If you didn’t go to the Ohio Osteopathic Association’s (OOA) 107^th Annual Meeting & Scientific Seminar you may not know that David A. Bitonte, D.O., M.B.A., of Louisville, Ohio, was installed as its 98^th president. (The OOA convention was held June 23–26 in Cincinnati.) Bitonte is the latest distinguished Ohio osteopathic physician to head the state’s association.

He currently serves as medical director for Ohio KePRO, the Medicare quality improvement organization for Ohio serving 1.8 million beneficiaries. He also served as chief of anesthesiology at Alliance Community Hospital and provided anesthesiology services with Medical Doctor Associates and Concorde Physician Staff Services.

Bitonte is a past president of the American Osteopathic College of Anesthesiologists, the Akron-Canton Academy of Osteopathic Medicine and the Stark County Medical Society. He is a graduate of the University of Dayton, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and Youngstown State University’s M.B.A. program. He completed his internship at Doctors Hospital in Columbus and residencies at the University of Pittsburgh and Warren General Hospital. In addition, he completed a pain therapy fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic as well as the American Osteopathic Association Health Policy Fellowship.

Bitonte will represent the OOA at the annual Convocation Ceremony, which will be held Saturday, Aug. 13, at Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium and will bring greetings from the state’s osteopathic medical profession to the class of incoming first-year medical students. The Phillips Medal of Public Service Ceremony also is held as part of the Convocation, during which outstanding individuals are honored for their contributions to medical education, public service and public administration.

Other OOA officers elected for 2005-2006 are President-elect Victor D. Angel, D.O., of Cincinnati; First Vice President William F. Emlich Jr., D.O. (’86), of Columbus; Second Vice President Barbara A. Bennett, D.O. (’84), of Dayton; and Treasurer Christopher J. Loyke, D.O. (’88), of Cleveland.

“We received quite a bit of positive feedback from conventioneers, especially about our speakers and medical education programs,” said Emlich, convention chairman. About 500 physicians, spouses, medical students and guests attended the convention.

Of particular importance to OU-COM was the presentation of a check for $194,170, to Dean Jack Brose, D.O., during a special convention luncheon (see photo). The check represents a significant part of the matching funds that will help the college draw down an additional $2.6 million from a federal student loan program. To raise the money, the OOA foundation contributed a dollar for every dollar pledged by physicians, osteopathic hospitals, district academies and others. With this latest donation, OOA’s total giving to support OU-COM is more than $1.2 million since 1976.

Outgoing OOA President Jeffrey A. Stanley, D.O. (’82), presented the check on behalf of the profession. He noted the college’s outstanding record in training primary care physicians and the need to support osteopathic medical students. “With this gift, we are happy to support our students at OU-COM as well as build the future of osteopathic medicine in Ohio,” he said.