History

SHORT HISTORY OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE IN INDIANA

Most information herein was compiled originally by the late Arabelle Wolf, D.O., of Indianapolis, and presented by her in remarks addressed to the 1970 annual convention of the Indiana Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons.

Dr. Andrew Taylor Still propounded the basic principles of osteopathic medicine in 1874 and founded the first school of osteopathy in Kirksville, MO, in 1892.  In 1896, Vermont was the first state to license D.O.s. One year later the American Association for the Advancement of Osteopathy--forerunner of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)--was founded.

In 1897, the Indiana Medical Act was adopted.  It provided that no school of medicine shall be discriminated against and that each school shall have a member on the medical licensing board.

In December 1898, the Indiana Osteopathic Association (Association) was formed by five D.O.s who met in Crawfordsville. Dr. H. J. Jones, of Indianapolis, was elected first president. On July 5 and 6, 1899, the AOA's national convention was held in Indianapolis.

D.O.s were first licensed to practice in Indiana in 1901, and in 1905 the Indiana Medical Act was amended to give osteopathy a seat on the medical licensing board.  The amendment also required the board to test and license D.O.s.

The mid-year meeting of the Association in 1905 had the largest attendance at a meeting to that date, with 55 osteopathic physicians present.   In 1910 Abraham Flexner presented his Flexner Report on the condition of medical education in the United States (U.S.).  This report eventually caused the upgrading of U.S. medical education.

On December 12, 1917, Dr. Andrew T. Still died at Kirksville, Missouri, at the age of 89.

By 1920 there were 63 AOA members in Indiana.  During the 1920's, the Clark-Blakeslee Osteopathic Hospital in Indianapolis operated for the care of osteopathic patients.  Part of the program at the 1922 annual convention was carried out at the Clark-Blakeslee Osteopathic Hospital, with 50 state members present.

In 1923, the Indiana General Assembly enacted legislation allowing osteopathic physicians to practice osteopathy, obstetrics, surgery, and to use antiseptics anesthetics and narcotics, thus opening the door for wider practice by osteopathic physicians in Indiana.  At the annual convention in Kokomo in 1927, there were 65 D.O.s present.

By 1930,  there were 138 osteopathic physicians practicing in Indiana.  In 1931, Dr. R. C. McCaughan, of Kokomo, became executive secretary of the AOA, a position he held for twenty-five years until 1956.

After the closing of the Clark-Blakeslee Osteopathic Hospital in 1930, Dr. John H. Eagan, of South Bend, chairman of the Association's hospital committee, made a detailed report at the annual convention recommending the establishment of five osteopathic hospitals within the next five years, but the project did not materialize.

In 1935, the Auxiliary to the Indiana Osteopathic Association was organized and Mrs. Francis E. (Jule) Warner was elected its first president.  Nineteen wives attended this historic first meeting at the Canyon Inn, McCormick's Creek State Park, in October, 1935.

In 1936, the Kinsinger Plaque was established on motion made by Dr. C. Allen Brink and the first Kinsinger Plaque was awarded to Dr. Leroy P. Ramsdell at the 1936 annual convention in South Bend.

Conceived by Drs. Paul van B. Allen and Russell C.  McCaughan, the Kinsinger Plaque originally was to be awarded to the best paper at each annual convention, but soon was changed to be awarded to the physician who made the greatest contribution to the profession during the year.

Dr. Allen devised the wording on the plaque.  For a number of years, the presentation of the plaque was made by Dr. V. B. Wolfe, then of Walkerton.  He made the presentation in moving and striking award ceremonies.

In 1940, the Association adopted its present name, the Indiana Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (IAOPS).

In 1943, Mrs. Paul van B. Allen was elected president of the Auxiliary to the AOA (AAOA) and initiated its present influential stature in the profession.

In 1945, Dr. Hermann E. Rinne, as Chairman of the legislative committee, led the historic movement which resulted in legislative action granting full practice rights to osteopathic physicians in Indiana, including "osteopathy, medicine, surgery, and obstetrics."

In March 1946, the South Bend Osteopathic Hospital was founded by Drs. Ernest Decker, David E. Turfler, Francis A. Turfler and Albert F. Kull.  The South Bend Osteopathic Hospital opened in August, 1948, with 25 beds and a staff of nine osteopathic physicians.

The same year, 1948, a new AOA office in Chicago opened.

In 1954, Mrs. Paul van B. Allen was elected president of the AAOA for the second time.  Mrs. L. A. Marohn was elected first vice president and Mrs. Howard E. Eastman served as a delegate to the AAOA House of Delegates.  Mrs. J. Wesley Elbert served as corresponding secretary and Mrs. Francis E. Warner was scholarship chairman. In 1954, Dr. Frances A. Turfler was elected treasurer of the IAOPS, a position which he held until 1979, and Dr. Arabelle Wolf was elected secretary, a position she held for the next fourteen years.

It was during the early 1950's that Dr. J. Wesley Elbert became highly instrumental in opening the southern part of Indiana to osteopathic medicine with his recruiting of osteopathic physicians in that part of the state.

In 1956, Dr. Russell C. McCaughan retired as executive secretary of the AOA and received in 1957 the AOA Distinguished Service Certificate for his outstanding accomplishments in professional affairs.

In 1956, Dr. Paul van B. Allen delivered the A. T. Still Memorial Lecture at the AOA national convention in New York City and in August 1956, Drs. Les Shurig and Henry A. Peters obtained the Oakland City Hospital.

On May 26, 1957, the South Bend Osteopathic Hospital held an open house for its new building of 105 beds and 22 bassinets, with a staff of 44 osteopathic physicians.

In July 1957, Dr. J. E. Baker received the "GP of the Year" award at the AOA national convention in Dallas, Texas.  Dr. Baker practiced in Brazil from 1900 until his death in August 1961, at 90.

In July 1959, Dr. James H. McCormick was elected third vice president of the AOA.

The year 1960 was of historic importance to osteopathy in Indiana.

By 1960 there were 187 osteopathic physicians in Indiana and Dr. James H. McCormick was elected vice president of the AOA.

In 1960, Dr. J. E. Baker attended his 59th annual convention of the IAOPS.

It also was in 1960 that the Westview Hospital project began in Indianapolis.

And that year was the silver anniversary of the Auxiliary.  The profession was maturing rapidly. Among the Auxiliary founders who attended the silver anniversary luncheon at the Marott Hotel in Indianapolis were Mmes. J. J. Stewart, V. B. Wolfe, Paul van B. Allen, C. B. Blakeslee, Fred L. Swope, Francis E. Warner, C. Allen Brink, Walter S. Grow, Russell C. McCaughan, and William E. Bodenhamer.

In 1969, Wirth Memorial Hospital at Oakland City opened with 35 beds and 4 bassinets, with Drs. Gerald G. Gray, Bruce C. Brink, Sr., Glenn O. Dickenson, and Henry A. Peters on staff.

A 1974 study revealed that 43 Indiana hospitals had at least one D.O. on staff.

In 1974, the Indiana General Assembly created the Indiana Medical Distribution Loan Fund (IMDLF) Board of Trustees to make scholarship loans to medical students.  Governor Otis R. Bowen, M.D., appointed Dr. Arthur E. Dannin as a board member. Through the diligence of Dr. Dannin, osteopathic medical students were treated on a parity with M.D. students.  Ten osteopathic medical students received initial grants of $3,000 each, making the first time in history that any state funds went to osteopathic medicine.

In 1975, Westview Hospital in Indianapolis opened its doors.  The idea of an Indianapolis osteopathic hospital was first proposed by Dr. Paul van B. Allen at a district meeting.  The project got underway in the early 1960s with an initial contribution of $50,000 from Mrs. A. C. Atkins. Mr. John E. Cady succeeded Dr. Allen as president of the hospital project and guided it through its final fund-raising efforts.  In 1975, Mr. Cady became chairman and Mr. Kendrick M. Hickman became the third president. Members of the governing board included Indianapolis Mayor Richard G. Lugar, who was most instrumental in the development of the project. Other leading citizens who provided invaluable aid in the project included August (Bud) Hook and Beurt R. SerVaas.  The initial Administrator, Edward Gerber, was succeeded in 1975 by James F. Knopp.

In 1975, the medical licensing laws were completely remodified.  Osteopathic physicians were treated on a parity with M.D.'s in all respects and continued to be accorded one seat on the medical licensing board.

In 1975, the Indiana Academy of Osteopathy (IAO) was formed with Dr. S. Jack Drake, of South Bend, as president.  In 1976, the Indiana Academy of Osteopathic General Practice (IAOGP) was formed and headed by Dr. Claude E. Foreit.

In  August 1975, nineteen years of public service rendered by Dr. H. Dearing Wolf as a member of the medical licensing board ended abruptly when he and the entire board resigned on the matter of principle in a dispute with Governor Otis R. Bowen.  Dr. Wolf had served nine years as secretary of the board. He was the sole osteopathic member. The Governor then announced the appointment of Dr. Bruce C. Brink, Sr., of Princeton, as the new osteopathic member of the board to fill out the unexpired term to April 23, 1977.  Dr. Brink accepted the appointment after consultation with Dr. Wolf.

The dispute with the Governor involved an M.D. whose license had been revoked.  The medical licensing board had granted him a limited license, after several years, in an effort to rehabilitate him.

Dr. Brink brought a heritage of public service to the medical licensing board, his father having served as a member before Dr. H. Dearing Wolf.

In 1975, Mayor Richard G. Lugar was elected to the U.S. Senate.  Senator Lugar was then a member of the governing board of Westview Hospital and had served as chairman of one of its fund drives.

In 1976 and 1977, the South Bend Osteopathic Hospital was remodeled.

In 1977, a Clinical Conference celebrated its 10th anniversary.  The Clinical Conference, affiliated with the IAOPS, had served as the chief osteopathic continuing medical education (CME) program in the state outside of the IAOPS's annual convention.

The IMDLF, created in 1974 by the legislature proved increasingly helpful to osteopathic medical students in the second half of the 1970's.  Nine grants were made to osteopathic medical students for the 1978-1979 school year. Dr. Arthur E. Dannin was elected chairman of the board in 1979 and re-elected in 1980.

The Hoosier Osteopathic Political Action Committee (HOPAC) was organized in 1978 to support party committees for the election of state legislative candidates.

At the 1979 annual convention, Dr. Francis A. Turfler completed a quarter century of service as treasurer, turning the office over to Dr. Henry V. Frazzini.

Elaine Janssens was awarded a Certificate of Merit for twenty-five years of service as convention registrar and assistant to the treasurer, amid a host of other work on behalf of osteopathic medicine.  She and her husband, Bob, accepted the award at the President's Banquet at the annual convention. In 1980, she was named permanent Director of Conventions.

The IAOPS was wracked by a number of deaths of prominent members in 1979 and 1980.  On January 4, 1979, Dr. Richard B. Wolfe died. He was president in 1965-1966 and the Kinsinger Plaque recipient in 1966 and was a co-founder of the Clinical Conference, the oldest and longest continuing CME program for the osteopathic profession.  His wife, Gwen, followed him in death the same year.

In November 1979, Dr. Walter W. Landis, also a past president died.  He also was a founder and chairman of the Clinical Conference and a past chairman of the South Bend Osteopathic Hospital.  In an unprecedented act, the IAOPS posthumously awarded him the Kinsinger Plaque in 1980.

On March 11, 1980, past president Dr. Paul van B. Allen died at 81, having been a guiding light in Indiana osteopathy since 1924.  He was the first president of Westview Hospital. He led the IAOPS to close alliance with the AOA, strong support of the colleges and close adherence to osteopathic principles.

On June 16, 1980, Dr. Francis B. Warner died at the age of 82 in Bloomington, where he had practiced for many years.  He was a 1922 graduate of Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM) and was a life member of the AOA and the IAOPS.  He twice served as president of the IAOPS in 1941-1942 and 1950-1951. Dr. Warner received the Kinsinger Plaque in 1947 and became one of the most active members of the Kinsinger Plaque selection committee.  He and his wife, Jule, gave great help and encouragement to young D.O.s.

Dr. Fred L. Swope died on October 6, 1980, after becoming ill at his home in Richmond.  He practiced continuously in Richmond for over fifty years and was a life member of IAOPS.  He was president of the IAOPS in 1942-1943, having received the Kinsinger Plaque in 1940. He served for many years as editor of the IAOPS publications.  In later years, Dr. Swope was an active member of the Kinsinger Plaque selection committee and officiated at a number of functions at the annual conventions.

Dr. Stanley N. Wilson was elected third vice president of the AOA in 1979.  Dr. Bruce C. Brink, Sr. became president of the medical licensing board. Dr. J. Wesley Elbert was selected as a 1980 Indiana Jefferson Award recipient for dedicated service to others without seeking personal recognition.  He also was a recipient of the "U.S. Coast Guard Commendation Medal" for volunteer medical service.

In 1979, Dr. Frederic L. Jackson, son of Dr. and Mrs. Gail Jackson, was appointed to head the Aviation Medicine Operations Branch of the U.S. Navy Department of Aerospace Medicine, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.  As an aviator and physician, he holds one of the highest positions of a D.O. in U.S. military medicine. Dr. Jackson addressed the 1980 annual convention.

In 1980, the Auxiliary initiated the Jule Warner-Frances Allen award for outstanding service to the Auxiliary and the profession.  The award named after Mrs. Frances B. Warner and Mrs. Paul van B. Allen, whose service to osteopathic medicine through the Auxiliary for so many years had endeared them to the hearts of all.  The first recipient was Mrs. Warner herself.

As the IAOPS entered the 1980's, it continued to be accorded increasing respect at the state level in legislative and administrative bodies as a sound, responsible "other voice" in medicine.  A political action committee, organization in 1978, continued to make modest contributions to candidates of both parties to the Indiana House of Representatives and the Indiana Senate.

In 1981, it was announced that Dr. Donald R. Hinton, of Nappanee, had been appointed to the governing board of Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM), making him the second Hoosier serving on the board.  Dr. Beurt R. SerVass, of Indianapolis, was chairman of the board.

The IAOPS hired its first full-time executive director, Thomas D. Hanstrom,  William Wood resigned after ten years of service to the IAOPS. A central office was established at Keystone Crossing, Indianapolis, in November 1981.

Dr. Stanley N. Wilson, of South Bend, was elected president-elect of the AOA by the House of Delegates in Chicago, in July 1983.

1983 and early 1984 were significant times in the life of the IAOPS.  There were several physicians that passed away during that time, the most notable being Dr. Francis A. Turfler.  Dr. Turfler was a cherished member of the IAOPS and his presence was sorely missed. Dr. Stanley N. Wilson was elected president of the AOA.  Dr. Wilson was the first Indiana osteopathic physician to reach this pinnacle of osteopathic medicine. He was inaugurated at the AOA House of Delegates session in Denver, in July 1984.  A gala reception was provided by the IAOPS and South Bend Osteopathic Hospital.

Late in 1984, Mr. Hanstrom announced that he would be leaving the IAOPS.  Stephen J. Noone was hired as the second executive director of the IAOPS. Osteopathic medicine was undergoing many pressures from the outside.  With the advent of health maintenance organizations (HMO's), preferred provider organizations (PPO's), peer review organizations (PRO's) and many other constraints and changes to the practice of medicine, the environment was becoming increasing business oriented with the art of medicine potentially suffering.

In the summer of 1985, Professional Mutual Insurance Company failed to receive authorization for a "contribution to surplus" plan from the Indiana Department of Insurance.  Hence, it voluntarily withdrew from the state as a provider of professional liability insurance, in effect cancelling policies for 41 D.O.s in Indiana, who thus were forced to seek coverage from other carriers.  This act marked the severity of the medical malpractice insurance crisis which nationally confronted all physicians. Indiana's 1975 Medical Malpractice Act became the envied model for many states which sought tort reform to ease the crisis locally.

In January 1986, Dr. John T. Hinton was appointed by Governor Robert D. Orr to the medical licensing board to succeed Dr. Bruce C. Brink, Sr.  Dr. Brink had served on the board for eleven years and for much of that time, was a member of the board's controlled substances committee. He had earned great respect from his M.D. colleagues and was elevated to "Sagamore of the Wabash" by Governor Orr at the 1986 annual convention in Merrillville.

On December 1, 1986, the IAOPS executive offices relocated to 3520 Guion Road, Suite 106.  In signing a five-year lease, the new offices more than doubled the original office and put the IAOPS in a location more visible to many of its members and pharmaceutical representatives and suppliers who regularly call on physicians.  Access to the state legislature and state regulatory agencies was much more convenient in the new location adjacent to Interstate 65, five minutes from downtown Indianapolis.

Tragedy struck the 1987 annual convention in Evansville.  The IAOPS president, Dr. David F. Poore, died suddenly on April 24 while playing tennis at the end of the day.  He was attended immediately by fellow physicians who were unable to revive him. Dr. Poore's wife, Luz, was present at the annual convention.  Regrettably, Dr. Poore's untimely death prevented him from presiding at the President's Banquet at which he was awarded the Kinsinger Plaque.

The 1987-1988 fiscal year continued to be a sad one for all members as the IAOPS witnessed the deaths of a number of D.O.s who contributed significantly to the growth of the profession in Indiana.  Among those who died during the year were Drs. Arthur E. Dannin, Lyle B. Davis, Marvin C. Marquardt, William S. Walters, Dale G. Treadwell, and V. B. Wolfe.

The IAOPS also began publishing Just for the Health of It, a weekly newsletter on national health issues for members of the Indiana General Assembly.  The one page publication provides practical information to elected officials and at the same time keeps the name of osteopathy in front of local legislators on a regular basis.  The IAOPS’s Board of Trustees also use the newsletter as a source for public relations material for their local communities.

In 1988-1989, decisions by agencies outside the osteopathic family had significant impact on the practice of osteopathic medicine in Indiana.  The medical licensing board severely restricted the use of amphetamines and sympathomimeticamine drugs. The Indiana General Assembly implemented a new multiple copy prescription law designed to curb the illegal diversion of Schedule II narcotics.  The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) awarded the peer review contract for Indiana Medicare to Sentinel Medical Review Organization.

Finally, the Rockwood Insurance Company made a corporate decision to withdraw from the professional liability insurance market, forcing the majority of Indiana D.O.s to search elsewhere for medical malpractice insurance.

At the annual meeting in April, 1989, the membership approved a major revision in the By-laws, streamlining the IAOPS from a structure of twenty-two committees to only ten.  The Board of Trustees had made the recommendation to effect a greater level of activity on the part of the constituted committees.

The image of the osteopathic profession in Indiana significantly improved during the 1989-1990 fiscal year.  Dr. John T. Hinton was elected president of the medical licensing board. The IAOPS launched the highly-successful Health News Network, a semi-monthly series of news releases on health issues mailed to more than 150 Indiana weekly newspapers.  The IAOPS promoted the candidacy of Dr. Donald E. Kotoske for a position on the AOA Board of Trustees.

The Auxiliary created the Arthur E. Dannin Osteopathic Educational Foundation (Dannin Foundation) in memory of the Frankfort general practitioner who had worked so tirelessly for student scholarships over the years.  Founded to assist Indiana students in osteopathic medical schools, the Dannin Foundation's Board of Directors initially met during the 1990 annual convention with Brandy Dickenson, Robert Fairley, Sharon Helman and Eloise Sparks representing the Auxiliary while Drs. Glenn O. Dickenson, Dawn A. Fairley, and James M. Miley represented the IAOPS.

However, 1989-1990 also was a sad year due to the deaths of a number of long-standing members Drs. James A. Dillon, John D. Hall, Ed. C. Thorington and Lee W. Yoder.  Four faithful Auxiliary members Louise Bodenhamer, Charlotte Jackson, Helen Lippincott and Helen Murphy also died during the year.

The IAOPS moved its executive offices to a larger suite in the same building during the 1990-1991 fiscal year.  Earlier in the year, the HOPAC voted to disband and donate its assets to the Dannin Foundation. The Dannin Foundation awarded its first two student loans to Indiana students of osteopathic medical schools to Gregory Terpstra of the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences (UOMHS) in Des Moines and Blake Titzer of KCOM.

Membership news again was bittersweet for the IAOPS.  Dr. John T. Hinton, of West College Corner, was elected to the Board of Directors of the U.S. Federation of State Licensing Boards.  Dr. Donald E. Kotoske, of South bend, was named "Physician of the Year" by the American College of General Practitioners in Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery.  Two faithful members and one ardent supporter, Dr. Arthur D. Strefling, of South Bend, Marjorie Wolf, of Indianapolis, and the first full-time IAOPS executive director, Thomas D. Hanstrom, prematurely died during the year.

The 1991-1992 year brought sadness, joy, and changes to the IAOPS.  Two physicians who were instrumental in establishing osteopathic hospitals in Indiana were lost to their families and colleagues.  Dr. Albert F. Kull was active in founding South Bend Osteopathic Hospital, now Michiana Community Hospital. Dr. H. Dearing Wolf was a founder of Westview Hospital in Indianapolis.

Dr. Donald E. Kotoske, of South Bend, was elected third vice president of the AOA at its House of Delegates meeting in July, 1992.  IAOPS executive director, Stephen J. Noone, accepted the executive directorship of the AAO, and Michael H. Claphan was hired as his replacement.

In 1993, Dr. Donald E. Kotoske again was elected to the AOA's Board of Trustees, this time as second vice president.  Dr. Patrick W. Russell, of Elkhart, was named to the medical licensing board, replacing long-time member, Dr. John T. Hinton.

In 1995, Dr. Patrick W. Russell, of Elkhart, was elected president of the medical licensing board.

Michiana  Community Hospital (which opened its door as South Bend Osteopathic Hospital in 1948) merged with Ancilla System, which operated St. Joseph Community Hospital, of  Mishawaka, in 1995. The medical staffs were combined. Michiana Community Hospital was renamed St. Mary Community Hospital.

Long time contributor to the osteopathic profession and his community, Dr. Donald R. Hinton died in March 1996.  In addition to serving as president of the IAOPS and receiving the J.B. Kinsinger Plaque on two separate occasions, Dr. Hinton served as a delegate for eight years to the AOA House of Delegates.  He was a trustee of the AOA from 1966 through 1971, serving in many capacities.

In 1996, two Indiana D.O.s, Drs. Mark S. Cantieri and Dawn A. Fairley, completed the Health Policy Fellowship Program sponsored by the AOA, Ohio University College of Osteopathic (OUCOM) and Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM).

Westview Hospital was named one of the “100 Top Hospitals” by HCIA, a Baltimore based healthcare information company, and the Healthcare Provider Consulting Practice of William M. Mercer, a  New York based consulting firm in 1996.

The same year, the IAOPS Board of Trustees became aware that certain Indiana hospitals were still discriminating against physicians on the basis of their osteopathic residency training and board certification.  Representative Bob Behning, of Indianapolis, agreed to author a bill modeled on Oregon’s anti-discrimination law. After being passed by the House with only one opposing vote, the bill was sponsored in the Senate by Senator Patricia Miller, also of Indianapolis.  The Senate passed the bill as well, this time with no opposing votes. Governor Frank O’Bannon signed the bill and it became Indiana law July 1, 1997.

1997 was a milestone year for the IAOPS as it celebrated its 100th anniversary.  More than 150 physicians participated in the annual convention, setting a new attendance record.  Letters of congratulation from Governor Frank O’Bannon, Senators Richard Lugar and Dan Coats, Representatives Dan Burton, Steve Buyer, Julia Carson, John Hostettler, Edward Pease, Tim Roemer, and Mark Souder, and President Pro Tempore of the Indiana Senate, Robert Garton, were presented during the President’s Banquet.  Senator Garton’s letter noted that his father was an osteopathic physician in Iowa, practicing 55 years before his retirement.

On June 27, 1997, St. Mary Community Hospital, of South Bend, began offering outpatient services only, with all acute care operations having been moved to St. Joseph Community Hospital, of Mishawaka.

It also was in 1997 that the IAOPS adopted a resolution to do business as the Indiana Osteopathic Association (IOA), and  Gloria Krejsa was elected a director of the AAOA.

In 1998, Dr. Patrick W. Russell, of Elkhart, resigned from the Medical Licensing Board.  Governor Frank O’Bannon appointed Dr. Richard A. Halstead, of Mooresville, as the osteopathic physician on the Board.

Dr. Max E. Helman, of Mishawaka, was installed as president of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians at their annual convention in March 1998.

In May 1988, recognizing a need to raise the profile of osteopathic medicine with the Indiana General Assembly, the IAOPS Board of Trustees reactivated the Hoosier Osteopathic Political Action Committee (HOPAC).

On June 27, 1998, seven months after she and her husband, Bob, were involved in a serious automobile accident, Elaine Janssens succumbed to her injuries.  Mrs. Janssens had served as convention registrar of the association for 44 years before retiring in 1995.

In 1999, at its annual convocation, the American Academy of Osteopathy installed Dr. Mark Cantieri , of Mishawaka, as president.

At its clinical assembly in September, 2002, Dr. Allan Arkush, of Indianapolis, was installed as president of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons (ACOS).

In 2001, Dr. Richard A. Halstead resigned from the medical licensing board.  Dr. Richard J. Krejsa, of Lowell, was appointed by Governor Frank O’Bannon to succeed Dr. Halstead.  

In January, 2004, Dr. Krejsa was elected president of the medical licensing board.

Dr. Albert F. Milford, D.O., of Flossmoor, IL, succeeded Dr. Arkush as president of the ACOS in September 2003.

Following a merger of St. Joseph Community Hospital, of Mishawaka, and St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, of South Bend, the osteopathic internship and residency training program in South Bend closed in 2002.  In July, 2004, the osteopathic internship and residency training program was reactivated under the leadership of Michelle I. Cervin, D.O., as program director.

Westview Hospital added a residency in NeuroMusculoskeletal Medicine (NMM) to its program offerings in 2004.

The Fort Wayne Medical Education Program had its first year of the family practice residency approved as an osteopathic internship beginning in 2003.

In 2006, at the expiration of Dr. Richard J. Krejsa’s term, Dr. Thomas G. Akre, of Mishawaka, was appointed to the medical licensing board by Governor Mitch Daniels.

At its February 2006 meeting, the IOA Board of Trustees decided that Indiana should have a college of osteopathic medicine.  The Board of Trustees put in motion a concerted effort to find a suitable partner, and several Indiana colleges and existing colleges of osteopathic medicine outside Indiana were approached.  After more than three years and the investment of considerable financial and human resources, the IOA endorsed Marian University to develop Indiana's first college of osteopathic medicine.  The Osteopathic Medical Foundation of Michiana was generous with its financial support, as were many D.O.s and friends of the IOA.

In March 2006, the IOA mourned the death of Dr. Daniel J. Motyka, past president and longtime trustee and delegate to the AOA House of Delegates.

Dr. Robert C. Brooksby died tragically in a motorcycle accident in October 2006.

In 2007, the Auxiliary to the IOA followed the lead of the national and changed its name to the Advocates to the IOA.

At its 2010 Annual Meeting, the AOA inaugurated Dr. Karen J. Nichols as the first woman president.  Dr. Nichols practiced in Arizona and Illinois, and serves as Dean of the Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (MWUCOM).  She also was born and spent the first 12 years of her life in Indiana.

Dr. David T. Blank, of Indianapolis, ran for State Representative in 2010.  Dr. Blank campaigned vigorously, but lost to the incumbent.

In the fall of 2010, the American Osteopathic Academy of Anesthesiology elected Dr, James A. Skrabak, of Greenwood, to serve as its president.  Marian University also named Dr. Paul Evans as the founding dean for the Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MUCOM).

On December 1, 2010, Erin Wernert, an experienced physician lobbyist, began her tenure as the new executive director of the IOA.  Michael H. Claphan , CAE, officially retired on January 1, 2011, after 18 years of faithful service to Indiana’s osteopathic physicians.

In a major shift of the Indianapolis healthcare landscape, Westview Hospital announced its affiliation with Community Health Network in 2011.

The Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MUCOM), the first medical school to open in Indiana in over one hundred years, started its first class in August 2013.  This was the culmination of many years of hard work and the financial generosity of many corporations and individuals coupled with a unique partnership between the IOA and the MUCOM.  It was a dream come true for everyone involved and a key event in the history of medicine in the state of Indiana.

On August 1, 2013, the IOA office moved to 3200 Cold Spring Road, Suite 107, in the Michael A. Evans Center for Health Sciences on the campus of Marian University where the MUCOM is located.

In 2015, Community Westview Hospital, in Indianapolis, began decreasing inpatient services and increasing outpatient services, and its osteopathic internship and residency training program was moved to Community Hospital South, in Indianapolis.

In 2016, Community Health Network announced that it was changing services to the city’s west side and closing Community Westview Hospital by the year’s end.

On January 1, 2018, Tabitha Arnett, CAE, an experienced association executive, began her tenure as the new executive director of the IOA. Erin Wernert's last day as executive director was on December 31, 2017, after eight years of service to Indiana’s osteopathic physicians.

In 2019, there were over 1,300 osteopathic physicians residing in Indiana.

On June 26, 2023, Richard Nussle, MPH, began his tenure as the new executive director of the IOA. Tabitha's last day as executive director was June 14, 2023.