Vermont Governor's Newsletter January 2026
In this Issue:
- Governor's Message
- Remembering Frank Landry
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
- Elly Riser, MD, MPH, FACP is the Governor Elect Designee
- Mark Pasanen MD, MACP is awarded Mastership in the ACP
- ACP Fellowship
- VT Chapter Meeting October 2025
- ACP Vermont Chapter Meeting on October 9, 2026
- ACP Internal Medicine Meeting 2026
- Leadership Day is May 12-13, 2026 in Washington, DC
- Board of Governors Resolutions and Submission
- Governor's Advisory Council
- Connect with us on Bluesky!
- Green Mountain Medicine
Priscilla W. Carr, MD, FACP, ACP Governor
Governor's Message
Greetings!
I'm sorry to announce the death of Frank J. Landry MD, MPH, FACP. Frank was a steadfast supporter of the VT ACP chapter. He was the governor for the chapter from 2003 to 2007 and was a long time member of the governor's advisory council. His enthusiasm for the chapter, medicine, and patient care was infectious. He will be missed by many. As I watched It's a Wonderful Life this year with my children, George Bailey made me think of Frank- and despite the challenges of modern medicine, I reflected on what a privilege it is to work as a primary care physician and connect on such an intimate level with patients and the communities we serve. For more about Frank's remarkable career, please see the more detailed remembrance from Keith W. Michl, MD, FACP.
This month has seen two sets of changes in guidance from the US government, first with changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, and subsequently new Dietary Guidelines for Americans. While the processes utilized to develop these guidelines have never been perfect, the departure from reliance on transparent scientific processes and the intrusion of politics and influence of individuals without scientific expertise is unprecedented. As it becomes increasingly problematic to rely on the US government to develop the clinical practice guidelines we depend upon to take care of our patients, our medical societies are more important than ever.
Last week news from my chat group of ACP governors from around the world was filled with upsetting posts- including news of the situation in Minneapolis with targeting of civilians and resulting fear in the community, hurricane devastation in the Caribbean, and colleagues from around the world grounded by travel bans. The plea from Minnesota included the request that we all ‘pay attention’. I hope that we can all continue to do our best to see one another as human beings, respect one another, and ‘pay attention’.
With gratitude,
Priscilla Carr MD, FACP
Remembering Frank Landry
On December 8th, the ACP and hundreds of patients lost a great internist in Frank Landry who died at the age of 65. 3 weeks prior he became suddenly ill with acute renal failure from Goodpasture (anti-GBM disease). Despite plasmapheresis and immunosuppressive therapy, he failed to respond to therapy. After thoroughly reviewing the literature, he considered the road ahead, concluding he didn't want to live a life of debility on long term dialysis and elected to stop therapy and go into hospice.
Frank came to Vermont as a UVM affiliated internist in 1996. Prior to that he worked for years as a physician with the Army. He then went into private practice in 2000. He was active in the ACP, was a former chapter governor and received our Chapter's laureate award.
In 2011 he had a patient panel of 2,800 patients. At that point he made a decision to be come a MDVIP affiliated physician.
That summer, I called Frank to discuss private practice and where primary care practice was going. I had been a member of the Vermont Blueprint for Health for years. My staff and I had worked through countless hours of work to become a NCQA certified Level 3 medical home. I realized that the reimbursement from insurers for participation was not improving my ability to be able be both economically viable and still offer high quality patient care. I decided I had enough of the community practice of internal medicine. I told Frank that I wanted out - to leave practicing in the community, perhaps to practice administrative medicine or to become a consultant for industry or insurance. Frank encouraged me to stay in clinical medicine.
He spoke about his decision to practice a more satisfying mode of patient care by becoming an affiliate of MDVIP. As a concierge practice, he would have a smaller patient panel with more physician autonomy. He would offer his cell phone and email to patients to communicate directly with him
He threw me a lifeline. I have never regretted my decision to work in personalized health care as an affiliiate of MDVIP.
Last year Frank spoke to prospective MDVIP physicians saying “I enjoy the time I spend with my patients...they are reassured to be able to call their physician after hours... I like to help people, especially when they have a critical problem...I enjoy being able to reassure them and help them with a healthier diet and exercise.” Importantly, he pointed out “that now I have time to do it. “
In Nov 2024 he wrote a letter to the Green Mountain Care Board about a proposal to expand primary care access by reducing doctors' time with patients saying that it was “completely off base” as he has “seen the complexity of patients increase, demands of the doctor increase, making it less likely that decreasing time with patients to be a successful model or solution...we do not have enough primary care physicians in Vermont”.
In speaking of Primary Care, he said the following:
“We chose this profession, rather than subspecialty medicine, because we like the continuity of care with our patients --getting to know them, keeping them healthy, diagnosing diseases when they are sick, coordinating their care, and caring for them at the end of their lives. Time with the patient is needed to do this well, and short of that, we lose the satisfaction of the profession we chose.”
I spoke to several of his patients after his death. One woman told me that she called Frank one summer Sunday on his cell phone from a Maine emergency room after sustaining multiple fractures. She was scheduled to go to the OR but didn't want to do anything before talking to her personal physician. Her orthopedist was incredulous that she could reach her MD. He answered on the first ring and spoke to her orthopedist about the operative plan. Frank then reassured the patient, saying “do the surgery, I've got your back”. That made all the difference in the world to this patient.
Frank's wife Justine and I spoke recently about his commitment to patient care. She said when she married him, patient care would come first, saying that Frank's patients were like part of his family. Even as he was hospitalized at the end of his life, he returned patient calls and refilled medication. On the final day of his life, having finished with his last dialysis session, he handed his cell phone to her, asking “here, I can't do this anymore”. During his hospital stay, he continued to post to his amazing blog. I encourage you all to read his final post on https://drlandryadvice.com
As I approach my own retirement in the not-too-distant future, I thank Frank for showing me a different model for care. Justine and her son Nick are now winding down his practice, helping patients find a new physician. Thankfully, at least 10 primary care physicians in the community with full practices have agreed to accept patients.
Frank wrote in his final post “What a blessed career I had and such wonderful patients”. He went on to say “Medical students wrote to me from across the country. They shared how I had mentored them. They told me how I had changed their lives. I had taught many residents, and they wrote to me, now established physicians, as how I influenced their careers.”
We'll miss you, Frank. We've been blessed to have you as a physician and mentor.
Keith W. Michl, MD, FACP
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Reflecting on Dr. King's Legacy
By: Simrun Bal MD, FACP
Dr. Bal lives in Burlington, VT, where she practices internal medicine at the Burlington VT Veterans' Affairs Clinic (affiliated with the White River Junction VA Medical Center).
In the ACP Vermont Newsletter, we hold space in each newsletter to learn about a variety of aspects of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging which can influence patients' health, community health, and personal development as well.
In this winter's newsletter, we focus on the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who is recognized each January. As a leader, Dr. King's legacy is characterized by his pursuit of justice, his strong belief in health equity as a core pillar in society, and his drive towards peace. As physicians, we are inspired to carry forward these principles in our work; while our nation has made some progress towards addressing health inequity, there remains much that needs to be done, particularly with upcoming changes in our nation's health policy landscape with changes to Medicaid and more.
This year, think of the words of Dr. King as he shared that “the time is always right to do what is right” and consider opportunities to strengthen your understanding of health equity. Consider the ways in which your clinics and healthcare systems are addressing healthcare access, quality, and affordability. Think about individual ways to challenge the status quo through advocacy, research, and patient care. Consider what specific policies and programs may promote inequity in our immediate, local, and national contexts? How can we work towards replacing problematic practices?
Within the state of Vermont and nationally this month, there are a variety of opportunities for learning and discussion, in hopes of contributing to lasting systemic and structural change:
2026 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Health Equity Lecture at UVMMC (Jan. 28) – this will be a powerful conversation on strategies to foster trust in health care, combating mis-information, and more.
More information available here
St. Michael's College 34th Annual MLK Convocation (Jan. 19), with the theme The World House: The Interrelatedness of All Things - join for programming focusing on environmental justice and race https://www.smcvt.edu/events/category/mlk-convocation/
For those located in the Upper Valley, consider attending an event in New Hampshire – Dr. Uche Blackstock, MD, will be the keynote speaker at the Geisel School of Medicine's Dr. MLK Day. More information available here
Be on the lookout for community events and gatherings from The Root Social Justice Center (Brattleboro, VT), Montpelier Community Gospel Choir, and the Greater Burlington Multicultural Center.
On a national level, consider participating in this year's ACP Leadership Day, the College's annual advocacy event in Washington, DC – save the date for May 12-13, 2026. More information available here
Elly Riser, MD, MPH, FACP is the Governor Elect Designee
Congratulations to Elly Riser! Elly is the Governor Elect Designee; she will become Governor Elect in spring 2026, and Governor of the chapter in spring 2027.
Elly Riser, MD, MPH, FACP is an Assistant Professor of Medicine, Hospitalist and Addiction Medicine physician at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Dr. Riser earned a B.A. in art history and photography from The Evergreen State College. She completed medical school and a master's in public health at the University of Washington, followed by Internal Medicine residency at the University of Vermont. Dr. Riser founded and directs an Addiction Medicine Elective at the Larner College of Medicine and she currently serves as the Inpatient Director for the Start Treatment and Recovery Program at UVMMC, which is an innovative program for treating opioid use disorder in hospitalized patients. Dr. Riser has had the privilege of serving the ACP Vermont Chapter in a variety of roles since 2017.
Mark Pasanen MD, MACP is awarded Mastership in the ACP
Dr. Pasanen has been an active clinician, educator, and leader during his nearly 30 years at the University of Vermont. After graduating from the UVM College of Medicine in 1992, he completed residency and chief residency at the University of Washington, before joining the faculty at UVM in 1996 as a general internist. In 1999, he co-founded the Adult Hospital Medicine service and has been an active clinician on that service since that time. After serving as Section Head, he was selected as the Inaugural Chief for the Division of Hospital Medicine, serving in that role until 2020. Throughout his academic career, he has also been active in outpatient medicine, serving as a primary care provider. He established an Adult Primary Care site in 2006, home to the resident longitudinal clinic, where he also practices Primary Care. Throughout his career, he has focused on care of vulnerable patients, including those with frailty, substance use disorder and chronic pain. In addition to the clinical work, Dr. Pasanen has been an engaged educator. He has served in numerous educational leadership positions including Residency Associate Program Director, and Program Director and now Vice Chair of Education. Throughout his career, his primary scholarship focus has been on education, the care of patients with chronic pain, and quality improvement. He has been a proud member of the American College of Physicians since residency. He is a regular speaker at the VT chapter's meeting and has spoken at the national ACP Internal Medicine meeting on 5 occasions. He has been a member of the Vermont ACP Council since 2000 and served as VT Chapter Governor from 2011-2015 during which he also served as the Chair of the National Chapter Subcommittee. Attaining Mastership in the American College of Physicians is truly one of the highlights of his career.
ACP Fellowship
Congratulations to the ACP members who became Fellows in 2025!
Lee-Anna Burgess, MD FACP
Simrun Bal, MD FACP
Benjamin J Depo, MD FACP
Fellowship in the American College of Physicians is a peer-reviewed and peer-supported credential that is a public reflection of excellence within the internal medicine profession. FACP signifies an ongoing dedication to the profession of internal medicine, the patients we care for, and the communities we serve.
Learn more and apply for fellowship here
Sponsor a new fellow here
VT Chapter Meeting October 2025
Congratulations to Poster Competition Winners!
Alyssa Tenney, Student research/ QI/ high value care: Beyond the Pilot: Advancing Nutrition Education and Mentorship Through Culinary Medicine
Tucker Angier, medical student clinical vignette: CNS Progression Despite Completed Therapy for Pulmonary Coccidioidomycosis
Dr. Ryan Miller, Resident/fellow Clinical Vignette: Neurosyphilis, syphilis aortitis, and tabes dorsalis in an otherwise healthy, immunocompetent male
Dr. Sarah Tadje, Resident research/QI/ high value care: Recognition and guideline-based management of patients at-risk for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia within the UVM Health Network
ACP Vermont Chapter Meeting on October 9, 2026
Please save the date for this year's chapter meeting on October 9 at Trapp Family Lodge! We are excited about this year's agenda. Details will be forthcoming!
ACP Internal Medicine Meeting 2026
IMM will be happening April 16-18, 2026 in San Francisco. Plans are in progress for a reception or informal dinner for Vermont members. We hope to see you there! Register Here
Leadership Day is May 12-13, 2026 in Washington, DC
ACP's annual national advocacy event, Leadership Day, will take place in Washington, D.C. this year on May 12-13. Leadership Day enables the College to increase its presence on Capitol Hill and advocate directly with Congress in support of legislation directly impacting internal medicine physicians and their patients. The event will include educational briefings, advocacy training, networking with ACP members from across the country, and an opportunity to meet with your members of Congress. More information is available on the Leadership Day Hub
Registration is open for Leadership Day 2026
The Vermont ACP Chapter has limited funding to provide grants to support members who want to attend Leadership Day. Priority will be given to Resident/Fellow Members and Early Career Physicians of diverse backgrounds, members attending their first ACP Leadership Day, and physicians serving rural or underserved communities. If you are interested in applying for a travel grant, please submit a brief letter summarizing your interests in healthcare policy and advocacy, as well as any previous involvement in the ACP's advocacy efforts and/or chapter activities. Travel grant requests/essays are due February 28, 2026 and may be submitted via email to Priscilla Carr and Colleen Magne
Board of Governors Resolutions and Submission
Are you concerned about a practice or clinical issue or have an idea you'd like to suggest? If so, you might consider submitting a resolution to the VT chapter council. For further information see the Chapter website or contact Priscilla Carr Please watch for the Spring 2026 Resolutions (to be released in early February) and provide your feedback via the comments form.
Governor's Advisory Council
The GAC for the chapter is seeking 1-2 new members. This group meets virtually approximately 4 times per year and provides essential input into chapter activities. Please contact Priscilla Carr or Mark Pasanen for more information.
Connect with us on Bluesky!
Green Mountain Medicine
Green Mountain Medicine is an original podcast series for all things internal medicine, sponsored by ACP Vermont. Hosted by University of Vermont medical students Caity Decara and Haley Bayne, this podcast deconstructs the topics that impact the field and characterize the practice of medicine. Episodes are also available on Spotify, Apple Podcast & Google Play Music!