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In this Issue:
- Governor's Corner
- Chapter Meeting
- Chapter Awards
- Doctor's Dilemma
- Upcoming Events
- Volunteers needed for committees:
- Chapter Bylaws:
- College Resources and news:
Alwinn Steinmann, MD, FACP, ACP Governor
Governor's Corner
Well, the time just changed and it's our first 70-degree day since early November. Even with snow in the forecast for tomorrow, Spring is near! Additionally, with the discontinuation of mandatory masking policies at many health care facilities, there is definite an air of change, though I oddly feel like I am not wearing a seatbelt when I am out in the hallways without a mask. There are a lot of chapter updates listed below as well as news on upcoming events. Please take the time to look these over. Happy Spring!
Chapter Meeting
We had a very successful chapter meeting at the Broadmoor in February, once again utilizing a hybrid format and offering a virtual option. Attendees enjoyed stimulating talks on a wide range of topics, resident abstract presentations, Forest for the Trees readings and a great poster reception. Many thanks to members of the Program Planning Committee (Gail Mizner, Jen Stichman, Matt Moles, Dave Downs, Kate McCaffery, Juan Lessing, and Bree Ashdown) as well as Christine and Brian Westbrook for all their work in making sure our meeting was a success! A big thanks also to Rick Miranda for all his work on the resident abstracts and posters. Please mark your calendars for next year's meeting on Feb 2-3. 2024.
Chapter Awards
Thanks to Erik Wallace and the Awards Committee for reviewing nominations and identifying a very deserving group of internists for our 2023 annual chapter awards, which were celebrated at our annual meeting.
Robert R. Gibbons, MD, MACP Distinguished Medical Educator Award – Aaron Calderon, MD, FACP
Joel S. Levine, MD, MACP Distinguished healthcare Advocate Award – David Downs, MD, FACP
Colorado Early Career Physician Award – Brandon Fainstad, MD
Community Service and Volunteerism Award – Lisa Price, MD, FACP
Colorado Chapter Laureate Award – Cathy Ow, MD, FACP
National recognition:
National Chapter Excellence Award, Gold Level – Colorado Chapter / Ms. Christine Westbrook
Master in the American College of Physicians – Dr. Michael McDermott
Doctor's Dilemma
On February 27th we held our annual resident Doctor's Dilemma at Maggiano's in Centennial. Teams from all four Colorado internal medicine residencies competed in what was arguably, the closest and most exciting competition in memory! Congratulations to the team from the University of Colorado (Sarah Haeger, Jacob Hershey, Kait McLeod, and Karan Rai) for advancing to the national competition in San Diego! We wish you the best of luck! Thanks also to Drs. Rick Miranda and Tyler Miller for their work in organizing and conducting this competition and to the residency programs and trainees for their participation.
Upcoming Events
ACP National Scientific Meeting in San Diego, CA. (April 27-30, 2023). If you plan to attend this event, we will be having a joint reception with the New Mexico Chapter on Friday April 28th from 6-8pm at Lou & Mickey's 224 Fifth Avenue, San Diego, California Friday, April 28, 2023 6:00PM-8:00PM. As the meeting approaches, we will send a notice and request RSVPs.
Colorado ACP Chapter Resident / Fellow Day at Saint Joseph Hospital (May 17,2023)
ACP National Leadership Day in Washington, DC (May 23-24, 2023) This is the ACP's annual national advocacy activity. If you would like to attend and join the Colorado Chapter contingent, please reach out to Al Steinmann.
Volunteers needed for committees:
Please consider getting involved with our Chapter by working on one of our committees! Maintaining active committees and getting new membership is essential for the future of our chapter. Our standing committees include Membership, Awards, Early Career Physicians, Health and Public Policy. The finance committee will be looking for a new treasurer and a new finance committee chair, as Dr. Palen and Dr. Prochazka have announced that they will be stepping down after many years of service. Please contact Al Steinmann for more information or to volunteer.
Chapter Bylaws:
We are in the process of updating our chapter bylaws. Once approved by the Governor's Council and reviewed by an attorney, they will be sent out to the membership for a vote. They will then need to be approved by the national ACP's Board of Regents. Please watch for a communication regarding the bylaws changes and vote over the next few months.
College Resources and news:
Online Learning Center – interested in improving your knowledge and skills and getting CME and / or MOC credits? The visit the ACP's Online Learning Center.
The ACP has joined the Healthcare Coalition for Firearm Injury Prevention which seeks to advance firearm injury prevention using a public health approach.
Journals and Publications – don't forget about the wide range of resources available to you through the ACP.
Sad news
It is with much sadness that we communicate the passing of Dr. Heather Shull, a longstanding and active Colorado chapter member. Heather loved our annual chapter meeting, having served on our Program Planning Committee for several years. Heather's poem, “The Conundrum” had been accepted as one of our Forest for the Trees readings just prior to her death. Her good friend Heather Burton was kind enough to read it for us at our meeting. Here is the text of that poem:
THE CONUNDRUM
Healer, I know this role, I am trained
I have practiced and tried to perfect
I listen, I speak the words,
I find the empathy in giving good news and bad
Patient, who is that?
Someone I fight not to be
but it is reality, a 10-year reality
How do I heal self, how do I listen to me?
But flipping the switch
between physician and patient is arduous
How do I move between both realms
Be present for you or be present for me?
It isn't a simple switch
That is the conundrum
I can't turn off healer but I also can't walk away from my cancer
What defines me?
I am not defined by cancer
Nor by alopecia, nausea or utter exhaustion
I am a mother, a friend, a leader, a healer
I am more than the conundrum
I want to continue to be who I am trained to be
but energy is sapped
reality steps in
what is left to give, or do I need to be given to?
Is it a sliding switch, a continuum?
Can I be both?
Bravery, self reflection gives way to a new reality
Take care of others, yet knowing I need care myself
Rely on what I know, what I have learned
Toggle back and forth
between healer and healing, giver and receiving
The true conundrum - find the strength on both sides and keep living.
Heather A Shull, MD FACP
Colorado Governor's Newsletter April 2023