Volume 6 | May 2019
Your monthly GOMA news & update
Welcome to GOMA's monthly newsletter where you can stay up-to-date on the latest osteopathic news and happenings in the GOMA community.
Mid-Year Message from GOMA President
This month, the newsletter will take a break from portraying individual D.O.s in the state of Georgia. It has been fun to get to know some of the personalities behind the names as I have interviewed D.O.s from around the state. As President of GOMA and many years of membership, it has given me a chance to become friends with so many in our profession. I can safely say that the osteopathic physicians in Georgia are some of the most caring people that I know. I will continue to write portrayals of their lives and careers in this newsletter so that everyone else can feel the same pride that I have in GOMA and its members.

As Georgia shows its beautiful spring colors in our communities as well as on the telecast of the Masters Tournament, I know that the season is emblematic of youth and renewal. And yet, a few of our members have gotten news that runs counter to that. I have heard about premature deaths of close relatives, as well as parents succumbing to severe long-term illness, and even some of our members’ on-going battles against cancer. Every time that I have had those conversations with our doctors, I hurt inside. I feel pain and grief along with our members because I know that these are the doctors that provide so much compassion and caring for their communities. After all, the myth that doctors don’t get sick and are resistant to the grief of death is persistent. You, doctors, know that every day is a gift. In fact, we have taken advantage of the education and training that we have gotten to share ourselves with our patients. We give our entire beings to our profession. And at the end of each day, we feel fatigue in our brains and our bodies. Yet the next morning, we get up and do it again.

We are not immune from illness. We must take care of ourselves like our patients are supposed to do. We are not immune from mental strain. We must care for our spirits like our patients are instructed.

Recently, I was reciting a prayer that I will share the English translation. It speaks towards this physical and mental fatigue.

Blessed are You, God, Sovereign of the universe.
With divine wisdom You have made our bodies,
combining veins, arteries and vital organs
into a finely balanced network.
Wondrous Maker and Sustainer of life,
were one of them to fail –
how well we are aware! –
we would lack the strength to stand in life before You.
Blessed are You, God, Source of our health and strength.

Please reach out to each other when the stressful times hit. Don’t be afraid to take a break from the daily grind. It’s important emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. This is the season of freedom and rejuvenation. Take care of yourselves and your families. GOMA cares about you and is here to support you. GOMA is coming to your corner of the state. Try to make it to our district meeting so that you can meet each other and realize that we are all in this together. I look forward to seeing you soon.
-           Michael Baron, DO
GOMA 2019 President,
Michael Baron, DO
ROME SOUTHEAST
The Regional Osteopathic Medical Education (ROME) Southeast has been an annual event over the past dozen years. The AOA originally proposed that Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina work with the AOA to put on high quality CME. This year the ROME Southeast Conference is being held in Savannah, Georgia June 13 th through June 16 th. GOMA is happy that this year we are able to host the event in Georgia. Friday June 14 th is the day that highlights lecturers from the state of Georgia and we will use this space to tell you about the D.O.s that will be speaking that day.

There are many other great lectures and faculty planned for the ROME conference. To view the complete agenda click HERE. We look forward to seeing you in Savannah!



Edward James “Jim” Kruse, DO graduated from the University of Osteopathic Medicine in Des Moines, Iowa in 1994, then left his home state of Iowa after completing a general surgery internship at the VA Hospital in Des Moines. Dr. Kruse served four years in the army being stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany and Bosnia-Herzegovina with multiple military awards during those years. He continued his training after the army by doing a surgery residency at the famous Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin which was followed by a surgical oncology fellowship at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. After fellowship, Dr. Kruse began his academic career at Medical College of Georgia/Augusta University in 2006 where he serves as an Assistant Professor of Surgery. Dr. Kruse will speak at the ROME Southeast Conference on “Surgical Aspects of GI Malignancies”.
Patrice Kruszewski, DO graduated from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 2006 and completed an internship at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pennsylvania. Dr. Kruszewski did a pediatric residency at A.I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware, and followed it with a pediatric gastroenterology fellowship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. She sees patients at Children’s Hospital of Atlanta as well as being an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics/GI at Emory University. She published two articles on Eosinophilic Esophagitis and its treatment in 2016. Eosinophilic Esophagitis has become a “hot topic” in adult medicine, but was recognized and studied first in pediatrics. Dr. Kruszewski will lecture at the ROME Southeast Conference on “Overview of Eosinophilic Esophagitis”.
Craig Kubik, DO is familiar name to many of this reading audience. Dr. Kubik is president-elect of GOMA. In that role, he plays an integral role in planning GOMA conferences. He has spoken at multiple GOMA conferences in the past, and always gets great reviews. Dr. Kubik graduated from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine at New York Institute of Technology in 1985 and then went on to complete a internal medicine residency and a fellowship in gastroenterology at Mercy Hospital. Dr. Kubik started his career in the U. S. Airforce serving as a physician from 1989 to 1996. It was after those years that he started practicing gastroenterology in Waycross, Georgia at Mayo Clinic Health System there.  He serves as faculty to multiple medical schools. Dr. Kubik will lecture at the ROME Southeast Conference on “Steatosis, Steatohepatitis and the Progression to Cirrhosis”.

The fourth “Dr. K” that we get to feature is Omar T. Khan, DO . Dr. Khan started his medical career at New York College of Osteopathic Medicine at New York Institute of Technology graduating in 2006. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He then went on to a fellowship at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has had multiple publications as well as earning the Ochsner Clinic Foundation research fellow award. Dr. Khan started his career in Tifton, Georgia, and recently moved his practice to northeast Atlanta sharing three offices (Roswell, Johns Creek and Cumming) with his partners. Dr. Khan will lecture at the ROME Southeast Conference on “Breaking Bad: Osteoporosis”.

Michael L. Mangonon, DO completed his undergraduate education at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. He then went on to earn his D.O. degree from Nova Southeastern University School of Osteopathic Medicine. After graduation, Dr. Mangonon returned to his home state of New York, where he completed his general surgery residency at Lutheran Medical Center, a Level-1 trauma hospital in the heart of Brooklyn. After finishing his residency, Dr. Mangonon went on to complete a hand and micro-vascular surgery fellowship at The State University of New York in Buffalo. He now practices in metro Atlanta with the Atlanta Hand Specialist group which has seven offices in the area. Dr. Mangonon serves on the GOMA Board of Directors as Secretary/Treasurer for District 2. Dr. Mangonon’s lecture for the ROME Southeast Conference will be “A Primary Care Guide to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome”.
Eric Lincoln, DO followed up his mechanical engineering degree from Georgia Tech by getting his D.O. degree from University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. Lincoln went on to do a general surgery internship followed by an orthopedic surgery residency at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Georgia. He continued his education after that by pediatric orthopedic fellowship at Brown Alpert Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island. Dr. Lincoln returned to Georgia and practices pediatric orthopedics and spine surgery. He is an Assistant Professor at Mercer University. Dr. Lincoln’s lecture at the ROME Southeast Conference is entitled “Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis”.
Robert L. Bowers, DO, PhD followed his PhD from Auburn, by getting his D.O. degree at PCOM Georgia campus, graduating in 2013. Dr. Bowers then went on to complete a residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Emory University. He now serves as an Assistant Professor of Orthopedics and PM&R at Emory University, but sees patients at his offices in Conyers and Jonesboro. Dr. Bowers will present a talk at the ROME Southeast Conference entitled “Mesenchymal Stem Cell Use in Orthopedics and Sports Medicine”.

Governor Kemp signs multiple health care bills April 25
From left: Kate Boyenga , Michael Baron, DO, Gov. Brian Kemp, Karen Turner, DO, Randy Durbin, DO
Sine Die 2019!
Once the Georgia General Assembly adjourns sine die, the governor has forty days to review a bill or resolution. The last day for the governor to sign or veto a bill or resolution is May 12, 2019. If the governor takes no action, the measure is allowed to become law.

On March 27, 2019, Governor Brian Kemp signed the “Patients First Act” (Senate Bill 106) which allows the Department of Community Health to file a 1115 waiver for Medicaid Coverage up to 100% of the Federal Poverty Level. This effort to expand Medicaid is still being crafter by Governor Kemp and his advisors.

The “Insurance Step Therapy” (House Bill 63) was signed by Governor Kemp on April 25, 2019. This legislation requires insurance (non-ERISA) and State Health Benefit Plans to have a process for step therapy exceptions.

Another bill of interest that was signed by Governor Kemp on April 25, 2019 was the “Workforce – Preceptor Tax Credit” (House Bill 287) which supports tax credits for community based physician faculty to precept Georgia medical students, Pas and NPs.

One bill that we did not support that can affect the GOMA membership was Certificate of Need Elimination (initially it was House Bill 178, but later was attached to House Bill 186). GOMA felt that the hospitals of Georgia were struggling enough and that increasing the competition by allowing for profit surgical centers to avoid CON review could put even more hospitals out of business. Governor Brian Kemp signed the Certificate of Need Elimination on April 25, 2019. This specifically allows the Cancer Treatment Centers of America campus in Newnan treat more patients from Georgia by eliminating CTCA’s decade-long requirement that 65% of the hospital’s patients be from out of state. CTCA expansion won’t happen immediately. Kemp’s signature kicked off a process that will take several months and may culminate in new openings for Georgia patients this fall.

In total, Governor Kemp signed nine health care bills on April 25, 2019 including a bill to require financial disclosures from nonprofit hospitals and a bill dealing with interstate licensing for health care professionals.

Join us at these GOMA events!
Join us on Cinco de Mayo (Sunday May 5 th from 5 – 7 PM) for Mexican food, a wine tasting from Bee Family wines (GOMA Executive Director Kate Boyenga and Ryan Bee’s privately held wine label) and a talk on “Forensic Medicine: An Osteopathic View”. If you are located in DeKalb, Fulton or Gwinnett counties then you and your spouse/partner are in GOMA District 2, and you’re invited to a private home near Piedmont Park for this fun evening.  

Don't let your membership expire!
Renew your GOMA membership today!

GOMA MEMBERS ENTERED TO WIN!

All 2019 GOMA members paid by June 1 are entered to win four tickets to “Cats” at the Fox Theater on Saturday Aug 10th.


GOMA Gathering at ROME

Besides the 25 hours of CME, GOMA will be holding a fun event in The Downstairs Gallery (one mile from the hotel) for Georgia DOs and spouses/partners on Saturday June 15 th . Even if you aren’t attending the ROME conference (which you should), you are welcome to see everyone in the evening of June 15th for an evening of art, low-country cuisine, and camaraderie.
 


SAVE THE DATE

October 24-27
PCOM Georgia
Suwanee, GA

GOMA Fall CME Conference &
Scientific Exhibition