NYSOMS Shines at House of Delegates Meeting - New York ...

SPECIAL NEWSLETTER
AOA HOUSE OF DELEGATES EDITION
The Gang’s All Here
Pictured (l-r) New York State delegates
Freda Lozanoff, DO; NYSOMS Vice
President Steven Sherman, DO;
NYSOMS President (holding the sign) Anna
Lamb, DO; Michael Erickson, OMS II, Touro-
COM-NY Student Government Association
(SGA) president; NYSOMS Immediate Past
President, Sonia Rivera-Martinez, DO; Farzan
Gorgoni, OMS III, NYCOM; Eric Ascher, OMS
II, NYCOM; and Robert Blue, OMS III,
NYCOM, Student Osteopathic Medical Society
(SOMA) delegate. (Photo by Lynn Mark, DO,
FACOFP)
NYSOMS Shines at House of Delegates Meeting
By David Broder, DO, Delegation Chair
New York State was well-represented at the annual House of Delegates (HOD) meeting of the American
Osteopathic Association held July 20-22 in Chicago.
The purpose of the House of Delegates is to elect the AOA’s officers and trustees, approve the budget, consider
changes to the constitution and bylaws, and vote on policy resolutions submitted by committees or
divisional societies. Several NYSOMS members were appointed to House committees, which make the
initial assessments on resolutions before they are brought before the full House:
David Broder, DO:
Dennis Dowling, DO:
David Levy, DO:
Lynn Mark, DO:
Sonia Rivera Martinez, DO:
Constitution and Bylaws committee
Ad Hoc committee
Public Affairs committee
Credentials committee (presidential appointment)
Professional Affairs committee
Currently, New York has the sixth largest delegation in the AOA. In addition to House meetings, delegates
participated in two New York delegation meetings and several caucus meetings to ensure that all osteopathic
physicians in the state were well represented. Anyone wishing to participate in future delegation
meetings should send their curriculum vitae to Executive Director, Barbara Greenwald. It is important that
delegates represent different specialties and geographic areas in the state. Delegates will be selected
based on their participation in NYSOMS on the state level.
Dr. Broder, who chairs the New York delegation, was also appointed as House Parliamentarian by AOA
Speaker of the House Carl Pesta, DO. Dr. Broder is the President of NYCOMEC, New York State’s
osteopathic graduate medical education (GME) consortium.

SHELDON SIROTA, DO, RECEIVES PRESIDENTIAL CITATION
Dr. Sirtota applauds his fellow delegates after receiving a Presidential Citation from Dr. Levine (Photo courtesy of the AOA)
In one of his final acts as AOA President, Martin S. Levine, DO, presented Sheldon Sirota, DO, of
Hewlett, NY, with a Presidential Citation for his vision, leadership and longstanding service to osteopathic
medicine.
Dr. Sirota has been involved in osteopathic medicine for more than 50 years. He was the first osteopathic
thoracic cardiac heart surgeon in the state of New York and later helped found NYCOM. He was also instrumental
in founding TouroCOM-NY, in Harlem, as well as Touro's colleges of osteopathic medicine in
Las Vegas and California. His most recent position was as Vice President for Osteopathic Medicine, Touro
College, and Director of Medical Education, Osteopathic Residency Programs, St. John's Episcopal
Hospital, in Far Rockaway. Dr. Sirota was the recipient of NYSOMS’ 2010 Educator of the Year award.
During the awards ceremony, Dr. Levine commended Dr. Sirota for his "vision and leadership in helping
establish four undergraduate osteopathic medical schools and countless osteopathic graduate medical
education programs."
In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Sirota thanked President Levine, Executive Director John B. Crosby, JD,
and the AOA Board of Trustees, and gave a moving tribute to his wife, Ruth. He also praised the House of
Delegates for serving as an example of "what can be accomplished when we set aside our differences and
act together as one."
Congratulations, Dr. Sirota!
SAVE THE DATE!
STANLEY SCHIOWITZ, DO, MEMORIAL OMM WORKSHOP
FACILITATED POSITIONAL RELEASE
TAUGHT BY ELLEN (SCHIOWITZ) ELLIS, DO
NOV 3, 2012 at NYCOM

RESOLUTION WRAP-UP
NYSOMS delegates (l-r) TouroCOM-NY Dean, Robert Goldberg, DO; David Broder, DO; Dennis Dowling, DO. (Photos courtesy of the AOA)
Among the resolutions passed by the House were:
House Resolution (HR) 201, Ensuring that Graduate Medical Education Programs Continue to
Select Residents Based on Merit, submitted by the New York delegation (passed unanimously).
HR 209, Increasing Postdoctoral Fellowships, directing the AOA to collect fellowship data and
propose methods to increase AOA fellowships in areas of shortage.
HR 203, Loan Deferment during Residency, which lends AOA support to legislation that would allow
resident physicians to defer repayment of federal medical school loans until the completion of
residency training.
HR 208, Study New Methods of Residency Funding, which directs the AOA to study, develop and
promote additional funding methods for OGME.
HR 211, MD Option at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, opposing all attempts to
establish an MD school on the TCOM campus.
HR 212, Joining Forces Initiative, which supports the AOA and AACOM’s ongoing participation in
the Initiative and supports its aims of ensuring access to quality health care for veterans and their
families.
HR 300, AOA Reporting to the National Practitioner Data Bank, stating that adverse membership
actions based on a physician’s loss of license do not need to be reported to the NPDB as do adverse
membership actions based on ethical or professional misconduct.
(From osteopathic.org)

HOD HIGHLIGHTS
More than 500 delegates, representing osteopathic state medical associations, specialty societies, interns,
residents and students, attended this year’s meeting, held at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago. Highlights
included:
Consideration of more than 100 health care policy resolutions on topics such as generic drugs, stem
cell research, and end-of-life care. To see them all, copy and past this link into your browser :
http://www.osteopathic.org/inside-aoa/events/annual-business-meeting/house-resolutions/Pages/
default.aspx
Farewell address from outgoing AOA President Martin S. Levine, DO, recapping this year's achievements
in the osteopathic medical profession.
Presentation of the AOA annual report by Executive Director John B. Crosby, JD.
The A. T. Still Memorial Lecture by George M. Thomas, DO, the 2004-2005 AOA President.
Inauguration of 2012-2013 AOA President Ray E. Stowers, DO. Dr. Stowers practiced for 25 years in
rural Oklahoma and is now the vice president for health services and founding dean of the Lincoln
Memorial University- DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) in Harrogate, Tenn.
Election of Norman Vinn, DO, a family physician from San Clemente Calif., as the AOA President-
Elect.
HOD recognition of all osteopathic state medical associations that have signed the AOA Document of
Collaboration, which codifies the AOA’s relationship with affiliates as well as their responsibilities to
each other. NYSOMS President Anna Lamb, DO, represented New York State during this ceremony.
Meeting of the AOA Bureau of State Government Affairs (BSGA), which included a discussion of
Consumer Oriented and Operated Plans (CO-OP) by William Donohue of Gaen Healthcare Advisors,
who helped NYSOMS in applying to form its own CO-OP, “Patients First.”
Posing with the President
Newly inaugurated AOA President
Ray E. Stowers, DO (second from
right) took the time for a photo-op
with student delegates from New
York State.
Students pictured (l-r) Robert Blue,
OMS III, NYCOM, SOMA delegate;
Eric Ascher, OMS II, NYCOM;
Michael Erickson, OMS II,
TourCOM SGA president; Farzan
Gorgoni, OMS III, NYCOM. (Photo
courtesy of the AOA)

NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Stephanie Darwak
Advocacy Consultant
(For more details, go to “Legislative Update” on the www.nysoms.org home page)
The year 2012 has been an exciting and successful one for the New York State Osteopathic Medical Society (NYSOMS). On
April 17, 2012, close to 100 NYCOM and TOUROCOM students, as well as NYSOMS members from across the state, convened
in Albany to attend the 2 nd annual “DO Day” at the New York State Capitol. It was a wonderful day! The New York State
Legislature and Governor Andrew Cuomo proclaimed April 15-21, 2012, as Osteopathic Medicine Week in the State of New
York and NYSOMS was recognized on the floor of both the Senate and Assembly Chambers. NYSOMS acknowledges with
special thanks, Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel and Senator Kenneth LaValle for sponsoring the 2012 advocacy day and
Legislative Resolution. Plans are underway now for next year’s event.
New York State’s Legislative Session ended in Albany on June 21, 2012. NYSOMS was very involved this session, advocating
about issues surrounding the state’s Medicaid Redesign. Last year, New York changed the process by which 4 million Medicaid
recipients obtain prescription drug coverage. The pharmacy benefit was “carved in” to several managed care providers instead
of remaining a fee-for-service program. This change resulted in patients losing many protections and has led to confusion, lack
of uniformity in coverage and, in some cases, denial of critical medications.
Sonia Rivera-Martinez, DO, currently NYSOMS’ immediate past president, testified at the Assembly Health Hearing about how
these denials have had detrimental effects on patients and how the confusing prior authorization processes have added a
considerable administrative burden to many physicians’ offices. NYSOMS supported A. 10248b (Rivera) / S. 7384a (Hannon),
which would direct the Department of Health to develop a standard prior authorization form to be used by Medicaid managed
care providers in determining coverage of prescription drug benefits. Due to strong advocacy efforts by our membership and
other physician groups, this bill passed both the Senate and the Assembly and will be signed into law pending the Governor’s
signature.
NYSOMS also focused on scope of practice issues, truth in advertising (requiring clinicians to clearly post their terminal
degrees ), liability reform, quality public health policy, and important legislation that would enhance quality of care, access to
care and patient safety. While there were some major “wins” in the scope-of-practice and public health arenas, there is still
much to be done to ensure the establishment of meaningful liability reform and premium relief. As New York State continues
adapting to current healthcare reforms, NYSOMS will make sure that the voice of the osteopathic physician is heard!
WHAT’S HAPPENING
The following NYSOMS members have been appointed by AOA President Ray E. Stowers, DO, to AOA bureaus, councils and
committees:
Bureau of Osteopathic Medical Educators
David Lenihan, PhD
Bureau on Federal Health Programs
Robert B. Goldberg, DO
Bureau of State Affiliate Concerns
Lynn G. Mark, DO, MA
Information Technical Advisory Bureau
Richard R. Terry, DO, FAAFP
Thomas G. Zimmerman, DO
Bureau of OGME Development
Sheldon L. Sirota, DO
Council on Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training Institutions
David L. Broder, DO, FACP, FACOI
Vice Chair
Bureau of Communications
Barbara Greenwald
Joint Committee on Quality and Payment
Robert B. Goldberg, DO
Council of New Physicians in Practice
Elizabeth Varadian, DO
Council on Palliative Care Issue
Nicholas Russell Beatty, DO
Council on Women's Health Issues
Sonia Rivera-Martinez, DO
Chair
Council of Student Affairs,
Department of Professional Affairs
Sally Mathew, OMS IV
SAVE THE DATES—APRIL 4-7, 2013
ROC-NY (formerly EROC)
MANHATTAN
More to come…..