Maine Osteopathic Association

This #NOMweek we will be celebrating by highlighting MOA Members you may not know. First up, meet Keely Thomas, OMS-I, UNE COM SGA President, MOA Student Board Member, and a passionate future physician whose roots in rural North Carolina fuel her drive to make healthcare more inclusive and accessible in communities like the ones she calls home. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆? I recently got to visit Farmington, Maine, on a "rural health immersion" with the AHEC program through UNE COM and it was an amazing experience. I come from rural North Carolina and know that rural residents can have immense fear around seeking healthcare (my family included). Schools taking the time to introduce students to the beauty of rural health and how to make an open and inclusive environment for patients excites me for the future of healthcare providers. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗢𝗔? I recently took over for Corey LaForest-Roys (shout-out!) as the President of the Student Government Association for UNE COM. In this position, we have the wonderful privilege to serve in the student seat for the Board of Directors of the Maine Osteopathic Association! It has been phenomenal to see all the amazing work that the MOA has been doing and how hard everyone works to support osteopathic physicians in Maine. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄? I recently attended DO Day on the Hill! #MOA #NOMWeek #DOProud #DOProud150Years

National Osteopathic Medicine (NOM) Week, set for April 14-20, 2025, celebrates the significant contributions of nearly 200,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs) and medical students providing whole-person care for millions of patients nationwide. This year, NOM Week activities honor the 150th anniversary of osteopathic medicine, which has evolved to become one of the fastest-growing segments of health care. Over the past 150 years, the osteopathic medical profession has grown exponentially and today represents approximately 11% of all physicians and more than 28% of all medical students in the U.S. More prospective physicians than ever before are pursuing careers as DOs, with nearly 40,000 medical students attending 42 colleges of osteopathic medicine across 67 campuses. #MOA #NOMWeek #DOProud #DOProud150Years

As a patient entrepreneur, I’ve witnessed how Medicaid’s evolving policies directly shape healthcare innovation for startups like mine. For those of us building solutions to serve vulnerable populations, Medicaid isn’t just a program—it’s a critical enabler of equitable care. But sustaining progress requires partnership, and medical associations are the strongest voice to advance this mission. Here’s why: Medical associations have the reach, expertise, and influence to bridge gaps between policy and practice. They can advocate for sustainable Medicaid funding, amplify patient-led innovations, and educate members on navigating complex challenges like prior authorization hurdles or value-based care transitions. Yet associations themselves face pressures—budget constraints, fragmented priorities, and the growing demand to deliver more with fewer resources. The opportunity? Collaboration between patient entrepreneurs and medical associations can unlock systems that prioritize outcomes over optics. Exactly how we built Affinity Strategies! By aligning our goals, we ensure Medicaid reforms support both providers and the patients they serve. For example, associations can highlight their own research around scalable models that reduce administrative burdens while improving access—exactly the kind of solutions explored in our guest blogger Greg Chesmore’s insightful article, The Medicaid Balancing Act (https://lnkd.in/gS5Ri6xB). To my peers in medical associations and working in healthcare innovation: How is your organization partnering with medical associations to advance Medicaid-aligned solutions? What barriers have you faced in scaling patient-centered models within this system? A huge thanks to leaders like American Medical Association , Andy Slavitt and American Hospital Association for driving these critical conversations. Let’s keep pushing for partnerships that strengthen Medicaid’s role as a catalyst for equitable care and not forget the decades of state inovation built to meet the state’s greatest needs! #Medicaid #PatientEntrepreneur #HealthcareInnovation #HealthEquity #MedicalAssociations #ValueBasedCare Paul Pomerantz, FACHE, FASAE Kai Sternstein Jason Helgerson Robert Peterson Tommi Thompson Eric Borgerding Michelle Mettner Jodie Tierney and so many people I have worked with over the years who understand the impact!

One month til #MOAconvention2024 !! Will we be seeing you there? Tickets for our lobster dinner are now on sale and info on our Keynote speaker is now available on the event website https://lnkd.in/evWK2Wak

Join us June 14-16th at Samoset Resort in Rockport, ME (or online!) for the 113th MOA Annual Convention, a family-friendly CME meeting on the Maine coast. Register now at https://lnkd.in/evWK2Wak #MOAconvention2024