American Osteopathic Association

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American Osteopathic Association
Abbreviation AOA
Motto Treating Our Family and Yours
Formation April 10, 1897 (1897-04-10) (116 years ago)
Type Professional association
Headquarters Chicago, Illinois
Location United States United States
Coordinates Coordinates: 41°53′39″N 87°37′08″W / 41.8942°N 87.6190°W / 41.8942; -87.6190
Membership 41,454 physicians and medical students[1]
Official languages English
President Ray E. Stowers, DO[2]
Website AOA Official Website
Osteopathic medicine
in the United States


Andrew Taylor Still (founder)

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)

Medicine · US Medical education

Asclepius staff.svg

Schools · Physicians

Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

AOA · AACOM · AAO · COMLEX

MD & DO Comparison

Specialty Colleges · AOA BOS

The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) is the representative member organization for the over 78,000 osteopathic medical physicians (D.O.s) in the United States.[3] The AOA is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and is involved in post-graduate training for osteopathic physicians. The organization promotes public health, encourages academic scientific research, serves as the primary certifying body for D.O.s overseeing 18 certifying boards, is the accrediting agency for osteopathic medical schools through its Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, and has federal authority to accredit hospitals and other health care facilities,[4][5][6] through its program, the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program.[7]

The AOA has held yearly conventions since its founding in 1897.[8] The AOA also manages DOCARE International, a non-profit charitable organization. The AOA also publishes The DO, a monthly magazine, and the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, a peer reviewed medical journal.

Contents

Mission [edit]

The AOA's mission is to advance the philosophy and practice of osteopathic medicine by promoting excellence in education, research, and the delivery of quality, cost-effective healthcare. The AOA supports the annual "D.O. day on the Hill," where roughly 1,000 osteopathic medical students go to Washington D.C. to meet with congressmen to discuss current issues in health care, such as access to care challenges.[9] The event serves as an opportunity for the legislators to learn more about health care and osteopathic medicine, and for the medical students to become more familiar with the political process.

History [edit]

The association was founded as the American Association for the Advancement of Osteopathy on April 10, 1897, in Kirksville, Missouri, by students of the American School of Osteopathy.[10][11] It was renamed the American Osteopathic Association in 1901.[11][12]

In September 1901, the AOA began to publish a scientific journal entitled the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. Subscriptions were offered to AOA members, and at the time, membership fees were $5 annually.[13] The journal was published bimonthly for the first year, then monthly thereafter. In April 1927, the AOA began publishing "The Forum of Osteopathy," a monthly magazine that covered news relating to osteopathic medicine, the AOA, and related groups.[13] In September 1960, the magazine was renamed The DO.

In the early 1900s, the AOA, citing concerns about safety and efficacy, was opposed to the introduction of pharmacology into the curriculum of osteopathic medicine. However, in 1929 the AOA board of trustees voted to allow the teaching of pharmacology in D.O. schools.[14] By 1938, the AOA began requiring that osteopathic medical students have at least 1 year of undergraduate college coursework, and by 1940, the AOA required two years.[14]

In 1952, the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare recognized the AOA as the official accrediting body for osteopathic medical education. In 1967, the National Commission on Accrediting (currently the Council for Higher Education Accreditation) recognized the AOA as the official accrediting agency for all aspects of osteopathic medical education.[15] The Department of Health, Education and Welfare (currently the Department of Health and Human Services) recognized the AOA as the official accrediting body for osteopathic hospitals under Medicare in 1966.[11]

Osteopathic post-graduate education [edit]

The AOA also provides funding for post-graduate osteopathic medical residencies.[16] In the 2012 match, 1,767 osteopathic physicians matched into these residency programs.[16] In 1999, the AOA began requiring all schools of osteopathic medicine to be actively involved in residency training programs through Osteopathic Post-Graduate Training Institutes.[17][18]

Publications [edit]

The American Osteopathic Association publishes The DO, a monthly magazine[19] covering news related to osteopathic medicine, legislation, health care changes, and osteopathic continuing medical education programs.[20]

The AOA also publishes the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal focusing on original research and editorial articles.

DOCARE International [edit]

DOCARE International is a non-profit medical charity serving remote areas of the Western Hemisphere. DOCARE is operated by the American Osteopathic Association, and consists of osteopathic physicians, osteopathic medical students, M.D. physicians, and other healthcare professionals.[21]

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ "2011 Osteopathic Medical Profession Report". American Osteopathic Association. Retrieved 25 September 2012. 
  2. ^ "AOA President: Ray E. Stowers, DO". American Osteopathic Association. 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2012. 
  3. ^ "2010 Osteopathic Medical Profession Report". American Osteopathic Association. Retrieved 25 December 2012. 
  4. ^ "Medicare Hospital Compare Glossary". Hospitalcompare.hhs.gov. Retrieved 26 May 2012. 
  5. ^ "42 CFR 488.5 - Effect of JCAHO or AOA accreditation of hospitals. | LII / Legal Information Institute". Law.cornell.edu. Retrieved 9 June 2012. 
  6. ^ "PA AOA-Accredited Institutions & OPTIs". Poma.org. Retrieved 26 May 2012. 
  7. ^ "Accreditation". American Osteopathic Association. Retrieved 16 November 2012. 
  8. ^ "Annual Conventions and Meetings of the AOA". AOA. Retrieved 15 September 2012. 
  9. ^ Mercer Morrison (April 3, 2012). "WCUCOM students participate in D.O. Day on Capitol Hill". WDAM. Retrieved 11 April 2012. 
  10. ^ Macauley, DB (June 1897). "Organization of Osteopaths". Journal of Osteopathy: 76–78. Retrieved 5 September 2012. 
  11. ^ a b c "Important Dates in Osteopathic History". American Osteopathic Association. Retrieved 19 April 2012. 
  12. ^ History of the AOA, American Osteopathic Association website
  13. ^ a b "Publications Communicate Osteopathic Theory and Practice". American Osteopathic Association. 2006. Retrieved 19 April 2012. 
  14. ^ a b Gevitz, Norman (June 2009). "The transformation of osteopathic medical education.". Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges 84 (6): 701–6. PMID 19474540. 
  15. ^ "Education Firmly Established". American Osteopathic Association. Retrieved 19 April 2012. 
  16. ^ a b "Family Medicine Top Specialty for Future Osteopathic Physicians". The Business Journals. February 13, 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2012. 
  17. ^ OPTI-West. "Osteopathic Post-Graduate Training Institute-West". Western University of Health Sciences. Retrieved 19 April 2012. 
  18. ^ "Opportunities, Directory of Osteopathic Postdoctoral Education Programs". The DO. October 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2012. 
  19. ^ "American Osteopathic Association - AOA". U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved 12 August 2012. 
  20. ^ "Health Information Resource Database". National Health Information Resource Center. December 16, 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2012. 
  21. ^ Ajluni, Peter B. (December 2007). "Do care about DOCARE". The DO. Retrieved 25 September 2012. 

External links [edit]