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by: Joseph M.P. Zawisza, DO
Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh My (District)!
For any of you involved in Cub Scouts, you know that this reference to The Wizard of Oz has another meaning. Along with Wolves and Webelos, these are the names of the different divisions, or dens, within the Cub Scout pack. As my kids get ready for their scout meeting each week, we joke about how three of them are in the titular dens. There are many reasons for dividing the pack up into these dens, including allowing younger and older scouts to learn skills appropriate for their age while being able to contribute something to the greater good of the unit.
Similarly, POMA is divided into districts. You probably already know that, but do you know why? Sure, there are some obvious reasons such as being able to hold meetings in convenient locations (yes, in-person meetings are back, cautiously) and to help provide information to legislators, insurers, and others to whom we advocate on your behalf. But one of the main reasons for these divisions is that the individual districts are the driving force of the organization. POMA governs itself through a principle called subsidiarity, meaning authority is given and decisions are made at the local level when possible and central authority is reserved for issues that affect the entire organization or apply to the whole state.
Your district chair and vice-chair, and your representation to the governing bodies of POMA – the House of Delegates and the Board of Trustees – are selected at a local level. Even the leadership at the state level, such as myself and others in the presidential succession, are nominated and supported by their district; state leadership does not choose the future leaders of POMA. District meetings and other events, such as social gatherings, are organized within the district, by district leadership. And each district has funds provided by the state to use on behalf of the district at their own discretion.
As a member, you belong to a specific district. If you are not sure which district you belong to, you can easily find out by logging into the member section of the website at poma.org or by a simple click on the POMA app, which I encourage you to download if you haven’t already (search for PA Osteopathic Medical Association in your Apple or Android app stores). By the way, students and residents, you belong to a district too, and I welcome your participation within your district.
So why am I talking about the districts so much? Because it’s time to look at our district structure and make sure we have the best system in place for our members and the organization that serves you. The idea of subdividing POMA into smaller groups is not going away. We need these smaller groups to help move POMA forward. But perhaps the system as it stands now needs to be revised. Maybe it’s good as it is. To best answer these questions POMA has released a district survey to see how we can serve you better. You can complete the survey by clicking here.
We are also working on a district collaborative where two or more districts can combine their resources and experiences for the mutual benefit of each other. If you belong to a district that you feel could be more active, or if you just want to be more involved with POMA in general, contact Sara Bustard, Director of Member Engagement, or Jason Leeper, Senior Community Program Director, with your requests, insight, questions, or recommendations.
As we approach Halloween, watch out for the ghosts, ghouls, and goblins. And of course, the lions and tigers and bears!
by: Diana Ewert
Bats
I’ve had to address multiple animal-related issues during my tenure at POMA. There were the squirrels that had eaten through the phone lines taking out our internet. There was the deer (we think it was a deer based on the fur and paw marks on the front steps) that broke through the plate glass on the front two doors. There was our resident groundhog who lived under the bushes in the front of the building and was quite put out when we removed the overgrowth and covered his hole. Why should I be surprised to learn we had a colony of bats roosting in the POMA name on the front of the building? We were power washing the signage to prepare for a repaint when the water displaced a few of the colonists. My surprise was not equal to that of the contractors doing the painting and certainly not as angry as the bats to be disturbed during the day. This brought the project to a halt to bring in a bat-wrangler (who knew there are bat-wranglers) to assess the issue. Ultimately, the decision was made not to disturb the bats and move forward with the painting once they had resettled. The project was completed and the bats are still here.
This story reflects the environment we are living in today. External forces being what they are, we need to be able to address the unexpected – whether it is yet another change in COVID protocol or bats in the POMA signage – we need to remain nimble and responsive while remaining true to our strategic plan. We need to plan for the 2022 Clinical Assembly to be in-person while preparing to move to a virtual format on short notice. We need to remain optimistic pessimists – hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
Lions and tigers and bats… and please… no bears.
by: Andy Sandusky
POMA's Government Affairs Decision-Making Process... How Does it Work?
As you often read in POMA's many publications and communications platforms, POMA is very active in state government affairs in Pennsylvania. POMA’s positions are provided to external sources on legislation and public policy that impact Osteopathic physicians and their patients. On the surface, this may seem easy, but behind the scenes, a lot of hard work is put in by volunteer Osteopathic physician members of POMA that drive these important decisions. So how are these decisions made?
POMA employs a strong committee system as a first step to develop its decisions on public policy. The first of which is the POMA Government Affairs Committee (GAC) which is made up of 11 Osteopathic physicians, resident physicians, and students. The GAC is chaired by Hans Zuckerman, DO (Lebanon, PA), and meets monthly, every third Wednesday at 7pm. The agenda for the meetings are broken into two general categories, one is for important updates and developments going on in state government and the other includes issues that need positions from POMA. The first category of business helps educate members of the GAC to better understand the political and legislative environment in which decisions in the Pennsylvania state government are being made by legislators and public policymakers. The second is when members of the GAC must debate the positives and negatives of a particular bill or policy issue. All members of the GAC take this latter responsibility very seriously and Chairman Zuckerman oversees the debate and keeps the attention focused on the issue. These can be contentious discussions and GAC members are free to express their differing opinions on the issue without hesitation…and they do! At the end of the discussion, however, a vote is called and an official recommendation is made.
The second committee is the POMA Public Policy Committee (PPC), chaired by Joan Grzybowski, DO (Conshohocken, PA), and is also made up of 11 members. The PPC considers the broader policy questions and develops overarching positions for POMA. Oftentimes, the more general positions of the PPC help guide the more concentrated decisions of the GAC. In many respects, the two Committees complement each other and combine to make POMA’s policy positioning as strong as it is.
But wait…there’s more? Yes! While most of the policy positioning for POMA originates in the committee system, a policy cannot be made for the organization without the express support in the form of a carried motion of the majority of the House of Delegates, Board of Trustees, or the Executive Committee. Before POMA can advocate a position in public, it must be approved by one of these organizational decision-making entities. While the process can be laborious, it is also one that goes through many checks and balances, with the many opinions for, or against, being considered before a policy is ultimately made by POMA.
Please check out POMA’s Public Policy Compendium and updated advocacy efforts on our website for the most updated positions taken by POMA. In the next issue, we will cover POMA’s Political Action Committee (POMPAC) decision-making process. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email, call or text me at [email protected] or 717.727.3668 (cell).
Blanket Mask Exemptions Raise Significant Concerns About Medical Judgement
There are press reports in Pennsylvania of a physician who has been offering blanket mask exemptions for individuals. Issuance of a mask exemption without medical evaluation and a valid medical reason brings into question whether the physician exercised appropriate medical judgment and could lead to investigation and potential disciplinary action by the applicable state board of medicine. Besides possible licensure disciplinary measures, POMA is concerned that a physician who gives a blanket exemption could face civil liability not only from the physician’s patients but, possibly, from third parties. It is possible that a court might find that injury or death from Covid-19 resulting from a person infected by someone not wearing a mask with the permission of a physician given without exercising medical judgment was the proximate, foreseeable cause of the injury or death from Covid-19. POMA members should be very cautious in granting mask exemptions in the middle of a pandemic.
District Dish
District 4
Local POMA members gathered virtually and in-person last night at Catch-21 in Scranton. District leadership recapped the recent social events at the Penn State football game and Railriders baseball game. The members discussed developments around the CNRP, physician assistants, and pharmacists’ scope of practice legislation and then heard an industry-sponsored presentation on oral and non-statin therapies for lowering LDL-C.
District leadership discussed upcoming district community and volunteer events such as Walk with a Doc on the fourth Friday of every month and Lung Cancer Awareness events in November.
Save the Date - our next district meeting will be on Thursday, November 4th. Watch your email and social media to learn more and get involved in our community. We can't wait to see you there!
District 14 - DGD Series
Over 75 members gathered virtually for a lecture on Gout: New Data on an Old Disease presented by Linda Brecher, DO. She highlighted the comorbidities and complications of gout, treatment options and managing flares. She also highlighted lifestyle changes for patients and provided resources for patient information. Thank you Dr. Brecher for sharing your expertise and thanks to District 14 for hosting the evening.
More DGD events are in the works so watch your email, newsletters and social media for more event information! #POMADGDSeries
PGYP Meetings Held
PGYP Central
The POMA Committee on Professional Guidance Central Region met for an evening of discussion and dinner on September 21, 2021. Four residents attended the live event and seven attended remotely. Also present were Drs. Zawisza and Zuckerman and two POMA staff members.
After brief introductions, Dr. Zawisza informed the group of the activities from the most recent Board of Trustees meeting and the key issues being addressed in Central PA. Dr. Zawisza relayed his experience of the recent POMA Leadership trip to Allegheny County to meet with Osteopathic program directors and the desire to visit more programs in the coming year.
Attendees were encouraged to apply for POMA Foundation’s scholarships, the Physician Wellness Committee and were informed about POMA’s scholarly activity opportunities available for residents/interns. The discussion also included traveling to areas outside of Harrisburg for future meetings.
PGYP East
Due to inclement weather, the PGYP East Region shifted their in-person meeting to a virtual one on September 23. During the meeting, volunteers were requested for a resident member of the committee to attend the POMA board meetings and POMA house of delegates. Other topics of discussion included, scholarships, writing (scholarly opportunities), opportunities to present at District meetings, Mentor Task Force, Resident Wellness grants, COVID and the stress of the pandemic on residents, De-briefing, Stress-management, & different career paths for physicians.
LECOM Seton Hill
Student Event
On October 7, POMA President, Joseph Zawisza, DO, met with the first and second-year students at LECOM Seton Hill to share information about POMA. He presented, separately, to the first- and second-year students and then held a POMA-sponsored Ice Cream Social outside for each to mingle and answer questions.
The students had questions about how to become involved in POMA committees if they are eligible for POMA scholarships, and what path to take to become a future POMA president. Many mentioned they were previously unfamiliar with what POMA offers students and thanked us for spending the afternoon with them. The students were encouraged to contact Dr. Zawisza and the POMA staff with questions and ideas throughout the year.
PCOM Holds White Coat Ceremony
On Friday, October 8, Joseph M.P. Zawisza, DO attended the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s White Coat Ceremony where the class of 2025 received their first white coats, signifying their first step toward becoming competent, caring physicians. The white coats were provided by the POMA.
Roughly 270 students participated in this year’s White Coat Ceremony, which is a rite of passage in the medical field, designed to establish a psychological contract for beginning medical students that stresses the importance of compassionate care for the patient and professionalism as well as scientific proficiency.
The white coat features the letters P-O-M-A on the sleeve which serves as a reminder that the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association is with them all the way. We hope the students wear their white coats with pride. These students have chosen a challenging road, but it is a road that will bring them immeasurable satisfaction and success.
APOMA News
APOMA Retreat
This September the APOMA board set out on a retreat to review our goals, celebrate Caryn Tabby's 2020 presidency of the AAOA and plan for our future. Current APOMA president Lori Hildebrand chaired the meeting with Caryn, Lorna Tabby, Sally Ann Rex, DO and Krissy Eisenhardt in person and Liz Swallow remotely participating. POMA president Joseph Zawisza joined us remotely to discuss cooperative efforts to jointly benefit our organizations and the osteopathic community. A strategy was developed for meeting regularly and jointly pursuing relationships with the osteopathic schools in Pennsylvania as well as their remote campuses in New York, Georgia, and Florida. Significant gains were made. We also found time to enjoy ourselves with perfect September weather, highlighted by a pontoon boat cruise to watch the spectacular sunset over Ocean City Maryland. We look forward to announcing our successes and sincerely welcome your ideas and participation in the advocacy.
AAOA Fun Run
Join the advocates for this fully immersive virtual race event on October 10 - 24. AOA's Still Fit For Life Fun Run benefits the osteopathic community in the form of S.O.M.A. scholarships and special projects grants that are distributed across the country. Use this link to join in the fun: https://aaoafunrun.jmvirtualraces.com
Brooches
APOMA has arranged with the AAOA to share in the proceeds from sales of Brooches on the AAOA Store. The very beautiful brooches are available in many colors.
Visit the store and in the checkout don't forget to put POMA2021 to get FREE SHIPPING and share proceeds with APOMA.
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View the
newsletter online!
POMA continues to monitor the rapidly changing information surrounding COVID-19. Visit www.poma.org/covid-19 for all of our updates, as well as resources we are finding to be most useful and accurate at this time.
Table of Contents...
- President's Perspective
- Executive Opinion
- Policy Points
- POMA-ISMIE Affinity Program
- Blanket Exemptions are Void of Medical Judgement
- District Dish
- District Survey
- PGYP Meetings Held
- SoFi
- LECOM SH Student Event
- PCOM Holds White Coat Ceremony
- APOMA News
- COVID-19 New Update
- Upcoming District Events
- Upcoming PGYP Events
- Podcast
- JPOMA Survey
- Classified Ads
- Under the DOme
- POMPAC
- Follow POMA on Social Media
- District Competition
- Wellness Grants
- POMAF Scholarships
- POMA Goes Pink
Upcoming District Events
District 4
Business Meeting & Product Theater
Thursday, November 4
Isabella's Restaurant
Wilkes-Barre, PA
District 11
Business Meeting & Product Theater
Wednesday, October 20
Willoughby's on Park
Wyomissing, PA
West Region
Tuesday, December 77:00 pmClarion River BrewingClarion, PA
Tuesday, December 21
6:00 pm
Location TBD
Thursday, December 23
Time: 6:30
Location TBD
The Publications Committee wants to hear from you!
Click here to complete the JPOMA Readership Survey - we want to make sure your opinions and suggestions are considered as the Journal evolves to better serve you. Thanks for participating!
District Survey
The POMA District Task Force is assessing the structure of the districts within POMA, membership knowledge of the districts, and the level of engagement within each district to make recommendations to the Board of Trustees to improve our districts for the benefit of our members and their patients.
Your input is needed! Please take a few minutes to complete this survey. Feedback will be incorporated in recommendations to the Board. Every response will be entered into two drawings for $200 Amazon Gift Cards! One entry per member.
COMPLETE THE SURVEY
We appreciate your involvement in POMA and your feedback to improve our association.
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS
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CLASSIFIED AD
RATES
— Per insertion —
Member Ads*: $10 for the first 20 words, $.25 for each additional word. $2 each for special services: all caps or all bold type.
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.
Under the DOme
Did you catch POMA's advocacy newsletter, Under the DOme?
Under the DOme is a 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].
POMPAC is the collective
voice of the osteopathic profession in Pennsylvania.
Send your personal check to POMPAC c/o POMA, 1330 Eisenhower Blvd., Harrisburg, PA 17111, or charge your contribution to your credit card!
PAC contributions are not tax-deductible.
Follow POMA on social media for all the latest news!
  
 
District Competition
Who likes a little friendly competition?
From April 1, 2021 – March 30, 2022 POMA will be hosting a District competition. Districts receive points based on holding events; survey and event participation; members writing in publications (POMA and external); membership retention; and various additional items. Click here for a complete list of challenges.
The winning District will receive a POMA sponsored dinner before POMA HOD 2022, a hefty traveling trophy, special recognition at the POMA Clinical Assembly, and priority seating at the POMA House of Delegates and bragging rights. The leaderboard will be published in POMA’s monthly newsletter.
Contact your District Leadership to share ideas and for more details.
Current Standings as of October 15:
- 1st Place - District 12
- Tied for 2nd Place - District 7 & District 14
Want to help earn your district some points? Submit an article to the newsletter or participate in a POMA survey.
Find out additional ways by contacting you district leadership.
Attention Residents - Apply Now for Wellness Event Grants!
Applications are now being accepted for Resident Wellness Events for the 2020-2021 academic year. POMA’s Committee on Physician Wellness is committed to encouraging osteopathic family mental health/well-being through focused activities sponsored and supported by POMA and the POMA Foundation. Our goal is to start the conversation and open dialogue regarding personal well-being in all levels of the osteopathic profession from students to attending physicians.
Click here to complete the online application - the deadline for submission is October 31, 2021. Click here to view past projects.
POMAF Scholarships
The Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association Foundation (POMAF) is pleased to announce the 2021-2022 Resident/Student Scholarships are now open.
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. You can apply online, or applications can be downloaded and mailed to the POMA Foundation. The deadline for applications is January 15, 2022. The Foundation Board will review all applications and awards will be made in March.
We would greatly appreciate your help in circulating this among your student and resident contacts. Feel free to share the information and link on social media and in newsletters, etc. Make sure to use #POMAF22 and tag us on Twitter, @POMA_DOs and Facebook, @POMADOs.
POMA Goes PINK
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, POMA’s social media will be going pink on October 22. We will be posting photos of us in our pink and ask that you join us.
Snap a photo of you in your pink and either tag us in the photo on Facebook or Twitter or send us the photo to [email protected] and we will post the photo on our page.
Get your entire family or office involved. Thank you in advance for participating and helping us raise awareness!
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