PORTLAND, Ore.—(November 3, 2017)—At their Annual Conference on Saturday, October 28, 2017, the members of the Oregon Medical Association (OMA), state’s medical society, met around the theme of “Putting the Joy Back into Medicine,” and installed the association’s 143rd president.
“Putting the Joy Back into Medicine” attracted around 200 attendees. The event included keynote addresses by Elizabeth Lahti, MD of Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), who spoke on the topic of narrative medicine as a new tool for effective care; and Michael Tutty, PhD, MHA, Vice President Professional Satisfaction and Practice Sustainability for the American Medical Association, who discussed burnout and provider wellness.
Additional conference presenters included Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, MD (D – NW Portland/Beaverton), and Multnomah County Commissioner Sharon Meieran, MD, JD. During the daylong event, OHSU’s Donald E. Girard, MD received the OMA’s 2017 Doctor-Citizen of the Year Award, while Lynn Bentson, MD, a physician at Samaritan Health, was recognized with an OMA Presidential Citation. Bob Dannenhoffer, MD, Executive Director of the Douglas Public Health Network, served as conference emcee.
OMA CEO Bryan Boehringer, who presented as part of a panel on how medical providers can advocate for their issues and projects, said that resilience in the practice of medicine is becoming increasingly difficult, but that the OMA aimed to bring weary physicians and physician assistants a sorely-needed message of optimism.
“There are many reasons finding joy has become a hot topic, but probably the most concerning is the ever-increasing rate of burnout experienced by healthcare professionals,” said Boehringer. “The Oregon Medical Association is uniquely positioned to help physicians and physician assistants rediscover why they entered their profession, and we enjoyed sharing the day’s programming with our members and guests.”
Robert Orfaly, MD of OHSU ended his tenure as the organization’s 142nd president, figuratively passing the baton to his successor, 143rd OMA President Kevin Reavis, MD, a surgeon at The Oregon Clinic.
While installing him as president, Dr. Reavis’ mentor Dr. Karen Deveney, a professor of surgery in the Division of Gastrointestinal and General Surgery at the OHSU School of Medicine, said, “The OMA membership has made a very wise choice,” adding, “I have watched him develop his skills and talents as a surgeon and leader for almost two decades and am confident that he will serve you very well.”
Dr. Reavis earned his medical degree from Vanderbilt University and completed his residency in general surgery at OHSU, where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. He completed a fellowship in minimally invasive surgery at The Ohio State University before joining the faculty as an assistant professor of surgery at the University of California, Irvine and the VA Long Beach Healthcare System in Long Beach, California.
Dr. Reavis is board-certified, specializes in esophageal, foregut and bariatric surgery in The Oregon Clinic's division of GI and minimally invasive surgery, and serves as a clinical associate professor of surgery at OHSU. He is an active leader in numerous national and regional surgical societies. His research interests include diseases of the foregut, surgical instrument innovation, and surgical education. Dr. Reavis has published more than 80 peer-reviewed publications and numerous book chapters, and has served on the editorial board or as a reviewer for more than a dozen medical journals.
The OMA awarded Dr. Reavis a 2005 Presidential Citation for excellence in leadership as Young Physician Representative to the Board of Trustees. He has also served as an OMA resident trustee and on the OMA's Resident Advisory Committee, and on the association's Technology Committee.
In addition, the OMA installed Fred Williams, MD, a neurological surgeon with Tuality Healthcare in Hillsboro, as president-elect. Dr. Williams will succeed Dr. Reavis as president at the OMA’s next Annual Conference, scheduled for September of 2018.
The Oregon Medical Association is a member-driven organization of over 8,000 physicians, physician assistants, and medical and PA students organized to serve and support physicians in their efforts to improve the health of Oregonians. The association engages in healthcare advocacy, policy, and community. Additional information can be found at theOMA.org.
