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Watch Now! AOA Inaugurates Karen J. Nichols, DO, as 114th President

On July 17, the AOA inaugurated Karen J. Nichols, DO, as its 114th president and the first female president of the AOA. An osteopathic internist from Arizona and Dean of the Midwestern University/Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr Nichols will focus on "Teamwork" during her term as AOA President. During her Inaugural Address, she thanked Immediate Past President Larry A. Wickless, DO, for his leadership over the past year and outlined several goals for her presidency. Watch Dr. Nichols' Inaugural Ceremony now! View end user requirements. Click here to learn more about Dr. Nichols' presidential focus. updated July 27

AOA Announces Call for Annual History Essay Competition Submissions

The AOA Bureau of Osteopathic History and Identity is now accepting entries for its sixth annual history essay competition. To encourage DOs and osteopathic medical students to explore the profession's past struggles and achievements, contestents are asked to focus their essays on one of the six principles from the bureau's "Core Principles for Teaching the History of Osteopathic Medicine." The bureau will bestow up to three awards: a $5,000 first prize, a $3,000 second prize and a $2,000 third prize. The winning authors will be honored during OMED 2010, the AOA's 115th Annual Osteopathic Medical Conference and Exposition, which will be held Oct. 24-28 in San Francisco. The deadline for submissions is Sept. 13. For full details, see The DO article "With $10,000 in Prizes, History Bureau's Essay Contest Targets Five Core Principles." updated July 27 

U.S. Surgeon General Addresses DOs, Students at House of Delegates Meeting

The Honorable Rear Admiral Regina Benjamin, MD, USPHS, the 18th Surgeon General of the United States, addressed members of the AOA House of Delegates in Chicago on July 17. A member of the AOA, Dr. Benjamin discussed the importance of prevention and wellness, as well as the role the osteopathic medical profession plays in caring for the nation's underserved patients. During the inaugural ceremony for the AOA's 114th President, Karen J. Nichols, DO, Dr. Benjamin saluted Dr. Nichols for becoming the first woman to serve as president of the AOA. Read more and listen to Dr. Benjamin's address on The DO website. updated July 26 

More than 400 DOs Convene in Chicago for AOA 2010 Annual Business Meeting

The 90th Annual Meeting of the AOA House of Delegates commenced in Chicago Friday, July 16, under the leadership of Carl Michael Pesta, DO, Speaker of the House, and Ray E. Morrison, DO, Vice Speaker. AOA President Larry A. Wickless, DO, gave his farewell remarks to the 425 Delegates in attendance, thanking them for their support throughout his Presidential year. He also presented Presidential Citations to William D. Strampel, DO, Dean of the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine; W. Jack Macgruder, EdD, President of the A.T. Still University Board of Trustees; and Rick Vincent, MBA, CEO of the Osteopathic Research Center. Learn more about the meeting. updated July 16

FDA Launches Health Care Professional Outreach Program

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently launched an outreach program to educate health care professionals about how they can help the FDA ensure that prescription drug advertising and promotion is truthful and not misleading. The “Bad Ad” program will help health care providers recognize and report misleading prescription drug information and facilitate reporting violations to the FDA. Violations can be reported to the agency via email at BadAd@fda.gov or phone at (877) 793-3622. For more information, visit www.fda.gov/badad. updated July 8

AOA President Addresses Medicare Physician Payment

In light of Congressional action this week to reverse the 21.3% cut to Medicare physician payments without addressing a long-term solution to the flawed sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, physicians continue to question the stability of the Medicare program and their ability to continue to provide care for Medicare beneficiaries. As a result, AOA President Larry A. Wickless, DO, has drafted a "Dear Colleague" letter to all osteopathic physicians regarding the current state the of the Medicare physician payment formula and the options available to all physicians regarding the Medicare program. Read the letter from Dr. Wickless. updated June 25

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