Page 30 - BCMS ONline directory

UIW GRANT

PROTECTING

OSTEOPATHIC HERITAGE

AS PROFESSION RISES

UIW School of Osteopathic Medicine
receives a grant from
Houston Osteopathic Hospital Foundation,

allowing predecessors to invest
in the education of future DO’s.

By Katie Hennessey for UIWSOM

Dr. David Armbruster found an important synergy between the
Houston Osteopathic Hospital Foundation (HOHF) and the Mis-
sion of the University of Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic
Medicine (UIWSOM). Both organizations are deeply invested in the
growth of osteopathic medicine, helping the practice expand and
share its approach to care.
As the field grows, Armbruster, a political advocate for the pro-
fession, wanted to aid medical establishments committed to the mis-
sion of osteopathy. The HOHF Board of Directors was thoughtful
in choosing UIWSOM as the recipient of the $200,000 Houston
Osteopathic Hospital Foundation Grant at the beginning of 2019.
“We want to support institutions who are teaching Osteopathic
Manipulative Medicine (OMM), and all the principles of the pro-
fession,” he said.
Noted for their manual treatment and whole-person approach,
osteopathic medicine in the United States has seen a rapid growth
in recent years. Medical schools graduated more Doctors of Os-
teopathy (DO) in 2018 than any year in history. In 2016, UIWSOM
opened in San Antonio, Texas training primary care osteopathic
physicians to meet the health needs of Central and South Texas,
particularly in underserved and vulnerable populations. It is now
one of 35 US osteopathic medical schools and the only faith-based
medical school in Texas.
The grant reminded UIWSOM Founding Dean Dr. Robyn
Phillips-Madson of the pioneers of the field, who designed a natural
path towards health when medical practices of their time presented David Armbruster, DO and wife of 63 years, Elaine Armbruster
limitations. These new methods, which focused on the body’s ability remain in Pearland, Texas, where the Family Medicine Doctor
treats patients in OMT techniques and osteopathic principles at
to heal itself, were largely dismissed by mainstream medicine. How-
the Armbruster Clinic.
ever, the steady advocacy of leaders like Armbruster contributed to

30 San Antonio Medicine • July 2019