North Dakota Governor's Newsletter August 2026


Joshua C. Ranum, MD, FACP, ACP Governor
Greetings, colleagues-
As we wind down summer, break in new medical students, interns, residents (and attendings), and prepare to send the kids back to sports and school, it's also time to plan to attend our annual meeting. It will be on October 16 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks. We have an excellent lineup planned in conjunction with the North Dakota Medical Association and the ND Chapter of SHM.
All of the speakers will be great. I'm especially excited that the Chair-elect of the ACP Board of Governors, Dr. Marion McCrary, will be speaking. Dr. McCrary is an expert in professional development and well-being and has spoken all over the world on these topics.
Below is the schedule. Registration and hotel information can be found here.
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 7:30-8:30 AM | Breakfast with the Dean Marjorie R. Jenkins, MD, MEdHP, FACP* Opportunity to mingle with Dr. Jenkins and network with vendors* Dr. Jenkins' presentation begins at 8:00 am |
| 8:45-10:30 AM | Policy Forum North Dakota Medical Association |
| 10:30-11:00 AM | Break/network with vendors |
| 11:00 AM-Noon | Intentional Growth at All Career Stages: Create a Fulfilling Legacy Marion Mull McCrary, MD, FACP, FAMWA, NBC-HWC |
| Noon-1:30 PM | Leadership Awards Luncheon |
| 1:30-1:45 PM | Welcome Joshua Ranum, MD, FACP |
| 1:45-2:30 PM | The Future of Medicine: Precision Medicine, AI, and the Next Era of Healthcare Ikram Khan |
| 2:30-3:30 PM | Food as Medicine - A Pillar of Lifestyle Medicine Darin Lang, MD, FACP |
| 3:30-4:15 PM | Updates in Medicine Chris Pribula, MD, FHM |
| 4:15 PM | Adjourn |
2026 North Dakota Chapter Scientific Meeting Poster Competition
The 2026 resident poster competition and Doctor's Dilemma competition will be on Tuesday, October 13. Medical student posters will be presented virtually on Thursday, October 15.
If you are interested in volunteering as a poster judge, please sign up here.
Call for Award Nominations
Do you have a mentor, colleague, or peer deserving recognition?
The North Dakota Chapter Awards Committee would appreciate your assistance in recognizing our chapter members that have made outstanding contributions in the practice of medicine, research, public service, leadership, and medical volunteerism.
The recipients will be honored during the North Dakota Chapter Scientific Meeting, October 16, 2026.
Please review the list of chapter awards below and submit your nomination to Carla Beach Chapter Staff. If possible, please include the nominee's CV.
Laureate Award
The Laureate Award is designed to honor those Fellows and Masters of the College who have demonstrated, by their example and conduct, an abiding commitment to excellence in medical care, education, and research, and service to their community, their chapter, and the ACP.
Fostering Diversity Award
The award is given to an individual with outstanding accomplishments in advancing diversity in clinical medicine or research, and/or access to care in relation to diverse populations. “Diverse populations” are understood to include: 1) economically or socially disadvantaged patient populations, for example, minorities, immigrant groups, or the homeless; and 2) groups underrepresented in the healthcare workforce.
Volunteerism & Community Service Award
The award is given to an individual who has distinguished themselves in voluntary service in the area of medicine. Recipients of this award have distinguished themselves as true humanitarians to be honored for their voluntary contributions in medicine. Nominees could be non-physicians.
Woman Physician of the Year
Honors an outstanding woman physician with a distinguished career in areas of exceptional patient care, medical education and/or research.
Response Requested by August 11th: Fall 2026 BOG Resolutions
We want to hear from you! Please provide your feedback regarding resolutions that will be considered at the Fall 2026 Board of Governors Meeting. The resolutions have been posted on ACP Online for your review and cover topics such as electronic smoking device cessation, sanitary conditions for immigrant detainees, and licensure for internationally-trained physicians.
After considering the intent of each resolution, please provide your feedback indicating your support or opposition by completing the electronic response form by August 11th. Your input will be used as part of testimony on behalf of the chapter.
Resolutions let you shape the policies that govern internal medicine. They give grassroots members a voice to address national issues. Sharing your feedback ensures the College continues to represent our members effectively.