
IPCEA History
IPCEA Over the Years…
The concept of the IPCEA was born out of an approach in 2006 by the American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF) to Heart To Heart International (HHI), a global humanitarian organization, to investigate opportunities for DOs who wanted to volunteer for humanitarian efforts domestically and internationally. This led Dr. Royce Keilers, a member of the AOF Board of Directors, to travel to the Sichuan Province with HHI to learn more about their healthcare training efforts in the province. Later, HHI invited Chinese educators from Sichuan Province to the United States to observe and consult with American osteopathic physicians about how to retrain specialists as generalists.
In May 2007, an AOF team consisting of six primary members, Dr. Keilers (chair), Teresa Hubka, DO, FACOOG; Steve Downey, former AOF Executive Director; Kenneth J. Veit, DO, MBA; William J. Burke, DO, FACOFP; and Ronnie B. Martin, DO, FACOFP, traveled to Chengdu to share how osteopathic family physicians are trained, to learn more about the Chinese healthcare system, and to identify opportunities for partnership.
These initial efforts were a collaboration between HHI, AOF, the American Osteopathic Association, the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians, the Health Department of Sichuan Province, the International Exchange Center, Sichuan University West China School of Medicine and West China Hospital, the Sichuan Provincial Hospital, and Welch Allyn. What started with a single visit between practitioners has grown into a significant family medicine train-the-trainer program across the country with multiple cohorts of learners throughout the Sichuan Province, the city of Shenzhen and Beijing under the auspices of the IPCEA.

Above: 2007 China Delegation
The IPCEA Board is grateful for the vision and friendship of Gary Morsch, Larry He and Sue Mangicaro for their tireless support of the China programs.

Above: Larry He and Bill Burke at US Capitol Rotunda
Below: Bill Burke, Ronnie Martin and Gary Morsch in Shenzhen


Above: Royce Keiler and Sue Mangicaro at HHI Awards Ceremony.

IPCEA History Timeline
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