Governor's Newsletter, Summer 1997

The first year as your Governor has been very rewarding and several exciting and new things have occurred.

Clinical Practice Award: Richard H. Dixon, MD

The first award for excellence in Clinical Practice was presented to Richard H. Dixon, MD of State College for his twenty-two years of dedication and outstanding service to his patients, community and colleagues in the Central Pennsylvania area. Dr. Dixon received this honor at the Awards Banquet during the Annual Statewide Meeting at the Hotel Hershey on May 2, 1997. Dr. Dixon practices Hematology and Oncology in State College and Huntingdon.

Laureate Award: James J. Houser, MD, FACP

Dr. Houser, of Franklin, PA was awarded the American College of Physicians Laureate Award at the Annual Meeting in Hershey. Dr. Houser received his Fellowship in the American College of Physicians in 1975. He has served on the Council of Education and Science, the Council of Medical Economics, as well as many other councils of the Pennsylvania Medical Society. Dr. Houser has also been an active member of the Pennsylvania Society of Internal Medicine, as well as the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Physicians where he serves on the Governor's Advisory Council. He is an Instructor in Primary Care Medicine for the Penn State University College of Medicine and is President of the Rural Medical Network of Western Pennsylvania. Dr. Houser has carried on the finest traditions embodied in the practice of medicine. He has provided exemplary service to his patients, the community and his family. Dr. Houser has been a credit to the American College of Physicians.

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Internal Medicine Meeting

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Internal Medicine held its second Annual Meeting May 2-4, 1997 at the Hotel Hershey. The meeting was attended by over 200 Internal Medicine specialists, the largest number in many years. Seventy-nine (79) Resident Abstracts were presented at the meeting this year. Congratulations to the winners. The winners were:

  • Cardiology - Mohammed F. Islam, MD - St. Francis Medical Center
  • Critical Care - Lazaros A. Nikolaidis, MD - Western Pennsylvania Hospital
  • Gastroenterology - Kapil Chopra, MD - Western Pennsylvania Hospital
  • Health Care Delivery - Sotirios Tsiodras, MD - Albert Einstein Medical Center
  • Hematology - Ewa Susfal, MD - Easton Hospital
  • Infectious Diseases - Guneeth Purewal, MD - Western Pennsylvania Hospital
  • Nephrology/Endocrinology - Steven Stein, MD - Albert Einstein Medical Center
  • Neurology - H. S. Gulati, MD - St. Francis Medical Center
  • Oncology - Chris T. Kerk, MD - Abington Memorial Hospital
  • Rheumatology/Other - Steven Stein, MD - Albert Einstein Medical Center

Thanks to T. Michael White, MD, FACP, Program Director at St. Francis, for chairing the Program Committee for the Pennsylvania ACP and Mark Roberts, MD, FACP for chairing the Associates Committee, and William Lamb, DO, FACP for coordinating the CME credits as the "ACP Education Liaison (ACEL)".

Save the Date: May 1-3, 1998

THE HOTEL HERSHEY
Pennsylvania Coalition Of Internal Medicine

The best Internal Medicine Meeting in Pennsylvania in 1998

CME Credits (16.5 hours at the 1997 meeting) at half the cost of a national meeting (including plane fare ) outside of Pennsylvania

The meeting will include SUBSPECIALTY UPDATES

New Master: Elmer Holzinger, MD, MACP

Dr. Holzinger was awarded and recognized as a Master at the American College of Physicians Annual meeting in Philadelphia on March 22, 1997. Dr. Holzinger has been the Chairman, Department of Medicine at St. Francis Medical Center in Pittsburgh since 1970. He has taught medical students from the University of Pittsburgh and other schools for 26 years and has provided a stimulating Internal Medicine Residency Program for many years. Dr. Holzinger is the immediate Past Governor of the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Physicians, currently serves on the Governor's Advisory Council, and Chairs the Medical Students Committee and the Awards Committee for the ACP. Dr. Holzinger joins Jack Myers, MD, MACP as the two ACP Masters in our chapter. CONGRATULATIONS to Dr. Holzinger and many thanks from all of the Internal Medicine specialists and students who have benefited from the teaching and motivation that Dr. Holzinger has provided.

West Penn Hospital

Congratulations to the Western Pennsylvania Hospital team of Residents who are Co-National Champions of the Medical Knowledge Quiz Contest. The following Residents participated and won a jeopardy style medical contest at the Annual ACP Meeting in Philadelphia on March 22, l997:

West Penn:
Khaleelur Salahudeen, MD
Aashish Dua, MD
Monica Dua, MD
Pollachi Selvakumarraj, MD

Albert Einstein:
Pairoj Rerkpattanpipat, MD
Arun Malhotra, MD

They won a trip to the Statewide ACP Meeting at Hershey and had an East-West playoff where West Penn narrowly lost to Albert Einstein by only 5 points in an exciting State Championship. The winners have won a trip to the Annual ACP Meeting in San Diego in April of l998 where they will compete for the National Championship again. Herb Diamond, MD, FACP, Program Director at West Penn Hospital and the Internal Medicine faculty should be commended for preparing their residents for this competition. Thanks to Martin Evers, MD, FACP and Lazaros Nikolaidis, MD for organizing and emceeing these contests.

Women's Committee

Roberta Ness, MD, MPH, Chairperson has developed an active committee and intends to study "Women's Advancement in Medicine". The Pennsylvania Chapter of the ACP has awarded a RESEARCH GRANT to survey hospitals in Pennsylvania in regard to women participation in hospital and institutional committees and their responsibilities. This grant is the first initiative of it's kind in the Pennsylvania ACP Chapter. The PA Chapter intends to review Research Grant proposals each year. Note: for the first time, the majority of graduates from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine are women.

Medical Student Award: Mark Mailhot

Mark Mailhot received the Senior Medical Student Award for demonstrating superior academic and clinical performance in his Internal Medicine clerkships, a consistent pattern to seek more knowledge and a compassionate approach to patients. I presented Mark this award along with a check for $250.00 at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Student Awards Ceremony on May 16, l997 at the Twentieth Century Club, Pittsburgh. A luncheon was provided by the Pitt Medical Alumni Association where I had a chance to talk with Mark and his friends who will be our "doctors of tomorrow". The ACP will continue our commitment to medical students. The Western PA ACP will present an award to an outstanding junior medical student in the fall and provide a trip to our statewide meeting in Hershey in the Spring of 1998.

100,000 Plus Members

The American College of Physicians membership has grown rapidly over the last few years. The 100,000th member is Thomas S. Davis, a medical student from New York.

Identity Crisis / Internal Medicine

Much of the public in the United States does not know what an Internal Medicine Specialist ("internist") is, and, therefore, does not know how to utilize the expertise of an "internist". Because of this longstanding identity crisis, the ACP is launching a major initiative to study the response of the public to the "internist". Pilot pre and post market studies will be launched in Pittsburgh, Memphis and Denver. Results of these studies will be applied to a national initiative to improve the understanding of the public's knowledge of the "internist" -----DOCTORS FOR ADULTS. If you would like to borrow a copy of a preliminary tape explaining this project, contact our office.

New Fellows of the ACP

Fellowship in the ACP is awarded by four (4) pathways that recognize academic accomplishments, continuing education with recertification, contributions to college activities, and distinguished professional activities. Members may apply for fellowship through any one of these pathways. The following Internists were awarded fellowship in the ACP and have the privilege to used the initials FACP after their names. Please take time to congratulate your colleagues on this advancement.

Paula Bonino, MD, FACP, Cranberry Twp, PA
Ruth Falik, MD, FACP, Pittsburgh, PA
Tony G. Farah, MD, FACP, Pittsburgh, PA
Fredric W. Martin, MD, FACP, Pittsburgh, PA
Robert N. Mitro, DO, FACP, Pittsburgh, PA
Nancy E. Weissbach, MD, FACP, Erie, PA

The following fellows who received their FACP in previous years marched in the Convocation Ceremony in Philadelphia and were officially awarded there Fellowship by the ACP President, Christine Cassel, MD, MACP Congratulations to all of our recent fellows.

Thomas J. Antos, MD, FACP, Pittsburgh, PA
Paul A. Bialas, MD, FACP, Warren, PA
Mehboob K. Chaudhry, MD McKeesport, PA
Douglas F. Clough, MD, FACP, Pittsburgh, PA
Randall C. Cook, MD, FACP, Latrobe, PA
Joel B. Haight, MD, FACP, State College, PA
Robert E. Kraftowitz, MD, FACP, Pittsburgh, PA
Elizabeth A. Laberee, MD, FACP, Bethel Park, PA
Steven A. Levy, MD, FACP, Erie, PA
Kenneth S. McCarty, MD, FACP, Pittsburgh, PA
Louis D. Meta, MD, FACP, McKeesport, PA
Stasia L. Miaskiewicz, MD, FACP, Pittsburgh, PA
Charles J. Oschwald, MD, FACP, Johnstown, PA
John A. Power, MD, FACP, Pittsburgh, PA
Carl A. Sirio, MD, FACP, Pittsburgh, PA
Stuart G. Tauberg, MD, FACP, Pittsburgh, PA
Barbara W. Wang, MD, FACP, Latrobe, PA
G. Alan Yeasted, MD, FACP, Pittsburgh, PA

Web Site

Look for the Western PA Chapter of the ACP on the internet in the near future. Thanks to Louis Leff, MD, FACP, (Chairperson of the ACP Informatics Committee), you will be able to check on ACP meeting dates, activities, committee assignments, etc. Until then, you may express your thoughts to your Governor at any time by sending a message by E-Mail Internet: 70333.774@compuserve.com (or by fax, letter, or telephone).

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