做TV (VCOM) was well-represented at the 2025 American Osteopathic Association (AOA) House of Delegates meeting, held last week in Chicago. The annual event is one of the most significant gatherings in the osteopathic medical profession. The annual House of Delegates is composed mainly of physician leaders elected by state osteopathic associations, along with representatives from specialty colleges, emerging physician leaders, and osteopathic student leaders, such as student council presidents, who serve as delegates within their respective state delegations. Together, they convene to shape policy and guide the future of osteopathic health care.
Faculty, leadership, and students from all four VCOM campuses took part in the event, highlighting the institutions ongoing dedication to professional advocacy, leadership, and service.
Ray L. Morrison, DO, FACOS, DFACOS, is dean of VCOM-Louisiana and the speaker of the AOA House of Delegates. At the event, he received a Presidential Citation in recognition of his service and contributions to the profession. As speaker, Morrison led the House proceedings with professionalism, energy, and insight, playing a vital role in crafting national osteopathic policy.
Receiving the Presidential Citation was a genuine surprise and a deeply humbling honor. Ive always valued my work with the American Osteopathic Association, but this past year felt especially significant as we navigated major policy changes across the organization. Its been a privilege to contribute during such a pivotal time, and I remain committed to supporting the profession and advancing the principles that define osteopathic medicine. It was especially inspiring to see VCOM so actively engaged, with both faculty and student voices well represented throughout the process.
Ed Williams, PhD, a member of the VCOM-Louisiana advisory board and executive director of the Louisiana Osteopathic Medical Association, received the Bob E. Jones, CAE, Award. This award is one of the AOAs highest honors, given to individuals who show exceptional leadership and a lifelong dedication to the osteopathic profession.
Faculty, administrators, and students from all campuses actively engaged in the 2025 AOA House of Delegates. VCOM President Dixie Tooke-Rawlins, DO, FACOFP; Carrie Baker Royer, DO, FAAP (VCOM-Louisiana); and Ray Romano, DO, FACOFP (VCOM-Carolinas) served on the Educational Affairs Reference Committee, contributing to discussions that help shape the future of osteopathic medical education. Richard Virgilio, DO (VCOM-Auburn), represented the college on the Professional Affairs Reference Committee.
Along with faculty and leadership involvement, medical students participated in advocacy discussions and observed the governance process of their profession. VCOM encourages students to attend such events as part of the Colleges mission to prepare physicians who are not only skilled clinicians but also future leaders and advocates for the profession.
VCOMs presence at the House of Delegates reflected a genuinely collaborative and unified commitment to advancing osteopathic medicine. It demonstrated the colleges ongoing influence in national osteopathic policy and its dedication to developing the next generation of physician leaders.
