Honoring Our Founding Donors
OCAF gratefully acknowledges these founding donors’ extraordinary generosity that established the path for the Foundation to pursue our mission to fund education and research in the discipline of Osteopathy, specifically Osteopathy in the Cranial field.
Founding Donors
David Coffey, DO
December 11, 1946 – June 2, 2023
Dr. David Coffey had a vast list of incredible accomplishments but remained humble and selfless throughout his life. He was an accomplished Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, as well as a Sudan Relief Missionary, and The PCOM President from 2013 to 2014. David had strong faith and was very active in the Catholic Church. He was also a Father Judge and Cardinal Dougherty Math Teacher and Wrestling Coach, who had started the wrestling program in the 1970s. Most recently David was a professor who taught at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Alabama.
Eric Dolgin, DO, FCA & Robyn Dolgin
Eric Dolgin, D.O., FCA, played a major role in advancing the teaching of Osteopathic medicine. He is regarded as a gifted instructor in taking complex subjects and simplifying them, teaching numerous courses both domestically and internationally.
Many patients have sought his advanced skills since establishing his private practice in 1983.
The philanthropic endeavors of Dr. Dolgin have included President of the OCA, OCA Foundation, Kids Brain Trust, Treasurer of PGIO, and the Osteopathic Center for Children.
He is joined, in many of these pursuits, by his wife, Robyn Dolgin. Her background in the media includes Associated Press Award and Publicist with Universal Studios.
Richard A. Feely, DO, FAAO, FCA
Richard A. Feely, DO came on to the Osteopathic Cranial Academy Foundation Board of Directors in 2007. He is a board-certified physician in Family Medicine, Osteopathic Manipulation, Acupuncture, Independent Medical Examiner, Quality Assurance and Utilization Review. Dr. Feely recently retired from practice and as President of Feely Center for Optimal Health, a center that specialized in neuromuscular pain using Osteopathic manipulation, acupuncture, and Chinese medicine to alleviate various medical and pain conditions. He is a Clinical Associate Professor at Midwestern U-CCOM, and a semi-retired Professor teaching part-time at Marian MU-COM. He is experienced in educating Osteopathic medical students and residents in both the clinical as well as live/online didactic settings for Osteopathic Principles & Practice, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, and Integrative Medicine. He is past president of OCA, AAO and three healthcare foundations. Dr. Feely is the recipient of the American Academy of Osteopathy’s lifetime achievement award, A.T. Still Medallion of Honor. Dr. Feely is the founder and president of TCMtests.com, the premier online test preparation service for Doctors of Oriental Medicine, and acupuncturists, preparing them to pass their national board examinations (NCCAOM) and California Licensure Examination (CALE).
Melvin R. Friedman, DO, FCA
Melvin R. Friedman, DO, FCA, has been a practicing physician since 1985, initially in family practice and then specializing in osteopathic manual medicine. He has written professionally (“The Sutherland Memorial Lectures” and “Where Spirit Touches Matter, a Journey to Wholeness” on Amazon), lectured and mentored current and aspiring medical students, and served as president of the Osteopathic Cranial Academy. His deep passion for the principles and philosophy of traditional osteopathy has led him to understand himself and others as a unity of mind, body, and spirit. He is in constant pursuit of the experience of the inseparability of structure and function. First inspired and taught by his physician mother, he has devoted his life to service, offering hope to those with chronic pain conditions. Among other rewards, his practice has led him to make sacred pilgrimages to South Asia and deeply explore his own inner landscape in a quest for spiritual realization. The devoted father of three grown sons, Benji, Daniel, and Jacob, Mel lives with his soulmate and wife, Sherrie, in San Mateo, California. Connect with Mel at melfriedmando@mac.com.
Viola M. Frymann, DO, FAAO, FCA
In single-minded service to humanity, Dr. Frymann spent her professional life as an osteopathic physician. She was a renowned steward of the osteopathic profession, practical researcher and trusted educator. She is nationally recognized for her vision and determination to see osteopathic licensure restored successfully in California, and for the founding and establishment of the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, CA, as well as her many contributions to the field of osteopathy.
Resource The-Promise.Org
R. Paul Lee, DO, FAAO, FCA, DABMA
Dr. Lee is presently retired from practicing Osteopathy in the cranial field, acupuncture, nutrition and homeopathy for 30+ years. He taught extensively with the Osteopathic Cranial Academy as director of introductory courses for several years and intermediate courses of various types for over two decades. His expertise is in assimilating traditional osteopathic philosophy and practice with modern physics and scientific thought. Contact Dr. Lee at rplee990@gmail.com or learn more at cranialosteopathy.com.
John C. Reed, M.D., MDiv, ABFM, ABoIM, FAAMA, FCA
John C. Reed, M.D., MDiv, ABFM, ABoIM, FAAMA, FCA is a board-certified family physician, graduating from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Dr. Reed has earned national recognition for his clinical skills in integrative medicine, acupuncture, cranial osteopathy, and homeopathy. He served as the President of the Arizona Board of Homeopathic and Integrative Medical Examiners from 1987–1993. He was the Founding Vice President of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, and a founding member of the American Holistic Medical Association. From 1996 through 2006, he was VP and Chief Medical Officer for American WholeHealth, a large multi-city interdisciplinary CAM medical group practice, where he managed quality assurance, medical group governance, and an in-house practitioner training program.
Dr. Reed has fully integrated both acupuncture and cranial osteopathy in his integrative clinical practices. His clinical interests have included chronic pain and illness recovery, trauma spectrum responses, post traumatic growth, medical spiritualty, and conscious transitions at the end of life. His Master of Divinity thesis at Harvard Divinity School was on religious and spiritual care of wounded warriors. He has completed training in energy medicine and neuroshamanic methods with Alberto Villoldo, and with the Foundation for Shamanic Studies.
Dr. Reed’s initial osteopathic training was with the postgraduate programs at the Michigan State College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Arizona Academy of Osteopathy. He studied counterstain and muscle energy approaches with Larry Jones, DO, Fred Mitchell, Jr., DO, and Loren Rex, DO. After initial and intermediate courses in the cranial approach at Michigan State COM, he completed the Cranial Academy’s Introductory cranial course in 1989, joined the OCA, and earned his proficiency certificate for Osteopathy in the Cranial Field in 1990. He joined the Osteopathic Cranial Academy Foundation (OCAF) Board in 2012 and served as its Secretary/Treasurer until 2023. Dr. Reed’s OCAF Founding Legacy annual scholarship was funded in 2005 with the intention of supporting the initial training of MD residents or early career practitioners in the clinical art and the anatomical and physiologic science of cranial osteopathy. He hopes more MD’s will learn and integrate this gentle and profoundly effective manual medicine practice. It can improve both their practice acumen and their patients’ satisfaction with care outcomes.
Mark E. Rosen, DO, FCA
Dr. Rosen graduated from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1979. He completed a Research/Teaching Fellowship in The Principles and Practice of Osteopathy, and then completed a one year General Internship at Saginaw Osteopathic Hospital in Saginaw, Michigan, followed by a Residency in Psychiatry at Sinai Hospital of Detroit, through Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit.
In 1983, Dr. Rosen entered private practice in Palo Alto, California as a traditional hands-on Physician Osteopath, specializing in the Manual Practice of Osteopathy. He continues this practice of Traditional Osteopathy in the San Francisco Bay Area to this day. Dr. Rosen’s styles of osteopathic treatment include Cranial, Biodynamic, Indirect and Direct Functional, Visceral, and Vascular approaches.
In the course of private practice, Dr. Rosen has been teaching Osteopathy to medical students as a Clinical Assistant Professor at both Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific in Pomona, California, and Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Vallejo, California. He is also Senior Faculty of The Osteopathic Cranial Academy.
Since 1999, Dr. Rosen has been active in the governance of the Osteopathic Cranial Academy: Dr. Rosen was a member of the Board of Directors from 2000 – 2017. He chaired multiple committees during this time, including chair of The Credentials Committee from 2006 – 2017. Dr. Rosen served as President of the Osteopathic Cranial Academy from 2007 – 2009. He was awarded Fellow of the Osteopathic Cranial Academy (FCA) in 2010, and in 2018, Dr. Rosen gave the Sutherland Memorial Lecture, titled “The Life Principle.” Dr. Rosen continues to provide advisory guidance to the present governance of the Osteopathic Cranial Academy. Resource https://osteodoc.com/dr-rosen/
Sandra Skates, DO
Dr. Skates has 35 years of experience practicing and teaching Family Practice, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM), and Medical Acupuncture. She is board certified in Family Practice and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. She currently practices OMM in a private practice setting in Vacaville, California. She is also a member of the adjunct clinical faculty at Touro University.
James Binkerd, DO
Dr. James Binkerd, DO, is a neuromusculoskeletal medicine specialist in Vallejo, California, and has 40 years experience. After practicing neuromusculoskeletal medicine in Santa Cruz, California, Dr. Binkerd has spent the last 25 years of his career as an Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Touro University California. He graduated from A. T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Ilene M. Spector, DO, FCA
Dr. Spector is an osteopathic physician in private practice in Crested Butte, Colorado, specializing in Osteopathic Manual Medicine with an emphasis on Osteopathy in the Cranial Field.
Dr. Spector has practiced osteopathic medicine since 1989, and natural health care since 1974. She was awarded Proficiency Recognition by the Osteopathic Cranial Academy (OCA), a prominent international organization for Osteopathic Medicine in the Cranial Field. She is an active senior faculty member of the OCA, teaching cranial osteopathy to physicians, medical students, and dentists nationwide since 1991. She has been a USA faculty member for the USA ROA (Rule of the Artery and Vein) courses since 2023.
Dr. Spector served as vice-president of the OCA, as an active member of their Board of Directors for many years, as past chair of several OCA committees, as co-chair of the OCA 2009 Annual Conference “Embryology and Osteopathy – Developmental Patterns and the Template of Health”, as speaker during the 2018 OCA Annual Conference “Discovering the Heart of Osteopathy” and as the 2020 course director of the OCA Virtual Conference “Awakening Our Heritage: Science & Spirit in Practice”.
Dr. Spector received the OCA award for Exceptional Service in 2012 and was named Fellow of the Osteopathic Cranial Academy (FCA) in 2014, an honor awarded “in recognition of outstanding ability, knowledge, experience, skill and achievements in Osteopathy in the Cranial Field.” She was chosen to present the 2023 OCA honorary Sutherland Memorial Lecture.
She is happy to live and practice in the beautiful mountains of Colorado, surrounded by natural beauty in all seasons.
Her website is: http://www.osteopathywesterncolorado.com