POMA Newsletter header

Vol. XLV, Issue 4

February 22, 2019

President's Perspective
by: Joan M. Grzybowski, DO

Alright, it’s here again. No, not Ground Hog Day, that came and went in Punxsutawney, Pa. Unlike the scene from Fargo, it will not return again till next year. I’m referring to that very special time that’s upon us called Match Day.

In our osteopathic world, the day has always worn a veil of disguise. If you are not close to the academic world you may not even be aware of this day. With the ACGME unification in the near horizon the allopathic and osteopathic version of “Match Day" is nearing a clear and more unified definition of understanding and cause for celebration. So, let me try and explain this day for those of you not exposed to the process.

Fourth-year medical students are striving all year to get to that final day when they graduate. But graduation is a capstone, Match Day is the trophy. It is a day when students get picked by a residency program that will be their home for the next few years in a specialty of their choice. It is a very special and stressful time. Anxiety levels can rise. The choice of their medical specialty and location to live are all wrapped up in a day called Match Day. They have interviewed at many residency programs before this day and put on their nicest outfits in the hopes of being chosen for a residency program of their liking. On Match Day, they are all told if they have been picked by a residency program. If they did not match into an Osteopathic Residency, they then do a scramble. A scramble is similar to being given a second chance of matching, perhaps at a program that may have not been as high on their list but still was a good choice.

The students doing an ACGME match are scheduled to get the match results in March. At locations across the U.S., this is an event that is celebrated and anticipated in a variety of ways. Some choose to have their friends or spouse with them when they get the decision. Others choose to be alone when the results are revealed to absorb the good or bad news.

So, to all the students who have matched in an AOA residency, a military residency or those about to match in an ACGME program, we here at POMA wish you all an inspiring and fulfilling residency program, one that you will be defined by because of who you are and what you will bring to that program. Sometimes our second choices tend to be more helpful and a better choice for us in the long run. We never know what destiny has planned for us, but you will be the one that creates that future based on what you put into it.

“There is nowhere you can be that isn't where you are meant to be." -Unknown author


Executive Opinion

by: Diana M. Ewert, MPA, CAE 

"Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart." - Elizabeth Andrew

POMA has heart. I see it every day. In the leadership. In the faculty teaching the next generation of physicians. In the care you provide to your patients. I see it in the extraordinary efforts of members and leaders discussing POMA’s future. The heart invested in the strategic plan. Heart in those who guided POMA through the past to the present. 

In the coming weeks, you will have an opportunity to share your heart. POMA president-elect Pam Goldman, DO will put out a call for volunteers to serve on committees. POMA needs volunteers to help us deliver on the strategic plan in all four pillars – Education, Community, Communications, and Influence. POMA is a volunteer-driven organization. Answer the call with your heart.


Save the Date!

POMA 2019 Conference

POMA Annual Clinical Assembly · May 1-4 · Valley Forge Convention Center, King of Prussia

Registration is OPEN! 

Click here for more information, including a schedule of events.

If you have any questions, please contact Deb Cargill-Roan at (717) 939-9318 ext 170 or email [email protected].  We look forward to seeing you there!


 POMA-ISMIE


Policy Points

 

DOs Answer the Call!!!

POMA members stepped up and made their voices heard on the proposed change in the Supreme Court’s venue rule change. POMA’s action alert asked you to answer the call and you did!  Thanks to everyone who took the time to send comments opposing the venue rule change to the Supreme Court’s Committee on Rules of Civil Procedure.  POMA sent its official comments to the Court as well.

READ MORE>> 


 District Dish

 

District 5

 

District 5 February 2019 meeting

 

Over 30 POMA members of District 5 met at the First Post Restaurant in York, PA last evening. The meeting began with a CME lecture around CVD. Many questions were asked, but there were a cluster of questions on whether insurance companies would cover the treatments and if not, how to demonstrate the value to insurers in order for them to cover the patient treatment.

Afterward, the regular business meeting was called to order by Dr. Carol St. George. POMA staff provided an overview of organizational activities including the annual meeting and clinical assembly planning and registration; POMAs development of a smartphone app and its valuable capabilities; DOs Doing More and stories needed for publication on interesting facts about what POMA members do in their communities; and an advocacy report on the need for strong grassroots lobbying, the venue issue and opposition to the CRNP independent practice legislation. 

READ MORE>>

District 6

 

District 6 February 2019 meeting

 

If a patient has a mechanical heart valve, what treatments can we use for CAD/PAD? What if it’s an artificial biological valve, is there a significant difference? CAD and PAD affect a large percentage of the population and the treatments vary based on numerous factors.

District 6 tackled these questions at their causal dinner on Thursday, Feb. 21 at Lewisburg Hotel in Lewisburg, PA. Members exchanged stories and treatments about the situations they each face. One person’s case example led to another similar story. The group compared suggested treatment plans and learned from each other. 

READ MORE>>


District Election Results

The following district officers and trustees were recently elected to represent their colleagues for the 2019-2021 term.

District 5

Chair: Carol L. St. George, DO
Vice Chair: Daniel D. Dowd, Jr., DO
Secretary/Treasurer: Hugh E. Palmer, DO
Trustee: William B. Swallow, DO


How Are You DOing

by: Aarisha Shrestha, DO

Wellness word cloud

As residents, working 12 hours a day, we often wonder, “How do we do it all?”. It feels easy to be overwhelmed at the idea of achieving wellness. While we strive to have the perfect professional and personal life balance, it sometimes feels impossible to read, exercise, do household chores, and fulfill the role of a loving partner/parent/child/friend when we return back home. 

In discussing wellness, I was once asked, “Let’s say you earn $100 a month, what do you do with the money?” I thought, “I would probably spend about $80 on necessities and put $20 into savings.” Just as saving 20% is valuable to ensure we have backup funds to tackle unanticipated circumstances, it’s important not to spend all 100% of our energy just at work, and instead conserve energy to recuperate and cope with difficult times. This strategy describes the essence of true wellness – being mindful of what we have, what we need to achieve, and conserving our capacity to withstand difficult situations. 

READ MORE>>


Get to Know Your Advocates

Gilbert Tabby 

Gilbert Tabby

As a DO who practiced family medicine for over 45 years in Philadelphia and a member of POMA starting in medical school and continuing through my career, my whole life was wrapped up in my identity as an osteopathic physician who worked hard to help many people get better. After retirement, at the request of my wife who was always active in APOMA, I started helping out the advocates who work to promote osteopathic medicine to the public and strengthening the osteopathic family. One way they do this is through a silent auction to benefit Pennsylvania medical students. The auction runs during the POMA convention each year.

As I mentioned, I am a DO and started my education at J. Cook Junior High School and then graduated from Central High School. I received a BA, followed by BS in Pharmacy from Temple University. Next step was PCOM, a rotating internship at Metropolitan Hospital at 3rd and Spruce in Philadelphia. I was certified in Family Practice by the AOA. I started out in solo practice in North Philadelphia and served the same community for my entire career which included an extremely successful business practice, a type of which no longer even exists.

Outside of my work as a DO and a member of APOMA, I am an avid collector or many things. First and foremost is my collection of World War II memorabilia starting with my very find of helmets found in the wartime scrap metal drive piles around my neighborhood. My interests then grew, and I enjoy collecting ancient coins from around the world, stamps and collectible books. 

Additionally, I have always enjoyed traveling. Emotionally, Israel is one of my favorite places to visit as it holds a very special place in my heart. Coming in second to Israel are my trips to England to visit family and see the sights. My cousins were the best hosts and shared so many interesting side trips from their home in Manchester to London, Liverpool, Blackpool, Coventry, Stonehenge, Nottingham, Cotswold's, Edinburgh, Brighton and more. Currently, I’m enjoying trips to Cancun where we relax, eat, drink and swim. I love sitting at the pool bar in the sunshine. 

During my time with APOMA I have enjoyed helping and interacting with my former colleagues and their families both as the APOMA director from 2015-2018 and also a parliamentarian. It was a nice way to give back and stay involved in the profession I loved. I invite other retired physicians to join us to support the Osteopathic family. 


DOs DOing More...

Lisa Parviskhan, DO, is part of a team as a family physician at Penn Primary Care and Integrative Medicine Whiteland in Exton, PA but in her spare time, she and her German Sheppard Jessie are a team all their own. They are more than companions, they are helpers and heroes. Dr. Parviskhan and Jessie are a part of the volunteer-run non-profit called ChesCo Search Dogs.  ChesCo, founded in 2014, provides professional and highly skilled searchers and K-9 resources to law enforcement agencies, fire departments and all state and national agencies at no cost 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The team assists in missing and lost persons, and human remains detection and includes 15-20 members.

Lisa and Jessie

Dr. Parviskhan discovered ChesCo Search Dogs when she was searching online for volunteer opportunities. She was looking for something that would allow her to spend more time in nature and help others. When she discovered this group, she knew right away that it was exactly what she was looking for and allowed her to indulge her love of dogs. Additionally, she gets to spend quality time with her own dog, Jessie, a German Shepard, and watch her work which is an amazing experience. 

READ MORE>>

View the
newsletter online!


Table of Contents...

  1. President's Perspective
  2. Executive Opinion
  3. Save the Date
  4. POMA ISMIE Affinity Program
  5. Policy Points
  6. District Dish
  7. District Election Results
  8. How Are You DOing?
  9. Get to Know Your Advocates
  10. DOs DOing More...
  11. Former Nurses Needed
  12. Upcoming District Events
  13. Upcoming PGYP Meetings
  14. Classified Advertisements
  15. POMPAC
  16. OMM in Seriously Ill Patients
  17. Call for Clinical Writing Submissions
  18. Call for Presenters
  19. What Do You DO?

Former Nurses Needed!

Were you a nurse or nurse practitioner before you became a physician? If so, we need you!

Click here to send us an email and let us know.


Upcoming District Events 

District 2
Wednesday, March 6
6:30 PM
Dilworthtown Inn
West Chester, PA

District 4
Saturday, February 23
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
3rd Annual Mid-Winter Symposium
Courtyard Scranton Wilkes-Barre
Scranton, PA

District 4
Saturday, March 16
7:05 PM
A Night of Hockey
Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
Wilkes-Barre, PA

District 11
Saturday, March 30
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Spring Schuylkill CME Event
Lehigh Valley Hospital
Pottsville, PA


Upcoming PGYP Meetings

West Region
Thursday, March 7
6:00 PM
Industry Public House
Pittsburgh, PA
Wednesday, March 13
6:30 PM
Bonefish Grill
King of Prussia, PA
Tuesday, March 26
6:00 PM
POMA Headquarters
Harrisburg, PA

Interested in joining us for the PGYP Meetings?

Contact Tammy Keller at [email protected] or 
(717) 939-9318 ext. 130 to RSVP.
 


 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS

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

PHYSICIANS WANTED:

ATTENTION DOs! MD AT HOME, Inc., is in need of a part-time doctor (great for retired doctors) one to two days a week making home visits to the elderly and the disabled that are homebound.  Chauffeured by a medical assistant in a company vehicle to scheduled appointments. Email [email protected] for more information.

Family Medicine Residency Core Faculty PositionCrozer-Keystone Health System, in suburban Philadelphia, is seeking a Family Medicine Physician for a Core Faculty position in our nationally recognized Residency Program. Must have broad-based inpatient and outpatient clinical skills and strong interest in teaching residents and medical students. Excellent benefits, generous CME allowance and malpractice insurance with tail coverage. For more info, visit  http://bit.ly/CrozerFamMed or send CV to [email protected]

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

PRACTICES WANTED: Retiring physicians, part-time or full-time practices, call 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.


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POMPAC Logo

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.


 Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine in Seriously Ill Patients 

Dear Physicians, 

Please participate in a 5 minute research study called "Use of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) in Seriously Ill Patients".  This study is designed to identify and quantify trends in physician use of OMM. To participate in this survey, click the link below. 

Survey link 


Call for Clinical Writing Submissions

The 45th Annual POMA Clinical Writing Contest is NOW OPEN!  Winners will be announced during the 2019 POMA Clinical Assembly, May 1-4 in King of Prussia. 

The deadline for submissions is March 8, 2019.  Click here for contest rules/regulations and to access the online submission form


Call for Presenters!

POMA is looking for presenters willing to share their expertise and enhance professional growth in the osteopathic medical field. We are searching for presentations to address topics/discussion that would attract dedicated osteopathic and allopathic professionals committed to enhancing patient care and medical practice management through the continuing education process.

If you're interested, check out the link for more information and to apply.

What Do You DO?

The POMA Newsletter is adding a new feature section. In the second edition of each monthly newsletter, we will be featuring a Pennsylvania DO, student, or resident and highlighting what they do outside the profession. So, if you or someone you know is doing something extraordinary, out of the box, or just straight up awesome outside of their professional work, we want to know about it. 

You can contact Jason Leeper at [email protected] to give him details. The first story will be published in the February 22 issue of our newsletter. We look forward to hearing about what else you all DO! 

 

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