Direct Primary Care & AOA Policy Update – Bruce Cunningham DO, David Pugach, Raine Richards

Bruce Cunningham DO, FAFCOP, dist Related seminars and products: 2

Dr. Cunningham has 36 years of medical experience, most of it in the setting of Big Box medicine. He has practiced in both suburban and ruralsettings, noting that the corporate mantra of 20-25 patients a day was the same in both settings. Combining the desire to reduce the cost of healthcare for his patients while being able to spend an appropriate amount of time with each visit or phone call, Dr. Cunningham settled on the practice model known as Direct Primary Care (DPC). lnsurance is pushed out of the way. No CEO to tell the physician how to practice. Adopting the practice philosophy of, "Treating your Family Like My own," he opened a DPC practice in rural Minnesota.

David Pugach, JD, Senior V ice President, Public Policy American Osteopathic Association Related seminars and products: 1

David leads the American Osteopathic Association’s (AOA) public policy and advocacy program, representing the interests of the nation's more than 158,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs) and osteopathic medical students. This includes Congressional and regulatory affairs, state government affairs, grassroots advocacy, and collaboration with external stakeholders. 

Prior to joining the AOA in November 2017, David was vice president of federal relations for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and led ACS CAN’s efforts to increase federal funding for cancer research and prevention.  Additionally, David served as chairman of One Voice Against Cancer, a coalition that advocates for increased funding for federal cancer programs. David is also a past-president of United for Medical Research. 

Before joining ACS CAN, David served as the Deputy Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Office of Government and Congressional Relations.  From February 2006 to February 2007, David was detailed to the House Appropriations Committee.  David joined NCI in the summer of 2003 after serving for two years as a Presidential Management Fellow with the National Institutes of Health.   

David has a B.A. in political science from The George Washington University and a J.D. from the Rutgers University School of Law.

Raine Richards Related seminars and products: 1

Raine is an Illinois-licensed attorney who has served in her role as the Director of State Government Affairs for the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) since 2017. She previously worked as a Legislative Associate for the AOA, and as an attorney for the Cook County Treasurer's Office after graduating from the University of Michigan Law School in 2013. She is passionate about improving access to high-quality health care for all Americans, and enjoys working with the osteopathic physician community to advocate for policies that advance the practice of osteopathic medicine and holistic patient care.