During these uncertain times, I wanted to express my sincere gratitude to all the physicians and healthcare providers who have put their lives and health at risk to continue to serve the public, our patients, our families, and friends. As one who has recently recovered from COVID-19 (thankfully it was a mild illness) I am grateful for the wonderful state we live in and to have, for the most part, a healthy population compared to many parts of the world. While we have witnessed this pandemic hit some individuals much more seriously, and have seen friends, family and patient even succumb, it has hit the majority of individuals in a mild/moderate manner. It has definitely disrupted our way of life and how we function. The wearing of masks and social distancing has been difficult to adapt for a lot of people. I hope we can continue to move forward and serve others in such way that will be meaningful and non-embittered. We see too much negativity in our society and I hope we as osteopathic physicians can lead out with a feeling of hope, happiness, and confidence. That is what we need at this time, a sense of happiness. There is a building in Cache Valley belonging to one of the local businesses here. On it are the words – “#CacheValleyStrong! We are all in this together." I pass by that banner every day coming home from my office. I am grateful for that sense of togetherness in this day and age of being distant.

 

I want to announce at this time that due to the changes, travel restrictions, and difficulties many face, we will need to postpone the annual UOMA conference this year that was to be held next month in August. We have seen that many are unable to come, many have expressed a desire to participate but are uneasy meeting together, and we have had many presenters reluctant to present in person. We have worked to try and do at least some presentations remotely, but we are still negotiating with the AOA regarding offering category 1A credits even if it is via remote. Due to all these difficulties, the board and I of the UOMA have made the decision to postpone the conference and reconvene next year. I hope that you will continue to visit the website of the Utah Osteopathic Medical Association. We will continue to grow and we will continue to be a positive, encouraging voice for our profession and for the medical community as we face our societal physical, mental, and emotional health challenges in these modern times. 

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Sincerely,

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Kevin R. Duke, DO

President of the Utah Osteopathic Medical Association

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