Dr. Elizabeth "Libby" Abbas

08/14/2026

Hey, she looks familiar! 😜⬇️ Thanks Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences for flying out to rural Maine to interview me!

07/11/2026

Honored & overjoyed to be selected as the Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences Rising Star Alumna of the Year! Thanks to the mentee who nominated me & the endless amount of people who supported & believed in me along the way (& still do!)—my parents, family, husband, friends, mentors, mentees, teachers, professors, patients & more. I wouldn’t be here without you! 🤗🦄👩‍⚕️🚵‍♀️

Full story & video here: https://www.dmu.edu/alumni/alumni-awards/

07/11/2026

Honored & overjoyed to be selected as the Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences Rising Star Alumna of the Year! Thanks to the mentee who nominated me & the endless amount of people who supported & believed in me along the way (& still do!)—my parents, family, husband, friends, mentors, mentees, teachers, professors, patients & more. I wouldn’t be here without you! 🤗

Full story & video in article below 👇 🥰

Des Moines University’s 2023 Alumni of the Year and Rising Star Award honorees provide excellent patient care, help train future health leaders, work to diversify the health workforce and serve as leaders in their specialties.

04/14/2026

Had an absolute blast teaching my first full Fascial Distortion Model (FDM) Module 1 course this weekend in Madison with the Wisconsin Association of Osteopathic Physicians & Surgeons! is an amazing host & coming back felt like a family reunion 😊

As a newly minted instructor with the FDM Academy, I wasn’t sure what two FULL days of teaching would feel like. Turns out it’s more energizing than exhausting & ended with smiles all around! 🤗 Huge thanks to an incredible crew of table trainers—Spencer Randazzo DO, FDM-IC, Amanda Schoenfuss DO, Lezlie Painovich DO, and Sasha Ilkevitch MD—for making the weekend so fun & seamless!

And now that I’ve received my first round of hilarious AI-generated course photos from learners, I feel officially initiated as an instructor 😄

Join me again May 9–10 in Augusta, ME for another Module 1, co-teaching with my colleague & fellow FDM Academy instructor Tom Pentzer DO! https://www.thefdmacademy.com/registration-maine-module-1

03/07/2026

Super excited to have joined on with the FDM Academy to teach the Fascial Distortion Model to more folks. Looking forward to teaching Module 1 April 11-12 weekend in Madison, WI! If you’re a DO, MD, NP, PA-C, PT, PTA, OT, ATC, DC, ND, DDS, DMD, DPM, medical student (MD and DO), or Certified Structural Integration practitioner (Rolfer) & want to sign up for the class - registration link in comments!

Please welcome Libby Abbas, DO to the FDM Academy. One of the most recent certified AFDMA Instructors, her first course will be in Wisconsin in April. We're thrilled to have her as a part of our team!

02/21/2026

Just when I said I’d cool it on the certifications…I couldn’t help myself on this 15-year goal in the making 🤪

I’m proud to share that I am now officially one of the Fascial Distortion Model (FDM) instructors through the American Fascial Distortion Model Association (AFDMA)!

I took my first FDM course in 2011 as a first-year medical student & immediately found this approach to viewing & treating pain transformative—both for me as an athlete & for my patients. Over the years, I’ve integrated FDM into daily clinical practice, served on the AFDMA Board of Directors & now serve as President-Elect of the organization.

It’s an honor to join this incredible group of instructors & help teach & expand this powerful model to more folks. Some of my patients may remember this as that slightly painful yet very effective treatment I do 😉

Such a fun time in Arizona at the FDM Summit following the exam—surrounded by mentors, colleagues & friends from around the globe who’ve been part of this long journey.

And yes…that second photo is me as an enthusiastic young medical student at my first FDM course 😅 15 years—what a ride!

01/28/2026

✨ Look what came in the mail this week! ✨

I am proud to share that I am now board certified in Addiction Medicine! 🎉🥳

This makes me triple board certified in:
• Family Medicine (ABFM)
• Family Medicine & Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (ABOFP)
• Addiction Medicine

Over the past few years, addiction medicine has been a focus of my clinical work, teaching & advocacy. This exam was challenging & passing it feels especially meaningful as it reflects the time, heart & energy I’ve invested into caring for people with substance use disorders.

I remain committed to non-stigmatizing, harm-reduction–focused addiction care. Thank you to my patients who continue to teach & inspire me—I carry your stories & strength with me. 💕

04/24/2025

As I prepare to leave La Crosse & transition to a new chapter, I’m reflecting with deep gratitude on one of the most meaningful parts of my work this past year—serving with the Street Medicine team through a partnership with Gundersen/Emplify Health & St. Clare Health Mission.

Through support from a grant by the American Osteopathic Foundation, I had the privilege of providing addiction care & osteopathic manipulation to unhoused patients in our community—meeting people where they are, literally & figuratively. Over the past year, our team distributed more than 400 doses of naloxone, connected many individuals to low-barrier treatment for substance use disorders & offered hands-on, noninvasive osteopathic treatment for pain. Best of all, we trained the next generation of family physicians to care for vulnerable populations beyond the walls of the clinic.

None of this would be possible without the incredible work of our Community Health Workers, who build trust, offer hope & serve as the vital bridge between patients and care. Their presence, compassion & advocacy are the foundation of this program’s success—and it was an honor to work alongside them. (One of our amazing CHWs is pictured here!)

As a parting gift, the team gave me a naloxone plushie to match my naloxone earrings—one of the most thoughtful, on-brand gifts I’ve ever received as someone who believes in promoting harm reduction in every corner of primary care. Because honestly, life is risky!

To this inspiring, compassionate, boots-on-the-ground team—thank you. I’m so proud to have been a part of it. 🥰

And now time to get back to the American Society of Addiction Medicine - ASAM annual addiction medicine conference in Denver—I’m all over the map in the last 24 hours!

04/24/2025

As I prepare to leave La Crosse and transition to a new chapter, I’m reflecting with deep gratitude on one of the most meaningful parts of my work this past year—serving with the Street Medicine team through a partnership with Gundersen/Emplify Health and St. Clare Health Mission.

Through support from a grant by the American Osteopathic Foundation, I had the privilege of providing addiction care and osteopathic manipulation to unhoused patients in our community—meeting people where they are, literally and figuratively. Over the past year, our team distributed more than 400 doses of naloxone, connected many individuals to low-barrier treatment for substance use disorders, and offered hands-on, noninvasive osteopathic treatment for pain. Best of all, we trained the next generation of family physicians to care for vulnerable populations beyond the walls of the clinic.

None of this would be possible without the incredible work of our Community Health Workers, who build trust, offer hope, and serve as the vital bridge between patients and care. Their presence, compassion, and advocacy are the foundation of this program’s success—and it was an honor to work alongside them. (One of our amazing CHWs is pictured here!)

As a parting gift, the team gave me a naloxone plushie to match my naloxone earrings—one of the most thoughtful, on-brand gifts I’ve ever received as someone who promotes harm reduction in ALL aspects of primary care. To this inspiring, compassionate, boots-on-the-ground team—thank you. I’m so proud to have been a part of it. 🥰