3 osteopathic organizations win 2022 Outstanding Affiliate Awards

The AOA recently selected the American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians (ACOP), the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association (AOMA) and the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association (POMA) as the recipients of the 2022 Outstanding Affiliate Awards.

The Outstanding Affiliate Awards recognize state and specialty college affiliates that demonstrate innovation, creativity, resourcefulness and flexibility; highlight outstanding affiliate performance; recognize affiliate contributions that advance the osteopathic profession; and celebrate and share noteworthy programs and initiatives with all affiliates to encourage best practices.

The recent achievements of this year’s recipients are highlighted below.

American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians (ACOP)

• Group billing for membership was utilized as a retention strategy with multiple members on one invoice. The ACOP currently has 2,215 members, with numbers holding steady over the past two years despite the pandemic.
• A PedsCast podcast series was created for ACOP members by members of ACOP to cover a broad spectrum of topics. Episodes were geared toward all members, from medical students to practicing physicians.
• The peer-reviewed eJournal for students, trainees and young physicians had a new editorial team installed to provide rigorous reviews of submissions and mentor young authors on improving their research and writing skills.
• ACOP wrote several op-eds about pediatric subspecialty loan forgiveness protection of transgender youth and also joined amicus briefs challenging anti-trans laws and supporting equitable breastfeeding and lactation legislation in schools and the workplace. ACOP also released statements calling for common sense gun laws and addressing the baby formula shortage.
• Focused on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) with active recruitment of diverse candidates to run for officer and trustee positions on the ACOP Board of Trustees. Invited diverse speakers to present and address DEI issues affecting pediatric patients.
• Physician and patient wellness was a priority, with in-person conferences offering a wellness activity (i.e., walk/run, meditation, yoga, Hip-Hop with a Doc). Wellness topics were included in conference program presentations that addressed reframing burnout and moral injury in health care.

Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association (AOMA)

• Created an online CME catalog, branded MedEdHQ, and provided physicians with a trusted resource to meet their CME needs on their schedule. The platform increased CME revenue while offering physicians a diverse catalog of content that features more than 80 topics.
• Complimentary membership to medical students and residents showcased the value of membership. Innovative membership recruitment and retention strategies included peer-to-peer recruitment of members. An incentivized membership campaign resulted in more than 20 new members in the past year.
• Policy and advocacy efforts included the addition of a Director of Government Affairs to work closely with a lobbyist. This proved beneficial in mobilizing grassroots advocacy and support for the lobbyist on many legislative issues.
• Rebranded the annual CME event to expand the conference’s reach to a broader audience beyond Flagstaff to northern Arizona physicians and beyond.
• A residency workshop was provided at the 2022 convention. For the past 14 years, AOMA has sponsored a clinical case competition and a poster forum providing the opportunity for students and residents to present their research projects. Medical students are recruited to serve as moderators for all CME events, allowing them to hone presentation skills and network with physicians who may be their future preceptors or employers.

Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association (POMA)

• A hybrid educational experience was provided for members, including two full-length conferences utilizing both technology and on-demand programming and safe in-person experiences for participants. A total of 1,371 physicians participated in the 2022 Annual Clinical Assembly, with approximately 25% in-person and 75% virtually.
• Mental well-being of osteopathic physicians and physicians-in-training was addressed with funding for social events unrelated to CME to promote both physical and mental well-being. Events such as hosted dinners, workshops, sporting events and entertainment were held by POMA districts to engage members, prospective members and families.
• Influential in providing testimony regarding legislation that addressed the following: Pharmacist and pharmacy scope of practice expansion efforts, Expedited Partner Therapy, Prior Authorization, CRNP scope expansion and physician payment issues.
• The new podcast titled POMA DOes launched in Jan. 2022. Metrics include 260 audio-only downloads, with each episode averaging 50 unique listens. The video format had approximately 20 views per episode. Topics have included the leadership journey, committee involvement, the Match and SOAP process and government affairs.
• Collaborated with the POMA foundation to provide substantial scholarships for an educational tool. There were 844 students who received a scholarship to access the tool. Development of a Postgraduate Engagement Task Force to review engagement with residents and provide recommendations to support physicians-in-training. POMA awarded 23 $500 wellness grants to residents for approved activities. A tri-fold brochure was also developed to share with residency program directors and staff not familiar with the support provided to residents by POMA.

Winners recognized

AOA President Gelb bestowed these esteemed awards upon ACOP, AOMA and POMA during the awards ceremony held in-person during OMED 2022 on Saturday, Oct. 29.