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DO Advocacy Continues at Carolinas Healthcare System
As we have reported in the past, Carolinas Healthcare System (CHS), the largest hospital system in North Carolina, still does not recognize osteopathic post-graduate education. CHS, based in Charlotte, has refused to amend its bylaws despite repeated advocacy attempts on the part of NCOMA and the AOA. Unfortunately, the only remaining avenues for change seemed to be legal proceedings.
Recently, however, CHS has called for meetings to discuss the issue, the first of which occurred on June 12. The committee heard testimony on the systems of osteopathic post-graduate education and sought to compare this to ACGME training. The AOA was represented by Michael Opipari, DO, chair of the AOA Council on Postgraduate Training.
Dr. Opipari outlined how osteopathic training programs are evaluated and approved by specialty organizations to ensure standards within each program, a process analogous to that of the ACGME. He further noted that osteopathic training was formally recognized by many state and federal statutes, as well as by Medicare, the VA system, and the military medical corps. It was also pointed out that some prominent allopathic systems, such as Henry Ford in Detroit and the Cleveland Clinic, had incorporated osteopathic training programs into their systems when previously osteopathic hospitals were either merged or acquired.
Dr. Opipari also noted that most allopathic specialty colleges recognize AOA training and certification on an equal basis with the ACGME/ABMS system for purposes of membership and fellowship status.
The CHS committee requested additional information on the osteopathic board certification process. A future conference call is planned.
No decisions have yet been made on this important issue. The NCOMA and the AOA continue to work hard on this matter, which affects a DO's future opportunities to practice in the CHS system. CHS operates 25 hospitals in North and South Carolina.
Affected DO's are urged to make themselves known to the NCOMA so their voice can be heard in our advocacy efforts.
CHS believes that there are only a few DO's involved, however, according to the NC Medical Board, there are 65 licensed DO's practicing in Charlotte alone, and 81 new licenses were granted to DO's in North Carolina since the beginning of 2009. How many more DO's would choose to come to North Carolina? E-mail
