Kathleen Osten, MD, a family physician from Cranberry Township, Pa., has been named 
November’s Everyday Hero by the Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED). Dr. Osten is part of Heritage Valley Medical Group’s Associates in Family Medicine practice located at 1185 Freedom Road in Cranberry Twp.
PAMED’s Everyday Hero Award is designed to showcase talented physicians who probably do not view themselves as heroes, but to patients and colleagues, they are. The award is a monthly member honor.
“We are very proud and fortunate to have Dr. Osten as part of the Heritage Valley Medical Group,” said Norm Mitry, president and CEO of Heritage Valley Health System. “In addition to the time she spends directly caring for patients in the office; Dr. Osten is a physician leader at Heritage Valley, particularly in the area of quality assurance. Her knowledge and expertise have helped improve the management of patients with chronic disease throughout Heritage Valley.”
After serving in the Air Force as a physician at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, Dr. Osten returned to Pittsburgh in 1999 to practice with Heritage Valley Medical Group. She has served as co-chair of the Heritage Valley Medical Group Quality Committee as well chair of the Quality Assurance Committees for Heritage Valley Health Network’s (HVHN) Clinically Integrated Network (CIN) and Accountable Care Organization (ACO). Recently, Dr. Osten was named Medical Director of the HVHN CIN/ACO.
Among her many responsibilities, she has taken a lead role in managing patients with chronic conditions like diabetes. She works with diabetes patients to make medication adherence as simple as possible and encourages maintenance care like eye doctor visits. Dr. Osten also pays close attention to issues like drug costs and what the patient’s insurance will cover, which can be potential roadblocks. “More and more people are getting diabetes and getting it at a younger age,” said Dr. Osten.
“My role and that of other physicians is to help patients manage this lifelong disease so that it doesn’t control their lives.”
Dr. Osten is part of Heritage Valley Medical Group’s Associates in Family Medicine practice that has locations in Cranberry Township and Edgeworth, Pa. Her partners in the practice are Michael A. Karp, M.D., Donna J. Craig, M.D., Lawrence A. Notaro, M.D. and Mary Ann Kopec, CRNP. To learn more about the practice or make an appointment, call 412.749.6806 or go to www.heritagevalley.org.
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About Heritage Valley Health System Heritage Valley Health System is a $480 million integrated delivery network providing comprehensive health care for residents of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties, in Pennsylvania; eastern Ohio; and the panhandle of West Virginia. In partnership with 3,500 employees and more than 480 physicians, Heritage Valley offers a broad range of medical, surgical and diagnostic services at its two hospitals, Heritage Valley Sewickley and Heritage Valley Beaver; in 60 physician offices; and 18 community satellite facilities. For more information about Heritage Valley Health System, please visit www.heritagevalley.org.