American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians Announces 2023-24 Board of Governors

ORLANDO, Fla., March 30, 2023 (Newswire.com) - The American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP) announces its new Board of Governors, following their election on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, during the ACOFP Congress of Delegates. New appointments include:

• President David J. Park, DO, FACOFP dist.
• President-ElectBrian A. Kessler, DO, FACOFP dist.
• Secretary/Treasurer Gautam J. Desai, DO, FACOFP dist.
• Vice President Greg D. Cohen, DO, FACOFP dist.
• Governor Traci-lyn Eisenberg, DO, FACOFP
• Resident Governor Heather McGuire, DO
• Student Governor George Yang, OMS-II

The following Board members have been reelected to their positions:

• Governor David A. Connett, DO, FACOFP dist.
• Governor Rebecca D. Lewis, DO, FACOFP
• Governor Saroj Misra, DO, FACOFP dist.
• Governor Derrick J. Sorweide, DO, FACOFP
• Governor Peter F. Bidey, DO, MSEd, FACOFP
• Congress of Delegates Speaker Elizabeth A. Palmarozzi, DO, FACOFP
• Congress of Delegates Vice Speaker Antonios J. Tsompanidis, DO, FACOFP

Bruce R. Williams, DO, FACOFP dist., and Nicole H. Bixler, DO, MBA, FACOFP dist. automatically become immediate past president and past president, respectively.

Dr. Williams, ACOFP immediate past president, has practiced osteopathic family medicine for more than 30 years in Eastern Jackson County, Missouri, and currently serves as the associate dean of clinical education at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine. He has served on the ACOFP Board of Governors since 2015.

Dr. Bixler practices at Immediate Medcare & Family Doctor of Spring Hill in Florida, where she focuses on the geriatric population with outpatient and inpatient services using a unique capitated at-risk Alternate Payment Model. She holds an appointment of Clinical Associate Professor at the Kiran Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine at NOVA Southeastern University and has been a preceptor to students for Rural Family Medicine since 2010.

Dr. Park is the vice president and founding dean of the Rocky Vista University (RVU) Montana College of Osteopathic Medicine, previously serving as the vice president and campus dean on the RVUCOM Southern Utah campus. He joined the ACOFP Board of Governors in 2014.

"I am truly honored and privileged to lead the ACOFP with our talented and dedicated Board of Governors," said David J. Park, DO, FACOFP dist., ACOFP president. "I look forward to engaging with our members and continuing the growth of our organization's legacy while looking to the future of health care delivery and the important role osteopathic family physicians play in that future."

Dr. Desai is the professor, division of primary care at Kansas City University, where he also serves as director, honors track in global medicine. He was elected to the ACOFP Board of Governors in 2016.

Dr. Cohen practices at Lucas County Health Center Medical Clinics in Chariton, Iowa. He has served the ACOFP on the Gun Safety Task Force, the Rural Family Practice Residency Task Force, the Delphi Long-Term Planning Committee, the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, the Federal Legislation Committee, and has been Chair of the Preceptorship Committee.

Dr. Eisenberg practices family medicine in Orlando, FL and takes a special interest in serving the needs of the LGBTQI community. She is the immediate Past President of the Florida Society of ACOFP, and continues to serve as co-convention chair.

Dr. McGuire graduated from the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2022. She was nominated as the Student Doctor of the Year by her peers and served as an ACOFP state delegate. Dr. McGuire received ACOFP's 2021 Marie Wiseman Outstanding Osteopathic Student of the Year.

Student Doctor Yang is a current osteopathic medical student at the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine (UIWSOM). He is a National Health Services Corps scholarship recipient, a member of the Student Association of the ACOFP and treasurer of his student ACOFP chapter.

Past President Robert C. DeLuca, DO, FACOFP dist., Resident Governor Jordan E. Wong, DO, and Student Governor Evan Bischoff, OMS-III are all outgoing Board members.

"It has been my great honor to serve as President of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians. Our goal this year was to highlight and recognize the specialty of Osteopathic Family Medicine and to advocate for our specialty and patients," explained ACOFP Immediate Past President Bruce R. Williams, DO, FACOFP dist. "In addition, we wanted to raise awareness, and promote Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment to continue to help our patients and our practices."

About the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians

Founded in 1950, the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP) is a community of more than 20,000 current and future family physicians that champions osteopathic principles and supports its members by providing resources such as education, networking and advocacy, while putting patients first. ACOFP empowers its members with education and resources that allow them to adapt to new models of care and quickly changing government policy. For more information, visit www.acofp.org.

Source: American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians