Three-year plan centers the AOA’s work on supporting DOs and osteopathic medical students at every stage of their careers.
CHICAGO—The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) today launched its 2026-2029 Strategic Plan, built around a galvanizing call to action for the profession: “Your Journey. Our Shared Commitment.” The plan advances the AOA’s vision to be the global leader and unifying home for the osteopathic profession through four goals:
“Osteopathic medicine is growing faster than at any point in our history, and this plan ensures the AOA grows with it,” said AOA President Richard R. Thacker, DO, MACOI. “It invests in the people who make our profession distinctive and develops the leaders who will carry osteopathic medicine forward.”
Approved by the AOA Board of Trustees and recently ratified by the more than 500 members at the AOA House of Delegates, the plan builds on historic growth for the profession, which now counts more than 207,000 DOs and osteopathic medical students. More than one in four U.S. medical students attends osteopathic medical school.
“This plan is a promise to every DO and every osteopathic medical student that the AOA will meet you where you are and support where you are going,” said AOA CEO Kathleen S. Creason, MBA. “Your journey is unique. Our commitment is shared across everything we do.”
To explore the full 2026-2029 Strategic Plan, visit Osteopathic.org/strategicplan.
About the American Osteopathic Association
As the nation’s leading voice for osteopathic medicine, the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) represents more than 207,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs) and medical students, championing public health, scientific research and the highest standards of DO certification. For over a century, the AOA has advanced whole-person healthcare, shaping the future of the osteopathic profession and ensuring its founding principles remain a vital force in modern medicine.
To learn more about DOs and the osteopathic philosophy of medicine, visit Osteopathic.org or to find a DO in your area visit findado.osteopathic.org.
AOA media contact
Amanda Pavic
Corporate Communications Specialist
[email protected]