From the President
Stephen C. Shannon, DO, MPH

As we close out 2007 and ring in the New Year, I would like to summarize some of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine’s (AACOM) 2007 major activities and accomplishments, and provide a brief update on the challenges and opportunities we will be addressing in the coming months.

First, during 2007, AACOM welcomed two new members to the association. Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine – Washington and Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine – Colorado both received provisional accreditation from the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) and were approved for membership by the AACOM Board of Deans this summer. There are now 25 colleges of osteopathic medicine and three branch campuses in 22 states.

AACOM’s five-year strategic plan was adopted at the association’s June Board of Deans meeting, following a year and a half of planning work by the AACOM Board and staff. The document includes seven goals statements, with several time-specific objectives listed under each. AACOM’s seven strategic goals address broad areas in osteopathic medical education—from encouraging responsible growth to helping to increase the emphasis on osteopathic principles and practices—and more AACOM-specific areas—such as serving as osteopathic medical education’s coordinating body and increasing student recruitment efforts.

AACOM is also working to support the growth of our member colleges and the quality of our colleges’ programs. At our highly successful June meeting, we initiated a series of development programs for new deans and academic administrators. We also established a task force on Competency-based Medical Education that is working with a liaison group with representatives from all 28 campuses to support osteopathic medical education’s transition to competency-based medical education. In early December, we established the infrastructure for a National Academy of Osteopathic Medical Educators – a first among the health care professions. And we have worked extensively with the Association of Osteopathic Directors and Medical Educators (AODME) to plan a useful and relevant program at our first-ever joint Annual Meeting in April 2008.

The association worked with the nation’s colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) to ramp up recruitment efforts. Applications are up by around 5 percent over 2006, when they reached a historic high (applications are up by over 75 percent since 2002). To help pre-health advisors track and monitor the progress of potential osteopathic medical school students, AACOM launched an online Advisor Information Center in September. More than 250 pre-health advisors have signed up for access to this cutting-edge, web-based tool.

All of the COMs were represented at the Osteopathic Medical Education Summit II, held November 10-12, 2007, in Lombard, IL. The Summit brought together more than 100 representatives from across the osteopathic medical education continuum to seek consensus on key issues confronting the profession, with a particular focus on osteopathic graduate medical education (OGME). The gathering was organized by AOA and AACOM; content was developed by a joint steering committee under the leadership of Summit Chair Karen Nichols, DO, Dean of Midwestern University’s Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine; and the meeting was co-sponsored by the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation. The action plan emanating from the Summit is currently under review by the AOA and AACOM Boards and will be shared with the osteopathic medical education community in the near future.

Finally, AACOM has revamped its graphic identity program, communications efforts, and online presence over the past year. While improvement efforts will continue into 2008 and beyond, the recent launch of our new web site will allow the organization to be more responsive and more interactive, and to present a more professional appearance to all of osteopathic medical education’s key stakeholders. Your comments and suggestions regarding the new site are welcome, and we hope you will pardon our virtual dust as construction of the site continues.

Internally, we are dealing with the very real dust of an office renovation. Our renovation is scheduled for completion early in the New Year; we hope you will find time to stop by the next time you are in Washington.

Looking forward, a great number of challenges confront AACOM and our member colleges. Among these are continuing to work with COCA on ironing out new standards changes in the accreditation process; working with the AOA, AAMC and others to develop data-driven analysis that will help us better understand the specialty choices and GME-selection trends of our graduates; collaborating with our sister medical education and health professions associations on such critical issues as the projected physician workforce shortage; and monitoring and positively influencing the medical education-related activities of Congress and the Executive Branch. I will continue to keep you informed of developments in these areas and others.

I wish you and yours a very happy holiday season and a healthy and prosperous 2008!

Government Relations Update

Appropriations
Since the end of October, the FY 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill has been passed by the House and Senate, attached to and then stripped from the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, sent to the President, vetoed by the President, and finally failed a veto override vote.

The bill is now being rolled into an omnibus spending package that includes all 11 appropriations bills not yet signed by the President. Negotiators cut programs in all of the bills to reach the President’s recommended funding level for discretionary programs.  To do this, a 1.747 percent cut was applied, and negotiators were able to decide on a program-by-program basis how to implement cuts.  The House and Senate still must pass the omnibus before it can be sent to the President, who has not indicated that he would veto the package.  Another short-term Continuing Resolution was passed on December 14 to allow time for the President to sign the bill. 

We now know the fate of programs of interest to osteopathic medical education—Title VII health education and training programs, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). The bill provides $194 million for Title VII, a $9.2 million (5.0 percent) increase.  The Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry program will be funded at $47.9 million after taking a small cut.  Both the Centers of Excellence and the Health Careers Opportunity Program received increases and are funded at $12.7 million and $9.8 million, respectively.  NIH received a modest increase to $29.2 billion, but that is before nearly $300 million is transferred to the Global HIV/AIDS Fund.  The NHSC will be funded at $123.4 million after taking a cut of approximately $2 million. 

In a related act, FOVA (Friends of the VA Medical Care and Health Research ), of which AACOM is a member, sent a letter to Congress urging the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to work with the Administration to enact the conference agreement on the "FY 2008 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act" (H.Rept. 110-424), which provides $480 million for VA research.

As a result of the current CR ( P.L. 110-116), VA research is operating at a funding level lower than its FY 2006 spending level.  The letter notes, "when available research awards decline as a function of budgetary policy, the VA risks losing physician-researchers and other clinical investigators who are integral to providing direct care for our nation's veterans and for sustaining its quality."

Community Health Centers and NHSC Reauthorization
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee November 14 unanimously approved the "Community Health Centers Renewal Act of 2007" (S. 901) to reauthorize the Community Health Centers (CHC) program and the National Health Service Corps (NHSC).

During the mark-up, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AL) offered and withdrew an amendment to establish grants for residency training at CHCs with the Chair’s promise that the committee would hold hearings on health professions shortages in rural areas. As we understand it, Sen. Murkowski intends to reintroduce the reworked amendment when the bill is brought to the Senate floor.

S. 901 incrementally increases the authorized funding level for CHCs over five years to $3.537 billion in FY 2012, a $1.3 billion (60 percent) increase over the $2.213 billion proposed for CHCs in the FY 2008 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations conference report (H.R. 3043).

S. 901 also includes language from a bill that HELP Committee Chair Edward Kennedy (D-MA) introduced earlier this year, the "Health Care Safety Net Act of 2007" (S. 2333), to reauthorize the NHSC. This language incrementally increases the authorized funding level for the NHSC over five years from $131.5 million in FY 2008 (the amount included in the FY 2008 L/HHS conference report) to $186 million in FY 2012. The FY 2008 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill would fund the program at $2.213 billion.  Note that an increased authorization does not guarantee an increase in appropriated dollars for the program. 

HEA Extension
On October 31, President Bush signed the "Third Higher Education Extension Act of 2007" (P.L. 110-109) to extend temporarily the Higher Education Act (HEA, P.L. 105-244) through March 31, 2008. Authority for the HEA expired on Sept. 30, 2003; however, several extensions have been enacted, allowing uninterrupted administration of the programs authorized under the law. The Senate July 24 passed the "Higher Education Amendments of 2007" (S. 1642) to reauthorize the HEA for five years. The House introduced “College Cost Reduction and Access Act Technical Amendments of 2007” (H.R. 4153) on November 13.  The House Education and Labor Committee approved this legislation, but it has yet to be considered on the House floor. It is scheduled for a vote this week. 

The College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which was signed into law this fall, included changes to the economic hardship deferment qualifications.  The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) received confirmation from the Department of Education that the student loan economic hardship deferment qualifications have not changed, despite the passage of this legislation.  Student loan lenders should continue to offer applications for economic hardship deferment from medical residents who qualify under the debt-to-income ratio.

Health Policy Fellowship Program
The AACOM Office of Government Relations hosted the Health Policy Fellowship program in November.  The Office of Government Relations sponsors and hosts a two-day seminar entitled “The Federal Role in Health Policy: The Executive Branch.”  The objectives of the seminar are to help the fellows become more comfortable approaching session speakers and issues from an increasingly “higher ground” point of view; increase their knowledge of the role of the federal government in health policy; increase their knowledge of the executive branch of the federal government as it relates to health policy; and increase their knowledge of the role of Medicare.  Each annual seminar features a core team of speakers, including the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Associate Administrator of the Bureau of Health Professions, the Special Assistant to the Administrator of CMS and Dr. Kendall Reed in his role as a member of the Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME).  By the end of the seminar, fellows are better prepared to serve as advocates for osteopathic physicians and their patients in the health policy arena.

Medicare Physician Payment
Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-MT) announced in a December 5 press release that he "will speed up efforts to craft Medicare legislation this year by moving directly to negotiations with the House of Representatives." Chairman Baucus withdrew his request for a Finance Committee mark-up (initially scheduled for December 5), given the importance of moving "as quickly as possible" toward agreement on a year-end Medicare bill.”  This bill will address the anticipated 10.1 percent cut in physician payments scheduled to go into effect in January 2008.  The House addressed the physician pay cut in the Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act that it passed over the summer.

According to the press release, Chairman Baucus and Ranking Member Charles Grassley (R-IA) "have already reached agreement on many provisions." Baucus believes "there's now a good basis for negotiation with the House."

In Congress
Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott (R-MS) November 26 announced he will retire from the Senate by the end of the year, five years before his term expires. Gov. Haley Barbour (R) is expected to appoint a temporary successor within 10 days of Sen. Lott's official resignation before calling a special election to coincide with the general elections in November 2008.

On December 6, Republican Senators voted to fill the positions opened by Sen. Lott’s departure. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AR) will succeed Sen. Lott as the Minority Whip. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN.) bested Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) to serve as Conference Chair, the number-three Republican leadership position previously held by Sen. Kyl.

Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-IL), who served as Speaker of the House from 1999 to 2007, has submitted his resignation from the House of Representatives, effective immediately. Illinois law requires Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) to schedule a special election within 120 days of the vacancy.

Rep. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) announced he will resign from the House of Representatives effective January 14, 2008, the same day he is to be inaugurated as governor. Current Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D) has scheduled a special May 8, 2008, election to fill the vacancy.

Rep. Julia Carson (D-IN) passed away on December 15, 2007.  She had recently disclosed that she had terminal lung cancer.

Rep. Jim McCrery (R-LA) has announced that he will not seek re-election in 2008.  This announcement immediately touched off a year-long race for one of the most powerful posts in the House — the top Republican slot on the Ways and Means Committee.

Campus Roundup

Boyd Buser Named PCSOM Vice President and Dean
Boyd R. Buser, DO, has been appointed Vice President and Dean of the Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine (PCSOM).

Dr. Buser has been serving as PCSOM’s interim dean since September. He previously served as Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNECOM) in Biddeford, Maine, where he was the Interim Dean and Vice President for Health Services.

A native of Iowa, Buser received his osteopathic medical degree from the Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine (DMU-COM). He is board certified in family practice as well as osteopathic manipulative medicine.

A fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians, he was re-elected as first vice president to the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Board of Trustees in July. Buser was also recently appointed to the Current Procedural Terminology editorial panel by the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association. He is the first DO to be appointed to the panel.

John Gimpel Appointed UNECOM Dean
John R. Gimpel, DO, MEd, has been named Dean of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNECOM).  He will assume the position by June 1, 2008. Dr. Gimpel earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM).  

Prior to accepting this position, he held leadership positions as Vice President for Clinical Skills Testing for the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME), and Associate Professor of Family Medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine.  Board Certified in Family Medicine, Dr. Gimpel has combined clinical practice with academic medicine, serving on the faculties of PCOM, Jefferson Medical College, University of Pennsylvania, St. Luke’s Hospital (Allentown, Pennsylvania), and the Bryn Mawr Hospital. 

In 2000, Dr. Gimpel was appointed Director of Predoctoral Education at Georgetown, where he was awarded the Golden Apple Award for Teaching, and the American Association of Colleges of Medical College’s Humanism in Medicine Award. 

Jacquelyn Cawley Named UNE Vice President
Jacquelyn B. Cawley, DO, Interim Dean at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNECOM), has been named UNE Vice President for Clinical Affairs. Dr. Cawley, who has served as UNECOM’s Interim Dean since last June, will continue to lead UNECOM until Dr. Gimpel comes on board next year.

Prior to joining UNECOM, Dr. Cawley held a variety of academic and health administration positions, most recently as Vice President of Population Health for Martin’s Point Health Care in Portland, Maine. She was the first DO and the first women appointed President of the Medical Staff at Maine Medical Center, a position she has held since 2005.  She received her DO degree from UNECOM and has served on the faculty there since 1996.

Medical Society of Virginia Honors VCOM Physicians
The Medical Society of Virginia Foundation (MSVF) recently honored two osteopathic physicians from the Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) at the sixth annual Physicians’ Gala. Dixie Tooke-Rawlins, DO, and J. Eric Sutherland, DO/PhD candidate, both received the Salute to Service award.

Through their efforts to raise the level of care for the underserved, Dr. Tooke-Rawlins and medical student Sutherland have extended their reach to Honduras, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic. Dr. Tooke-Rawlins, the founding dean of VCOM, established permanent medical service sites in these countries, sites at which 30 to 60 patients are treated each day. Eric Sutherland learned Spanish and completed his three-month clinical rotations there, treating more than 600 patients before he returned. Dr. Tooke-Rawlins has also led emergency medical relief teams to Mississippi and India in times of crisis, in addition to developing a Global Health Leadership MS/PhD/DO program for students at VCOM.

Stan Flemming Appointed President of PNWU
Stan Flemming, DO, MA, has been named President of Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) in Yakima, Washington. Dr. Flemming, an army veteran and former state legislator, graduated from Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (Western U/COMP).  He worked as a family physician for 16 years, gaining experience in adolescent medicine, aviation medicine and HIV/AIDS related diseases. Dr. Flemming will assume his position at PNWU as it opens in the fall of 2008, welcoming the college’s first class of 70 medical students.

LECOM Students Sponsor Fitness Event
Medical students at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) recently sponsored a Fit-For-Life Run/Walk at Family First Sports Park in Erie. LECOM students created health stations to teach fourth and fifth graders the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and the grade schoolers engaged in physical fitness contests. Parents watched as their children learned the proper techniques for basic exercises and received gifts at the completion of each fitness station. First-place winners of the run received gift certificates to the local Family First Athletic Complex.

This event was planned in response to the Fit-For-Life program initiated by American Osteopathic Association President Peter B. Ajluni, DO. Dr. Ajluni’s program urges osteopathic physicians and students to demonstrate healthiness and well-being and set an example for their patients.

GA-PCOM Hosts Race to Fight Childhood Obesity
On November 3, the Student Osteopathic Medical Association Chapter of the Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (GA-PCOM) joined with AOA President Peter B. Ajluni, DO, to hold the first annual Old Peachtree Road 5K Race to Fight Childhood Obesity. Medical student Connie Lee, OMS II, acted as race director and encouraged people of all ages to take part in the activity. Participants’ ages ranged from four to 72, and medical students took advantage of the event to answer questions about osteopathic medicine and encourage healthy lifestyles.

AACOM Launches New Web Site 

As part of its ongoing initiative to improve communications with potential osteopathic medical education students; current students; AACOM member college and university faculty, researchers and administrators; pre-health advisors; the general public; and the news media, AACOM has revamped its web site.

The new site, now public at www.aacom.org, was designed as a user-friendly information resource about osteopathic medical education and osteopathic medicine.  The site features a members-only section, where currently AACOM Board of Deans members can log in to view exclusive content. Over time, members of other AACOM groups will be able to access password protected information as well.

Your feedback on AACOM’s new online presence is welcome.

Annual Meeting Registration Now Available

Register today for the joint Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine and the Association of Osteopathic Directors and Medical Educators. The conference, Innovation: Spanning the Osteopathic Medical Education Continuum, will be held April 9 – 12, 2008 at the Hilton at the Ballpark Hotel in St. Louis, MO. View the conference program. Click here to register.

New Physician Reports Available

According to DO-Online, there will be at least 100,000 osteopathic physicians in practice in the United States by 2020. The current Osteopathic Medical Profession Report, compiled by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), provides detailed information and statistics about the osteopathic medicine field and its growth. The report can be viewed as a PDF or displayed on a webpage with the data arranged into various categories. The facts and statistics may be valuable resources for presentations or communications with the media. View the report.

In addition, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has released its 2007 State Physician Workforce Data Book. The report examines the active physician supply in each state, current medical school enrollment, physicians in graduate medical education programs and in-state retention rates, and includes some osteopathic physician information. View the report.

Reynolds Foundation Geriatric Education Grant Opportunity

The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation has issued a request for proposals for “Comprehensive Programs to Strengthen Physician Training in Geriatrics.” This is the fourth round of grants being offered by the Reynolds Foundation, and it is the first time that applications have been opened to osteopathic medical schools. Up to 10 four-year grants, totaling around $2 million each, will be awarded. The deadline for a letter of intent is February 1, 2008. Get further information.

2008 NIH Director's Pioneer and New Innovator Award Call for Applications

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking creative scientists to devise new and innovative research methods for biomedical and behavioral studies. The Pioneer Award is open to scientists at United States Institutions, who may be at any career level. The New Innovator award is open to those who have received a doctoral degree or completed a medical internship and residency within the past 10 years. Applications may be submitted beginning on December 16. For additional guidelines and application instructions, visit: http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/pioneer/ and http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-08-014.html.

Applications Sought for 2008 Pfizer Medical and Academic Partnerships Grants

Pfizer Incorporated is accepting applications for its 2008 Medical and Academic Partnerships (MAP) Grants. The Fellowship Grants and the Scholars Grants both provide $65,000 per year for two years of career development. Junior physician-scientists or post-doctoral researchers may apply for the Fellowship Grant, and junior faculty members are eligible to apply for the Scholars Grant. The Pfizer Visiting Professorships cover $7,500, during which time the academic institution, teaching hospital, or other chosen organization may host a well-known expert for a three-day education exchange. For more information, visit: http://www.promisingminds.com.

ACR Research and Education Foundation Preceptorship Awards Available 

The American College of Rheumatology’s Research and Education Foundation is seeking graduate or medical students and mentors to join together for a hands-on, real-world learning experience focused on rheumatology. Awards are available in the categories of: Health Professional Graduate Student Research Preceptorship, Medical Student Clinical Preceptorship, Medical Student Research Preceptorship, and Resident Research Preceptorship. Award funds differ depending on the type of preceptorship. Only those in ACGME-accredited training programs are eligible. For more information, visit: http://www.rheumatology.org/ref/awards/index.asp.

Duke University Announces Mini-fellowship in Evidence-Based Medicine in Geriatrics  

Duke University’s Donald W. Reynolds Program for Faculty Development to Advance Geriatrics Education is offering five scholarships to non-geriatrician physician faculty for the opportunity to earn continuing medical education credits in an innovative workshop. Chosen scholars will travel to Durham, NC, to attend a five-day program in April. Scholarships will cover tuition, room, and board for the Duke Division of General Internal Medicine’s Annual “Teaching and Leading EBM: A Workshop for Teachers and Champions of Evidence-Based Medicine.”  For more information, visit: http://careinaging.duke.edu/facultydevelopment/.

Osteopathic  Research Center Developments 

The Osteopathic Research Center (ORC) at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNTHSC/TCOM) plans to expand in 2008 with the completion of the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Physical Medicine Core Research Facility. Funded by two $1.5 million grants, one from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation and another from UNTHSC, the new state-of-the-art facility will open doors for collaborative research between ORC faculty members and UNTHSC faculty members within other specialty areas. In addition, the North Texas Primary Care Practice-Based Research Network (NorTex PBRN) will collaborate with ORC to provide a learning environment for faculty members to study osteopathic manipulative medicine as it is actually practiced with patients. AACOM is an ORC sponsor.

AACOM Job Connection End-of-Year Discount Available  

AACOM's job posting service at http://jobs.aacom.org provides a central location to post or seek positions in osteopathic medical education.  The AACOM Job Connection offers 30 and 60 day discount rates for posting single, three and five job postings. 

Year-end special!
As a thank you to those who have used the AACOM Job Connection and for new customers, the Job Connection is offering a discount on your 2008 job postings.  Purchase any job posting package before December 31, 2007 and save 20 percent off the regular posting price.  Plus, when you purchase a multiple-job posting package, you not only receive 365 days of resume database access, you also can take up to one year to post your jobs. 

To take advantage of the 20 percent discount, visit the AACOM Job Connection at http://jobs.aacom.org and enter 59FX4LP in the Promotional Code field at checkout. 

We Value Your Input and Feedback

Please e-mail us at wbresler@aacom.org to provide news for upcoming issues of Inside OME, along with your feedback regarding this newsletter.