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GOVERNOR'S NEWSLETTER

Spring 1999

Congratulations to Dwight Hiesterman, Lucinda Husby, Dave Jordan, Joel Liechty, Bill Nichols, and George Risi. It was a treat to join Governor-Elect Phil Griffin at the ACP–ASIM convocation in New Orleans when all of these outstanding physicians received their well deserved Fellowship in the college. All have made great contributions to our profession and to their patients and communities. Be sure to congratulate them when you see them next and certainly at the upcoming Montana chapter meeting in the Flathead Valley at Marina Cay. And while you're thinking about Fellowship, turn to the last few pages of this newsletter to find out all you need to know. It's easy, worthwhile and something that excellent internists in Montana should do.

And on the topic of excellent internists, Ron Smith, MD, FACP strode proudly across the stage at the Convocation Ceremony in New Orleans to receive a well deserved honor in front of several thousand attendees. Those of us in the Montana delegation loudly applauded his selection for the Ralph Claypoole Award. This national award is given to a physician for "devotion of a career in internal medicine to the care of patients." It was a proud day for Ron and for all internists from Montana. Congratulations, Ron!

Marina Cay and the Flathead Valley are ready for us, thanks to the tremendous efforts of Marise K. Johnson, MD, FACP, Program Chair for this year's meeting. You should have recently received a letter reminding you to reserve you accommodations before the reserved block is released to the general public late in May. You also should receive shortly the full program brochure, but I can't resist giving you some behind the scenes sneak previews. First, the Scientific Program provides excellent speakers on hepatitis C, heart failure, diabetes and great case reports from colleagues around the state. Discussions with faculty and colleagues should be educational and should help maintain our enthusiasm for medicine.

Then it's PARTY TIME! Dr. Johnson has wangled, finagled and maneuvered to put together recreational activities for everyone.

New Orleans and the ACP–ASIM Annual Meeting were both fun and informative. The food in the smaller cafes was superb; the big name places a bit disappointing. But anywhere you can find a dozen oysters on the half shell for $6 has to be worth going back to. I attended some great update sessions in infectious diseases and GI. Several meet the professor sessions sent me out with new and useful information. Next year's meeting is in Philadelphia, a town that has made huge efforts to improve its image as a convention city. It's worked! The history, art, music and proximity to other great northeastern cities makes this a great convention city. Liz and I found the restaurants here to be excellent, on a par with anywhere we've been, and about half the price of San Francisco. Mark your calendars now for the first meeting of the millennium, April 13-16, 2000.

One useful tidbit from this year's meeting that many of you will find useful is The Center for Competitive Advantage. This service offers a number of practical management tools including a "Practice Management Checkup," which assesses key indicators such as productivity, expenses, profitability and optimal use of resources. Your practice is compared in an understandable way with national benchmarks. There is also a software program that will assess your laboratory's efficiency and profitability. Both these services are available for less than $150. Call the college at (800) 523-1546 for more information, or learn more by visiting the college's web site at www.acponline.org.

And finally, if you haven't yet visited the ACP–ASIM web site, then you should do so now at www.acponline.org. The site keeps getting better, more useful and more user friendly. There are scores of links to other useful web sites, detailed information on college policy, and more than a few places to pick up some good jokes. It's an interesting place to spend 15 or 20 minutes once a week and if you find something that really captures your fancy, set the alarm for bedtime!

What's New

Contact Information

Jay L. Larson, MD, FACP
Governor, Montana Chapter

Carrie Reisig
Montana Chapter
Executive Director
Phone: 406-899-8765 or 406-452-5678
Email: creisig@bresnan.net

Visit the MT Chapter Facebook page