, D.O.Vice President

Laurel Mueller, D.O., MBASecretary/Treasurer

Angela DeRosa, D.O., MBA, CPEExecutive Director/Editor

Pete Wertheim

TrusteesDanielle Barnett, D.O.

Elise Barney, D.O. Craig Cassidy, D.O., FACOO

Donald Curran, D.O.William Devine, D.O.

Datcha Dorvil, D.O., MPHDavid P. England, MS, D.O.

Michelle Eyler, D.O.Patrick Hogan, D.O.

Christopher Labban, D.O.Kit McCalla, D.O., MBA Julie A. Morrison, D.O.

Brent Nelson, D.O. George Parides, D.O., FACOI

Wendell Phillips, D.O. Bunnie Richie, D.O., FAAN

Resident TrusteeKendra Gray, D.O.

Student Trustees Daniel Ebbs, SOMA, FP-C, MS, OMS II

Otto Shill, AZCOM, OMS IV

Speaker of the House of Delegates Jeffrey Morgan, D.O., MA, FACOI, CS

Vice Speaker of the House Charles A. Finch, D.O., FACOEP

AOMA Staff ListingDirector of Education & Managing Editor

Janet Weigel Member Services Manager

Sharon DaggettOperations Manager

Teresa Roland

Opinions expressed in the AOMA Digest are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect viewpoints of the editors or official policy of the AOMA, or the institutions with which the authors are affiliated, unless explicitly specified. AOMA Digest does not hold itself responsible for statements made by any contributor. We reserve the right to edit articles on the basis of content or length.

Although all advertising is expected to conform to ethical medical standards, acceptance does not imply endorsement by this magazine. The appearance of advertising in the AOMA Digest is not an AOMA guarantee or endorsement of the product, service or claims made for the product or service by the advertiser.

Copyright 2015

The Journal of the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association

ContentsCOLUMNS 2 President’s Message 4 Executive Director’s Message 6 2015-2016 AOMA Board of Trustees 8 What We Have Done For You Lately 9 Just D.O. It!

FEATURES 12 Keeping Track of Your CME 14 Osteopathy. Recovery. You. 16 It’s the Season for Influenza Vaccination 18 Mind, Body, Spirit and the Tenets of Osteopathic Medicine 20 Physician Shortage and Physician Burnout 22 An Important Conversation: Preparing Your Patients for End-of-Life Care 24 Holistic Healthcare: Déjà vu All Over Again 26 Health Information Exchange Provides Tools for Improved

Coordination of Patient Care 28 Osteopathic Physicians are TOPS

AOMANEWS 29 Welcome New AOMA Members 30 ICD-10 Lecture Well-attended 31 AOMA 35th Annual Fall Seminar 32 AOMA Business Partners 34 2016 Case and Poster Competition

OSTEOPATHICCOMMUNITYNEWS 35 D.O.s in the News 36 A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona 40 Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine 43 Advertisers Index 43 Calendar of Events

Cover Photo: Tsitoto Kachina © Joe Zeller

AOMA Digest Fall 2015 2

President’s Message

Fall season brings a welcome change to most of us in Arizona. In much of the

state it brings relief from the intense summer heat and many people begin to enjoy the striking desert and all it has to offer. In the mountains, the cooler weather brings the beautiful changing of the leaves and reminds the skiers that snow will soon be on the slopes. No matter where we are located and how we will enjoy the cooler temperatures, this change of season is the perfect time to reflect on our lives.

This reflection can help us with two important things. First, we can solidify what is going well in our life and for what we are grateful. Second, we can consider what is not working for us and figure out what may need some adjusting. In doing so, we can utilize the osteopathic philosophy of Mind, Body, Spirit. We all have our own ways of nurturing each aspect of the philosophy, but may forget one or another at some point, sending our lives out of balance. I often find that a pause to look at life with the three tenets in mind can help me make a perhaps small but much needed change of action.

I believe strongly in the osteopathic basics and am passionate about who we are and what we do. Our profession continues to grow and has never been stronger. We now, more than ever, have the opportunity to collaborate with other leaders in healthcare and contribute to the health of those we are privileged to encounter. However, I am still surprised when I find someone I have known for years and often consider my friend, does not know what a D.O. is. I usually find that they are very interested and appreciate a brief explanation about our profession. It is my hope that everyone will soon know.

I encourage all of you to ask those people close to you, perhaps a child’s teacher or neighbor, if they know about osteopathic medicine. If they don’t – spread the word! Through grassroots efforts we can accomplish incredible feats, including sharing our profession and our philosophy with all of Arizona. If each of us tells just one person, the force will be unstoppable.

And while you are spreading the word about osteopathic medicine, keep the inertia moving forward with your osteopathic physician colleagues. Too many of our peers are not AOMA

members. A healthy, growing AOMA means greater recognition for the profession, more representation with healthcare leaders, and a stronger voice when advocating for the issues that are important to you and your patients. I encourage you to ask your fellow D.O.s to join their state association and support the voice of osteopathic medicine in Arizona.

As we reflect on the past, let’s also look ahead and envision what kind of future we wish to build for ourselves, our families, our patients, and our profession. The balance of Mind, Body, Spirit is the focus of the AOMA 35th Annual Fall Seminar in Tucson on November 7 & 8, 2015. I invite you to join us to coalesce with your peers, recharge your batteries at the beautiful Hilton El Conquistador Resort, and open your mind to the stimulating program developed by the Professional Education Committee.

I wish you all success and fulfillment with the changes that will surely come into your lives this season. Enjoy this wonderful time in Arizona that we all love for so many reasons.

Kristin Nelson, D.O.2015 – 2016 AOMA President

Time to Reflect and Renew

Photo credit: Yvonne Stephanow


Executive Director’s Message

Established in 1921, the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association

(AOMA) has changed and evolved with the times, fulfilling its mission to promote the osteopathic medical profession to its members and to the public; to provide continuing medical education; and to advocate for access to high quality, cost-effective healthcare for all Arizona. In 2015 and beyond there are many promising changes underway designed to strengthen our organization, elevate our stature as a stakeholder, and establish our position as a leader in the State and the Nation.

We are most excited about the implementation of new procedures for the AOMA House of Delegates. We will be introducing this revised process at the House of Delegates meeting at the AOMA 35th Annual Fall Seminar at the Hilton El Conquistador Resort in Tucson, Arizona on November 7, 2015 from 3:00 to 6:00 pm.

The House of Delegates (HOD) is the legislative and governing body of AOMA responsible for developing national, state, and local policies through the consideration and adoption of resolutions. It meets twice per year – at the AOMA Fall Seminar and the AOMA Annual Convention – and is comprised of AOMA members from across the state. To reenergize the spirit of the AOMA HOD, we are implementing changes to make the resolution process more inclusive, user friendly, and transparent for AOMA members.

All AOMA members are invited to attend the House of Delegates at the Fall Seminar and participate in a presentation about the new resolution process and see how it works firsthand. You will learn what a resolution is and why it matters, how to participate in the process, and how the resolutions impact decision

Reenergizing the Spirit of the Governing Body of the AOMA

Pete WertheimAOMA Executive Director

making and actions by the AOMA on issues that are important to you.

Defining and Explaining the Resolution ProcessYou may be thinking, “Why might I wish to submit a resolution

to influence state and national medical policy?” There are multiple reasons. Resolutions are the means by which you can have direct say in the direction and policies of AOMA. The resolution process gives both policy and direction to AOMA and its leadership.

Resolutions will typically be submitted to request that AOMA take a formal position or action on a particular subject (e.g., healthcare payment policies, public health issues, physician practice concerns, and legislative affairs), revise and/or negate current policies of the AOMA, or to modify AOMA’s constitution and bylaws. Perhaps there is a state legislative issue you care strongly about and would like AOMA to advocate for or against it at the legislature. Or there may be an important issue at the national level related to the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) which you would like the Arizona delegates attending the AOA Annual Meeting to address. The resolution process is an effective means by which a single individual can be heard.

Once a resolution is approved, it may require AOMA to take a direct action, perhaps to lobby elected officials on a particular issue, study an issue and report back at a future meeting, or write a letter on behalf of a particular issue or concern. These “directives,” if approved, may be assigned to one or more of the various AOMA committees for handling.

Transforming Passive Participants into Active Participants

The new resolution process under development will require AOMA Delegates to assume greater responsibility by considering resolutions and representing the interests of their regional districts, peer groups, and the osteopathic profession and AOMA as a whole. One of the first resolutions submitted under this new process seeks the endorsement of AOMA to lead and support legislation for

Contributing Author AOMA Speaker of the House Jeffrey W. Morgan, DO, MA, FACOI, CS Acting Dean, School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona A.T. Still University of Health Sciences


Executive Director’s Message

Arizona to join the interstate medical licensure compact. This is a critical issue for Arizona physicians, and the HOD will be asked to decide what position AOMA should take on this important issue of licensing physicians in multiple states.

The Arizona Delegates to the AOA Annual Meeting of the House of Delegates will also be asked to do more and to be responsible for carrying forward the issues concerning Arizona D.O.s at the national level. The AOA Delegates from Arizona will be required to seek physician input on resolutions assigned to them that are submitted by other state affiliates and the AOA’s various Bureaus and leaders from within.

Be Part of the Collective Voice of AOMAAs we developed the framework for the new resolution

process, AOMA leaders spoke to representatives from other states. We learned that many states do not have defined processes for resolutions. From the states that have adopted procedures we developed a plan to help Arizona move forward and implement many of the best practices.

AOMA is already an active and very formidable association on policy. Through the adoption of a well-designed resolution process, Arizona can become a state known for its best practices for policy and advocacy using a democratic process that is transparent and inclusive of all types of members.

Effective policy development and advocacy is essential to advancing and protecting the best interests of osteopathic physicians and patients. AOMA is the collective voice of osteopathic physicians throughout Arizona and by staying informed and getting involved through membership and the resolution process, everyone can make a difference.

If you are interested in becoming an AOMA Delegate, nominations and elections are held before and during the regional District meetings at the beginning of each calendar year. For more information about the House of Delegates and the new resolution process, visit www.az-osteo.org and click on the tab for the Advocacy Resource Center, then visit the House of Delegates.


2015-2016 Board of Trustees

2015-2016 Board of TrusteesOFFICERS

PresidentKristin Nelson, D.O.,

FAOCO-HNS

Secretary/TreasurerAngela DeRosa, D.O., MBA, CPE

Craig Cassidy, D.O., FACOO Specialists

President ElectShannon Scott, D.O.,

FACOFP

Executive DirectorPete Wertheim

Donald Curran, D.O. District 7 Representative

Immediate Past PresidentAdam Nally, D.O.

Danielle Barnett, D.O. District 2 Representative

William Devine, D.O. District 1 Representative

Vice PresidentLaurel Mueller, D.O., MBA

Elise Barney, D.O. New Physician Representative

Datcha Dorvil, D.O., MPH Member at Large

TRUSTEES


2015-2016 Board of Trustees

Vice Speaker of the House Charles A. Finch, D.O., FACOEP

Speaker of the House of DelegatesJeffrey Morgan, D.O., MA, FACOI, CS

Julie A. Morrison, D.O. District 6 Representative

Brent Nelson, D.O.District 3 Representative

George Parides, D.O., FACOIMember at Large

Wendell Phillips, D.O.Member at Large

David P. England, MS, D.O.District 5 Representative

Patrick Hogan, D.O.Member at Large

Christopher Labban, D.O.District 4 Representative

Kit McCalla, D.O., MBA Member at Large

Bunnie Richie, D.O., FAANMember at Large

Kendra Gray, D.O. Resident Trustee

Daniel Ebbs, SOMA, FP-C, MS, OMS II

SOMA Student Trustee

Otto Shill, AZCOM, OMS IVAZCOM Student Trustee

Michelle Eyler, D.O. Member at Large

NO PHOTO


What We Have Done For You Lately

Advocacy/ Legislative Af fairs• Met with representatives from health professions

organizations which submitted to the Arizona Legislature sunrise applications to expand scope of practice; AOMA positions will be taken to support, oppose, or take no position on each of the applications. Further details to come, positions not finalized at time of publication.

• Represented AOMA at AHCCCS Medicaid Waiver Community Forums and stakeholder meetings

• Developed new AOMA House of Delegates Resolution process and Primer

• Launched the Student Legislative Affairs Committee• Added a representative from Arizona Medical Association

(ArMA) to the AOMA Legislative Affairs Committee; AOMA is also now participating on ArMA’s legislative committee

American Osteopathic Association (AOA) • AOMA sent 12 delegates, two student delegates, and two

alternates to the AOA House of Delegates meeting in Chicago in July 2015

• AOMA signed onto AOA Letter to oppose Department of Labor increase in overtime thresholds

• Recruited and submitted 13 candidates for the AOA Ambassador Program

Continuing Medical Education • Sponsored 8.0 hours of Category 1-A CME credits for

Osteopathic Approach to the Cervicothoracic Region- Functional Anatomy, Applied Physiology, Clinical Applications of OMM

• Sponsored 6.0 hours of Category 1-A CME credits for the Flagstaff Osteopathic Medical Conference

• Sponsored 4.0 hours of Category 2-B CME credits for Are You Ready for ICD-10?

• Sponsored 2.0 hours of Category 1-A CME credits for ER/LA Opioid REMS Prescribing

Osteopathic Charities • Launched the 2016 Birdies for Charity campaign

Member Services• Established the AOMA Financial Oversight Committee;

developed AOMA investment policies • Offered two CME programs to AOMA members free of

charge: Are You Ready for ICD-10? and ER/LA Opioid REMS Prescribing

Political Action Committee• Distributed $6,800 to 16 candidates for office

Public Health• Applied for and received adult vaccine outreach grant –

program will be launched in November• Represented AOMA at the Arizona Health-e Connection

Board meeting• Represented AOMA at The Arizona Partnership for

Immunization (TAPI) Steering Committee meeting • Represented AOMA at the State Medicaid Advisory

Committee

Students – the future of the osteopathic profession • Introduction and AOMA orientation to incoming students

at A. T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine and Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine

• Announced the 2016 AOMA Clinical Case and Poster Competition

For more information about any of these updates, please contact AOMA at (602) 266-6699 or email [email protected]

“What We Have Done For You Lately”This regular feature of the AOMA Digest provides members with a recent update of the Association’s activities. We are representing the profession as a healthcare stakeholder and are the voice of osteopathic medicine in Arizona. This update covers the three month period from July 1, 2015 to September 30, 2015.


Just D.O. It

When you read Dr. Brian McCrary’s curriculum vitae it is apparent that he is an accomplished physician: Colonel (Retired) United States Air Force; Chief Flight Surgeon

in the United States Air Force and United States Army; Diplomate, American Board of Forensic Examiners; Diplomate, American Board of Professional Disability Examiners; Diplomate, American Board of Pain Management; Diplomate, American Academy of Wound Management; Fellow designations from six other national organizations; Licensed in nine states; Masters in Public Health; Board certified in three specialties. The list is impressive.

But the CV does not tell the full story of this fourth-generation physician from Lake City, Iowa who travelled the world studying and keeping our military flight crews flying. Along the way, Dr. McCrary met his beautiful wife of 30 years, Mia, in Malaysia; was deployed as a hospital commander during Operation Iraqi Freedom; and has been stationed at military bases across the globe. His journey from Lake City to Arizona is one that illustrates a love of travel, the power of human connections, and how often life comes full circle.

Growing up in Lake City, Iowa, he was expected to go to medical school. His great-grandfather Warren McCrary, M.D. was co-founder of the McCrary-Rost clinic in Lake City. His grandfather and father were both physicians, practicing at the clinic. After graduating from high school as valedictorian and having been accepted to Stanford, Northwestern, and the University of Southern California, Dr. McCrary followed his older brother to Arizona State University for two reasons: the sun and girls.

His years at ASU were the beginning of Dr. McCrary’s affection for Arizona. While studying psychology, he spent a semester at sea, sparking his love of travel, and it was on this voyage he met his wife. During his junior year he decided to pursue a medical degree.

Full Circle

Like many prospective medical students, Dr. McCrary applied to both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools. Needing a letter of recommendation from an osteopathic physician to submit his application to the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health at Des Moines University (DMU-COM), David Arnold, D.O., a friend of his father and a flight surgeon in the National Guard, obliged. Today, Dr. Arnold is still in Iowa practicing hyperbaric medicine and wound care, two of Dr. McCrary’s specialties.

While in medical school at DMU-COM, an OPTI rotation in radiation oncology brought Dr. McCrary back to Arizona to work with David Steinway, D.O. Many years later while stationed in Florida with the USAF, he was contemplating a residency in radiation oncology and reached out to Dr. Steinway for advice. Dr. Steinway’s recommendation was to consider hyperbaric medicine, a suggestion which Dr. McCrary pursued and today is board-certified in undersea medicine and hyberbaric medicine.

Cruising the fiords of Norway: Conlin, Mia, Brianna, and Dr. Brian McCrary

Full Circle continued on page 10


Just D.O. It

Fast forward to 2015 and this connection comes full circle when Dr. McCrary found himself sitting next to Dr. Steinway at Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine during the annual mock patient physical examinations conducted by the medical students.

Dr. McCrary’s 33 years of military service began in medical school as part of the Army National Guard. To help pay expenses, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and worked conducting physicals and medical assisting. After graduation from DMU-COM he became a member of the Army Medical Corps.

His path to flight surgeon began with a residency in occupational medicine at the University of Arizona Medical Center including a rotation in flight medicine at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. He found the work very interesting and diverse. A few years post-residency, Dr. McCrary entered military active duty and after attending the U. S. Army Flight Surgeon Course, his first assignment was with the 18th Medical Command in Seoul, Korea.

After a few years in the U. S. Army with assignments in the stateside and abroad, Dr. McCrary spent a number of years in the private sector serving as an occupational and aerospace medicine consultant and medical director for numerous corporations, military facilities, and organizations in various states. He found the politics in the military were not much different from those in the private sector, just funded differently and with graver consequences. In 2000, at the urging of a colleague, Dr. McCrary returned to

military service as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force. Shortly afterwards he did a residency in aerospace medicine with the Air Force followed by a fellowship in undersea and hyperbaric medicine. He served as the Surgeon General’s consultant in hyperbaric medicine while in the Air Force and worked with the Space Shuttle astronauts at Cape Canaveral, Florida on one of his assignments.

The flight surgeon is part of the flying crew, in the air and on the ground. Dr. McCrary found this patient population to be highly motivated: they don’t want to be sick and “grounded”; they want to keep flying. This was a welcome change from the environment during his occupational medicine practice where he often witnessed hostility and negativity from patients looking for excuses not to work.

On the ground, the flight surgeon is the physician for all base flying and aircrew personnel and their families, responsible for public health, travel medicine, disability, and other medical needs. About half the time is spent in the clinic. Other time is spent flying, interacting with the pilots and aircrew, performing public health inspections, and other duties. He has flown in so many aircraft on missions they are too numerous to count.

Dr. Ben Slade and Dr. Brian McCrary at Travis Air Force Base, California, working with one of the largest hyperbaric oxygen chambers in the U.S. able to perform three separate types of treatments concurrently, treating up to 28 patients at one time.

Full Circle continued from page 9


Just D.O. It

Otherwise, the job of the flight surgeon is to keep the crew flying – not just the pilots, but the entire crew. Like civilian aviation personnel, military aviators experience stress, jet lag, shift work fatigue, and toxicology issues, plus the added peril of combat. The realities of military life take their toll. Flight surgeons are the occupational medicine, public health, and preventive medicine

physicians for a large base. As the first osteopathic physician in the family, Dr. McCrary

admits it was a harder course to pursue and that he ran into instances of prejudice as a D.O., but believes his education was superior to that of many M.D.’s. His training in osteopathic manipulative medicine uniquely equipped him for his career as a flight surgeon and for work in sports medicine and rehabilitation centers.

Upon retiring from the USAF in 2014, it was time to put down roots and Dr. McCrary and his family settled in Arizona. Post-military life is different, but Dr. McCrary is not retired. In addition to his work for insurance companies conducting independent medical evaluations and peer reviews, he is contracted in hyperbaric/wound care at Banner Baywood Medical Center. He also performs disability evaluations for the Phoenix VA and serves as Medical Director of the Police and Firefighter Medical Center in Glendale, Arizona, an occupational medical clinic offering executive physicals, rehabilitation, consulting, and drug evaluations to determine fitness for duty. He also serves on the American Osteopathic Board of Preventive Medicine where he chairs the hyperbaric medicine division.

The McCrarys’ two oldest sons are in Texas pursuing their own careers. Their youngest son is in high school and his only daughter

is in the seventh grade. Their Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired Scottsdale home is filled with treasures collected from their many travels and reflects their diverse interests. Next to the piano in the large family room is a bookcase disguised as a bass viola. In the entry way to the formal living room are carved figures from Asia. The dining room ceiling is a beautiful rendering of a cloud-filled sky. When you enter through the front door, you are greeted by a life-size statue of the Marvel Superhero, the Silver Surfer, nestled under the architecturally dramatic staircase. All these mementos are testament to a life that has come full circle but is by no means complete. The journey continues.

Dr. McCrary, Conlin, and Brianna at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania with statues of Perry Como and Abraham Lincoln.

Dr. Ed Johnson and Dr. Brian McCrary in San Antonio, Texas during USAF Aerospace Medicine residency.


Features

The end of each three-year AOA CME Cycle and two-year licensure period often means angst and confusion for osteopathic physicians. How many CME credits do I need?

How many CME credits have I earned? Where are all my CME certificates?

How Many CME Credits Do I Need? The answer to this question has more than one answer.

Continuing medical education credits are required for state licensure, AOA membership, and board certification.

State Licensure (Ef fective July 3, 2015): Under A.R.S. 32-1825(B), a licensee is required to obtain 40

hours of Board-approved CME during the two (2) years preceding license renewal. The Board shall approve the CME of a licensee if the CME complies with the following:

1. At least 24 hours are obtained biannually by completing CME classified by the AOA as Category 1A; and

2. The remaining balance may consist of any category of CME, including CME activities sponsored by an accredited AMA or ACCME provider and certified by the accredited provider as AMA PRA Category 1 credit.

This requirement is part of the Arizona Rules for D.O.s, found

Keeping Track of Your Continuing Medical Education (CME)

in R4-22-207. Continuing Medical Education; Waiver; Extension of Time to Complete.

A licensee may fulfill 20 hours of the CME requirement for a particular year by participating in an approved residency, internship, fellowship, or preceptorship during that year.

If you are unable to complete these requirements in a given calendar year, you may request an extension from the licensing board. More information is available on their website on the Board of Examiners website at www.azdo.gov.

AOA Membership and Board CertificationMembers of the American Osteopathic Association are required

to meet the following CME Requirements in order to maintain their membership in good standing:

• 120 total credits over the course of the three year CME cycle (current cycle runs from January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2015)

• 30 out of 120 credits must be AOA Category 1-A• The remaining 90 credits may be Category 1-A, 1-B, 2-A, or

2-B credits

AOA Board Certified PhysiciansPhysicians who are board certified are required to earn a

minimum of 50 CME credits within their specialty in each 3-year CME Cycle. These credits may be earned in Category 1 or Category 2. (Please see your Specialty Board for clarification.)

Certification of Added Qualification (CAQs): For osteopathic physicians holding certification(s) of added qualification (CAQs), a minimum of 25% of the credits (13 credits) must be earned at the level of the CAQ. At least 30% (15 credits) must be earned in the primary certification.

CME sponsored by osteopathic specialty affiliates in the individuals declared specialty, will be applied to this requirement on an unlimited hour-by-hour basis.


Features

CME sponsored by AOA CME Sponsors other than the individual’s declared specialty affiliate may be awarded by the certifying board with jurisdiction up to a maximum of 25 credits per cycle.

ABMS Board Certified Physicians Physicians who are both AOA and ABMS board certified are

required to earn the same specialty CME credit hours as D.O.s who are AOA board certified only.

Physicians who are solely certified in an ABMS specialty are required to obtain a minimum of 10 Category 1-A credits in AOA sponsored CME programs during each 3-year CME Cycle. Physicians who are solely certified through the ABMS must meet the 120 hour AOA membership requirement.

Specific information about the AOA requirements can be found in the AOA CME Guide or visit www.osteopathic.org.

How many credits have I earned?Members of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)

may access the hours reported on their behalf to AOA by AOA-sponsored providers of continuing medical education. CME programs accredited by the Accreditation Council of Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) or the American Academy of

Family Physicians (AAFP) are eligible for AOA Category credit. These hours must be self-reported to the Division of CME of the AOA by email, fax, or mail.

All continuing medical education credits earned from the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association (AOMA) are reported to the AOA and posted to the individual physician’s Professional Development Portfolio in his or her account profile on the AOMA website. To view your CME record with AOMA, go to the home page www.az-osteo.org and from the main navigation menu select CME/My CME. Login is required to access these records.

Where are all my CME certificates?As a benefit of membership, all active AOMA members have

the ability to add continuing medical education credits to their Professional Development Portfolio. Upon login to the AOMA website, access the records from the main navigation CME/My CME. Using the “Add Entry” option, you can enter CME credits earned from providers outside of AOMA. This online tool is a great way to keep track of all your CME and simplify the record keeping for membership and license renewals.

Still have questions? Contact the AOMA office at (602) 266-6699.


Features

“I will be mindful always of my great responsibility to preserve the health and the life of my patients, to retain their confidence and respect both as a physician and a friend who will guard their secrets with scrupulous honor and fidelity, to perform faithfully my professional duties, to employ only those recognized methods of treatment consistent with good judgment and with my skill and ability, keeping in mind always nature’s laws and the body’s inherent capacity for recovery.”

Osteopathic physicians recognize those words. They form the foundation of their careers. Yet there is often reluctance on the part of a physician to apply the principle of “the body’s inherent capacity for recovery” to oneself when the issue is substance abuse.

The decision to self-report substance abuse to the licensing board is challenging, both emotionally and intellectually. It is truly an act of compassion no different than the compassion physicians extend to their patients.

Physicians who self-report to the Arizona Osteopathic Board Examiners in Medicine and Surgery (Board) prior to a patient being harmed or a complaint being filed may avoid formal complaints, hearings, discipline, and loss of licensure.

Physicians who are reported to the Board by a patient, colleague, employee, or family member risk a complaint being opened and heard at a public Board meeting. The trajectory of a physician’s career may change irrevocably.

Most states have a physician health program to assist physicians struggling with substance abuse. The common goal of these programs is to focus on assisting doctors to obtain the treatment they need, retain their license, and return to practice safely. Not all states offer a confidential program. The Board is allowed by statute to offer a confidential rehabilitation program.

In recognition of the specific challenges related to a physician being able to both seek appropriate treatment and retain their medical license, in January 2009 the legislature passed legislation which established the Board’s confidential program for the treatment and rehabilitation of osteopathic physicians who self-report that they are impaired by substance abuse.

The process is simple. The first step is for a licensee to contact the Board’s executive director and self-report. Once the licensee self-reports, the physician must sign a consent agreement in which

they agree to be evaluated and undergo inpatient rehabilitation at a board-approved program. The consent agreement also contains a practice restriction which is in force for the licensee while they are seeking rehab.

Once a licensee is discharged from the approved program and is deemed safe to return to practice, they must sign another consent agreement which is the basis of the Board’s Monitored Aftercare Program (MAP). This program takes the form of a Stipulated Confidential Rehabilitation Agreement with a five-year term. Participation in this program is completely confidential. It is not considered a disciplinary action and is not reported to the National Practitioner’s Data Bank.

The Board’s MAP provides guidance in diagnosis and treatment for osteopathic physicians through a recovery program adapted and monitored according to their individual issues.

Once a physician has been deemed safe to return to practice and the 5-year Stipulated Confidential Rehabilitation Agreement has been signed, the ongoing monitoring process will begin. Typically, an ‘orientation’ session will be scheduled for the physician (“participant”) with the executive director, a medical consultant and a compliance monitor. At this time, the agreement is reviewed and expectations are discussed. Any questions or concerns the physician may have will be addressed.

Although each agreement is tailored to the individual, the following are sample of the common or standard stipulations:

12-Step MeetingsRegular attendance at 12-step meetings 2-3 times a week. These

meetings can be a powerful component in a physician’s recovery.

Relapse Prevention Group MeetingsWeekly attendance at a relapse prevention group therapy

meeting (such as a Caduceus meeting) plays an important role in the physician’s support network after treatment. These meetings provide the physician the opportunity to interact and learn from his or her peers in the medical community who are struggling with

similar issues.

Therapeutic CounselingA physician will establish care with a board-approved, licensed

therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist to address individual issues.

Osteopathy. Recovery. You.by Steven Fischer, Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examines in Medicine and Surgery


Features

Continued participation for the duration of the Agreement is based on the therapist’s recommendation.

Primary Care PhysicianAll participants must be under the care of a board-approved

primary care physician (PCP) who will coordinate all of their medical care. The PCP must be given a copy of the Agreement as it will become part of the physician’s confidential medical record.

Prescription MedicationParticipants will be required to maintain a monthly medication

log of all prescription medication taken. This log will be provided to Board staff on a monthly basis.

Random Drug TestingParticipants will be enrolled in a random drug testing program.

This will involve daily phone calls to a local or toll-free phone number for the duration of the Agreement.

Any day the participant is selected for testing, a sample must be provided that day. Results are sent directly to the Board offices and remain confidential. Any irregularities in either daily calling or random testing will be documented by the compliance monitor and submitted to the executive director and/or medical consultant for their consideration.

Random drug testing is in no way intended to inhibit the physician’s freedom to travel for business or pleasure. Providing Board staff with three (3) business day advance notice of any travel plans will give the physician that freedom.

Your Board is proud to provide this confidential program. If you or someone you care about is suffering from a substance abuse problem, please call the executive director of the Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners in Medicine and Surgery at (602) 771-2522.

Realize your own body’s inherent capacity for recovery. Help is just a phone call away.


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Clinicians will soon be seeing patients with influenza, a febrile respiratory illness with rapid onset of cough, coryza, sore throat,

chills, muscle aches, and extreme malaise. Patients will be begging for outpatient appointments, emergency departments will be crowded, and employees will be calling in sick.

Influenza predictably hits the United States yearly from the late fall through early spring. Some seasons are more severe than others. The estimated average yearly number of hospitalizations from influenza is 226,000, whereas estimated annual deaths attributable to influenza range from 3,000 to 49,000 each season.1

Fortunately, there are influenza vaccines that protect against influenza-related illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths. Since 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that everyone 6 months and older without a contraindication should receive a yearly influenza vaccine.2

A study from Minnesota showed that influenza vaccines help to prevent absenteeism from work. People who received influenza vaccine were 25% less likely to have an upper respiratory illness (URI), 43% less likely to have sick leave due to an URI, and 44% less likely to visit a physician for an URI illness than those who received a placebo. They also had 36% fewer days of sick leave for all illnesses.3

Influenza vaccines vary in efficacy each season based on how well the antigens in the vaccines are matched to the circulating influenza viruses. Influenza vaccination reduces the risk of doctor

It’s The Season For Influenza Vaccinationby Karen Lewis, M.D., Medical Director for the Arizona Immunization Program Office,

Arizona Department of Health Services

visits due to influenza by about 60% when the vaccine viruses are similar to the ones spreading in the community.4

In the 2014-2015 influenza season, there was antigenic drift of the predominant circulating influenza A(H3N2) virus. This resulted in an estimated 19% vaccine efficacy. In response, the 2015-2016 influenza vaccine will have a new influenza A(H3N2) virus and a new influenza B virus (Yamagata lineage), while maintaining the same influenza A(H1N1) virus and the influenza B virus (Victoria lineage) of the 2014-2015 season.5

The August 7, 2015 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) describes the influenza vaccine recommendations

from the CDC for the 2015-2016 influenza season.6 Patients should receive their first dose of influenza vaccine as

soon as it becomes available, and influenza vaccine should be offered to unvaccinated patients as

long as there is influenza circulating in the community. Children ages 6 months

through 8 years of age who have not received at least 2 total doses

of influenza vaccine before July 1, 2015 should

receive two doses of the 2015-2016

influenza vaccine at least 4

weeks apart.6 The updated

recommendations in the MMWR list all of the

influenza vaccines in the United States by trade name, manufacturer,

presentation, mercury content, ovalbumin content, age indications, latex risk, and route of

administration. CDC has not expressed a preference between trivalent (IIV3) or quadrivalent (IIV4 or

LAIV4) influenza vaccines.6


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An algorithm for influenza vaccination in patients with egg allergies is printed in the 2015-2016 recommendations since most influenza vaccine viruses are grown in eggs. However, Flublok® (RIV3) is produced by recombinant technology and is considered egg-free. People who ONLY experience hives after eating eggs or egg-containing food can receive RIV3 if they are > 18 years old, or they can receive an inactive influenza vaccine (IIV) with observation for at least 30 minutes after vaccination.6

People who have had anaphylactic symptoms after eating eggs or egg-containing food can receive RIV3 if they are > 18 years old, or they should be given IIV only by a physician with experience in the recognition and management of severe allergic conditions and should be observed for at least 30 minutes after vaccination.6

Persons who are suspected of being egg-allergic based on previously performed allergy testing should receive consultation with a physician with expertise in the management of allergic conditions before being given IIV. Alternately, RIV3 can be given if they are > 18 years old.6

A previous severe allergic reaction to influenza vaccine, regardless of the component suspected of being responsible for the reaction, is a contraindication to future receipt of the vaccine.6

Live-attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV4) no longer has a preferential recommendation over IIV for children 2-8 years old. LAIV4 should not be used in persons aged <2 years or >49 years, pregnant women, immunocompromised persons, persons with a

history of egg allergy, persons who have taken influenza antiviral medications within the previous 48 hours, children aged 2-17 years old who are taking aspirin or aspirin-containing products, children 2-4 years old who have asthma or who have had a wheezing episode in the preceding month, or persons who have had a severe allergic reaction to LAIV or to any of its components or to any influenza vaccine.6

LAIV4 should not be given to persons who care for severely immunosuppressed persons who require a protective environment. Alternately, if they do receive LAIV4, then for 7 days after LAIV4 receipt they should avoid contact with severely immunosuppressed persons who require a protective environment.6

REFERENCES

CDC. Prevention and Control of Seasonal Influenza with Vaccines. MMWR, (RR-7), Sept. 20, 2013. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/rr/rr6207.pdf CDC. Prevention and Control of Influenza with Vaccines. MMWR (RR-8), Aug. 6, 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/rr/rr5908.pdfNichol KL, Lind A, Margolis KL, et. al. The Effectiveness of Vaccination against Influenza in Healthy, Working Adults. New England Journal of Medicine, Oct. 5, 1995, pp. 889-893. http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM199510053331401 CDC. What Are the Benefits of Flu Vaccination? http://www.cdc.gov/flu/pdf/freeresources/general/flu-vaccine-benefits.pdfCDC. Influenza Activity—United States, 2014-2015 Season. MMWR, June 5, 2015, pp. 583-590. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/wk/mm6421.pdfCDC. Prevention and Control of Influenza with Vaccines. MMWR, Aug. 7, 2015, pp. 818-825. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/wk/mm6430.pdf


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You’ve read the Tenet’s words so many times that they seem ordinary, even prosaic. 1. The body is a unit; the person is a unit of body, mind, and

spirit.2. The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and

health maintenance.3. Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.4. Rational treatment is based upon an understanding of

the basic principles of body unity, self-regulation, and the interrelationship of structure and function.

The phrases are so common-sense that everybody, not just osteopathic physicians, takes them for granted.

And forget they are absolutely revolutionary.Most people assume Andrew Taylor Still created osteopathy in

reaction to how medicine was practiced in 19th century America. To some extent this is correct, but a close reading of his autobiography makes clear that he was striving to create a philosophical canon as diverse and complete as those of the ancients.

Tenet One reflects this.Philosophy and Medicine were allied at least since the time

of Pythagoras but they were firmly separate disciplines

in the 19th century. Since the Greeks, arguments about body, soul, mind,

consciousness, intelligence, and emotions have been at the forefront of the western philosophical quest to define

humanity. In the 17th century Rene Descartes was

influential in creating a mind/body split that

predominated western thought into the 20th century.

To Descartes, the human

body was an autonomous machine,

capable of moving independently. Emotions were caused by external factors acting on a subject, rather than the subject producing them. This dualism was a wonderful dichotomy to thinkers. So, priests and pastors care for the spirit, psychiatrists and later psychologists took care of the mind, and physicians had the body.

Many physicians recall days when primary care physicians could not prescribe drugs or code for mental illness treatment. The disordered mind was seen as distinct, and the province of psychiatrists as much as excited bladders fit into the world of urology

This did not fit with the philosophy Still created. In his world, mind, spirit, and body were an interrelated system.

Tenet Two dips back into the Hippocratic Corpus. Western physicians had slowly been rejecting Hippocrates since the late middle ages – rightly so in many cases. The Hippocratic good, however, was tossed along with the erroneous. For example, physicians decried Hippocrates’ general patience and reluctance to treat; they wanted to intervene. They considered Hippocrates’ teachings a recipe for death.

What they forgot is Hippocrates wanted to find ways for the healing power of nature to assert itself. They also forget his preventive tips about the importance of diet and exercise.

In Tenet Three, Still borrowed from the universal laws from Newton and other mathematicians and physicists. He looked deeply at practical progress, especially machines – which he loved. He applied the truths being found in this mechanistic age to the body. His studies of anatomy and the nervous system are a wonder today and he worked to create a system where the body will work as perfectly as a well-oiled machine.

Tenet Four reflects Still’s belief in a better future, guided by science. Origins of disease will be found and they will be part of a natural world based in laws as orderly as planetary mechanics. That is as much philosophy as it is a stricture for treatment.

For Still, rejecting an armamentarium filled with alcohols and drugs that did not (and could not) work was novel, but treating individuals as a whole (mind, body, and spirit), using the body to heal itself by understanding the scientific interrelationship of all the parts, and easing those parts into smooth operation, was a move into the unexplored.

These Tenets closely follow the underlying philosophy of osteopathic medicine and are American Osteopathic Association (AOA) policy, prominently displayed on the AOA website. Let’s embrace the philosophy and proclaim that the revolution is alive and well.

Mind, Body, Spirit and the Tenets of Osteopathic Medicine

by Steve Nash, Executive Director, Tucson Osteopathic Medical Foundation

Photo credit: Ove TØpfer


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While healthcare organizations are still scrambling to understand how the new healthcare regulations will impact their delivery system, one aspect will not change. The physician shortage will continue to worsen. As Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), Integrated Delivery Systems (IDSs), and Independent Physician Associations (IPAs) continue to develop, hospitals and medical groups must address the shortage.

Faced with severe physician and medical provider shortages in an ever changing healthcare environment, the ability to retain an established physician staff becomes even more critical. The statistics state we will experience a shortage of close to 90,000 physicians within the next ten years. As organizations experience a medical provider staffing problem, reports also indicate physicians cite higher job dissatisfaction. Recent surveys and statistics reveal as the shortages persist, physician burnout increases. Sources of concern include:

• Demanding work schedules • Increased patient loads • Lack of autonomy • Pressures of running a practice • Decline in reimbursement • Increased Medicaid/Medicare Government regulations • New technology – EMR implementation and ICD -10

Conversely, physicians list the following as key to job satisfaction:

• Trusting and collegial relationships with colleagues • Clinical autonomy • Work-life balance • Involvement in decision making

In a recent Medscape article, Robert W. Wah was quoted as saying “Physicians want to provide our patients the best care possible, but today there are confusing, misaligned, and burdensome regulatory programs that take away critical time physicians could be spending to provide high-quality care for their patients.”

We often hear “I am so busy and just can’t get away. I need a vacation but I don’t want to burden my partners (they are just as busy as I am) with seeing my patients while I am away from the office. If you are stressed, experiencing burnout, and unable to provide the quality of care you want your patients to receive, it may be time for a change.

Here are a few solutions. If the situation is temporary, using the services of a locum tenens provider can help alleviate those immediate critical needs of increased patient loads due to snowbirds, flu season, school physicals, vacations, sabbaticals, etc. Locum tenens firms have a pool of locum providers available for short and long term assignments. The locum firm arranges

for physician reimbursement and the malpractice insurance while all the fees generated by the physician are retained by your office. With locum tenens services – temporary staffing – you can augment your current medical staff and continue providing medical care to your patients while maintaining your revenue stream. If you need to rejuvenate and have a break, consider obtaining a locum tenens physician for a period of time.

If the situation is ongoing and seems to be permanent, adding to your medical provider staff can offer positive solutions. With the landscape of healthcare changing, it is evident Advanced Level

Physician Shortage and Physician Burnout by Joan Pearson, President, Catalina Medical Recruiters, Inc.

Photo credit: Harry Fodor


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Practitioners (ALPs) are becoming more prominent healthcare providers. Below are 3 tips on how adding an Advanced Level Practitioner can help your organization.

1. Save TimeAn Advanced Level Practitioner can save physicians time and

increase their productivity. Utilizing an ALP to provide routine medical care allows physicians to see patients who require a higher level of care. The ALP can take medical histories, order labs and x-rays, educate patients, and take call, while the physician can attend to those patients with chronic more complex diseases.

2. Quality Care and Patient Satis factionThe sooner a patient is seen and diagnosed the quicker the

treatment plan can be implemented. Patients waiting 4-6 weeks for an appointment lose valuable time in having a provider identify their illness. Patients are often seen much sooner when an ALP is available. When patients know they can receive prompt medical care, the results indicate higher patient satisfaction.

3. Increase RevenueAdding an ALP can allow the organization to see more patients

and add new service lines. Collections generated by an ALP can double their annual compensation or more. In addition, revenues increase and have a positive impact on the bottom line of the practice. If physicians are working longer hours, patients are waiting weeks to be seen and there is a need to increase your bottom line, it may be time to consider hiring an Advanced Level Practitioner.

The trends are clear, small private practices are closing, merging, and being acquired by hospital systems. Many physicians are

attracted to these new clinical settings rather than dealing with the administrative responsibilities of private practice. Other physicians leave private practice to work part time or urgent care shifts or become locum tenens physicians. These options give physicians more flexibility but still offer the opportunity to follow their passion and continue seeing patients.

Adaptability, Flexibility, Autonomy and FulfillmentThese clinical settings are particularly attractive to physicians

who like being exposed to a variety of new environments and situations. Many providers are now choosing locum tenens as their occupation. Flexible hours, limited call (if any), malpractice insurance, and the choice to work when and where they want allows for work balance and a new quality of life. Physicians have independence and the opportunity to control their own schedule to meet their lifestyle needs. With the opportunity to meet new colleagues and treat a broader array of patient cases, many find these settings to be very fulfilling career experiences.

The Journal of General Internal Medicine reported burnout rates ranging from 30% to 65% across specialties with the highest rates in emergency medicine and primary care physicians. The 2015 Medscape survey reflects burnout rates among internists and family physicians rose 16% over the last two years.

Identify and address symptoms of burnout early. Everyone benefits when the organization is healthy – the practice, the providers, and the community of patients. Healthcare organizations that explore innovative ways to position themselves to meet the changing needs of their providers will always have a competitive advantage.


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Physicians and other healthcare professionals spend years of education and experience fine tuning their skills

to prevent, detect, and successfully treat diseases. In the last 50 years, science and technology have provided new therapies previously unavailable. As a result, the average life expectancy has increased. As medical knowledge has expanded, many illnesses can now be “cured” and the lives of patients with chronic illnesses prolonged.

As medicine has shifted to focus on wellness and prevention, “death” has become the enemy to be beaten at all costs. It is understandable that many healthcare practitioners feel ill-equipped or uncomfortable initiating a conversation with patients and their families regarding end-of-life issues. Patients with potentially fatal illnesses and those close to them should be able to expect and receive reliable, skillful, and supportive care throughout their final stage of life. Physicians and other healthcare professionals must commit to more than a sympathetic delivery of a terminal diagnosis and include a joint discussion with patients and families regarding tools and strategies to reduce suffering for those at the end of their lives.

End-of-life issues are generally addressed through civil common law, federal or state, or through state statutory law. Unfamiliarity with benchmark cases and state laws may lead physicians and other healthcare professionals to be cautious about issues related to end-of-life care. This caution

may have negative implications for the quality of patient care. Advance directives are legal documents allowing patients to establish their choices regarding future medical treatment should they become unable to make the decisions for themselves. In Arizona the statutory laws regarding end-of-life care are addressed in §A.R.S.

Title 36, Chapter 32, Article 1-5. Advance directives in Arizona consist of four documents; Living Will; Health Care Power of Attorney; Mental Health Care Power of Attorney; and Do Not Resuscitate Order.

Perhaps one of the best ways to introduce the concept of end-of-life care, is early education for patients about their right of

An Important Conversation: Preparing Your Patients for End-of-Life Care

by Karen Wright, RN, BSN, ARM, CPHRM, Senior Risk Management Consultant, MICA

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credit: B

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self-determination. Informed consent is a basic legal and ethical requirement for all medical care, including end-of-life care. Many patients and families, or parents of a child, facing withdrawal of care may not have been fully informed of the risks and benefits of the treatment when it was instituted. They may not have understood that the treatment would be withdrawn if it became ineffective. Full knowledge of the risks and benefits for continued treatment or withdrawal of treatment allows patients or surrogates to make an informed decision regarding further treatment. The informed consent discussion should include information regarding the consequences of discontinuation of the treatment in language the patient, family, or surrogate can understand. In addition, these conversations should be documented.

There are a wide variety of treatments to be addressed when considering a discussion regarding end-of-life care. These treatments include CPR, elective intubation and mechanical ventilation, surgery, dialysis, blood transfusion or blood products, artificial nutrition

and hydration, diagnostic tests, antibiotics, other medications and treatments, and future hospital or ICU admission. Once a patient’s general goals of care have been determined, it is easier to discuss specific treatment options with the patient and family.

The development of advance directives is a process that is very important to each person and to those who may be called upon to make treatment decisions when the patient cannot. Develop a prospective plan to talk with your patients about advance directives. The best time to talk to your patient is in the primary care environment, not during a crisis in the hospital. Recognizing that most people do not like to think ahead about the inevitability of death, start off slowly by telling the patient you want to provide them with quality care and respect for their values and views. Effective communication with the patient and family is the best risk-reduction strategy and will help avoid situations when end-of-life care issues create confusion or require court intervention.


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Since its inception at the dawn of the 20th century, osteopathic medicine has embraced the concept of treating the “whole patient” in an attempt to integrate the rigor of evidence-based

science with the less-quantified but equally important art of healing. This holistic approach to patient care has become increasingly mainstream as medical education curricula for both allopathic and osteopathic physicians embrace the need to engage patients in their own care and incorporate ideas and treatments that previously have been neglected or even ignored. But equally important as the science behind diagnosis and cure is the relation between our psychological and spiritual makeup when dealing with disease and illness that threaten our well-being and upset our normal equilibrium.

When we are sick, we seek out physicians to diagnose and treat the underlying cause of our illness. The solution usually comes in the form of lab tests, imaging studies, prescription medications, and invasive procedures to remove or destroy the diseased organ or repair or replace the broken part. We often rely on the physician to actively cure our malady, while we take a passive role in our own health’s improvement. But before modern medicine and the scientific approach to disease, before CAT scans and MRIs, cultures and societies developed other systems and solutions to improve health. In India, Ayurvedic medicine, developed thousands of years ago, has created an entire healing system based on the belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance between the mind, body, and spirit. In China, the use of acupuncture and herbal remedies has created a medical system that is widely taught in the west today. And right here in the United States, the study of evidence-based approaches to healing that embrace holistic and nontraditional practices has led to the creation of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), one of the 27 institutes and centers that comprise the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Institutes of Health. Embracing the mental and spiritual aspects of health, and not just the physical, integrative medicine links all aspects of health by combining nontraditional therapies vetted through research and supported by evidence with traditional, mainstream, science-based interventions.

Engaging the Whole PatientThe NCCIH’s mission is to define the usefulness and safety

of integrative health interventions and their roles in improving health and healthcare through rigorous scientific investigation.1 By securing an evidence base for integrative healthcare approaches, the NCCIH allows the public and policymakers to make decisions based on science and not anecdotal reports that often have far-reaching effects on public health promotion and disease prevention.

Arizona is in the unique position of having the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson focusing on the practice of mind, body, and spirit medicine through the three domains of education, clinical care, and research.2[1] Co-founded by Andrew Weil, M.D., the Center established the first Fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona for practicing physicians, which has become the model for similar programs around the country and the world. Completion of a fellowship now serves as one of the requirements for board certification in the newly created specialty of Integrative Medicine by the American Board of Physician Specialists.

Improving Population HealthAs the Medicare Quality Innovation Network-Quality

Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) for Arizona, California, Florida, Ohio, and the U. S. Virgin Islands, Health Services Advisory Group (HSAG) is engaged in helping providers, patients, and other stakeholders improve the quality of healthcare through evidence-based approaches to healthcare improvement. One of HSAG’s major objectives is to improve population health by reducing cardiac and diabetes health disparities, hospital readmissions, and adverse drug events. HSAG’s work to improve cardiac health, while rooted in evidence-based interventions, aligns with the use of alternative and integrative medicine therapies, which can decrease blood pressure by lowering levels of stress. Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) classes conducted by HSAG, community lay leaders, and peer educators address both physical and behavioral components surrounding this disease and focus on educating diabetes patients about medication management techniques, nutrition, physical activity, alleviation of depression, and the importance of family support.

Holistic Healthcare: Déjà vu All Over Againby Howard Pitluk, MD, MPH, FACS and Mary Ellen Dalton, PhD, MBA, RN


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Integrative medicine therapies have the capacity to decrease the use of medications to treat symptoms, a significant factor in hospital readmissions and adverse drug events. The use of interventions such as acupuncture, diet, exercise, focused imaging, massage, osteopathic manipulation, and other body work therapies can have a tremendous effect in reducing the need for medication and promoting self-care and healing. All of these approaches have been found to have a scientific basis and can be used to augment traditional western medical practices.

Payment Models Engaging PatientsWhen it comes to payment reform and the healthcare

system, payment models that place the patient at the center of care and focus on quality and not quantity of care have become the standard. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 and its mandated National Quality Strategy (NQS) aim to provide better, more affordable care for individuals and better health for whole communities. This shift also has positioned payers such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to become active purchasers of quality healthcare and move away from serving as a passive payer of services regardless of value. The CMS quality framework now centers on strengthening patient and family engagement by promoting patient-centered care delivery, improving the patient experience, providing better patient self-management, and enhancing shared decision making.3 Putting patients at the center of care requires involving the patient and family in all aspects of healthcare decision making. CMS uses forward-looking concepts to guide effective patient engagement that includes respecting patients’ values, preferences, and needs; coordinating and integrating care; providing physical comfort and emotional support; and effectively educating and communicating healthcare information.4 An integrative, holistic approach that focuses on all aspects of the patient (mind, body, spirituality), and includes preventive health practices, is perfectly aligned with new payment models and is being implemented by delivery systems such as patient-centered medical homes and accountable care organizations.

HSAG’s work embraces the NQS and the goals of CMS to engage patients in their care and improve individual and community health while lowering the cost of healthcare. As healthcare continues to more actively involve patients in their care, evidence-based integrative medicine that emphasizes the “whole patient” and includes the patient’s voice will serve as the foundation for quality improvement and patient safety for many years to come.

Howard Pitluk, MD, MPH, FACS, HSAG Vice President, Medical Affairs & Chief Medical Officer; and Mary Ellen Dalton, PhD, MBA, RN, HSAG President and Chief Executive Officer. Dawn Williams, BS, HSAG Director, Communications, assisted with this article.

This material was prepared by Health Services Advisory Group, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Arizona, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. Publication No. AZ-11SOW-XC-09102015-01

1 NCCIH Facts-at-a-Glance and Mission. Available at: https://nccih. nih. gov/about/ataglance Accessed on: August 24, 2015. 2 [1] Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. Available at: http://integrativemedicine. arizona. edu/about/. Accessed on August 24, 20153 CMS Quality Strategy. Available at: https://www. cms. gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/QualityInitiativesGenInfo/CMS-Quality-Strategy. html. Ac-cessed on August 25, 20154 Patient Engagement Summit. View from CMS: How Patient Engagement will Transform Healthcare. Available at: http://www. patientengagementsummit. com/sites/patientengage-mentsummit. com/files/04-D1-View%20from%20CMS%20-%20Web%20Version_0. pdf. Accessed on August 25, 2015.


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Mind-body medicine aims to promote the use of patients’ thoughts and emotions – the whole patient

– to influence patients’ physical health. In today’s environment it also includes having a better understanding of a patient’s entire healthcare record and transforming a practice from a traditional “silo” model of episodic diagnosis and treatment to a practice networked with a patient’s other providers in order to operate from more complete and comprehensive patient information.

Arizona’s statewide health information exchange (HIE), The Network, operated by Arizona Health-e Connection (AzHeC), allows provider participants to securely share patient information with hospitals and other authorized providers in order to improve the coordination and quality of care for patients. The Network also works very closely with the Behavioral Health Network of

Arizona (BHINAz) to integrate physical and behavioral health information sharing. The essential aim of The Network is to provide all participating providers complete information on the whole patient.

Here are four reasons why providers who practice mind-body medicine should participate in the statewide HIE:

1. Community provider participation fees have been eliminated and integration costs have been significantly reduced. The Network’s Board of Directors recently approved a new Network fee schedule that eliminates community provider participations fees. Community providers include all primary care, specialty providers, and first responders in settings such as private practices, community health centers, rural health clinics, public health facilities, correctional facilities, and more. This

change not only removes a critical barrier to participation, it recognizes the value of securely sharing valuable patient data with community providers. In addition to the elimination of community providers’ participation fees, The Network has worked very closely with EHR vendors to encourage them to reduce or eliminate the costs associated with integrating EHRs into The Network’s platform.

2. The Network enables better care coordination through Direct secure email with hospitals and other providers and through real-time alerts and notifications such as hospital admissions, discharges, and lab results. All Network services are available to community providers, including Direct secure email with hospitals and other providers in The Network. This is a HIPAA-compliant, encrypted, standards-based application that enables point-to-point sending and receiving of routine information such as referrals, simple clinical messages, and test results. In addition, providers can subscribe to and be set up to receive alerts of hospitals admissions, discharges, and transfer (ADTs) and notifications of lab and test results for patients they need to track closely. This basic service enables better care coordination and earlier intervention for complex patients and those with chronic conditions.

HIE Provides Tools for Improved Coordination of Patient Care

by Melissa Kotrys, CEO, Arizona Health-e Connection

Photo credit: Svilen Milev


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3. The Network enables more comprehensive patient records to be available at the point of care through a bidirectional connection between The Network and a provider’s certified EHR. A connection to The Network allows a provider to access the healthcare records of his or her patients from hospitals and other providers that participate in The Network. This bidirectional connectivity not only enables more comprehensive patient records, it allows access to valuable information in a provider’s EHR without interfering with or affecting the workflow of the provider’s practice. Although participation in ACOs and other value-based arrangements may increase staff time spent in accessing and sharing patient information, participation in a statewide HIE actually saves valuable time and resources through the bidirectional

sharing of patient information among authorized users.

4. A Network connection allows providers to access health information on their patients from other states and federal agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Network is connected with the national eHealth Exchange network. The eHealth Exchange connection allows Network participants to discover patient records, query and receive health information, and share documents on their patients with other HIEs nationally and with federal agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs. Arizona providers see a large number of winter visitors and veterans, and Network participation enables access to more comprehensive records on these patients.

Community providers face challenges in the movement to a value-based reimbursement environment. There is work to be done and there are challenges to be met, but Arizona’s statewide HIE is a valuable asset in enabling the improved care coordination and more comprehensive patient records that will allow providers to be successful. The Network recognizes the valuable role that community providers play on the front line in keeping key patient populations healthy. For this reason, the Board recently eliminated community provider participation fees and encourages you to begin participating with The Network.

To learn more about participation, please contact a Network representative at (602) 688-7200 or at [email protected].


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Every year, as the school year begins anew, high school students that plan to play sports face a similar challenge - getting their physical exam. Doctors across America

see thousands of kids and perform a standard screening history and physical exam. Founded in 1998 by osteopathic physician, Paul Steingard, D.O., a sports medicine

specialist and family physician from Phoenix, with the support of the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association, Team of Physician for Students (TOPS) provides free physical exams to any student – 8th grade to high school senior in Arizona. TOPS physicals are among the most extensive sports physical available to student athletes in the United States. The exams include:

Osteopathic Physicians are TOPS!by Scott Steingard, D.O., Steingard Medical Group

Editor’s note: Team of Physician’s for Students (TOPS) is one of the worthwhile causes supported by Arizona Osteopathic Charities.

A student athlete receives an electrocardiogram (EKG).

“Cover one eye and read the bottom line for me.”

If indicated from their EKG, students are referred for an echocardiogram scan.

• Height/weight check • Ear, nose, and throat

examinations • Blood pressure check • Heart/lungs check

What makes TOPS unique is its timing – conducted in the spring of the preceding school year – and the cardiac evaluations. Under the direction of William J. Rappoport, M.D., a cardiologist from the Abrazo Arizona Heart Institute, every student is screened with an electrocardiogram (EKG) and, if necessary, an echocardiogram (echo). These are done on-site at Sunnyslope High School in Phoenix and Youngker High School in Buckeye. Since 2005, TOPS has done screening exams for the local junior colleges as well.

By utilizing the EKG’s and echo’s, TOPS is looking for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and other cardiac anomalies that are typically missed in a standard screening examination. Over the past 16 years a number of cardiac abnormalities have been detected and these students were referred to receive the appropriate medical care. The best news of all – the entire program is free to these students.

TOPS relies on volunteer doctors and AOMA and its members have stepped up in a big way. There are many doctors that have attended TOPS year after year. It gives them a chance to work in the community and to teach. The physicals are performed by students from Midwestern University College of Osteopathic Medicine and A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona. Ross Kosinski PhD, Dean of Students, at Midwestern, coordinates all the volunteer medical students to ensure they are properly supervised and continually learning. Additional volunteers include nursing students from Gateway Community College and Arizona College.

The TOPS program also features a mini-health fair with the Maricopa County Health Department offering educational information on nutrition and tobacco use and Midwestern University providing dental screenings.

When TOPS was originally started, the hope was that a community-based program could help to fill a need for screening exams. Since inception, TOPS has conducted more than 30,000 sports screening physicals and EKGs. The program has received financial support and in-kind contributions from the community. The National Football Foundation and the Fiesta Bowl have made generous donations. Valle Luna restaurant provides a delicious lunch each year for the volunteers.

Athletic directors and coaches recognize the value of these examinations for their students and applaud the efforts of Dr. Steingard, Dr. Rappoport, the TOPS medical team, students, volunteers, and sponsors. Early detection of health problems can and does save lives. There is always a need for physician volunteers. If you interested in helping, please visit the TOPS website at www.aztops.org or contact the AOMA office for more information.

• EKG • Echocardiogram (if

indicated) • Range of motion testing • Flexibility testing

• Neurological testing • Vision testing • Hernia check • Health Education • Oral exam


Welcome New Members

Welcome NewAOMA Members________________________________________________First Year in Practice

Umema S. Burney, D.O. Internal MedicineGlendale, Arizona

Heather M. Tinsdale, D.O.Family Medicine

San Tan Valley, AZ(480) 654-2060

________________________________________Second Year in PracticeEmily Jane Burgoon, D.O.

Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

Sedona, Arizona(928) 284-0387

Michael J. DePalma, D.O. Psychiatry – Board Certified

Tucson, Arizona(520) 325-4837

Elizabeth C. Ricciardi, D.O. Psychiatry – Board Certified

Mesa, Arizona(480) 344-2002

Brittany M. Seroy, D.O. Emergency MedicineScottsdale, Arizona

(480) 882-4809John P. Yu, D.O.

Physical Medicine & RehabilitationPhoenix, Arizona

________________________________________________Third Year in PracticeJamie Beckman, D.O.

Family Medicine – Board CertifiedScottsdale, Arizona

(480) 882-7420

____________________________________________________________________________________________________FullKaren M. Acevedo-Mogharbel, D.O.

Family Medicine – Board CertifiedMesa, Arizona(480) 736-1777

A. Jacob Allgood, D.O. Internal Medicine – Board Certified

Phoenix, Arizona(602) 776-9000

J. Bertrand D. Audette, D.O.Family Practice – Board Certified

Apache Junction, AZ 85120(480) 646-1001

Craig Brady, D.O. Family Medicine – Board Certified Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

Show Low, Arizona(928) 537-4347

Damian J. Bundschuh, D. O. Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

Scottsdale, Arizona(480) 391-7631

Brett Reid DeGooyer, D.O. Family Practice/OMT – Board Certified

Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine & OMM – Board Certified

Sports MedicineGilbert, Arizona(480) 964-2908

Mark C. Feinstein, D.O. Psychiatry

Glendale, Arizona(602) 239-4100

David J. Hume, D.O. Family Practice – Board Certified


David Izenberg, D.O. Family Practice – Board Certified

Mesa, Arizona(480) 396-3222

James F. Keane, D.O. Internal Medicine – Board Certified

Neuromuscularskeletal Medicine & OMM Integrative Medicine

Tucson, Arizona(520) 202-5820

Micaela B. Looney, D.O. Pediatrics – Board Certified

Buckeye, Arizona(623) 374-7833

Christina M. Martin, D.O.Family Practice – Board Certified

Goodyear, Arizona(623) 889-3477

Linda McCandless, D.O. Psychiatry – Board Certified

Phoenix, Arizona(816) 682-9728

Donald R. Middleton, D.O. Family Medicine – Board Certified


Gene D. Prendergast, D.O. Orthopedic Surgery – Board Certified

Wilcox, AZ(575) 328-0312

Sean C. Reeder, D.O. Family Medicine – Board Certified


Ned O. Sciortino, D.O. Anesthesiology – Board Certified

Scottsdale, Arizona(480) 358-6105

David W. Shoup, D.O. Family Medicine

Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine & OMM – Board Certified

Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine – Board Certified


In MemoriamWe are all diminished when one of our number leaves us. We will miss

them and strive on for the betterment of our profession in their memory.

Natalie Beissel, OMS IVLeroy Kareus, D.O.

Andrew Martimick, D.O.Eugene Sands, D.O.

Murray Schreiber, D.O.AOMA gratefully acknowledges all its members for your support of the osteopathic profession and your association. Your membership ensures that AOMA is looking out for you and enables us to

accomplish great things on your behalf. Thank you!


AOMA Membership Highlights

More than 100 people including physicians, medical assistants, practice managers, coders, and

billers, attended the AOMA-sponsored lecture Are You Ready for ICD-10? on Saturday, August 29, 2015. Held at A. T. Still University, the four-hour program provided valuable information to prepare for the transition to ICD-10 and the importance of proper clinical documentation and assignment of ICD-10 codes.

Presented by healthcare and information technology expert Linda Campbell, MS, MT, PMP, CPHIMS, FHIMSS and John Nagamine, RHIA, an American Health Information Management Association Certified ICD-10 Trainer, the lecture outlined nine strategies to prepare for your practice for the transition:

1. Don’t expect another delay2. Budget for the transition 3. Assess your practice’s internal

capabilities4. Prepare staff for training5. Create a communications team6. Master the codes that matter7. Terminology is important8. Prepare for productivity changes9. Build your compliance teamThis continuing medical education

program was free for AOMA members, a benefit of membership in the Association. Video playback of the lecture and the accompanying slides are available on the AOMA website under the ICD-10 Support page www.az-osteo.org/ICD-10Support. Member login is required to view the video

and there is no CME associated with the viewing of the presentation.

The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) was developed by the World Health Organization to monitor the incidence and prevalence of diseases and other health problems. This 10th revision replaces the current ICD-9 which was implemented in the 1970’s. The new model has two components:

• ICD-10 CM (Clinical Modification) is the diagnosis code set

• ICD-10 PCS (Procedure Code Set) replaces hospital inpatient procedures

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) mandated ICD-10 compliance effective October 1, 2015.

More information about ICD, ICD-10, and a list of resources

is available on the AOMA website under the

Physician Resources tab on the home page www.az-osteo.org.

Are You Ready for ICD-10? Lecture Well-attended

Attendees at the Are You Ready for ICD-10? Lecture gained valuable information and tools to prepare for the transition.


Business Partner Listings

AOMA Business PartnersProvide Services for a Health Practice and your Finance

USE YOUR MEMBER DISCOUNT

AccountingMcGladreyJason Bernstein, CPA501 N. 44th St., Ste. 300Phoenix, AZ 85008(602)[email protected] McGladrey is a leading provider of tax planning and compliance (individual and practice), assurance and consulting services to physicians, physician groups and health care companies. AOMA members will receive a 20% discount off regular fees.

BankingBankers TrustKeith Kormos, Senior Vice President2325 E. Camelback Rd., Ste. 100Phoenix, AZ 85016(602)[email protected] Bankers Trust provides core banking services, mortgages, treasury services and trust accounts. To AOMA members (private banking clients) will receive: free checking, free printed checks, free electronic statements and free mobile banking.

Bank Card ProcessingAffinipayVisit the AOMA website, Member Services Business Partner Listings or call (800) 644-9060 Ext. 6974AOMA members are entitled to a very special processing package from Affinipay. Their on-line reporting lets you quickly see your deposit and payment information.

Billing & CollectionsDelivery Financial Services, LLC.Jodi Sugaski – Sales Manager(602) 490-3956 Direct [email protected] technologically superior medical collection agency. They provide cutting-edge services like real-time online performance results. Delivery Financial Services maintains an excellent record for ethical and professional standards with its clients with an outstanding A+ rating. All AOMA members will receive a significant discounted fee.

J.R. Brothers Financial, Inc.Robert Antenucci – President (602) [email protected] J.R. Brothers Financial, Inc. ( JRB) is a medical collection agency since 1986. AOMA members are offered a lower collection fee with exceptional service and recovery. Clients can access the status of their accounts online through the JRB Client View Program. XOLMed Revenue Cycle Management Corp.J. Patrick Laux(602) 396-5900 [email protected] We provide exceptional billing, coding, and collection services for physician practices. We offer AOMA members a comprehensive billing and chart preview at no charge to determine how we can increase practice revenue, and shorten collection cycles.

Car RentalAvis & HertzDiscount coupons available through the AOMA Office, call (602) 266-6699 or our toll free number (888) 266-6699. You may also request coupons by emailing [email protected], or go to the AOMA website www.az-osteo.org and under Member Services, select Business Partner Services.

FinancialHeritage Capital, LLCKathryn A. Marchwick, [email protected] help our clients get a better “Return on Life” by providing Organization, Accountability, Objectivity, Education and Partnership. Our services help our client be better prepared for life transitions and to be financially healthy enough to handle them. We offer 50% discount for members, and no charge for students for a comprehensive financial plan.

Mosaic Financial AssociatesAnthony C. Williams, President4650 E. Cotton Center Blvd. #130Phoenix, AZ 85040480-776-5920Fax: [email protected] Financial Associates provides a holistic approach to wealth management. They believe your financial advisor should provide a pathway to the financial goals you dream of and work hard to achieve, while taking into account all aspects of your life and building a long-term relationship based on trust and top-notch service.


Business Partner Listings

Health Information Technology Information Strategy Design (ISD)Michele Liebau(480) 970-2255 [email protected] Strategy Design (ISD), a leading healthcare technology solutions provider with its central office in Mesa. ISD has been providing network design and implementation to Heathcare Practices in the South West since 1996. ISD’s focus is on medical practices to allow them to provide cost-effective computer networking, telephony, off-site backup and remote monitoring. ISD’s value offering to AOMA members allows for one time and ongoing discounts based on using two or more ISD services.

InsuranceAFLACKaren Jones, Independent Agent16211 N Scottsdale Rd., Ste. A6A 614Scottsdale, AZ 85254(602) 229-1970 x213No Deductible, No Copay, No Preauthorization. AFLAC supplemental insurance policies are available at special Association Rates for AOMA members and their families.

Mutual Insurance Company of Arizona (MICA)(602) 956-5276(800) 352-0402www.mica-insurance.comEach medical practice is unique with individual risk management needs based on specialty and practice characteristics. Their experienced Risk Management Consultants can assist you in assessing and providing service designed to reduce your risk of a malpractice claim or suit. MICA is owned by all of the physicians it covers and provides educational grants to AOMA.

Legal – Disability Insurance Claims and Healthcare Litigation

ComitzBeetheEdward O. Comitz, Esq. Scottsdale Spectrum 6720 N. Scottsdale Rd., Ste. 150 Scottsdale, AZ 85253 (480) 998-7800 Fax (480) 219-5599 [email protected] www.disabilitycounsel.net Mr. Comitz has extensive experience in disability insurance and healthcare litigation, representing physicians in reversing the denial or termination of their disability insurance benefits. Mr. Comitz has earned a national reputation for prosecuting claims based on fraud and unfair practices in the insurance industry. A free consultation is provided to AOMA members.

Medical Record Scanning & Management

ASDD Document DestructionRyan Shinn(480) [email protected] www.assuredsecurityaz.comASDD Company is an offsite and onsite “AAA” certified document shredding, electronic media and x-ray destruction. We are HIPPA and FACTA compliant. We offer AOMA members discounts on offsite and onsite services.

Payroll ProcessingHuman Capital StrategiesNick Mawrenko (480)[email protected] www.hcscando.comHuman Capital Strategies is a national provider of Professional Employer Organizations (PEO) Services, Administrative Services, Organizations (ASO) Services, and Payroll Services. Managing every aspect of payroll, human resources, taxes, employee benefits, 401(k) plans and workers’ compensation management is what makes Human Capital Strategies “the next best thing to no employees!” Human Capital Strategies offers a 10% discount and $0 setup fees for AOMA Members.

Payroll Strategies GroupNick Mawrenko (480)[email protected] Strategies Group is a local payroll service that is designed for the small medical practice. If you have one employee and don’t want to do your own payroll, call Nick. Our custom service enables us to reduce overhead and pass the savings on to you. Call Nick to see if our approach will fit your practice. Payroll Strategies Group offers AOMA members a $0 setup fee.

Practice ManagementWolfe Consulting Group Jim Wolfe, Owner(602) [email protected] members will receive a free initial problem definition meeting and also receive a discount on a wide array of business consulting services. Services, from Improving Income to Practice Sale for Retirement, will serve as the basis for the free initial consultation. A listing of these services can be reviewed at www.wolfeconsultinggroup.com. Real Estate services from Office Leasing to Building Purchase are also available through a wholly owned subsidiary of Wolfe Consulting Group, Ltd., Healthcare Realty Advisors, Inc., at no direct cost to AOMA’s members.

Real EstateRE/Max ExcaliburKevin Weil, Realtor(602) [email protected] Weil of RE/Max Excalibur is one of the top realtors in the valley and specializes in serving the needs of physicians. AOMA members are entitled to video previewing of homes of interest and other services uniquely designed to save the time of, and maximize the interests of AOMA members. Kevin and RE/Max Excalibur have selected Arizona Osteopathic Charities as the charity to receive a donation based upon member participation.


AOMA Membership Highlights

Each year the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association sponsors a clinical case and poster forum. We are looking for interesting clinical cases and original research

that osteopathic medical students, residents, and faculty have participated in, seen, and diagnosed. If you or your students have a clinical case or original research, we invite you to participate. This is a scientific, peer-reviewed opportunity.

The Professional Education Committee will review all of the clinical case submissions and select three finalists to present and participate in the clinical case competition on Friday, April 15, 2016 at the AOMA Convention in Scottsdale, AZ.

Authors whose case is not selected for the competition are encouraged

to submit their research to the Poster Forum.All poster submissions that are accepted will be displayed and judged on Saturday,

April 15, 2016. The top three entrants in each category will be invited to the Awards Lunch on Sunday, April 16, 2016 at which time the winners will be announced and monetary award will be given.

Please take advantage of this opportunity to show off the great, scholarly work being done in the clinical and research settings. Complete details for entry submission, including past examples of winning entries, is available on the AOMA website under the CME/Clinical Case & Poster Forum tab at www.az-osteo.org. If you have any additional questions, please contact Teresa Roland at the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association by calling (602) 761-2697 or via email [email protected].

2016 AOMA Clinical Case and Poster Forum

Rachel Cetta’s winning research poster from the 2015 Competition

IMPORTANT DATES:Poster Abstract

Submission Deadline: February 19, 2016 (including evidence of IRB submission)

Clinical Case Presentation Deadline (in PDF format): February 19, 2016 (including evidence of IRB submission)

Notification to Authors of Acceptance/Exclusion:

February 29, 2016

Poster Submission Deadline (in PDF format): March 14, 2016

Deadline to Inform AOMA of Virtual Presentation:

March 14, 2016

Clinical Case Finalists Submission Deadline

(PowerPoint Presentation): March 28, 2016

Clinical Case Presentations: April 15, 2016

Poster Forum Judging: April 16, 2016


Osteopathic Community News

Shannon Scott, D.O. appeared on television station ABC15

Arizona on Sonoran Living Live in a segment titled Vaccine

101: The Truth About Vaccines.

Adam Nally, D.O. was featured in an article in the Phoenix

Business Journal about Arizona Primary Care Physicians LLC,

the only independent group of primary care doctors in Arizona

not affiliated with a hospital system.

Art Mollen, D.O. contributed an article on sports and energy

drinks for the Arizona Republic September 10, 2015 edition. Dr.

Mollen was also recognized in multiple outlets as the founder of

the Phoenix 10K Race, which celebrates its 40th year in 2015.

AOMA strives to recognize its members who appear in the

media, but we may miss an article or interview. If you or one of

your colleagues has been in the news, please send an email to

[email protected].

Call for Abstracts Draws Tremendous Response

The AOMA Professional Education Committee extends its thanks to all the physicians who submitted abstracts for lectures for the AOMA 94th Annual Convention to be held at the Hilton Scottsdale Resort & Villas on April 13 – 17, 2016.

Dozens of abstracts were submitted for the 5-day continuing medical education event. The theme of the Convention is We Are Family and topics cover a wide spectrum including family practice, pediatrics, OMM, prevention, communication, the business of medicine, the future of osteopathic medicine, substance abuse, and internal medicine. An anticipated 35+ hours of AOA Category 1-A CME credits will be offered at the Convention, with multiple specialties represented. Application will also be filed with the American Academy of Family Physicians for category 1 prescribed credits.

In addition to the more than 40 lectures planned for the Convention, the program will include the annual clinical case competition and poster forum (see information on page 34 of the Digest), the awards luncheon, and the osteopathic family party. Registration for the 94th Annual Convention will be available soon.



A.T. Still University of Health Sciences (ATSU) is one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to a

new survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education.The results, released in The

Chronicle’s eighth annual report on The Academic Workplace, are based on a survey of 281 colleges and universities.

In all, 86 of the 281 institutions achieved “Great College to Work For” recognition

for specific best practices and policies. Results are reported for small, medium, and large institutions, with ATSU included among the medium universities with 3,000 to 9,999 students.

ATSU won honors in two categories including work-life balance, and compensation and benefits.

“It is a tremendous honor to be recognized for such a distinguished tribute. ATSU is devoted to our internal community; and we are committed to fostering an environment where faculty, staff, and students feel valued, empowered, and supported both in and outside of the workplace,” said ATSU President Craig M. Phelps, D.O.

The survey results are based on a two-part assessment process: an institutional audit that captured demographics and workplace policies from each institution, and a survey administered to faculty, administrators, and professional support staff. The primary factor in deciding whether an institution received recognition was the employee feedback.

“The institutions that the Great Colleges program recognizes provide innovative educational experiences – while also offering their employees outstanding workplace experiences – and we are eager to help readers learn more about them,” said Liz McMillen, The Chronicle’s editor. “The selection process is rigorous and being named to the list is a tremendous accomplishment, but it also positions colleges and universities well to recruit the people that make them a success.”

To administer the survey and analyze the results, The Chronicle worked with ModernThink LLC, a strategic human capital consulting firm that has conducted numerous “Best Places to Work” programs, surveying hundreds of thousands of employees nationwide.

ATSU Named “2015 Great College to Work For” by The

Chronicle of Higher Education

ATSU Celebrates 12th Community Health Center Campus Partnership

A.T. Still University (ATSU) and Near North Health Service Corporation came together to celebrate the University’s newest community health

center partnership and its inaugural class in Chicago on August 28, 2015.The inaugural class of 10 ATSU-School of Osteopathic Medicine in

Arizona (ATSU-SOMA) students started their second year of medical school earlier this month, and will complete their third and fourth years of education at Near North-operated clinics in the Chicago area.

“Our students are very energetic and eager to learn, and importantly share a close bond,” said Munawar Sultana, M.D., Near North physician and ATSU-SOMA regional director of medical education. “This bond will help them better serve the patients who they will work with during their time here.”

Joining ATSU and Near North at the event were elected officials who came to recognize the newly-formed partnership and share words of

encouragement and gratitude to students. A common theme shared throughout the event was “mission,” underscoring the importance that the partnership brings to underserved Chicago communities.

“This is truly an alliance that has similar goals and missions as ATSU,” said ATSU President Craig Phelps, D.O.

Near North marks ATSU-SOMA’s 12th current community health center campus partnership. Campuses are dispersed

throughout the United States and provide students hands-on clinical training from health center faculty and clinical teachers at associated institutions who have a distinct partnership with ATSU-SOMA. Students remain connected to the home campus in Mesa through video technology and visits by the School’s faculty and leadership.

By 2017, 30 ATSU-SOMA students will be training among Near North Health Services Corporation’s Chicago clinics and its affiliates.



Although they were from two different cultures and areas of the world, their lives

intersected when they made the decision to become osteopathic physicians and commit service to the medically underserved. Now both are on a path dedicated to serving underserved populations through Community Health Centers (CHC) and narrowing the primary care physician gap.

Anne Halsey, D.O. ’12, A.T. Still University-School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA), and Ernesto Jimenez, D.O. ’13, A.T. Still University-Kirksville College of

Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM), are now ATSU PGY-2 family medicine residents at Unity Health Care CHCs in Washington D.C. Eleni O’Donovan, M.D., serves as mentor for both resident physicians. Their residencies, which started in June and July 2013, are possible because of a partnership formed with ATSU, Unity Health Care, Inc., and The Wright Center for Graduate

Medical Education (WCGME) of Scranton, Pennsylvania. The establishment of the District of Columbia’s first residency and medical training community campus was celebrated in April 2014.

Dr. Halsey who grew up in Virginia and Texas, and Dr. Jimenez who was born and raised in Panama City, Panama and south Florida, both knew that they wanted to be physicians at different ages. Dr. Halsey originally wanted to become a kindergarten teacher but changed her mind after taking a course in biology in high school. Dr. Jimenez knew he wanted to be a physician from a very early age. “My father was instrumental in helping me with this dream,” he said. “I was fascinated with the human body and the

amazing way that it works and self-regulates. I also love to teach and serve, and medicine was a great avenue for both passions.”

The innovative family residency program, in which Drs. Halsey and Jimenez participate, is funded through a federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and will place 87 graduates over three years in CHCs around the country. The program focuses on addressing the primary care physician shortage in underserved areas through “homegrown” recruitment strategies for medical education and residency programs. The program also encourages local students to become primary care physicians who practice within their home communities.

Given an insight into healthcare policyBoth Drs. Halsey and Jimenez completed

a Health Policy Fellowship at George Washington (GW) University’s School of Public Health in 2015. It is offered twice each academic year, and it is usually only opened to GW residents interested in health policy. “Annie Halsey and I were fortunate to go through this intensive, three-week course,” said Dr. Jimenez. “We covered all aspects of health policy, including healthcare access, financing, regulation, quality disparities, education and workforce policy, public health protection, and health law. I now have a better appreciation and understanding of national health policy and its implications for medical practice and healthcare in the U.S.”

“Through the fellowship, I joined residents from various GW programs, pediatric residents from Children’s National Medical Center, and a few residents from other programs,” said Dr. Halsey. “Our days comprised lectures, and we were also able to visit federal organizations around the city, including the Office of Budget and Management, the Senate and House of Representatives, the AAMC, the Supreme Court, The Heritage Foundation, and other groups affecting policy. The fellowship prompted me to think about and seek answers to questions about how policy affects my current and future practice.”

All in a day’s workFor Dr. Jimenez, who is married and has

four children, family medicine affords him the building of relationships with families and the community. “I want to grow with a patient and their family and have the time to educate patients about their health,” said Dr. Jimenez. “I feel strongly about teaching preventive care and helping my patients stay out of the hospital, and know that I can achieve this in family medicine. Also being Latino, I have a strong connection to the Latino community who make up a large percentage of the patients I see. I have been given a great opportunity through the Wright Center and ATSU to train in a CHC.”

Dr. Halsey commented that choosing a family medicine residency at a CHC was a great fit. “I wanted to work in an urban underserved environment, and I identified with the mission of Community Health Centers.”

There are few typical days for Drs. Halsey and Jimenez, but they generally involve patient care, often in clinic or the hospital. “I value patient experiences, most notably seeing patients in clinic whom I initially met in the Unity Providence Hospital,” said Dr. Halsey. “Continuity of care is very important to me, and it is really encouraging when I see improvements in the lives of my patients because of built ownership through a continuous relationship.”

According to Dr. Jimenez, Upper Cardozo CHC is Unity’s largest and busiest health center serving 23,000 with 100,000 patient visits per year. Latino and Ethiopian populations comprise the majority of patients that visit the center, and Dr. Jimenez works with an interprofessional team of dedicated individuals who care for the total patient. “When I have a follow-up with a patient and see that they’ve made improvements in their life, and when I’m able to see that they learned from our interactions, it means so much to me and is exactly the reason that I became a physician.”

Future plansDr. Halsey says that she is still thinking

through her goals and opportunities. “I might stay in D.C., although if I do I will probably take a break from the CHC setting to gain experience in other patient-centered

Anne Halsey, D.O.

Ernesto Jimenez, D.O.

Beyond the Campus Walls: ATSU Residents Bridging the Healthcare Gap

Campus Walls continued page 38



A.T. Still University Awarded $1.7 Million Grant to Boost Interprofessional Education

A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-ASDOH) announced that it is the recipient of a $1.7

million, five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration

(HRSA) to strengthen interprofessional education (IPE) among dental, medical, and physician assistant students.

The grant will support significant expansion of IPE at ATSU. In which specifically, dental students will engage collaboratively in clinical settings with medical students from

ATSU’s School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona and physician assistant students from ATSU’s Arizona School of Health Sciences. ATSU will also engage non-dental partner agencies, including the Veterans Affairs Health Care Clinics and Greater Valley Area Health Education Center to facilitate both didactic and clinical team-based care.

“This funding will greatly enrich interprofessional education at ATSU,” said ATSU-ASDOH Dean and Grant Project Director Jack Dillenberg, DDS, MPH. “Funding will support development of clinical curricula and experiences, bringing together three health professions to fully realize Dr. Andrew Taylor Still’s vision of whole person healthcare.”

Interprofessional education is a main focus area at ATSU and is an essential step in preparing collaborative, practice-ready health professionals. Over the course of five years, nearly 8,500 vulnerable and underserved patients will be served by 1,950 students and faculty through the enhanced workforce training initiative supported by the HRSA grant, “Expanding Dental Workforce Training Within Collaborative, Team-Based Care Targeting Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) and Underserved Populations.”

“The future success of healthcare delivery worldwide will be built on a foundation of team-based, collaborative care centered around patients and communities. This grant will make a significant difference in how health professions students are educated,” said ATSU President Craig M. Phelps, D.O.

“This grant will create potent opportunities for ATSU students to work together collaboratively in the reality of clinical practice, to learn about, from, and with each other,” said Director of Interprofessional Education and Collaboration Barbara Maxwell, PT, DPT, MSc, Cert. THE, FNAP. “Healthcare delivered by these interprofessional teams will improve the lives of those they serve.”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer: This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number D85HP20045; grant title Predoctoral Training in General, Pediatric, and Public Health Dentistry and Dental Hygiene; total award amount of $1,736,074; with 54 percent financed with nongovernmental sources. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

White Coat Ceremonies Mark Milestone for Students

More than 300 ATSU students from the Arizona campus confirmed their professional commitment at

the annual white coat ceremony at the Mesa Arts Center on July 10, 2015.

The Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health’s (ATSU-ASDOH) class of 2019, the School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona’s (ATSU-SOMA) class of 2019, and the Arizona School of Health Sciences physician assistant (PA) class of 2017 and physical therapy (PT) class of 2016 were presented white coats in four separate ceremonies. Overall, the numbers of students who received their white coats were: 58 (PT); 108 (ATSU-SOMA); 77 (ATSU-ASDOH); and 70 (PA).

medical home models,” said Dr. Halsey. “Overall, I would like my practice to involve education, combining clinical work with preventive healthcare outreach projects, perhaps in schools, community centers, or in clinics. I am also interested in facilitating efforts to create a more environmentally-sustainable healthcare environment.

As for Dr. Jimenez, he plans to continue working and seeing patients in underserved communities and being involved in health policy dealing with quality disparities.

Beyond The Campus Walls features students who are part of our 12 Community Health Center campus partnerships throughout the country.

Campus Walls continued from page 37



Still OPTI Receives Pre-accreditation Status as ACGME Institutional Sponsor

July 1, 2015, marked the beginning of a five-year transition in graduate medical education (GME). Current osteopathic

residency programs, accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), now have until June 30, 2020, to successfully transition to the new single accreditation system for GME.

Programs that wish to continue educating interns, residents, and fellows must now apply for approval through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Each applying program must have a sponsoring institution already accredited or pre-accredited through the ACGME.

On July 2, 2015, Still OPTI submitted its application and was immediately recognized by the ACGME as a sponsoring institution in pre-accreditation status. Pre-accreditation is a distinction created by the ACGME to help osteopathic programs and institutions transition effectively by 2020.

Pre-accreditation for programs allows its graduates to be deemed eligible for advanced training in ACGME-accredited programs under the eligibility standards in their specific chosen specialty/subspecialty that were in place on June 30, 2013.

An institution must be in pre-accreditation status for its current AOA programs to apply for the same. Still OPTI’s action on July 2, 2015 and the ACGME’s acknowledgement of the institution’s pre-accreditation status, opened the door for Still OPTI participating sites to submit applications for each of their training programs.

Still OPTI is a consortium for graduate medical education that includes ATSU’s Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM) and School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona

in its membership, as well as teaching hospitals and community health centers across the nation. Currently, Still OPTI is the academic sponsor for 30 programs through the AOA.

Still OPTI will continue providing accreditation assistance to these programs until they have transitioned to the single accreditation system. With leadership from Karen Snider, D.O., assistant dean of osteopathic principles and practice integration (ATSU-KCOM), Still OPTI added to its list of member services accreditation assistance in osteopathic principles and practice and osteopathic manipulative techniques for programs applying for osteopathic recognition through the ACGME.

Stay up-to-date with Still OPTI, its members, and all things graduate medical education by visiting stillopti.com.



Sean Reeder, D.O., Promoted to Medical Director, Multispecialty Clinic,

and AZCOM Assistant Dean

Kathleen H. Goeppinger, Ph.D., President

and Chief Executive Officer, Midwestern

University, is pleased to announce the promotion

of Sean Reeder, D.O., to Medical Director of

the Midwestern University Multispecialty Clinic

and Assistant Dean of AZCOM.

Dr. Reeder joined Midwestern University

as a Clinical Instructor in 1998 and served

as a preceptor to AZCOM students at his

private family medicine practice until 2013,

when he accepted an appointment as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the

Multispecialty Clinic.

“Midwestern University is fortunate to have someone of Dr. Reeder’s

skill and administrative ability to oversee both our Multispecialty Clinic and

the needs of our osteopathic medical students,” says Dr. Goeppinger. “As an

advocate of compassionate, patient-centered care, he exemplifies a caring,

insightful educator and physician.”

Dr. Reeder received his undergraduate degree from the University of

Arizona and his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Kansas City,

Missouri’s University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Prior to joining Midwestern University, Dr. Reeder worked in Phoenix as a

family physician in private practice for 11 years.

Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine

NEWS AND U PDAT ES

MWU/OPTI Receives Initial Accreditation as Sponsoring

Institution by ACGMEMidwestern University is pleased to

announce that the Midwestern University

Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training Institute

(MWU/OPTI) has been granted Initial

Accreditation as a Sponsoring Institution

by the Accreditation Council for Graduate

Medical Education (ACGME) under the

ACGME’s Single Accreditation System for

graduate medical education and training in

the United States.

MWU/OPTI currently sponsors 14

osteopathic residency and fellowship

programs in the Southwestern United

States. Now that it has received ACGME

Initial Accreditation, MWU/OPTI will

be permitted to sponsor AOA-accredited

internships, residencies, and fellowships

as they make the transition to ACGME

accreditation. In the future, MWU/OPTI

also plans to develop new graduate medical

education training programs that will be

approved to accept Osteopathic (D.O.) and

Allopathic (M.D.) medical school graduates

into its sponsored programs.

Sean Reeder, D.O.,



First-Year AZCOM Students Practice Patient Analysis at Art Museum

The Midwestern University Foundation has launched a new loan

program for its graduate health professions students, which will reduce costs to borrowers and help them better manage their educational debt.

Through the Glendale Industrial Development Authority and the Illinois Finance Authority, the Midwestern University Foundation has issued $30 million in tax-exempt revenue bonds to create this innovative program. The loans will be available exclusively to third- and fourth-year students in the University’s graduate programs of dental medicine, pharmacy, optometry, veterinary medicine, and the health sciences at its two campuses in Glendale, Arizona, and Downers Grove, Illinois. These loans will have no

origination fees for the students and offer a lower fixed interest rate (currently 6%) than that available to students who borrow funds from the Federal Direct Student Loan Grad Plus Program.

“This private student loan program is one way that Midwestern University is working to find solutions to providing less-expensive borrowing options for our students,” emphasized Kathleen H. Goeppinger, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Midwestern University. “We are proud of the favorable rating on our bonds, which reflects the success of our academic programs and of our graduates.”

Standard & Poor’s has rated the Foundation’s Senior bonds for this program as “AAA,” based on the Foundation’s strong track record in the

student loan business. The Foundation has backed up its lending performance by contracting with MeasureOne, an independent firm, to analyze the loans of students who attended Midwestern University between 1995 and 2015. The historic low default rate of Midwestern graduates has resulted in the favorable bond ratings for the Foundation.

This private student loan program is one important way that Midwestern University is working with its students to reduce their debt burden. The University’s Office of Financial Aid provides a series of programs to educate students about strategies to limit their borrowing while they are in school. The University offers Financial Literacy Scholarships to recognize students who are successful at debt management, as well as many privately funded scholarships that are awarded to students for community service and academic excellence. Midwestern University is home to more than 6,000 students on its two campuses, with 10 colleges and 25 degree programs.

Midwestern University Launches Cost-saving Private Loan

Program for Students

To develop a foundation for the basic observation skills needed to become good physicians, 250 AZCOM students

attended a “Learning to Observe” orientation event at the end of July at the Phoenix Art Museum.

Lori Kemper, D.O., Dean of AZCOM, joined students as they toured through many of the museum’s galleries, from Modern to Asian, European, and Western. Students traveled in small groups to the museum for the afternoon, where they received thought-provoking instruction on how to observe, analyze, and interpret different artworks, including details such as emotion, color, and setting. After practicing the new skills in the galleries, the students came together again to discuss ways to apply their new observation skills to patient interactions.



AZCOM APPOINTMENTS, AWARDS, & GRANTS

Justin Dickson, MS-III, was awarded a $5,000 Midwestern University Financial Literacy Scholarship and the $2,500 Shirley Ann Brysacz Memorial Scholarship.

Nagaraj Vinay Janthakahalli, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Biochemistry, et al., received an Inaugural Multidisciplinary and One Health Research Award for “Genistein-Lipidic Nanocarrier Combinations for Abrogation of Cancer Resistance to Various Chemotherapies in Diverse Tumors.”

Heather Johnston, MS-II, received the $2,000 Chanen Student Scholarship as part of the Midwestern University Partner Scholarship program.

Andrew Welch, MS-III, received the $1,500 APS Scholarship as part of the Midwestern University Partner Scholarship program.

The following AZCOM students were selected to participate in the GE-National Medical Fellowship Primary Care Leadership Program (PCLP), which provides medical, nursing, and physician assistant students with a valuable opportunity to examine primary care firsthand in medically underserved communities across the United States: • Takema Cox, MS-II, Adelante Healthcare, Phoenix,

Arizona • Timothy Ellis, MS-II, Adelante Healthcare, Phoenix,

Arizona • Morolake Odumosu, MS-II, Adelante Healthcare,

Phoenix, Arizona • Gina Robinson, MS-II, Adelante Healthcare, Phoenix,

Arizona • Katie Cho, MS-II, International Community Health

Service, Seattle, Washington • Herman Lee, MS-II, HealthPoint, Seattle, Washington

Incoming D.O. Students Receive Stethoscopes from Jason Madachy Foundation

During orientation for AZCOM students in July, special presentations were made to the incoming D.O. students

from the Jason Madachy Foundation.Each member of the Class of 2019 received a brand-new

stethoscope with the words “Excel in Leaving a Mark” engraved in the metal.

The presentation was made in honor of the late Jason Madachy, a medical student at Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine who passed away unexpectedly in 2007.

AZCOM students will also be invited to a pre-graduation reception co-sponsored by the Foundation in 2019. They will be encouraged to reflect on the moments that followed their receipt of the stethoscopes and encourage them to give back in kind to future classes.

BRIGHT LIGHTS, SHINING STARS GALA

In October, Midwestern University held its

annual Bright Lights, Shining Stars gala. The

black-tie-optional gala was an opportunity for

the University and community leaders to come

together to recognize and honor individuals

for their commitment to helping others, with

proceeds benefiting Midwestern University student

scholarships. The event featured a silent auction,

dinner, and dancing under the stars.



October 17-21, 2015OMED

Orlando, FL

November 6, 2015AOMA Board of Trustees Meeting

7:00 p.m.Tucson El Conquistador Resort

November 7, 2015AOMA House of Delegates

3:00 p.m. Tucson El Conquistador Resort

November 7 & 8, 2015AOMA 35th Annual Fall Seminar

Tucson El Conquistador Resort10000 N. Oracle Road

Tucson, AZ 85704

January 23, 2016AOMA Board of Trustees Meeting

9:00 a.m.Midwestern University AZCOM

February 23, 2016D.O. Day at the Legislature

Arizona State Capitol8:00 a.m.

April 13-17, 2016AOMA 94th Annual Convention

Scottsdale Hilton Resort6333 N. Scottsdale Road

Scottsdale, AZ 85250

2015-2016 Calendar of Events

Advertisers’ Index

MICA ........................................................... Inside Front Cover

Amazon ...........................................................................Page 13

Hospice of the Valley .......................................................Page 23

Catalina Medical Recruiters ............................................Page 27

River Trading Post ...........................................................Page 43

AOMA Career Center ...................................Inside Back Cover



Recruit a new member, get a $100 AOMA credit!

Do you know someone who isn’t a member of the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association… and should be? You may be surprised to learn which of your colleagues are not AOMA members. Share your membership experience with your peers and ask them to join. When they do, as a thank you for your efforts AOMA will give you a $100 credit toward your membership dues or continuing medical education fees.

Top Ten Reasons to be an AOMA Member1. Leadership opportunities2. Legislative advocacy to promote and protect the profession3. Superior continuing medical education 4. Patient referrals5. Practice management support 6. Networking with peers7. Career development8. Timely and informative communications9. Research competitions 10. Community involvement

AOMA has been a powerful voice for osteopathic medicine in Arizona for more than ninety years and the future has never been brighter. Your membership ensures that a healthy AOMA will always be there when you need it and enables AOMA to do many things on your behalf to protect and promote osteopathic medicine. For complete details on how to receive your $100 member recruitment credit, visit the AOMA website at www.az-osteo.org under the Members tab or contact Sharon Daggett, Member Services Manager, at [email protected]

Membership doesn’t cost – it pays!

Update Your Member Profile and Win!

You could win a $100 VISA gift

card. Please take the time to visit

the AOMA website and login to

update your professional profile

information for

the online AOMA

Directory. Deadline to be entered

into the gift card drawing is

January 31, 2016.

See what’s new on your AOMA

website. View the playback of

the Are You Ready for ICD-10?

lecture, register for D.O. Day at

the Legislature, and track your

CME credits.

Visit often for future

enhancements and features.

5150 N. 16th Street, Suite A-122Phoenix, AZ 85016

Join us for AOMA D.O. Day at the Legislature. Reserve your spot at www.az-osteo.org/DODayRSVP

aoma digest fall 2015

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