AACOM and ACOI Partner on Rural Health Congressional Briefing
Published May 28, 2024
By AACOM Government Relations
Advocacy Federal Policy GME GME Funding Healthcare Workforce OME Advocate Rural Medicine
On Wednesday, May 22, 2024, AACOM and the American College of Osteopathic Internists (ACOI) hosted a joint congressional lunch briefing, “Rural and Underserved Health: DOs Mending the Breach.” The briefing was presented in partnership with the Bipartisan Rural Health Caucus and with support from the National Rural Health Association.
The hour-long briefing included presentations on the history of osteopathic medicine, the community-based distributed model of education and the role the osteopathic profession plays in serving rural and underserved populations.
Featured speakers included:
- Robert A. Cain, DO, FACOI, FAODME, president & chief executive officer, AACOM
- Robert T. Hasty, DO, FACOI, FACP, president, ACOI, and dean & chief academic officer, Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Dixie Tooke-Rawlins, DO, FACOFP, president, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine
Representative Carol Miller (R-WV), lead sponsor of the Community TEAMS Act and a cosponsor of the FAIR Act, provided recorded remarks for the briefing.
“In West Virginia we know the importance of having osteopathic doctors in our community … The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine supplies more primary care physicians for our state than any other school and is first in the nation for having physicians who practice in Appalachia … In rural communities sometimes it takes hours to get to the closest hospital and that’s a scary reality. Improving access to care in community-based settings is one key step that we can take to ensure folks have access to quality care closer to home.” -Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV) Dave Bergman, AACOM senior vice president of government relations and health affairs, and Tim McNichol, ACOI deputy executive director, also highlighted bipartisan policy solutions to improve healthcare in rural and underserved communities, including the FAIR Act and the Community TEAMS Act. More than 45 congressional staffers attended this important event. |