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The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine's administration, faculty and staff came marching into New Orleans for the 114th Osteopathic Medical Conference and Exposition (OMED 2009).

Silvia Ferretti, DO, LECOM’s Provost, Senior Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs opens the 2009 Osteopathic Medical Conference and Exposition in New Orleans.

LECOM’s Provost, Senior Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs Silvia Ferretti, DO, served as the conference’s program chairperson. Dr. Ferretti officially opened the conference to nearly 5,000 medical professionals at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

"We are focusing the theme of this conference on wellness," said Dr. Ferretti. "Let us find time to re-discover New Orleans and re-discover our commitment to leading our patients on the road to good health."

Accolades came in large supply for LECOM's administration and faculty.

The 9th Annual Congress of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Council of Interns and Residents presented the Lifetime Membership Award Citation to AOA Immediate Past President Carlo J. DiMarco, DO. Dr. DiMarco is a professor and regional dean of clinical medicine at LECOM's Erie, Pa. campus. He also serves as the director of the ophthalmology residency program at Millcreek Community Hospital.

The AOA’s Bureau of History and Identity named Robert George, DO a Great Pioneer in osteopathic medicine. Dr. George is the associate dean of academic affairs at LECOM’s Bradenton (Fla.) campus.

Robert George, DO, receives the Great Pioneer in Osteopathic Medicine medal from AOA president Larry Wickless, DO.

The bureau selects Great Pioneers from nominations received from members of the profession. Candidates are nominated based on the significant contributions they have made to the profession, especially accomplishments that were the first of their kind within osteopathic medicine, or that were directly responsible for the growth of the profession.

LECOM students took center stage at the poster presentation station. Fourth-year medical students John Ashurst, Megan Wasson, Gretchen Allison, Richard Lukose, Daniel Anderson and Matthew Baker; third-year student Ronak Gor; second-year students T.J. Wolski and Elise Schmidt and faculty member Richard Chegwidden, Ph.D, stood proudly next to their posters and answered questions about their research.

Several faculty presented continuing medical education lectures at OMED 2009. Danielle Hansen, DO, MS Med Ed, LECOM 2005 presented "Bringing the Patient Centered Medical Home to Practice and Teaching in Osteopathic Medicine" for a faculty development workshop presented by the Lake Erie Consortium for Osteopathic Medical Training . Dr. Hansen is an Internal Medicine specialist with the LECOM Institute for Successful Aging and a fellow in the Millcreek Community Hospital Geriatric Fellowship program.

Patrick Leary, DO, Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and LECOM Sports Medicine Fellowship Director, along with Jeffrey Esper, DO, Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine and Neurology were featured speakers at the Sports Medicine seminar.

LECOM alumni were treated to a special luncheon and dinner reception, hosted by President and CEO John Ferretti, D.O. and Silvia Ferretti, D.O.