Osteopathic Founders Foundation

COMMUNITY GRANTS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE WORK OF THE OSTEOPATHIC FOUNDERS FOUNDATION. SINCE THE SALE OF OUR HOSPITAL IN 1996, THE FOUNDATION'S TRUSTEES HAVE FOCUSED ON UTILIZING OUR RESOURCES IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH THE FOUNDER'S ORIGINAL INTENT. GRANTS ARE AWARDED TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WHO SHARE IN OUR MISSION OF PROVIDING CARE TO THE UNDERSERVED AND IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF DISEASE. WITH THE SIGNIFICANT HEALTH DISPARITIES EXISTING WITHIN OKLAHOMA COMMUNITIES, PARTICULAR EMPHASIS IS GIVEN TO THE MOST BASIC NEEDS OF FOOD, SAFETY AND SHELTER. OKLAHOMA'S POOR RATINGS FOR THE HEALTH OF OUR CITIZENS DEMAND THAT MANY OF OUR RESOURCES BE DIRECTED TO THE SUPPORT OF BASIC NUTRITION SERVICES TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH STATUS OF THOSE STRUGGLING WITH FOOD VULNERABILITY. MULTIPLE GRANTS WERE PROVIDED TO FOOD DISTRIBUTION CHARITIES THROUGHOUT THE GREATER TULSA AREA. A PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE GROUP, INFANTS AND CHILDREN, WERE PROVIDED SPECIALTY INFANT FORMULA THROUGH OUR $10,000 GRANT TO EMERGENCY INFANT SERVICES AND ANOTHER TO SOUTH TULSA COMMUNITY HOUSE. SPECIAL WEEKEND "TAKE HOME" PACKS THROUGH OUR $5000 GRANT SUPPORTING THE FOOD FOR KIDS PROGRAM AT FOOD BANK OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA HELP ALLEVIATEE HUNGER WHEN KIDS AREN'T IN SCHOOL. AS TULSA'S SPANISH SPEAKING POPULATION CONTINUES TO GROW, DELIVERING SERVICES TO THEM HAS BECOME CHALLENGING. WE WERE EXCITED TO PROVIDE $10,000 IN FUNDING TO LA COSECHA, A FOOD DISTRIIBUTION PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY AIMED AT OUR HISPANIC NEIGHBORS. ANOTHER SPECIAL POPULATION WE WERE PROUD TO SUPPORT IS COLLEGE STUDENTS. WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT LEARNING IS MORE DIFFICULT WHEN STUDENTS ARE HUNGRY AND MANY COLLEGE STUDENTS CANNOT STRETCH THEIR DOLLARS TO COVER TUITION, FEES, RENT AND FOOD. WE WERE DELIGHTED TO PROVIDE $10,000 TO THE CAMPUS CUPBOARD AT OSU TULSA WHICH SERVES THEIR OWN STUDENTS AS WELL AS OUR MEDICAL STUDENTS FROM OSU CENTER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES. THESE ARE EXAMPLES OF THE NEARLY TWENTY INVESTMENTS MADE THIS YEAR TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF FOOD INSECURITY IN OKLAHOMA WHERE ONE IN FOUR CHILDREN AND ONE IN SIX ADULTS AND SENIORS SUFFER FROM A LACK OF ADEQUATE FOOD AND NUTRITION. WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE OSU CENTER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES WITH FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE SIMULATION CENTER WHICH PROVIDES MEDICAL STUDENTS, RESIDENTS, AND FELLOWS WITH CLINICAL EXPERIENCE AS AN ADJUNCT TO THEIR TRAINING. THE FOUNDATION IS VERY PROUD OF THESE AND OTHER INVESTMENTS THAT WE CONTINUE TO MAKE IN THE TULSA AND NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA COMMUNITIES.

AS STATED IN THE MISSION STATEMENT, SUPPORT OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICAL EDUCATION IS CENTRAL TO THE FOUNDATION'S INVESTMENTS. AT THE PRE-DOCTORAL LEVEL, TWO SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AWARDED TO OSTEOPATHIC MEDICAL STUDENTS AT OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE BASED ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, PROFESSIONAL AMBASSADORSHIP, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. OTHER SCHOLARSHIPS ARE GRANTED AT OSU WHICH RECOGNIZE LEADERSHIP ABILITY AS WELL AS MEDICAL RESEARCH ACCOMPLISHMENTS. ALL OF THESE AWARDS ASSIST STUDENTS WITH THE COST OF TUITION, FEES, AND BOOKS. TWO ADDITIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS, ONE RECOGNIZING THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN MEDICINE AND ONE ENCOURAGING CAREERS IN PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE ARE GRANTED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE STUDENT OSTEOPATHIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION TO STUDENTS FROM MEDICAL SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. GRANTS WERE ALSO MADE TO THE OSU FOUNDATION, THE OKLAHOMA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE, THE STUDENT OSTEOPATHIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION, AND THE AMERICAN OSTEOPATHIC FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT THEIR MEDICAL STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS. FOR THOSE YOUNG PHYSICIANS IN POST-GRADUATE TRAINING, THE FOUNDATION OFFERS TWO PROGRAMS. EACH RESIDENT AND FELLOW TRAINING AT OSU MEDICAL CENTER IS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE ONE TEXTBOOK DURING EACH YEAR OF THEIR TRAINING WHICH IS TO BE USED IN THE DIDACTIC ACTIVITIES OF THEIR PROGRAM. STIPENDS WHICH SUPPORT THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH REQUIRED CONFERENCES, COURSES, AND OUT ROTATIONS ARE GRANTED ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS TO OSTEOPATHIC RESIDENTS AND FELLOWS ENROLLED IN AN ACGME ACCREDITED POSTGRADUATE TRAINING PROGRAM WITH OSTEOPATHIC RECOGNITION WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN A COMPONENT OF SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY DURING THEIR TRAVEL. ADDITIONALLY, THE OSTEOPATHIC FOUNDERS FOUNDATION PARTNERS WITH THE OKLAHOMA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE TO SUPPORT THE AWARDS IN THEIR STUDENT/RESIDENT POSTER COMPETITION EACH YEAR AND IS THE SPONSOR OF THE AWARDS FOR THE GRADUATE MEDICIAL EDUCATION PATIENT SAFETY AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT SYMPOSIUM IN OKLAHOMA. IN 2023 WE BEGAN A PARTNERSHIP WITH OSU DEPARTMENT OF GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION TO PROVIDE A PROGRAM PREPARING RESIDENTS/FELLOWS IN THEIR FINAL YEAR OF TRAINING TO TRANSITION TO PRACTICE BY INFORMING THEM OF BASICS SUCH AS CONTRACTING, MEDICAL LIABILITY INSURANCE, FINANCIAL MANAGMENT, WELLNESS, AND MUCH MORE. MUCH OF OUR WORK IS INVOLVED IN THE CREATION AND PRESENTATION OF CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION FOR PHYSICIANS. THE CME MISSION OF THE OSTEOPATHIC FOUNDERS FOUNDATION IS TO CONTINUALLY IMPROVE PATIENT CARE BY PROVIDING TIMELY, RELEVANT, EVIDENCE-BASED CLINICAL KNOWLEDGE TO OSTEOPATHIC PHYSICIANS AND OTHER HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS. IN 2009 THE FOUNDATION RECEIVED ITS INITIAL ACCREDITATION FROM THE AMERICAN OSTEOPATHIC ASSOCIATION AS A CATEGORY 1-A PROVIDER. SINCE THEN, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS ALLOWING US TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO OUR PROGRAMS TO ALL OSTEOPATHIC PHYSICIANS, PHARMACISTS, NURSES, COUNSELORS, AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS. DURING 2023, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS WERE OFFERED IN A VARIETY OF SPECIALTIES INCLUDING PSYCHIATRY, ADDICTION MEDICINE, PEDIATRICS, EMERGENCY MEDICINE, INTERNAL MEDICINE, NEUROLOGY, AND A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS IN PRIMARY CARE. WE ALSO OFFERED THE FIRST OF OUR PROGRAMS MEETING REQUIREMENTS OF THE MATE ACT WHICH IS REQUIRED IN ORDER FOR PHYSICIANS TO RENEW THEIR DEA LICENSE. THE CHALLENGES OF CONTINUING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES DURING THE PANDEMIC LED TO THE CREATION OF THE ECME MONTHLY MEDICINE PROGRAM WHICH HAS EXPANDED OUR REACH TO PHYSICIANS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. THESE PROGRAMS HAVE A GROWING AUDIENCE EACH MONTH AS WE ADDRESS TOPICS OF INTEREST ACROSS SPECIALTIES AT NO COST TO THE LEARNERS. THE FOUNDATION CONTINUES TO OFFER PROGRAMS ADDRESSING OKLAHOMA'S OPIOID CRISIS BY PRESENTING, WITH OUR PARTNERS, MULTIPLE SESSIONS, BOTH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUALLY WHICH ALLOW BOTH DO'S AND MD'S TO MEET THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENT OF EDUCATION ON THE PRESCRIBING OF CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES. THE FOUNDATION CONTINUES TO MEET ITS MANDATE OFSERVING THE CONTINUUM OF MEDICAL EDUCATION FROM MEDICAL SCHOOL THROUGH MEDICAL PRACTICE.