Governor's Newsletter, Winter 1997

Greetings from your Governor. As promised with the last Special Election Issue , here is another newsletter with more information about our activities.

1998 Virginia Clinical Meeting, February 13-14, 1998

The 1998 Virginia Clinical Meeting sponsored by the Virginia Chapter, American College of Physicians and the Virginia Society of Internal Medicine will be held February 13-14, 1998 at the Omni Richmond Hotel. Dr. Ron Clark has led the Program Committee in developing an outstanding program. The topics include:

Clinical:
  • Advances in the management of clinical disorders including Alzheimer's disease, hepatitis B and C, and sexually transmitted diseases
  • Updates on illnesses in travelers and on food-borne pathogens in Virginia
  • Two interesting "Stump-the-Professor" sessions
  • Exciting clinical vignettes by Associates
Medical/Political:
  • What is new in Medicare and Medicaid
  • A discussion of domestic violence in Virginia
  • Updates on ACP/ASIM activities including a Town Meeting and discussion of the merger
Breakout Sessions:
  • An interactive demonstration of using computers in clinical practice
  • A panel on discussing difficult issues with dying patients and their families
  • A workshop on enhancing skills for community based teachers
  • For Residents and Fellows—A panel on planning a career in internal medicine
Social:

An enjoyable awards dinner to which all attendees are invited (with tickets of course). VA ACP/VSIM awards will be presented.

In addition, numerous breaks in the meeting allow time for visiting exhibits and socializing with fellows internists.

You should have received a program brochure including registration information by mail. This information can also be obtained by contacting our Chapter Coordinator, Cathy English, at 804-924-2425 or e-mail cae8e@virginia.edu.

Please plan to come!

Associates' Corner

Joseph M. Ferguson, MD and Richard E. Scranton, MD

By the time you receive this newsletter we will have had the First Annual Associates Day. The Governor's Council has been very supportive in our attempt to develop a new avenue for Associates throughout the state to participate in a scholarly activity. The Associates Day took place in Richmond on January 10th. The morning session featured over 30 oral presentations from associates throughout the state. Sixteen were chosen to present at the Annual Clinical Meeting in February. The afternoon session featured educational seminars for residents and fellows regarding preparing an effective curriculum vitae and presentation skills for physicians. We hope these helped residents who are looking for careers in medicine and want to land the perfect job.

The Virginia Council of Associates met at this meeting and will meet again at the Annual Clinical Meeting in February. Please contact your local representative if you would like for them to address concerns about residency training or issues pertaining to the American College of Physicians. The representatives are: Dr. Sharon Cucchi, Eastern Virginia Medical School; Dr. Joseph Ferguson, Medical College of Virginia; Dr. Ronald Haggerty, Naval Medical Center-Portsmouth; Dr. Toni Belisle, Roanoke-Salem; and Dr. Richard Ingram, University of Virginia. We are looking for residents who are interested in being more involved with the ACP. Please contact your local representative for additional information.

The National Council of Associates (NCOA) is a thirteen member council that represents all of the associates throughout the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. The position for the Eastern Zone, which includes Virginia, is up for election this year. If you are interested in applying for this position, please contact Dr. Richard Scranton at 757-953-5068 for more information. It is a great time to get involved!

Regent's Corner

Oscar E. Edwards, MD, FACP

General Internal Medicine/Subspecialty Societies Relationship:

A task force of the regents has been established to re-examine all aspects of the GIM-SS relationship. Better consultative techniques, more focused requests, better transfer of information, better patient outcome, improved cost effectiveness, and enhanced collegiality are all goals. In addition, it's hoped that the communication between the College and the subspecialty societies can prosper. Jay Skyler, a diabetologist from the University of Miami and Chair of the Council of Subspecialty Societies, and I will co-chair this effort. More to come!

MKSAP 11:

If you haven't gotten your copy—the best self-evaluation tool has made its eleventh triennial appearance. It is available in paper or electronic modality and for general internists or subspecialists. Call 800-523-1546 x-2600 to order.

ACP/ASIM Merger:

Seven ASIM officers and trustees have been selected to serve on the ACP-ASIM Board of Regents when the two organizations merge. The individuals were approved by ASIM's Board of Trustees and ACP's Chair of the Board of Regents in accordance with principles for a merger approved by the governing bodies of both ACP and ASIM in the fall. The selected individuals will serve on the Board of Regents for a transitional period with full voting privileges. The first meeting in which they will participate will be an organizational meeting of the ACP-ASIM Board of Regents in April 1998. The Board of Regents will return to its original size of thirty members following the transitional period.

Transitional appointments of ASIM individuals to serve on the ACP-ASIM Board of Governors have yet to be determined.

ASIM Officers and Trustees Selected—Transitional Period:

Bernard M. Rosof, MD, ASIM President—One-year term
Isabel V. Hoverman, MD, ASIM President-Elect—Three-year term
Cyril M. (Kim) Hetsko, MD, ASIM Secretary-Treasurer—Two-year term
Robert M. McCartney, MD—Three-year term
W. James Stackhouse, MD—Three-year term
Laurence D. Wellikson, MD—Three-year term
Cecil B. Wilson, MD—Three-year term

Governor's Message

More on the ACP/ASIM Merger:

While plans for merger at the national level are moving along, it is recognized that smooth and complete merger at the ACP chapter/ASIM component level is the key to success. As part of preparations for the merger, a new task force will help facilitate the merger of local College chapters and ASIM component societies. The task force will develop guidelines to help local organizations merge and arbitrate differences when necessary.

The following ACP Governors were named to the ACP-ASIM Local Merger Task Force in November: Mahendr Kochar, FACP (Wisconsin), who will serve as co-chair; Dewayne Andrews, FACP (Oklahoma); Munsey Wheby, FACP (Virginia); Donna Sweet, FACP (Kansas); Lynn Kirk, FACP (Texas); Jamie Barkin, FACP (Florida); and Gregory Elliott, FACP (Utah). Also named to the task force were: ACP Regent and Treasurer James Borland, Jr, FACP; Council of Associates Chair Richard Scranton, ACP Associate; and Board of Governors Chair William Hall, FACP, who will be an ex-officio member.

Representing ASIM on the task force are Past President William Golden, FACP, who will serve as co-chair; Trustee Jim Stackhouse; Trustee Carlos Hamilton, FACP; Jonathan Applebaum (Massachusetts); Paul Gitman, FACP (New York); Frederick Turton, ACP Member (Florida); Warren Lovinger, FACP (Missouri); Richard Frankenstein, FACP (California); Laura Carravallah, ACP Member (Michigan); and Gregory Hood, ACP Associate, representing the Resident Physicians Sections.

Virginia is fortunate to have two members of our Council on the task force. This experience should be helpful when representatives of our two state societies meet in early 1998. I was invited to the VSIM Board of Trustees meeting in January 1998 but it is on the same date as the national task force meeting . Members of both organizations are in leadership positions in each organization. This fact, combined with all we have in common, should allow a smooth transition to a new unified organization.

PR Campaign:

The national campaign designed to educate the public about Internal Medicine and the identity of internists is progressing well. I hope members have seen some of the national TV coverage and the ads in a number of prominent magazines such as Newsweek, Better Homes and Gardens, People, Ladies Home Journal, Ebony, Living Fit, McCall's and Time, highlighting internists as doctors for adults. The text of the advertisements reads as follows:

"Internists are the medical doctors who make a practice of treating adults. They devote at least three additional years, after medical school, learning to prevent and treat diseases that primarily affect grown ups. So they're well prepared to listen and talk with you about a broad range of adult health care needs. And they can help with everything from routine physicals and wellness programs to the management of complex medical conditions, like heart disease, cancer, diabetes and arthritis.

So when it's time to choose a doctor, consider choosing a Doctor of Internal Medicine. They're the doctors for adults. Because whatever else you are, you're not a kid anymore.

For more information, contact a Doctor of Internal Medicine in your community, or learn more about us at our Web site, http://www.acponline.org."

These advertisements should help in increasing the public's understanding of what internal medicine is and what internists do. If you have seen the advertisements and have any comments, please share them with Janet Arneson at the ACP Office by calling 800-523-1546 x2530 or e-mail them to her at: jarneson@acponline.org.

The ACP Resolution Process:

As a member of the American College of Physicians, you have several ways to voice your concerns at the national level. One major way is the introduction of resolutions, which are usually recommendations for policy or program development or refinement. In the first ten years of the resolutions process, seventy-five resolutions were considered by the Board of Governors.

A resolution may be initiated by a member, committee, council, officer, or Governor and may address any topic of interest to the author. A resolution should take the form of a College policy statement, including presentation of applicable data, brief analysis of those data, and recommendations for action. Resolutions may be brief, but should contain three minimum elements:

  1. WHEREAS, define the problem
  2. WHEREAS, list the principles to be applied to the problem
  3. BE IT RESOLVED, recommended action

When the resolution is ready, it should be submitted to the Governor and chapter council for review and comment. Those resolutions that are approved locally are brought to the Board of Governors meetings, where they are discussed by the Board and its Executive Committee. Recommendations—referral to the Board of Regents, referral for further consideration at a future Governor's Conference, referral back to the chapter—are made for each resolution by the Executive Committee. The full Board then votes on the recommendations. A full report is sent after the meeting to the Board of Regents, which takes action as appropriate.

Our Chapter introduced a resolution last fall which the Board of Governors approved. It resolves that a current ACP Governor can be provided the ballot results of an election for Governor within that Governor's chapter.

Current ACP policy is not to release this information. Our Council felt it was important for ACP to have a more open policy regarding elections for Governor.

Virginia Chapter Web Site

Thanks to the work of Sarah Corley, MD, FACP, our Virginia Chapter now has a Web site available to members. There you will find information and programs of our meetings and other important facts.

Treasurer's Report

7/1/96 Through 6/30/97

Category Total
INCOME
Associates Board Review 500.00
Interest 794.78
Leadership Day 225.33
Miscellaneous 344.84
National 35,600.00
National Reception 96 1,500.00
National Reception 97 4,500.00
Regional Meeting 1996 1,587.33
Regional Meeting 1997 35,747.07
TOTAL INCOME 80,799.35
EXPENSES
Account Maintenance Fee 166.22
Administrative Support 7,429.20
Associates 2,604.41
Compuserve Charge 376.65
Council Meetings 3,188.73
Internal Medicine Clubs 1,500.00
Leadership Day 97 850.38
Medical Society of Virginia—97 250.00
Meeting Banners 244.32
National Reception 97 5,604.29
Office Equipment 344.84
Office Supplies 140.64
Postage 170.77
Regional Meeting 97 47,242.74
Tax Preparation 600.00
Expense—Cash 100.53
TOTAL EXPENSES 70,813.72
INCOME LESS EXPENSES 9,985.63

Members Elected to Fellowship

Congratulations to the following members elected to Fellowship in 1997:

Sarah T. Corley
Arlington

Anne Rose Eapen
Falls Church

Stafford S. Goldstein
Annandale

Douglas M. Heuman
Richmond

Ralph R. Clark
Richmond

Paul Dallas
Roanoke

Neil K. Dorsey
Roanoke

Hassan Kanj
Norton

Ellen R. Kessler
Annandale

Craig M. Kubik
Pounding Mill

James C. Laidlaw
Winchester

David H. Lander
Floyd

Barry C. Lubin
Norfolk

David R. Moseman
Pulaski

Robert O. Pryor
Galax

Emory H. Robinette
Abingdon

Ihsan O. Safi
Bluefield

Diane G. Snustad
Charlottesville

Robert O. Solomon
Radford

James K. VanKirk
Lexington

Leila H. Zackrison
Fairfax

American College Of Physicians Annual Session

April 2-5, 1998
San Diego, California

Virginia Reception
Friday, April 3, 1998
6:00-8:00 p.m.
Manchester Ballroom D
Hyatt Regency San Diego