by: Pamela S.N. Goldman, DO

We DO...Opportunity

POMA’s mission is to promote the distinctive philosophy and practice of osteopathic medicine in Pennsylvania, for our members and their patients.

Do you ever wonder who is the membership of POMA?  We are a professional member association made up of physicians seeking to promote and improve the practice of osteopathic medicine in Pennsylvania and to further the public good.  As the mission statement says above, we promote the osteopathic philosophy for the benefit of our members and their patients. 

Of these like-minded professionals, the majority of our members practice in the cities and surrounding areas of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Harrisburg/York regions, though nearly 1 in 5 members practice in more rural areas.  We represent practice in primary care specialties of Family Medicine and Internal Medicine, followed by Emergency Medicine, Anesthesia, OB/GYN, Surgery, Orthopedics, and varied subspecialties.  Our members are evenly spread throughout the generations and years in practice, including over 2,500 osteopathic medical students.  More than half of our members are employed physicians.

As an active member in POMA since medical school, I believe in the mission of the organization.  From the gift of my first white coat and stethoscope to leadership training as a resident, followed by the opportunity to witness strong leader mentors as I became more involved in the profession, my appreciation for POMA and its mission grew.  The association provided me with the opportunity to learn and to practice my leadership skills and to mentor others as I have been mentored. 

My pathway to leadership in the osteopathic profession is similar to that of other member leaders of POMA.  Many of us sought the opportunities POMA offered by becoming more active in the local district meetings, even stepping into district chair positions (find your district here).  Every two years, the districts hold elections to send representatives to serve on the Board of Trustees.  Any member can serve on a committee or task force that aligns with your interests and skills.

POMA’s leadership is a diverse group of people with varied backgrounds, practice locations, practice styles, employment status, and specialty.  As the face of osteopathic medicine changes nationally, so too, does the make-up of the association.  We will continue to provide growth and development opportunities that benefit the practice osteopathic medicine. 

I challenge you – if you are thinking about being involved in the osteopathic community and seek leadership opportunities, volunteer in your district and get to know your local group of like-minded physicians or volunteer for a committee when the call for volunteers goes out soon.  The opportunities to grow professionally and personally abound in POMA.  Chances are your skills and interests can find a place to stretch and develop at POMA. 

by: Diana Ewert

“To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there." - Barbara Bush

I selected this quote from Barbara Bush because it articulates what we know and call the osteopathic hug. I see it every day. I give one every time I see a physician, resident or student I have worked with. We laugh about that osteopathic hug. We sometimes get a little sheepish when we give or get one. But there is no other profession I’ve been involved with – engineers, golfers, health systems, planners – that welcomes you with or bids you good-bye and safe travels with a hug. It’s only ever been the osteopathic profession. I’ve pondered why as I write this, and the answer is very simple. A hug is a touch. And touch, connecting with people, connecting with patients is the base this profession is built on.

With Thanksgiving approaching followed by the end of year holidays (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s), we will have many opportunities to hug each other. So hug away! Afterall, isn’t that what we learned to DO?

Patient Access to Buprenorphine

POMA is planning to testify next week at the state legislative hearing of the House Human Services Committee opposing legislation that would limit patient access to buprenorphine. 

SB 675 would require patients to receive addiction counseling in state licensed facilities before receiving a prescription of buprenorphine in an office-based setting.  POMA continues to argue that a one-size fits all government mandate would be detrimental to many patients struggling with addiction, especially in a crisis state before they are stabilized. 

POMA will provide additional details after next week’s hearing.  In the interim, if you have any specific examples you would like to share regarding buprenorphine, please email Andy Sandusky, [email protected].

Registration Open for the District VIII Winter Seminar!

Make plans now to attend POMA District VIII’s 33rd Annual Educational Winter Seminar!  The 2020 conference will be held January 30 – February 2 at Nemacolin Woodlands.  This year’s program will offer up to 24 Category 1-A AOA CME credits.

Registration is now open!  Click here to register online or download the registration form.

If you have any questions, please contact Deb Cargill-Roan at (717) 939-9318 x170 or email [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you there!

 District Dish

District 2

It was a new venue bringing new energy and new conversation. District 2 physicians gathered at LaFava Restaurant in Glen Mills for comradery, learning, and conversation with POMA leadership. Mehul Shah, MD opened the evening with an insightful discussion on new treatment of venous insufficiency. Vein stripping is no longer a leading treatment. Noninvasive, day in, day out treatments are extremely effective.

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District 3

A rainy night in Allentown didn’t dissuade the local POMA District 3 members from coming together for a wonderful dinner at BRAVO. Over twenty POMA members from residents to retired physicians gathered for networking, comradery, and updates from their professional association.  The group was treated to product theater presentation on a new treatment for spinal stenosis in Medicare patients. The minimally evasive procedure, by Vertiflex, relieves chronic back pain.

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District 11

On a cool October morning, 24 POMA members gathered in Pottsville for their second CME event of the year.  Co-sponsored by Lehigh Valley Health Network, the program featured lectures on Geriatric Medicine, Coding, COPD, Antibiotic Stewardship and Psychotropic Medications.  POMA members received free CME which included 4 hours of 1-A credit and 1 hour of 1-A patient safety credit, as a benefit of POMA membership.  The District 11 leadership is proud to host this event for physicians in their community and has already started planning their spring 2020 conference.

District 14

Laughter, learning, mentorship and camaraderie were on full display at the District 14 Networking event in Rocco’s on the Brick. Over 20 POMA members gathered for collegiality and updates from their professional association.  The group was treated to a product theater presentation on a new therapy to treat diabetic nephropathy.

Pamela Goldman, DO, POMA president, and Jason Leeper, POMA Program Manager/Districts led a discussion around numerous POMA topics. Physicians shared stories regarding scope of practice and how SB 25 and House Bill 100 will affect their practice and their profession.  The physicians also discussed the happenings at the recent meeting of the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine and the single accreditation system that begins in 2020.  Dr. Goldman and Richard Purse, District Co-chair and Trustee will take information back to inform the POMA leadership as a whole.

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The Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association Foundation (POMAF) is pleased to announce several scholarships are now open for application. Pennsylvania students who are enrolled as an OMS II, OMS III or OMS IV and residents are eligible to apply as long as they meet the criteria. The scholarships and applications are accessible online.  Applications can also be downloaded and mailed to the POMA Foundation. Scholarship amounts will be determined by the Foundation board. The deadline for applications is January 15, 2020. The Foundation board will review all applications and awards will be made late February/early March.

We would greatly appreciate your help in circulating this among your student and resident contacts. Feel free to share the information and link in social media, newsletters, etc. Make sure to use the hashtag #POMAF20 and tag us on Twitter, @POMA_DOs and Facebook, @POMADOs. 

by: Joseph V. Moran, DO

The Role of Leadership in Reducing Physician Burnout

I’m fortunate to sit on our residency leadership committee at Lehigh Valley Health Network and attend conferences where we discuss a wide range of physician leadership topics. A common topic is physician burnout and what healthcare leaders can do to mitigate it. At a recent meeting, we discussed an article from the Mayo Clinic Proceedings titled “Executive Leadership and Physician Well-being: Nine Organizational Strategies to Promote Engagement and Reduce Burnout.” The authors, Tait D. Shanafelt, MD and John H. Noseworthy, MD, cite evidence suggesting that physicians who spend just 20% of their professional activities focused on the work they find most meaningful are at a dramatically lower risk for burnout. There was also a ceiling effect to this benefit at 20%, meaning that physicians who spend 50% of their time in the area most meaningful to them had no further decrease in burnout rate. 

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DOs DOing More

Around the World with Team USA

*Photo Credit USA Basketball

“It was a privilege to wear the USA colors” states William J. Kuprevich, Jr., DO, who served as the team physician for USA Women’s Basketball National team at the AmeriCup competition in Puerto Rico in September 2019. Team USA went 6-0, capturing the gold medal and advancing to the November 10th-19th, 2019 FIBA America tournament in Argentina.

While serving Team USA as the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for the Pacific Rim Games in San Diego in 2005, he worked with the USA Women’s and USA Men’s basketball teams. He also served as the Team USA CMO at the Paralympics in Torino, Italy in 2006, and the Pan American Games in Rio in 2007.  Dr. Kuprevich was asked to cover USA Women’s National basketball team at the World Championship event in Russia in 2007. After Russia, he covered more international events for the team, including competitions in Amsterdam, Cancun, Buenos Aires, Prague and Paris.

READ MORE >>

APOMA at OMED19

The Advocates for the Pennsylvania Medical Association attended the AAOA House of Delegate meeting which was held during OMED19 in Baltimore.

APOMA Past President Caryn Tabby completed her two year term as a director on the AAOA Board and was installed as President Elect for the 2019-2020 term.  APOMA Vice President Lori Hildebrand started her second year of her two year term as a Director on the AAOA Board.

View the
newsletter online!

Table of Contents...

1. President's Perspective
2. Executive Opinion
3. Policy Points
4. POMA ISMIE Affinity Program
5. Registration Open for District VIII Winter Seminar
6. District Dish
7. POMAF Scholarships
8. How Are You DOing?
9. DOs DOing More
10. APOMA at OMED19
11. Upcoming District Events
12. Upcoming Young Professionals Meetings
13. POMA Urges Toomey/Casey to Support THCGME
14. Welcome New Members
15. Classified Advertisements
16. Follow POMA on Social Media
17. POMPAC
18. Save the Date - Upcoming CME Conferences
19. Online CME Available
20. Under the DOme

Upcoming District Events 

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

PRN MEDICAL SPACE – ready exam rooms for Drs on the go! Five locations in Philadelphia and Bristol. Call 215-669-4001.

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.

Follow POMA on social media for all the latest news!

POMPAC is the collective
voice of the osteopathic profession in Pennsylvania.

Send your personal check to POMPAC c/o POMA, 1330 Eisenhower Boulevard, Harrisburg, PA 17111, or charge your contribution to your credit card!

PAC contributions are not tax-deductible.

SAVE THE DATE - Upcoming CME Conferences

POMA District 8 33rd Annual Educational Winter Seminar
Jan. 30 – Feb. 2, 2020
Nemacolin Woodlands, Farmington, PA
Registration Now Open!

POMA 112th Annual Clinical Assembly
Apr. 29 – May 2, 2020
Radisson Valley Forge, King of Prussia, PA
Registration will open winter 2019!

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 soon! 

Looking for Online CME?

On-demand programs, webinars and live educational opportunities that address a wide variety of topics are available on DO-CME.

DO-CME is an online collaborative education center with the osteopathic state societies and AOSED.

Visit DO-CME.org to start earning credits today!

Under the DOme

Did you catch POMA's new advocacy newsletter, Under the DOme?

Under the DOme is a new member benefit providing you with an update of the advocacy work POMA is engaged and/or monitoring to ensure DOs and their patients have the best possible opportunity for strong physician-patient relationships and care. POMA is THE organization that represents you as a DO in the state in all areas of advocacy.

We hope you find Under the DOme to be a valuable advocacy tool. Send your feedback to [email protected]. 

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