The American Osteopathic Association has hired Adrienne White-Faines to be its new executive director. She starts next month and will replace John Crosby, who is retiring.
White-Faines, 53, previously worked for 10 years as the American Cancer Society's VP of health initiatives and advocacy, and she was responsible for research, education, public policy and patient services.
“I am proud and humbled by the opportunity to lead an organization with such a rich history and passion for ensuring all Americans have access to physicians and medical services,” White-Faines said in a news release. “I hope to build upon this strong foundation by infusing the AOA with a fresh perspective for new possibilities and innovation to further its mission to advance the philosophy and practice of osteopathic medicine.”
Crosby has been the executive director of the AOA—a Chicago-based, 130-year-old organization with 45,326 members—since 1997. Previously he was senior VP for health policy at the American Medical Association.
According to the AOA, the number of osteopathic physicians in the U.S. has increased 200% in the last 25 years. There are now more than 80,000 with more than half practicing in primary-care specialties. Among the issues before the AOA is finalizing an agreement with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education to oversee the approximately 1,000 osteopathic residency and fellowship programs in which nearly 7,000 new physicians train.
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