ACP honors outstanding chapter activities with Evergreen Awards
From the June ACP Observer, copyright © 2005 by the American College of Physicians.
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SAN FRANCISCO—At this year's Annual Session, 16 College chapters received Evergreen Awards to honor new programs that strengthen the chapter and increase member communication and involvement.
The College recognized four chapters for programs in the Advocacy category: the Florida Chapter for its Associates advocacy mentoring program; the Massachusetts Chapter for designing a plan to implement a state-wide electronic health records for its members; the New York Chapter for hosting a summit to foster communication between physician and payers; and the Ohio Chapter for initiating a grassroots effort to recruit Key Contact members.
Representatives from 16 College chapters pose with Evergreen Awards at Annual Session. The awards recognize efforts to strengthen chapters and increase member involvement.
In the category of Associates and Young Physicians, the Indiana Chapter received the Evergreen for meeting the needs of Associates by collaborating with the Indiana Medical Society to publish the abstracts presented at its annual meeting in the society's monthly publication.
Two chapters were honored for community service and volunteerism for their efforts to improve their communities' health and education through outreach programs.
The Georgia Chapter provided education on diabetes care to rural primary care providers and staff. The New York Chapter initiated a program that actively engaged its members in a variety of community service activities.
In the education and communication category, the College honored four chapters. The Maryland Chapter hosted dinner meetings to have members discuss practice management issues. The Michigan Chapter opened up its Associate competition to include quality improvement research and evidence-based case reports, resulting in more cases being presented.
The Missouri Chapter identified "local ACP reps" to serve as communication conduits between the members and the Governor, along with hosting Fellowship tutorials to provide guidance to members. Finally, the North Carolina Chapter hosted an annual breakfast meeting to improve communication and identify problems in training programs.
For innovation in chapter management, two recipients received Evergreens for programs that improved chapter efficiency. The New York Chapter hosted a leadership development conference for its 16 district presidents, while the Texas Chapter developed a customized investment policy for the chapter.
The Iowa Chapter was the sole winner in the medical students category. The group devised an initiative that stimulated medical students' interest in internal medicine through increased participation at its annual chapter meeting.
The South Dakota Chapter received the Evergreen Award in the category of membership enhancement and diversity for its efforts to educate members about the rewards of being a College Fellow.
Finally, in the category of Associates and medical students, the Venezuela Chapter was honored for hosting several Associate and medical student meetings, introducing students and residents to internal medicine and the benefits of starting a life-long affiliation with the College. (Also see, "Time to pay your chapter dues.")
When you receive your College dues notice, remember to include chapter dues in your payment.
Chapter dues provide the primary support for local initiatives and are vital to the success of your chapter. Activities supported by chapter dues include educational meetings, mentoring programs for medical students, local Associate research competitions, advocacy with state legislators and chapter leaders' participation in ACP's Leadership Day. Chapter dues also help offset the cost of local support staff.
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