I hope everyone’s summer plans have not been interrupted by rain, earthquakes, sweltering heat or other natural disasters. St. Louis has had another year of significant flooding, displacing thousands of people. Despite all that is happening around the country, our Board has been quite busy. Dr. Jim Ingram and the Membership Committee are putting the final touches on the Ambassador Program, a new outreach project that will bring the AOAO to osteopathic medical schools and residency programs across the country. Dr. Dennis Blackburn finalized his Section Forums project, and this new communication tool is now available for section members in all specialties.
Dr. Steve Heithoff continues to improve The Orthopod and with the help of the Publications and Communications Committee, is looking into ways for our Program Directors and residents to publish research in order to meet scholarly activity requirements.
Subscriptions to the Dr. John H. Drabing Virtual Library continues to rise. Started by the AOAO Foundation and now maintained by the AOAO, this new resource is a terrific member benefit. Where else can you receive $1400 worth of orthopedic journals for the price of $375.00? If you haven’t already subscribed, don’t miss out on this huge savings.
On the national front, the American Osteopathic Association’s Board of Trustees and House of Delegates met last month in Chicago for their Annual Business Meeting. There were multiple resolutions up for review and decision. The AOAO was represented at the Board of Trustees’ meeting by Lee Vander Lugt, DO and me. Lee and Dr. Terry Philbin represented at the House of Delegates. See Lee’s article for more details.
I would like to personally thank our osteopathic orthopedic residency Program Directors for their efforts throughout the Single Accreditation process. I realize their journey has been quite frustrating and tedious at times. My hope is that all our programs will be accepted into the process by the 2020 deadline.
I would also like to thank the candidates who applied for the AOAO Executive Director position. All were really qualified applicants which presented a difficult decision for the Executive Director task force and the Executive Committee. Two candidates were selected and will be interviewed this fall.
I hope to see you at the 2019 Annual Fall Meeting at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. Under the direction of our CME Planning Committee and Dr. Terry Philbin, Program Chair, as well as moderators, this year’s schedule of lectures looks amazing.
As always, I would encourage everyone to become more involved and engaged in our Academy. Whether through committee projects or by helping develop one of our conference programs, the future of our profession and our Academy could use your talents!