FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 11, 2025

Indianapolis— Sheldon C. Yao, DO, FAAO, of Forest Hills, NY, was elected as the 2025-26 president-elect of the American Academy of Osteopathy (AAO) on March 27 during the AAO annual Convocation in Orlando, FL. After spending a year as president-elect, Dr. Yao will become the 2026-27 president of the AAO, the nation’s largest medical society devoted to fostering neuromusculoskeletal medicine and osteopathic manipulative medicine (NMM/OMM).

Sheldon Yao, DO, FAAO, graduated from New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) in 2002. He completed his Family Medicine residency at Good Samaritan Hospital and an NMM/OMM fellowship at North Shore-LIJ Plainview Hospital. Dual-board certified, he chairs the OMM Department at NYITCOM and serves as faculty at St. Barnabas Hospital’s NMM/OMM residency program. Dr. Yao has led over 40 research studies and published multiple peer-reviewed articles on osteopathic manipulation’s effects on medical conditions and education. He serves as faculty for the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) and as a reviewer for multiple osteopathic focused journals. His research and service support his goal to advance osteopathic medicine.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 15, 2024 

Indianapolis— Stefan Hagopian, DO, FAAO, of Los Angeles, CA, was chosen to be the 2024-25 president-elect of the American Academy of Osteopathy on March 7 during the AAO annual Convocation in Colorado Springs, Colorado. After spending a year as president-elect, Dr. Hagopian will become the 2025-26 president of the AAO, the nation’s largest medical society devoted to fostering neuromusculoskeletal medicine and osteopathic manipulative medicine (NMM/OMM).

Stefan Hagopian, DO, FAAO was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and is a 1988 graduate of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, Maine. He has operated a private practice of family medicine and osteopathic manipulative medicine in the Los Angeles area of California, for the past 35 years. He has remained active in research and teaching at the invitation of osteopathic schools, professional associations and academies throughout the U.S. and internationally.

His current interests range from clinical anatomy and embryology to the application of osteopathic principles and philosophy. Most of this is based on the way in which he learned most effectively from his mentors, who placed great emphasis on the principles and practices described in our profession’s literature by A.T. Still, W.G. Sutherland, and their students. Dr. Hagopian also integrates nutrition and exercise guidance into his outpatient practice and teaching.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 2023

WILLIAM H. STAGER, DO, MPH, MS, FAAFP, FAAMA, FAAO, FACOFPDIST., ELECTED PRESIDENT-ELECT OF NATIONAL OSTEOPATHIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

Indianapolis— William H. Stager DO, MPH, MS, FAAFP, FAAMA, FAAO, FACOFP dist., of West Palm Beach, FL, was chosen to be the 2023-24 president-elect of the American Academy of Osteopathy on March 16 during the AAO annual Convocation in Colorado Springs, Colorado. After spending a year as president-elect, Dr. Stager will become the 2024-25 president of the AAO, the nation’s largest medical society devoted to fostering neuromusculoskeletal medicine and osteopathic manipulative medicine (NMM/OMM).

William H. Stager DO, MPH, MS, FAAFP, FAAMA, FAAO, FACOFP dist., is Medical Director of the Flagler Institute for Rehabilitation, Inc., a Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facility (West Palm Beach), with a special interest in patients with cancer and lymphedema . Dr. Bill Stager has BA (Philosophy) and MS (Anatomy) degrees from Rutgers University, an undergraduate OPP Fellowship and DO degree from NSUCOM in 1989, and MPH from ATSU in 2009. He completed a rotating internship at Humana South Broward Hospital in 1990. He has been in holistic private practice combining NMM/OMM, Family Medicine, and Medical Acupuncture in the Palm Beach area since 1990. He is Board Certified in NMM/OMM and Family Medicine, and is a Fellow of the AAO, AAFP, AAFP, and AAMA, and distinguished fellow of the ACOFP.

He is a Life Member of the AAO and Osteopathic Cranial Academy, and an active member of the AOA, FOMA, AAO, ACOFP, FSACOFP, and FAO, serving on various committees and boards, including the AOA House of Delegates, FOMA Director-at-Large, FOMA President, FSACOFP President (2008-2009), a two-term FAO President, and NSUCOM Alumni Association Executive Committee President and Trustee. His many awards include the 2008 NSUCOM Distinguished Alumni Award, 2007 FOMA Presidential Achievement Award, 2007 AOA Mentor of the Year Nominee Finalist Award, the 2010 FSACOFP Physician of the Year Award, the 2011 FAO Distinguished Service Award, the 2013 AOA Unsung Heroes Award, the 2013 AOA Guardians of the Profession Award, the 2015 NSUCOM Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award, and the 2015 NSUCOM Distinguished Alumni Award.

Dr. Stager has taught NMM/OMM all over the USA, Canada, Norway, and China and has published over 200 articles and papers in health and fitness magazines and several in peer-reviewed medical journals. He is section editor and contributing author of the 2014 2nd edition of the ACOFP textbook Somatic Dysfunction in Osteopathic Family Medicine.