News from ACOI

For anyone who knows me, the thought of me writing about anything regarding technology is comical. I can barely work my phone! My interest, however, in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in medicine was piqued after listening to a fantastic lecture on AI at ACOI 2024.

What documentation is required to show a provider is performing prescription drug management? It has been a question since the changes to the Office or Other Outpatient Services codes was announced by the American Medical Association (AMA) in 2021.

Practicing medicine in both the outpatient and hospital settings has allowed me to see patients in the best of health and at their worst. What I find inspirational are the patients that cross my path who are facing their worst fate and yet they look at the world with optimism and not despair. Many of us find ourselves wanting to gravitate towards people who have an optimistic look at their own life and the world around them. Looking to embrace that optimism, I went in search of resources to help see how that optimism can be a prescription for health and well-being both personally and professionally.

There are a few things that I appreciate my patients for, but chief among them are the stories of what was before. Recently, a patient mentioned a local sledding spot in nearby Kettering, OH. There used to be enough snowfall to bring out my patient’s cross-country skis. Years later, the skis are lost in the garage, collecting dust. My patient’s lament touched on something increasingly undeniable: the climate is changing.

Time is Running Out for Congress to Stop Physician Payment Cut; CBO Estimate Paves the Way for Prior Authorization Bill; ACOI Calls for Passage of Step Therapy Reform; CMS Awards New GME Residency Slots; Co-chairs of GOP Doctors Caucus Named.

Read the latest from ACOI members who have received awards, promotions, and other recognitions.

As December 1-7 marks National Handwashing Awareness Week, the healthcare community is again rallying around hand hygiene's critical importance. Handwashing is a cornerstone of infection control, dramatically reducing hospital-acquired infections and safeguarding our most vulnerable patients, especially those who are immunocompromised. Yet, while the benefits to patient health are clear, we rarely discuss the unintended consequences of rigorous handwashing on healthcare providers, namely, its toll on our skin.

Make a difference and represent osteopathic Internal Medicine by joining an ACOI Committee. Committees advance advocacy efforts, build education products, write pieces for online publications, and more.

While ACOI 2024 is already a month behind us, there’s good news for you: now through the end of the year, all the recorded sessions from the Annual Convention are available. ACOI has extended access to the virtual platform through December 31, 2024.

Student Doctor Cordero was nominated for her leadership skills and community involvement. Aila is President of the Hispanic Osteopathic Medical Student Association (HOMSA) and uses her role in HOMSA to spread awareness of osteopathic medicine throughout the South Florida community, especially amongst the Cuban community.

Research and scholarship are essential to a medical student’s journey, but it’s often much more than a step taken out of sheer necessity. That was the case when it came to Alexandria (Allie) Ahlm, the ACOI 2024 student poster contest winner.

Thankful. That is the feeling as I reflect on the ACOI 2024 Annual Convention & Scientific Sessions held in Arizona this past month. I am in awe of those that worked so hard to make the Annual Convention a success.