by: Joan M. Grzybowski, DO

Last weekend the POFPS held its annual CME Symposium and business meeting in Hershey, Pa. The event brought together hundreds of osteopathic physicians for a gathering of learning, reconnecting and conversation.

I believe the Hershey site is well chosen since the town itself was established by a man, Milton Snavely Hershey, who chose to give to others through monies set aside for education, food, shelter, and recreation. Milton went bankrupt three times, but he persevered. He believed in himself and his employees and in the end, he was extremely successful. He created a town that to this day cares for the needs of young children and adolescents who otherwise would have little opportunity for education and success.

We as osteopathic physicians have also been given many challenges to overcome in our profession throughout the years and yet we have never given up or closed our doors. We have taken on every challenge given to us and have learned to adapt to be successful and viable. I have no doubt that the next generation of physicians will have gone through a Darwinian like selection process and will be even more impressive than the generations that have preceded them. I give them that challenge to aspire to but have no doubt of their ability to succeed.

by: Diana M. Ewert, MPA, CAE 

They call these the dog days of summer. It’s hot and humid and people are on edge. There is ongoing change within the profession, change within the state, change within the federal government that increase the tensions you feel as osteopathic physicians. You wonder where you can turn.

Turn to POMA.

POMA is the only organization representing the osteopathic profession in Pennsylvania. And we can only do so with your support. This is why your membership and financial support is so very important.

POMA advocates with the SBOM. The osteopathic licensing board, along with other licensing boards in the state, moved to a new platform to handle the application process. Implementation continues to be painful. Customer support is less than optimal. POMA continues to work with you, as well as the licensing board, to resolve issues as quickly as we can. POMA attends every SBOM meeting and continues to advocate on your behalf as we move into the renewal cycle.

POMA advocates with the legislature. Non-physician clinicians continue to push for expanded practice without a collaborative agreement. POMA is an advocate of patient safety. Access to care cannot be confused with access to safe, high-quality care. Patient-centric care requires a team of clinicians. POMA advocates for team-based healthcare with the physician as lead. It is this model that gives Pennsylvanians the best of medicine and nursing.

POMA collaborates with the AOA. CMS has posted physician fee schedule for comment. The AOA Washington team continues to review the document and will be preparing comments. Reimbursement for the care you provide under the conditions you provide is another way POMA advocates on your behalf.

POMA adds value. POMA has joined with ISMIE and The Glatfelter Agency to offer a discount on medical liability insurance for POMA members. Your practice costs continue to rise. Our goal is to help improve your bottom line on the cost side as well as the reimbursement side.

POMA is here for you every day.

POMA-ISMIE Affinity Program 

After reviewing several excellent medical professional liability (MPL) insurance providers, we are proud to announce that ISMIE Mutual Insurance Company (ISMIE) has been selected as POMA’s endorsed MPL carrier.

ISMIE is a physician-led mutual who understands and values the osteopathic profession. ISMIE will partner with POMA and The Glatfelter Agency (TGA) in launching a new discounted affinity program offered exclusively to POMA members. The POMA-ISMIE Affinity Program offers a 10% discount – applied to the net of any applicable discounts or credits for POMA MEMBERS. Further, ISMIE offers extensive risk assessment tools, customized coverage, and outstanding claims management to nearly 10,000 policyholders. Delivering protection, quality, service, and value to physicians and healthcare professionals for more than 40 years, we are confident that ISMIE’s industry expertise and commitment to osteopathic medicine will serve as a great asset to our members.

This program is a member benefit of POMA and is open to all POMA members. If your present liability coverage is up for renewal, or you would like more details, we encourage you to visit www.ismie.com/poma to see how you can benefit from this new exclusive offering to you as a POMA member. You also may email any questions you have about the program or ISMIE’s coverage options to [email protected].

2018 POFPS Awards

On August 4^th, 2018, during the POFPS 43^rd Annual CME Symposium, the POFPS Leadership presented the 2018 POFPS Awards to three physicians.

RAYMOND J. SALOOM, D.O., FACGP MEMORIAL AWARD

John R. Gimpel, DO was presented the Raymond J. Saloom, D.O., FACGP Memorial Award in recognition of untiring efforts to promote the art of family practice and to preserve the integrity of the osteopathic profession.

Dr. Gimpel has actively served the profession for over a decade in numerous roles. Currently, he serves as the President and CEO of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) since 2009. Previously, he served as Dean and Vice President for Health Services at the University of New England, and as Director of Predoctoral Medical Education at Georgetown University School of Medicine.

In addition to full-time work with the NBOME, he has voluntary clinical faculty appointments at Bryn Mawr Hospital, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Georgetown University School of Medicine. He is a board Trustee of the POFPS, the chair of the POFPS Public Policy Committee and the POFPS 60th Anniversary Committee. He also serves on the POFPS Education Committee.

As a colleague puts it, “he is a role model of the ideals of osteopathic family medicine in practice.”

FREDERICK J. SOLOMON, D.O., FACGP AWARD OF MERIT

Jacqueline Weaver-Agostoni, DO was presented the Frederick J. Solomon, D.O., FACGP Award of Merit in recognition of services both professional and educational.

As a colleague comments, “Dr. Weaver-Agostoni has worked tirelessly in graduate medical education.” She is the Program Director for a dual-accredited Family Medicine Residency Program in Pittsburgh.

As an academic osteopathic physician in a university-based setting, an area primarily dominated by allopathic physicians, she continues to work to advocate for the osteopathic profession. She helps train osteopathic medical students on their family medicine rotation at a UPMC Family Health Center and by serving on the GME Professional Development Committee, and the Accreditation, Review, and Quality Committee. She is on the planning committee for a new annual GME SCHOLAR Conference dedicated to providing a forum to osteopathic physicians to promote and present scholarly activity at a regional level.

A board-certified family physician, and a Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians, she serves on the national level of the ACOFP Women’s Leadership Committee and previously on the ACOFP Recruiting Students to Family Medicine Residencies Committee.

FAMILY PHYSICIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

Domenick N. Ronco, DO was presented the Family Physician of the Year Award in recognition of outstanding service to the profession and the community.

Dr. Ronco has actively served the profession and community for over 40 years and has been a POFPS member for over 35 years. Board certified in family medicine, he has been treating patients at the Family Practice Center in Mifflinburg since 1980 and is still a Camp Physician for the Boy Scouts of America, which takes him back to his own days as an Eagle Scout.

He is the president of Family Practice Center. He served as President of Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association (POMA) in 2003-04 and has served as Chair of the Evangelical Community Hospital Department of Medicine.

As a friend and colleague stated, “He has devoted his life to the Osteopathic Profession. He has taught residents, medical students, and young physicians. He has been instrumental in forming and leading the largest independent group of primary care physicians in the state of Pennsylvania. He has been active in Community Service through his activity in POMA, his work with the Boy Scouts of America, and through his church and other civic organizations. He demonstrates all of the characteristics of the ideal Family Physician in all facets of his everyday professional and personal life.” 

Alexis Cates, DO Elected to AOA Board of Trustees as Intern/Resident Representative

POMA member Alexis Cates, DO, of Philadelphia, Pa. was elected to the American Osteopathic Association’s (AOA) board of trustees as the Intern/Resident Representative during the AOA’s Annual House of Delegates meeting, which was held July 16-22, 2018, in Chicago, Illinois.

Dr. Cates is currently training in emergency medicine at Albert Einstein Healthcare Network in Philadelphia. Prior to medical school, Dr. Cates received her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and a master’s degree in medical sciences from Mississippi College in Clinton.

She earned her osteopathic medical degree from the William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine ((WCUCOM) in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. As a medical student, Dr. Cates received the COM President’s Award, and the Welch Scholars Grant and the Nichols LEAD Scholar Award, both from the American Osteopathic Foundation.

Dr. Cates received second place for the Foundation for the Osteopathic Emergency Medicine case study poster competition and participated in poster presentations of original research, including a poster about the impact of dual-polarization radar technology and Twitter during a tornado in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Dr. Cates demonstrates her passion for health policy and advocacy through her service as a member of the Osteopathic Political Action Committee executive board since 2015. She’s also served as the student member of the AOA’s Bureau of Socioeconomic Affairs within the Department of Governmental Affairs and vice president of the WCUCOM Student Government Association.

Dr. Cates demonstrated her passion for emergency medicine when she presented a workshop for osteopathic medical students on the basics of trauma resuscitation in an emergency department setting during the Student Osteopathic Medical Association’s fall convention in 2017.

Congratulations Dr. Cates! We are #POMAProud!

Taking a Pause; to Move Forward

PCOM Student Raises Funds for Project Semicolon

Physicians have the distinct opportunity to meet and talk to a variety of people every day. As a physician, you are there to provide answers and guidance to a vast array of medical needs, but you can also learn from your patients. This opportunity to learn is what provided Millie Shah, a fourth-year osteopathic medical student at PCOM, a way to combine her passion for art with her passion to help others.

Millie has chosen to focus her medical career on pediatrics and during her time with many of the children she meets daily, she started to notice the semicolon tattoo. She learned the semicolon tattoo acts as a reminder to the kids that their story is not over. It offers them hope that they can be more than the experiences they have endured or more than the scars they hold, both physically and mentally.

Because of the stories shared with her, Millie began researching Project Semicolon. This organization, started in 2013 by Amy Bleuel, is mainly dedicated to the prevention of suicide but also offers a safe place to share stories of eating disorders, depression, anxiety, addiction and more. Many within the community around Project Semicolon sport a version of the semicolon as a tattoo. The semicolon is used to initiate a pause in a thought and express that a person has more to say. This meaning coincided with Bleuel’s goal for the organization and became the symbol used and shared today. Those who wear jewelry or have tattoos that incorporate the semicolon say it reminds them that they are more than their past experiences; more than a person who attempted suicide; more than a person struggling with addiction or suicidal thoughts. They are a person with more to their story.

Once Millie learned about the organization, she knew she wanted to find a way to help raise awareness. As a way of dealing with the stress of medical school, Millie turns to drawing. She draws a lot for her own mental health and finds it helps her center herself to get through all the demands placed on medical students. She turned this passion into a fundraiser for Project Semicolon by creating a drawing of the semicolon that she sold to friends, fellow students, teachers and physicians. All of the proceeds went to Project Semicolon.

“When I started, my original goal was to raise $150. Within 20 days, I had reached $1,150 from the sale of my artwork and additional donations people made. I was blown away by the support I received from PCOM students, staff, and particularly the Family Medicine Office,” said Millie.

Millie did not need to do much marketing for the fundraiser. Word-of-mouth proved to be enough.

“I told all of my friends what I was doing as well as the doctors and students I would see during my rotation. Once I shared the story of Project Semicolon, they often directed me to another office to share what I was doing, and it continued to spread from there,” explained Millie.

The money raised during the fundraiser has already been donated to Project Semicolon and when asked if she will be looking to do this again, she said, “I might like to make this an annual fundraiser. Finding time to do a large fundraiser like this, at this point in my career, can be difficult but any of the money from the semicolon pieces I continue to sell from my website will be donated to the Project Semicolon organization.”

To learn more about Project Semicolon, visit their website at www.projectsemicolon.com. To view Millie’s artwork, visit her website at, https://shahm07.wixsite.com/mildoodles. 

Mental Health Task Force Grant Program Updates

The 2017-2018 Mental Health Task Force Grant recipient evaluations continue to roll in. Participants are sharing what they learned from the experience and how it impacted the participant individually and the residency collectively. This week's update is from the Suburban Community Hospital. 

PCOM Orthopedic Residency Softball League 

PCOM's orthopedic surgery residency has a long-rooted history of hard work, dedication, and diversity. As one of the larger osteopathic orthopedic residency programs, getting to know one another outside of the hospital can be an arduous task. Complicating matters even further is the volume of hospitals that we provide coverage for; this makes it difficult to find time that we are all in the same place and able to talk about things other than fractures and dislocations. PCOM orthopedics is a program with 30 residents from many different backgrounds, geographic locations, and interests both inside and outside of the hospital. Some of us are Philly locals, while some have just moved here. Some of us have our own families, while some of us live alone. 

Read more>>

Did Your Membership Expire?

Are you "Active"? 

As an active member, you can access your CME records online at your convenience. Active members can print out the CME certificate to the 2018 Annual Clinical Assembly, and very soon the 2018 POFPS Symposium, with a simple button click. Active members can upload programs they’ve attended accredited by other organizations and have a complete picture of their professional development over the two-year cycle. But if you are ”Graced” it means your access to these and other POMA benefits ends on September 30.

We’ve made it easy for you to renew online through the POMA website. Visit https://poma.memberclicks.net/poma-membership-renewal-2018-2019. You may also fill out the attached pdf and email or fax it back to us. It’s as simple as that! It’s easier than ever to remain a part of our osteopathic community.

Questions? Contact [email protected].

Culinary Medicine

Resident wellness is an important part of today's medical training. We at the Washington Hospital Family Medicine Residency have had the good fortune of having support from our administration in maintaining wellness of the residents in our program. With the help of the POMA Mental Health Task Force and the POMA Foundation, we were granted funding to support our idea to create an event combining resident wellness with nutrition integrated with medicine, notably, culinary medicine, inspired by the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane University.  

Read more >>

Physician Advisory Board

Last week, POMA District Trustee, Dr. Richard Purse attended the quarterly meeting of Congressman (R-PA 8) Brian Fitzpatrick's Physician Advisory Board at his Bucks County district office in Langhorne, PA. In attendance are Bucks County physicians representing multiple medical specialties.

View the
newsletter online!

 In This Issue...

1. President's Perspective
2. Executive Opinion
3. POMA-ISMIE Affinity Program
4. 2018 POFPS Awards
5. Alexis Cates, DO - AOA BOT Intern/Resident Representative
6. Taking a Pause; To Move Forward
7. MHTF Grant Updates
8. Did Your Membership Expire?
9. How Are You DOing? Blog
10. Physician Advisory Board
11. POFPS CME Certificates
12. Upcoming PGYP Meetings
13. Upcoming District Events
14. CO*RE REMS Event
15. Applications for Membership
16. Classified Ads
17. POMA on YouTube
18. Physician Licensure Renewal Reminder
19. POMPAC

POFPS CME Certificates

POFPS Symposium CME Certificate Update -- We are working as fast as we can to process CME credits for the 2018 POFPS CME Symposium. We anticipate that all certificates will be ready by the end of August. Just as a reminder, if you have not submitted your attestation form, please do so by October 15, 2018. Stay tuned for future progress updates.

Save the Date for Upcoming PGYP Meetings

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS

Please address all correspondence for POMA Box Letters to: c/o POMA, 1330 Eisenhower Boulevard, Harrisburg, PA  17111-2395.

PHYSICIANS WANTED:

CORRECT CARE SOLUTIONS: HIRING MEDICAL DIRECTORS in these cities: Cambridge Springs, Mercer, Huntingdon, Somerset, Waymart. For details call Robert Cross at 717-216-2055 or 570-954-0479.

OPPORTUNITY — PHYSICIAN POSITIONS AVAILABLE: Media and Lancaster. Flexible hours, private practice, 3-4 hour shifts, no on-call, malpractice insurance needed. For more information, please contact us at [email protected] or call 610-566-8885

Seeking family physician or internist, board certified MD or DO, for independent multi-specialty Johnstown, PA group established in 1984. Currently comprised of twelve physicians and physician assistants practicing family practice, podiatry, gynecology, medical psychology and non-narcotic pain management. Imaging, clinical trials, lab and numerous other on-site ancillary services available. Offering a four ten-hour day work week with no hospital work. Submit CV to [email protected] or call 814-288-1418 extension 7.

Looking for a part time Physician in Family Medicine or Internal Medicine in Philadelphia. Please contact me @ 215-669-4001.

CLASSIFIED AD
RATES
— Per insertion —

Member Ads*: $10 for the first 20 words, $.25 for each additional word. $2 each for special services: box letter, all caps or all bold type, boxing an ad in.

Non-member Ads: (Payment must be received in advance.) $50 for the first 20 words, .50 each additional word. $5 for each special service (listed above).

*Please Note: Member ad rate to be used only by POMA members and only for their medicine- or practice-related ads. Charges for other types of members’ ads will be calculated using the non-member ad rate.

POMA does not take a position of endorsing any organizations, individuals or services whose classified advertisements appear in this publication. The POMA Newsletter reserves the right to select and edit all advertisements submitted.

Follow POMA on social media for all the latest news!

  

POMA on YouTube!

POMA now has a YouTube channel! We will be posting informational videos as well as other videos important to the osteopathic community. Please make sure you click on the link below and subscribe to our channel so that you can be notified each time we post a new video. 

Subscribe here>>

Physician Licensure Renewal Reminder

Osteopathic physicians are reminded that the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine requires 100 CME credits for the 2016-2018 licensure cycle, which ends October 31, 2018. 

As part of the 100 credits, physicians must earn at least 20 Category 1A AOA CME credits, at least 2 hours of child abuse recognition and reporting (Category1 or Category 2), at least 2 hours of opioid education (Category1 or Category 2), and at least 12 patient safety credits (Category 1 or Category 2). The credits for child abuse recognition/reporting and opioid education are counted into the sum of 100 credits and/or sum of 20 Category 1A credits but do not overlap into patient safety.

Additionally, the child abuse recognition/reporting course must be documented and reported to the Pa. Department of State by an approved course provider. Topics that qualify for opioid education include pain management, identification of addiction or the practices of prescribing or dispensing of opioids. The credits for opioid education and patient safety credits must also be documented by an AOA, ACCME, AMA or AAFP accredited sponsor (institution, health system, professional association, etc.)

Please note: If you are a POMA member, we can affirm how many credits you have earned for all POMA-sponsored programs. However, if you have not completed your CME reporting forms and returned them to the Central Office, you will not receive credit. Any credits earned outside of the POMA must be sent to the Central Office in order for us to record them. POMA's new and improved CME module is now available!  Active members can access the system by clicking here.

IS 
The Collective Voice of the Osteopathic Profession

 Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Political Action Committee

Send your personal check today to POMPAC in care of the Central Office, 1330 Eisenhower Boulevard, Harrisburg, PA 17111-2395, or charge your contribution to your VISA or MasterCard! 
PAC contributions are not tax-deductible.

 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued a proposed rule that includes proposals to update payment policies, payment rates, and quality provisions for services furnished under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). AOA regulatory affairs staff has conducted a preliminary review of the rule and developed the attached high level summary of proposed changes. 

This summary is intended to provide a brief overview of the proposed changes to the PFS and Quality Payment Program (QPP).  AOA regulatory affairs staff will prepare a detailed analysis of the proposed rule in the coming weeks, which will also be circulated, and will serve as the foundation for the discussions to develop consensus recommendations.

Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule:  Understanding 3 Key Topics Listening Session

Proposed changes to the CY 2019 Physician Fee Schedule would increase the amount of time doctors and other clinicians spend with their patients by reducing the burden of Medicare paperwork.  During this listening session, CMS experts will briefly cover three provisions from the proposed rule and address your clarifying questions to help you formulate your written comments for formal submission:

• Streamlining Evaluation and Management (E/M) payment and reducing clinician burden
• Advancing virtual care
• Continuing to improve the Quality Payment Program to reduce clinician burden, focus on outcomes, and promote interoperability

Learn more >> 

Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association | 1330 Eisenhower Boulevard, Harrisburg, PA 17111  (717) 939-9318 | www.poma.org