As part of our ongoing advocacy efforts, the AOA sends numerous letters to editors at national and local media outlets across the country. These letters are often about issues on which DOs or the osteopathic medical profession can offer a unique perspective. The AOA also sends letters in response to inaccurate portrayals of osteopathic medicine in the media.
2010
January 13, 2010 Letter to Chicago from AOA President-elect Karen J. Nichols, DO, in response to the magazine’s “Top Doctors” issue which used the term “MD” to refer to all physicians and doctors on both the cover of the issue and in the introduction to the listing of doctors. The letter explained that it was misleading to the readers to not explain that there are both DOs and MDs on the list.
2009
October 5, 2009
AOA Executive Director John B. Crosby, JD, responds to a Chicago Tribune article about Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois rolling out a patient-centered medical home pilot program. The letter applauds the insurer's efforts and stresses that other managed care organizations and Congress should take steps to make medical homes a permanent fixture in our nation's health care delivery system.
September 2, 2009 Letter to Men's Healthfrom AOA President Larry A. Wickless, DO, in response to a column about the difference between DOs and MDs that did not mention that DOs can be certified by the AOA.
August 19, 2009 Letter to USA Today from AOA President Larry A. Wickless, DO, in response to an article about the projected primary care physician shortage.
June 19, 2009 Letter to AARP The Magazinein response to an article on lower back pain that failed to include OMT as a possible treatment.
April 28, 2009 Letter to The New York Times in response to an article that failed to acknowledge the number of DOs who are primary care physicians.
April 24, 2009 Letter to Consumer Reportsfrom AOA President Carlo J. DiMarco, DO, in response to an article about hands-on therapies people sought to relieve back pain that failed to include osteopathic manipulative treatment as an option.
April 1, 2009 Letter to USA Today in response to an article about the final episodes of the show "ER" which incorrectly identified the show’s medical technical advisor, Jon Fong, DO, as an MD.
March 26, 2009 Letter to the Chicago Sun-Times in response to an article about the rise in medical school applications that did not include the number of DOs practicing medicine.
March 26, 2009 Letter to the Chicago Tribune from Matthew B. Ajluni, DO, in response to an article on cutting medical costs in difficult economic times that advised to skip annual exams.
February 20, 2009 Letter to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in response to an article listing DOs separate from physicians in a list of non-physcian health care providers.
January 22, 2009
Letter to The New York Times from AOA President Carlo J. DiMarco, DO, in response to an article that perpetuates misconceptions about DOs and OMT.
January 12, 2009
Letter to the producer of the talk show “The Doctors” in response to a recent episode that featured Will Kirby, DO, as a guest. Dr. Kirby was incorrectly identified as an MD.
2008
December 8, 2008
Letter to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) from AOA President Carlo J. DiMarco, DO, in response to an AAMC report that placed osteopathic physicians in the same category as foreign medical graduates.
December 1, 2008
Letter to The Medscape Journal of Medicine from AOA President Carlo J. DiMarco, DO, in response to an artcile that implied that spinal manipulation is viewed as a treatment with adverse consequences.
October 2, 2008 Letter to the AARP Bulletinfrom AOA President Carlo J. DiMarco, DO, in response to an article on the difficulty that Medicare patients face in trying to find a primary care physician. The article left out the continuous efforts by osteopathic medical profession to train more primary care physicians.
August 19, 2008
Letter to The New York Timesfrom AOA President Carlo J. DiMarco, DO, in response to the article “Methadone Rises as a Painkiller with Big Risks,” which lists osteopathic physicians separately from family doctors. This statement implies that a family doctor and a DO are two separate health care professionals.
June 17, 2008
Letter to American Medical Newsfrom AOA President Peter B. Ajluni, DO, in response to the article “Study: Med schools can boost rural physician supply,” which called for more allopathic schools to create rural training tracks, but did not mention the rural colleges of osteopathic medicine that have been established.
May 2, 2008 Letter to MSNBC.com from AOA President Peter B. Ajluni, DO, in response to the article "Mainstream docs join anti-aging bandwagon," which portrayed osteopathic physicians in a negative manner.
January 10, 2008 Letter to The New York Times from AOA President Peter B. Ajluni, DO, responding to Gina Kolata’s article “But First, Doctor, What Was Your Marathon Time?”
January 6, 2008 Letter to Lansing State Journal from AOA President Peter B. Ajluni, DO, "Support School Phys Ed Bills” (Published)
2007
November 23, 2007 Letter to The Palm Beach Post from AOA President Peter B. Ajluni, DO, addresses a comment published in a Nov. 9 article that inferred medical training programs that train MDs are more significant than those that train DOs. (Published)
October 26, 2007 Letter to Newsday from AOA President Peter B. Ajluni, DO, explaining that osteopathic medicine is comprehensive medical care. The letter was sent in response to a comment published on Oct. 17 defining only allopathic medicine as "traditional" medicine. (Published)
July 28, 2007 Letters to the Chicago Tribune and State Journal-Register from AOA President Peter B. Ajluni, DO, supporting the recent bill banning smoking in public places in Illinois. (Published)
February 5, 2007 Letter to TIME Magazine in response to the article “Doctors Without Dollars," from the February 2nd issue, which portrayed the DO profession in a negative manner.
2006
October 27, 2006 Letter to the Philadelphia Metro in response to the article “Second route to become a doctor," which implied that students who attend osteopathic colleges are limited in the specialties they can practice.
October 10, 2006 Letter to Fortune magazine in response to the article, "The Battle Over Your Aching Back," which omitted osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) as a treatment for back pain.
September 27, 2006 Letter to Good Housekeeping pointing out that osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is an effective treatment for low back pain. Article highlighted various treatment options for back pain sufferers, but did not include mention of osteopathic physicians (DOs) providing OMT.
August 25, 2006 Letter to the Belleville News Democrat in response to an article on finding a physician which neglected to mention the AOA Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation as the accreditor of colleges of osteopathic medicine.
June 13, 2006 Letter to Family Practice News regarding the inclusion of the osteopathic medical profession when analyzing potential solutions for the projected physician workforce shortage.
June 9, 2006 Letter to Time Magazine in response to the article "Teaching Doctors to Care." Phillip L. Shettle, DO explains osteopathic medicine's 130-year history of caring.
March 15, 2006 Letter to Newsweek regarding the improper identification of Richard Jadick, DO as an MD in a cover story.
January 4, 2006 Letter to The New York Times pointing out article's failure to include osteopathic medical schools in national statistic.
January 4, 2006 Letter to The Oklahoman about author's belief that physician groups joining forces over scope of practice is "curious and somewhat odd."
2005
December 28, 2005 Letter to Chicago Magazine regarding continued use of "MD" as blanket term for medical profession.
December 5, 2005 Letter to CNN.com regarding article and television segments containing misinformation about osteopathic training and California regulation.
January 13, 2010 Letter to Chicago from AOA President-elect Karen J. Nichols, DO, in response to the magazine’s “Top Doctors” issue which used the term “MD” to refer to all physicians and doctors on both the cover of the issue and in the introduction to the listing of doctors. The letter explained that it was misleading to the readers to not explain that there are both DOs and MDs on the list.
