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LIFE AND HEALTH is published as a community service for
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900 Sunset Drive, La Grande, OR 97850.
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Permit No. 44
DOCTORS
of osteopathic
medicine (DOs) offer a distinct form
of medical practice that provides
all the benefits of modern medicine
(prescription drugs, surgery, modern
technology to diagnose and evaluate
disease, etc.) with the added benefit
of hands-on diagnosis and treatment
through a system of therapy known as
osteopathic manipulative medicine.
Osteopaths typically emphasize health
promotion and disease prevention.
Grande Ronde Hospital currently
employs 11 DOs across eight special-
ties within its medical staff.
Skilled physicians
DOs complete four years of
medical school. They also spend
three to eight years in internships,
residencies and fellowships.
Although there are DOs in every
medical specialty, most practice in
Cardiology Clinic
Emilia Arden, DO,
cardiologist
In January,
Dr. Arden joined
the GRH medical
staff as a cardiolo-
gist, bringing full-
time cardiac care to Union County
for the very first time.
Her professional interests include
cardiovascular disease prevention,
stress echocardiogram studies, stress
myocardial perfusion studies, pace-
maker implantation and management,
and the diagnosis and management of
autonomic dysfunction and dysauto-
nomia. Her personal interests are
hiking, gardening, and spending time
with her husband and their dogs.
Find out more about these
members of our community,
as well as all of the wonderful
providers featured in our online
provider directory, at
www.grh.org.
—Continued from page 2
What is
a DO?
New care providers
primary care fields, such as family
medicine, pediatrics and obstetrics-
gynecology. Like MDs, they must
pass state licensing examinations in
order to practice.
When you see a DO, you can
expect the latest in medical tech-
niques and services. DOs diagnose
and treat illnesses and prescribe medi-
cine, and some perform surgery. They
also are trained to treat the patient
as a whole person and to emphasize
wellness and healthy lifestyles.
These physicians help relieve the
growing shortage of physicians in
the U.S. Their contribution is espe-
cially important because DOs often
practice in rural and urban areas where
access to medical care can be difficult.
Healing touch
DOs focus special attention on
the musculoskeletal system. They
practice a hands-on system of gentle
pressure, stretching and resistance to
move muscles and joints.
This technique is called osteo-
pathic manipulative treatment. It’s
one tool DOs use to help prevent,
diagnose and treat illnesses.
A growing field
About 7 percent of physicians in
the U.S. are DOs, and that number
is rapidly rising. Today, about 1 in
5 medical students is attending an
osteopathic medical school.
Sources: American Osteopathic Association; American Association of
Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine; U.S. Department of Labor