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In this Issue:
- Internal Medicine 2019
- 2019 West Virginia Chapter Meeting
- Leadership opportunities available!
Laura M Davisson, MD, FACP, ACP Governor
Internal Medicine 2019
The West Virginia Chapter was very involved in ACP's annual meeting in Philadelphia in April. I was honored to take over as Governor of the Chapter at the conclusion of the meeting. Thanks to Dr. Dorsey for his selfless service to the College over the past five years, and for agreeing to continue to be a liaison to the state's medical schools going forward. As I transition into my new role, I am excited to have Sheri Campbell to help me as Executive Director (ED). We both have a lot to learn, but I am hopeful we will be able to work together efficiently with both of us being in Morgantown. I am sure everyone can agree that we are very appreciative of what Lisa Hirschbach has done in the position over the past several years.
Along with outgoing Governor Dr. Dorsey, I was pleased to see eight WV ACP members advance to Fellowship at the Convocation ceremony. Congratulations to all of our new fellows! The chapter was thrilled a member of the Chapter became a recipient of Mastership. Congratulations to our newest Master, Dr. Joseph I. Shapiro. Dr. Shapiro is board certified in Internal Medicine and Nephrology. He has been active as a clinician, teacher, and researcher, and has been Dean of the School of Medicine at Marshall University since 2012.
In alpha order: Laura Davisson, Tom Dorsey, Murali Gurram, Bradley Henry, Collin John, Waheed Khan, Taslima Mahmood, Kris Murthy, Mustafa Rahim. Not pictured: Brandon Rose
The Marshall Doctor's Dilemma team made us proud by winning their first board at the Annual Meeting and making it to the second round of the competition. Our chapter was also represented nationally by Dr. Andrea Labus who was selected as a 2019 Chief Resident Waxman scholar which kept her busy teaching in the skill center. Andrea Stark, Muhammad Yasin, Catherine Adams, Dylan Weaver, Hilary Brownstead, and Yousaf Hadi presented posters, and Andrea Stark was selected as a poster winner.
Andrea Labus, M.D. - Waxman Chief Resident Teaching Scholar
Ahmad Abu-Hashyeh, Damir Kusmic, Obadah Aqtash & Ryan Carroll – Marshall Jeopardy Team
2019 West Virginia Chapter Meeting
Please mark your calendars! We have exciting plans for our annual chapter meeting this fall, which will have a theme of Hospital Medicine. The meeting will be held at the Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, WV on October 24-26, 2019. Our program planning committee is led by our Chair, Dr. Brandon Shiflett, and Vice Chair, Dr. Brandon Rose, who is learning the ropes in preparation for chairing the following year's committee. Important dates: Submission deadline is August 12, 2019 and notification of acceptance is September 16, 2019.
Leadership opportunities available!
Dr. Bradley Henry has agreed to chair our Health and Public Policy committee. He has been active in the legislative committee for the WV State Medical Association and has done advocacy within the state legislature and met with our federal representatives in the past as well. He is looking for individuals with an interest in public policy to join the committee. He does not foresee a significant time commitment, but expects to host a few meetings a year to review legislation that may impact healthcare. He would like to gather 5-10 people to approve our positions on issues, especially unforeseen issues like campus carry this last session.
I agree with Dr. Henry that letting our representatives know our position and being prepared to make phone calls and writing to them is imperative. I hope to see our chapter become more involved in these activities, as I am increasingly realizing the role that policy plays in caring for our patients. As physicians, we see firsthand how chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and substance abuse affect the health of West Virginians. We are in a unique position to be able to convey this perspective to policymakers who can shape legislation to improve health.
If you are looking to get more involved in ACP, you could also consider joining one of the other committees. In particular, there are opportunities in the areas of volunteerism, women in medicine, communications, and the early career physician council (which includes all individuals within 16 years of graduating from medical school). Medical students and residents can volunteer to join their respective councils. Members can also consider helping with the abstract competition, either by scoring abstracts prior to the chapter meeting, or by judging during the meeting. These activities demonstrate involvement with ACP which is one of the pathways to fellowship. If you are interested in serving in any of these capacities, please send a message to Sheri at scampbell@hsc.wvu.edu, and she will pass the information to the appropriate chapter leaders and committee chairs.