Peter B. Ajluni, DO
2007 - 2008 AOA President
DOs: Fit for Life

In the words of John Lennon, “Life is what happens, when you are busy making other plans.”

A year ago in this ballroom and on this very stage, I was elected to be your President-elect and the 111th President of the American Osteopathic Association. It was truly the greatest highlight of my professional career, if not my life. I remember how excited I was to step into this role, and I made plans to learn everything I could about the AOA and how we could make it work better for you. I planned to tutor under John Strosnider, a great President of the AOA, who would take me under his wing, show me the ropes, and swear me in as President. It would truly be a joyous and momentous occasion for me and my family – and, although I stand here with a heavy heart, it still is.

“Life is what happens, when you are busy making other plans.”

This a difficult time not only for us, but for the entire osteopathic family. I am deeply saddened, that Stro is not here today, to pass his gavel on to me. But I know he is here. He’s in this room. He’s in all of us – and he’s in the future of osteopathic medicine, through his dedication and friendship, to our osteopathic medical students who are the future of this profession. His “osteopathic light” will live on, in each of us. And, it will live on through the great work that he did this past year, stressing the importance of the basics of osteopathic medicine and encouraging all of us to work toward greatness.

Take the time now to think about what he has meant to you, to your career, and to the osteopathic profession. Please join me in a moment of silence, in honor of the 110th President of the American Osteopathic Association, John A. Strosnider, DO.

Just as our founder A.T. Still once said of the DO designation that “no finer title can follow a human name,” there is no finer AOA President to follow than Dr. Strosnider. If you knew Stro, you knew he was not big on ceremony. In fact, if he were sitting right behind me now, you would hear him saying - “Pete - Let’s get on with it!”

Okay, Stro – I will get on with it. I do hereby formally accept the Presidency of the American Osteopathic Association!!

As I was preparing to talk with you today, I kept thinking back, over my life and reflecting on what brought me to this moment. In fact, I’m not quite sure where the time has gone. It seems like only yesterday I was in medical school, reciting the Osteopathic Oath. I guess it’s true - “Life is what happens, when you are busy making other plans.”

Well, I was busy. As a youngster, I always had my sights on being a physician. My great-grandfather was, after all, a bone-setter back in the “Old Country.” I worked hard to achieve those dreams and my parents encouraged me. Thanks to my Dad, a hard-working immigrant, who I’m sure is smiling proudly upon me now, and my dear Mother, who couldn’t be with us today, that passion paid off, and I joined the long line of Ajluni physicians. I owe everything to my parents. They were great role models who taught me how to laugh, how to love, and how to care.

Today, the Ajluni family is 32 doctors strong and that includes one of my own sons, Matthew, whom you just met. I am blessed to have the support of the Ajluni doctors. They represent a legacy of service to their patients. And, they are a tribute to the high emphasis of education in the immigrant experience. The Dean of the Ajluni doctors is my mentor, Dr. Roger Ajluni, who has supported me since I began my career. Would you all please stand and be recognized.

My family has been very important to me, and I make sure that I have time to spend with them. I feel very blessed to have two fine sons, Mark and Matthew. Everyone always asks if there’s a Luke and a John too, but in case you were wondering, we stopped at Mark and Matthew!

My heart is filled with pride and love for both of them. And, I am blessed to have a beautiful and talented daughter, Noelle, and a wonderful son-in-law, Kurt Cassel. They have given my wife and me three beautiful granddaughters, Julia, Ava and Maria, who are the joys of our lives. However, the most important person in my life is my best friend and wife, Judy. I really am fortunate that she came into my life over 40 years ago. I can only say that knowing Judy has made me a better person. I love her with every fiber of my being. Judy, would you please join me at the podium and accept these roses as a token of my love.

I’m truly blessed to have such great mentors, friends and family in my life and for them to travel such great distances to be here with us today. I say, once again, thank you and I love you all.

I am also blessed to have my AOA family – our Board of Trustees and the superb AOA staff led by executive director John Crosby, who has a boundless amount of energy and enthusiasm for propelling this profession forward. I personally want to thank you all for your great work.

Today, more than ever before, we realize the importance of health, wellness and preventative care. As a fellow osteopathic physician and a family man, I know how life is. We volunteer; we work long hours; we process paperwork; skip lunch; grab a candy bar and a bag of chips to tide us over; check on one more patient, one more time; come home in time for a late dinner and watch the news and weather; collapse for the night….and get up early the next morning to start the routine all over again. We work hard hours – long hours – to take good care of our patients’ health. But I fear, it is often to the detriment of our own health. We must find time to take care of ourselves!

This year, the AOA will focus on fitness. I want all DOs, all osteopathic medical students, and the entire AOA to serve as role models for our patients and our society by becoming “Fit for Life.” I ask you to join me in achieving this three-fold plan by:

One - Bringing the same sense of commitment that you have to serving patients to serving yourself.

Two – Striving to keep the AOA and our state societies and specialty colleges fiscally fit organizations.

And…

Three – Ensuring our nation’s health care delivery system is healthy. We must reform the dangerously flawed system currently in place if we truly want our nation to be fit.

The recent release of a movie, that The New York Times, calls a “jumping-off point for health care change” is titled “Sicko.” We all know our system is not perfect, it’s in need of many changes, including professional liability insurance reform, eliminating the sustained growth rate, reauthorizing the state children’s health insurance program and, more than anything else, providing health care coverage for all. We are leaders of this system, and our patients, the people of the United States, look to us for a cure. Let’s refer to this state of affairs not as “Sicko” but rather “Health-O” or “Fit-O!” Let’s use this speech and our memories of John Strosnider as a jumping off point for health care changes that promote wellness, fitness, and preventative care!

LET’S BE FIT FOR LIFE!!!
In all of these aspects, we have a long way to go.

First, we as physicians must devote ourselves to becoming fit. Living healthier lifestyles not only makes our nation healthier, but saves us billions of dollars in health care costs, to wit:

• If we reduced the number of overweight or obese Americans, which currently stands at 192 million, by just 1%, we could save hundreds of millions of dollars.
• Even in this day and age, tobacco is unique because it kills more Americans annually than AIDS, alcohol, cocaine, heroin, homicides, suicides, car accidents and fires combined.
• Similarly, if 1% of the 44 million Americans who smoke decided to quit this year, we could save over a billion dollars in combined medical expenditures and lost productivity costs.

A 30-minute walk every day with your family not only will help you fit into your favorite suit that’s been hanging in the back of your closet forever, but will also help lower your blood pressure, improve your lipid profiles, and avoid diabetes. As physicians, we know all the healthy benefits you reap from living fit lifestyles, but do we practice what we preach?

Now is the time for us to stop just talking the talk and start – literally – walking the walk.

If you looked in the bag you received at registration, you probably noticed a pedometer. This is a gift from the AOA to you. The American Heart Association recommends 10,000 steps per day. The informal runs with me in the morning and the AOA “jump drive” to input and keep track of your personal medical history – also aren’t here by accident. They are tools to help you begin living better, feeling better, and walking the road to fitness.

We as physicians must work to decrease preventable chronic diseases and truly improve health, thereby decreasing costs. As you well know, the majority of chronic disease is preventable. It accounts for 70% of deaths and over 75% of the 1.4 trillion dollars in total medical costs. There are many stakeholders in this battle – school systems, small and large companies, federal and state government, and engaged community and society leaders. But the most important stakeholder in preventing disease is YOU, and how YOU treat the patients you serve.

State associations can help to provide good health too. In 2006, my own Michigan Osteopathic Association determined that promoting a commitment to primary care and prevention would be a priority. It couldn’t have come at a more critical time as Michigan, and many other states face a decreasing supply of primary care physicians and an increasing prevalence of chronic disease. That’s why the MOA is taking the initiative to host health clinics, fairs and programs that embody “Fit for Life” themes. I congratulate my colleagues in Michigan. I call upon the AOA to collaborate with every state to make programs like this available nationwide.

To prepare for my presidency, I have done many things. I try to work out every day not only for my waist line, heart and sanity, but also to get in shape for the marathon of meetings and travel that await Judy and me this coming year. Tomorrow I am running. I’d like you to join me. Let’s meet in the lobby of the Fairmont at 6am to get in a short run before business starts again or before you get on that airplane.

The AOA must “get in shape,” too. So, to begin our “training program” last month, I joined our family practitioners and internists at an Osteopathic Roundtable in Washington, DC. This conference focused on the problem of obesity and whether or not it is a medical condition, not just a lifestyle issue. After presentations by nationally-known cardiologists, endocrinologists and obesity specialists, consensus was that obesity IS a medical condition.

I met with the Executive Director of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, Melissa Johnson, to discuss the AOA’s role and the pivotal role WE as physicians can have in the lives of millions of people across our country.

I visited with the Acting Surgeon General of the United States, Rear Admiral Kenneth P. Moritsugu, who serves on the Board of the American Osteopathic Foundation. Ken shared with me the “President’s Challenge” to every American, and especially our children - to stop smoking, end underage drinking, and wear a seat belt. He urged me to adopt this challenge. So to Ken, I say - we do adopt these challenges. And we will make a difference.

Recently, I also had the honor of befriending a fellow Michigan physician who is just as dedicated to public health as I am. He is the new AMA president Ron Davis. I look forward to working closely with Ron this year, and collaborating with the AMA, on a number of healthy initiatives for patients and for physicians.

To help accomplish this “Fit for Life” agenda, I have several plans and challenges to present to my AOA family:

• In honor of President Strosnider, I call upon, the AOA to establish a Council on Men’s Health Issues and report back to this House of Delegates with recommendations to make the men of the AOA “Fit for Life,” just as the Council of Women’s Health Issues is doing for our AOA women.
• I call upon, our Bureau of Osteopathic Clinical Effectiveness and Research to add wellness and preventative health care to the CAP modules.
• I call upon, our Department of Government Relations to re-double its efforts in obtaining an AOA seat on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness.
• I call upon, our Bureau of Federal Health Programs and our Bureau of State Government Affairs to help introduce legislation to put physical education back into our schools five days a week.
• I call upon, our Bureau of Federal Health programs, our Bureau of State Government Affairs, and our Council on Socioeconomic Affairs to seek recognition of wellness and preventative health care for reimbursement purposes under Medicare, Medicaid, and private sector insurance plans.
• I call upon, our Corporate Advisory Board to urge the pharmaceutical industry to support our specialty colleges and state societies, who sponsor CME programs, that address obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. The affiliates should reciprocate with fun runs/walks at their conventions, heart healthy meals at their meetings, and training standards that incorporate preventative care.
• I call upon, John Crosby and the AOA staff to continue implementing their “Family Fitness for You” program until the AOA headquarters is smoke free and serving only heart healthy foods.
• I call upon, each of you, as members of the osteopathic family, to participate in the Fit for Life 5K Fun Run/Walk at the AOA’s convention in San Diego. You can register on DO-Online. Don’t wait! Do it today!
• I call upon, our colleges of osteopathic medicine and AACOM to add wellness and fitness subjects to their curricula. My hope is that the COMs will also hold fun runs and walks for the students and faculty during every campus visit I make this year.
• I call upon, our American Osteopathic Foundation and our student organizations, COSGP and SOMA, to collaborate and create osteopathic medical school campuses that are “Fit for Life.”
• I call upon, you to continue to educate yourselves on health and wellness by attending seminars like the National Prevention and Health Promotion Summit to be held this fall. The AOA will be there.
• Last, but not least, I call upon, President Bush to declare just one day this year – and every year thereafter – National Health Day. Let us honor, just once a year,
  our health
  the life our parents gave us
  the good health that we seek
  the fitness we aspire to achieve
  the wellness that we hope to have throughout our lives
  and the quality care that will make our patients
  our associations
  our society
  Fit for Life!

Yes, life happens when you are busy making other plans. This is our life. These are our plans. Join me in this crusade! Share this vision!! Commit to this great mission!!! Adopt this as your strategic plan!!!! And together we will continue the AOA Campaign for Greatness by making it and every DO – Fit for Life!!!!!