Bookmark this page and check back frequently! This page gets updated often.

Shades of Green® on Walt Disney World® Resort is pleased to announce our “Salute to Our Veterans” Program, which is designed to give all military veterans who have received an honorable discharge (verified by current DD-214), the opportunity to vacation at Shades of Green during the months of January and September. Further information can be found at www.shadesofgreenvets.org. Shades of Green is always available to the active duty and retired military.

There is a new DoD Patient Safety Program website, http://dodpatientsafety.usuhs.mil. It provides a one-stop source of patient safety information for administrators and health care providers.

University of Maryland researchers have developed a virus sponge that could filter a patient's blood in a process similar to kidney dialysis. The sponge is based on molecular imprinting. Researchers stamp a molecule's shape into a hydrogel. The material might also be developed as a filter in masks to protect against biological agent exposure.

FROM JOHN CROSBY'S DAILY REPORT April 30, 2007:
AMOPS Celebrates 30th Anniversary
AOA President John A. Strosnider, DO, was named "Honorary Commander and Chief" at the Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (AMOPS) 24th Annual CME Conference, held 4/26-29/07 on the San Diego Navy Base in California. AOA Third Vice President Michael K. Murphy, DO, traveled to the “Golden State” to attend and accept this award on President Strosnider’s behalf. Over 90 student, active and retired military members were in attendance to help AMOPS celebrate its 30th anniversary this year and to see Major Neil Schwimley, DO, MC, USAF, sworn in as the new AMOPS President. Dr. Murphy also addressed AMOPS members, providing updates on recent AOA activities and detailing progress on the AOA Greatness Campaign.

2007 CALL FOR ENTRIES
CIRCLE OF EXCELLENCE GlaxoSmithKline
Saluting Excellence in Patient Care Throughout the US Federal Healthcare System
GlaxoSmithKline and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation are proud to announce the 2007 Circle of Excellence Award. The 2007 Circle of Excellence Award honors exceptional practices and programs developed and delivered by individuals and facilities within the US Federal Healthcare System that promotes prevention, safety, and quality healthcare for life. Application submission opens April 1, 2007 and closes July 31, 2007.
Look for more details on how to enter your program at: www.circleofexcellenceonline.org

Veterans Affairs Update:
The Web site of the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (ChampVA), has a wealth of good information. Included on the Web page is an e-mail address for specific questions on ChampVA, not answered from the Web site materials. The site is www.va.gov/hac/forbeneficiaries/champva/champva.asp.
Under the reorganization plan, each of VA's 21 regional networks--called Veterans Integrated Service Networks, or VISNs--will implement a plan to provide eye care to veterans with visual impairments ranging from 20/70 to total blindness. Basic low-vision services will be available at all VA eye clinics, and every network will offer intermediate and advanced low-vision services, including a full spectrum of optical devices and electronic visual aids.

Did you know?
A $20K bonus is funded for 2 year HPSP, FY09 graduate, MC and DC HPSP accessions. The current breakout for the number of available bonuses is as follows:
                        20 MC 2yr HPSP FY09 graduates only
                         5 DC 2yr HPSP FY09 graduates only
Acceptance of the $20,000 bonus will require a 4yr minimum service obligation. This obligation is pursuant to total active duty time and is irrespective of training status (internship year counts towards obligation).
Obligations incurred from other sources are not affected by this bonus and this obligation may be served concurrently with other obligations.

The AOA Board of Trustees passed a resolution for a military CME waiver for osteopathic physicians called to active duty. Click here to read the resolution.

Veterans Administration Leading the Way
All VA medical centers utilize a bar-coded wrist band system to make sure the right patient gets the right medication in the right dose at the right time. This system has been integrated with VA's electronic health records with stunning results. VA prescribed medication to patients with an accuracy rate of 99.993% in 2005, a standard that simply does not exist anywhere else in American health care, and maintained this standard of excellence while filling 231 million prescriptions.

Military Spouse magazine is proud to announce that CNN.com has launched a user-generated content feature as part of "Coming Home: Families and War," an upcoming "Special Report" that explores the impact of the war in Iraq on U.S. troops and their families. Log on to www.militaryspousemagazine.com, and click on the CNN logo. There, users can submit their personal "Coming Home" videos, audio files, photos and text stories, as well as messages to U.S. troops in Iraq for possible inclusion in the special report.

Newsweek incorrectly identified Richard Jadick, DO as a MD on its March 20, cover story about his service in Iraq, on page 22 of of the March 27 issue they corrected their error. They acknowledged that he was a actually a Doctor of Osteopathy, that DOs are fully qualified and licensed physicians and that the US military makes no distinction between MDs and DOs. They also listed the American Osteopathic Association's website as a source of more information. Newsweek did contact AMOPS after they were made aware of their error but did not reference that in their correction.

HHS Secretary Michael Levitt announced an initiative to transform the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.
The Commissioned Corps seeks to:
·       Expand the size and contour of the Corps to 6,600 officers. The composition of the Corps includes the professional categories of: clinical, applied public health, research, and a new category – mental health.
·       Improve the response operations and deployment process. This would include every officer being deployment qualified.
·       Changes in the recruitment process. This will include stronger career incentives for personnel and an updated approach for assignment and deployment of officers.

 Researchers at Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System and Stanford University School of Medicine examined 82 cases of confirmed inhalation anthrax in 15 countries -- the most comprehensive review of anthrax cases ever conducted according to a study published in a recent Annals of Internal Medicine. They found that once anthrax progresses to an advanced stage -- typically four days after the first symptoms -- it's almost always fatal, even if patients receive the best possible medical care.

Richard B. Hecker, DO, FAOCA, has been elected as the 2006 President of the San Antonio (TX) Society of Anesthesiologists. Dr. Hecker is a 1986 graduate of UOHMS-COMS (Des Moines) and is retired (01/1997) from the USAMEDD. He is in the private practice of Critical Care Anesthesiology and Anesthesia Pain Management in San Antonio, and has been an AMOPS member since 1982.

Osteopathic Medicine Goes International The Council on International Osteopathic Medical Education and Affairs (CIOMEA) continues to seek further expansion of the osteopathic profession around the world.  Much progress has been made through involvement in establishing strong cooperation with different international organizations, such as the Global Health Council, the World Osteopathic Health Organization, the International Federation for Manual/Musculoskeletal Medicine and the newly formed Osteopathic International Alliance.  The Council is also focusing on the impact of the possible establishment of an American School of Osteopathic Medicine beyond the borders of our country.  It's truly an exciting time for our profession in the international arena.  We encourage those with any interest in international medicine to attend next year's Seminar (held in conjunction with the annual AOA conference set for Las Vegas in the October of 2006).

DoD's Pandemic Flu Web Site  at http://deploymentlink.osd.mil/ offers information about pandemic flu and avian flu. It has a section of frequently asked questions, a glossary of important terms and health-related information. The site includes links to other federal government agencies, and a section with information for service members, such as the DoD's role in dealing with avian flu, the risks for service members overseas, and protective measures that can be taken.

*The Annals of Internal Medicine reported a study that followed Americans for three decades and suggests that over time, 9 out of 10 men and 7 out of 10 women will become overweight.
*The Army is making a significant investment in the HemCon bandage designed to stop massive bleeding from battlefield injuries. Meanwhile the Marine Corps has committed to QuickClot, a substance poured on a wound to stop bleeding. Both products show promise but more data from the theater is anxiously awaited.

Click here for Congressional Bills of Interest