2009 Governors-elect Candidates' Bios and Vision Statements - Pennsylvania Eastern Chapter
The ballots for the current Governors-elect election have been mailed. Members can vote via telephone at 1 800 218 4026 (US only), online or mail. You will need your mailed ballot for your ACP Number and PIN in order to make a vote.
Below are the bios and vision statements of the candidates that are running in this election. The deadline for submitting ballots is November 26, 2009 at 12 midnight CT. Please be sure to vote!
Daniel B. Kimball, Jr.
DATE/PLACE OF BIRTH: 1 April 1939; Washington DC; EDUCATION: BA, Psychology; University of Virginia College of Arts & Sciences; MD – University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville VA; POST DOCTORAL TRAINING: Rotating Internship – 1965-1966, Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center, Denver CO; Internal Medicine Residency – 1966-1969, Madigan Army Medical Center, Ft. Lewis WA; Hematology/Oncology Fellowship – 1969-1971, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC; and Research Training Fellowship – 1971-1972, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington DC; CERTIFICATION: ABIM (Internal Medicine – 1971, 1977, 1987 and 2006; Hematology – 1972; and Medical Oncology – 1973); American Board of Medical Management – 1991; MILITARY (if applicable): US Army Medical Department, 1965 to 1989; Deputy Commander for Clinical Services, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington DC – 1982-1985; Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and Prof of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda MD – 1982-1985; and Commander, Landstuhl Army Regional Medical Center, Germany – 1985-1989; PRESENT POSITION: Med Dir, Hospice St. John of Berks County, Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries; ACP ACTIVITIES: Fellow – 1975; Laureate Award, Army Chapter -1993; Laureate Award, Eastern PA Chapter – 2003; Vice Chair and Chair Health and Public Policy Committee, PA Chapter, 2005 to present; PA ACP Chapter delegate to PA Medical Society House of Delegates, 2006-2008; Chapter Representative to Carrier Advisory Committee, Highmark Medicare Services, 2006 to present; Pressman Award, PA Chapter, 2008; and Primary Care Trustee for Internal Medicine on PA Medical Society Board of Trustees, 2008-2009 (Member AMS Subsidy Work Group, Political Advocacy Exec. Council and Strategic Planning Committee); HOSPITAL/COMMUNITY SERVICE: Chair, Dept of Medicine and Internal Medicine Residency Program Director, The Reading Hospital and Medical Center, 1989-2004; Current member Clinical Ethics Team and Clinical Pastoral Education Advisory Committee, The Reading Hospital and Medical Center; Continue on Active Staff at the Hospital. Board Member, Threshold Rehabilitation Services, Reading PA; Board Member, Miller-Keystone Blood Center, Bethlehem PA; Board Member, Circle of Life Coalition, Reading PA; Pro-bono Mediator, EEOC, Philadelphia PA; Stephen Minister and Stephen Leader, and Lay Assistant in Ministry, Atonement Lutheran Church, Wyomissing PA; OTHER APPOINTMENTS: Member, PA State Board of Medicine, 1995-2004; Member Composite Committee, USMLE and current Chair; Member, Step 3 Committee, NBME; Member, PA Delegation to AMA HOD; Member, Advisory Committee, PA Joint State Government Commission on Alternative Dispute Resolution; Host, “Health Talk” Radio show on WEEU for Berks County Medical Society; AREAS OF PROFESSIONAL INTEREST/EXPERTISE: Biomedical Ethics; Hospice and Palliative Care; End-of-Life Care Issues; Organ and Tissue Donation; Mediation as an ADR tool for resolving Medical Liability Issues.
Vision Statement
As we participate in the “health system reform debate,” I envision our Chapter as one that will always remember that it represents its members and our patients. We will listen to those with conventional, as well as nonconventional ideas. We will keep what we do as simple as possible and we will collaborate with our primary care brothers and sisters and specialty societies who share our goals. We will approach our tasks with the view that the glass is “half full.” We will model for our students, colleagues and patients what it means to be a medical professional. We will be self-reflective about our own educational needs as we provide care to our patients and we will focus our advocacy efforts towards promoting access to better care for all of our patients. I would be honored to serve as Governor-Elect for our Chapter and I seek your vote.
Debbie Salas-Lopez
DATE/PLACE OF BIRTH: December 25, 1957 in Bronx, NY; EDUCATION: Received a B.A. in Biology from Kean College in Union, NJ in 1981. In 1996, I received a doctorate at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark, NJ. In 2005, received a Masters in Public Health, Urban Healthy Policy and Administration at the School of Public Health; POST DOCTORAL TRAINING: Internal Medicine Residency at University Hospital at UMDNJ from 1996-1999. Became the Chief Medical Resident 1998-1999. Was a visiting scholar at the Harvard Institute of Healthcare Policy and completed fellowships with the National Cancer Institute and the Association of American Medical Colleges and Health Services Research Institute. She has worked with Rutgers University’s Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and Modern Experience as a Gustav Heninberg Civics Fellow and with the Center for Health Beliefs and Behavior; CERTIFICATION: Certified to the New Jersey Specialty Board in Internal Medicine in September 1999. Recertified to the Pennsylvania Specialty Board for Internal Medicine in July 2009; PRESENT POSITION: Chair of the Department of Medicine at Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown, Pennsylvania; ACP ACTIVITIES: Fellow with the American College of Physicians since April of 2007; HOSPITAL/COMMUNITY SERVICE: At Lehigh Valley Health Network: Executive Leader of The Primary Care Development Taskforce, Information Systems and Strategy Oversight Committee, Board of Governor’s Task Force for Lehigh Valley Physicians Group, Coding and Compliance Task Force, QI/QA Systems in Partners and Performance Improvement Council, Search Committee for the Chief Financial Officer, Capacity Throughput Council. In the Community: Speaks at local high schools, colleges, and businesses. Mentors students, residents, and community members. Organized an Adopt an Apartment project at a local women’s shelter. Chair of the 2009 Boyscouts “Scoutreach” event. Participated in the Girl Scouts “Women in the Lead” event; OTHER APPOINTMENTS: Grant reviewer for the Susan B. Komen Foundation. Reviewer for the National Institutes of Health, Center for Scientific Review. Member, Northeast Consortium of Cross Cultural Medical Education and Practice. Governor R. Codey appointee to NJ Board of Medical Examiners and NJ Healthcare Reform Taskforce, Chair of the NJ DOH Multicultural Health Commission; AREAS OF PROFESSIONAL INTEREST/EXPERTISE: Health issues and barriers to equitable access to health care; cultural awareness among health care professionals and its impact on patient outcomes; impact of health literacy and limited English proficiency on healthcare outcomes; health care reform and policies and their effects on the uninsured; medical education.
Vision Statement
Today’s healthcare system is in crisis. I’d like to focus my efforts on three issues; 1) weighing in on healthcare reform and monitoring its effects on our local population, healthcare systems, physician practices, and students, 2) the increasing shortage of primary care physicians, and 3) the need for increasing our workforce and leadership diversity. As ACP governor, I’d advocate for healthcare reform that improves quality of care and reduces healthcare costs, assessment of models to accomplish this such as the patient-centered medical home model(s), increasing women and minorities in medicine, and workforce interest in primary care including loan forgiveness for medical residents and students. These are very lofty goals that need strong leadership and team work. I believe that by focusing on these areas and working together as an organization, we can make important, measurable, and a much needed difference in re-creating our healthcare system.
What's New
Contact Information
Eastern Region
Richard J. Simons, MD, FACP, Governor
Southeastern Region
Charles Cutler, MD, FACP, Governor
Western Region
Alejandro R. Gonzalez, MD, FACP
John Derrickson
Executive Director
Phone: 610-543-6880 or Toll-free: 800-846-7746
Fax: 610-543-6806
E-mail: pcim.hq@verizon.net