News
6th Annual Idaho Conference on Healthcare Quality Improvement
This years conference features nationally recognized experts in patient safety, continuity of care, and medical informatics. The two day conference is a one-of-a-kind effort in Idaho to bring together healthcare professionals and leadership to sort through best practice recommendations. James Bagian, M.D., Director of the National Center for Patient Safety, William Hersh, M.D., Chair, Department of Medical Informatics at OHSU, and Eric Coleman, M.D., Associate Professor with the Division of Healthcare Policy at the University of Colorado Health Sciences will serve as keynote speakers. The program will be held April 12-13 , 2005 at the Doubletree Riverside. For further information and registration, contact John Bellenot at (208) 389-5024.
12th Annual Physician Preferences in CME
This years survey of 1200 U.S. physicians randomly sampled through the AMA database, continues to reinforce that the live CME conference is still King. Sixty-four percent of respondents prefer the format. Online, audio, and CD ROM's comprised 18% and journals at 18%. Preference for local meetings are up 2% to 29% and out-of-town meetings dropped slightly to 34% from 35%. Physicians prefer resort hotels to university settings, 51 % to 7% respectively (Well duh!) Twenty-six percent preferred the medical center setting. California meetings top the list of preferred states with Florida a close second. Meetings starting on Friday's were preferred to any other day of the week.A new item in this year's survey was the effect that conflict of interest statements have on the audience. If a speaker discloses they are on a speaker's bureau, 37% of physicians question the credibility of the presentation. Fifty-two percent will judge the credibility on its mer~ts regardless of faculty financial relationships. Apparently, 11 % just don't care. (Source: Primedia Business Marketing Research, 9/15/2004)
From the desk of, A.J.Merrick, M.D...(circa.1960's)
Fremont, Nebraska
(Passed on by David Merrick, M.D. who recently was reviewing his Dad's papers.)
Flight of the Bumble-CratThe bureaucrat is a busy bee.
With intent to sting both you and me.
He "verbalizes" to communicate,
And periodically screams "DELINEATE".Through your charts he'll metastasize
The net effect is to traumatize.
Approve if he must, but first "DENIGRATE"
And our miserable records "DESECRATE".At our futile gestures, he points with scorn
And we wonder why we were ever born.
He quiets us with his sharp comment
"For the last time, dummies, "DOCUMENT".
When at last it ends with "finalize"
Your vitals are low and you realize
His summary likely with indicate
You may as well just "DEFECATE".
(My how things have changed in 40 years!)
Anderson Center - Wednesday, 8:00 a.m.
6 H. George Nurnberg, MD, Medical Director, University of New Mexico Mental Center; Professor of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM.
20 Connie M. Weaver, PhD, Director, NIH Botanicals Center for Age-Related Diseases; Professor, Department of Foods and Nutrition, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.
27 Eric Gershwin, MD, Chairman, Department of Allergy/Immunology/ Rheumatology, University of California, Davis.
Mercy Medical Center - Wednesday, 12:30 p.m. - Winter Room
6 H. George Nurnberg, MD, Medical Director, University of New Mexico Mental Center; Professor of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM.
20 Connie M. Weaver, PhD, Director, NIH Botanicals Center for Age-Related Diseases; Professor, Department of Foods and Nutrition, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.
27 Eric Gershwin, MD, Chairman, Department of Allergy/Immunology/ Rheumatology, University of California, Davis.
Centennial Room - Friday, 8:00 a.m.
22 Miles Mirhosseini, MD, Director of Research, Diagnostics Products Corporation.
Tumor Boards
Mercy Medical Center - Tuesday, 12:00 noon
Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center - Thursday, 12:00 noon
Breast Care Panel-Saint Alphonsus RMC - Tuesday, 7:00 a.m.
St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center - Tuesday, 12:00 noon
Breast Tumor Board-St. Luke’s RMC - Thursday, 7:00 a.m.
MSTI Pediatric Tumor Board - 2nd & 4th Wednesday, 12:00 noon
Meridian Tumor Board - 1st & 3rd Thursday, 12:00 noon
CHEERS (Children's Hospital Education Enrichment Review)
1st, 2nd, 4th, Thursday, 8 a.m., Anderson Center - Ada -2
MEMBERSHIP: The following members were approved:
Provisional Membership: John Waltz, MD; Jennifer Hale, D.O.; Jason Stinnett, M.D.; Maile Anslinger, M.D.; Shelia Giffen, M.D.
Upcoming Events:
The Ada County Medical Society will hold their annual High School Athletic Physicals on Wednesday, June 8, :?005 at the BSU Taco Bell Arena. This will be the 10th year that ACMS has been involved with this very worthy community project. Volunteer support from the Ada County medical community continues to make this event a success. Last year nearly 170 physicians, PA's, nurses, PT's, and administrative staff volunteered. 1327 student athletes were given physicals in a one day event.
Information letters and volunteer sign-up forms will be mailed to the medical community by April 1.
WE NEED YOUR HELP PLEASE VOLUNTEER!
June 17,2005: 4th Annual Judy Bamingham Memorial Golf Tournament, Spur Wing Country Club. Four person scramble starting at 1 :00 p.m. with awards dinner to follow. Entry fee is $100.00 per player. Call the ACMS office for details, 3362930.
May 2005
June 2005
I consider myself an "older physician" so it was with some consternation I read a recent article posting that doctors in practice for longer periods of time are more likely to possess less factual knowledge, are less likely to follow evidence based medical guidelines, and are more likely to have poorer patient outcomes. In general there was a negative association between years of practice and quality of performance. The problem doesn't seem to be age itself but rather how physicians keep up with the latest medical advances.
The authors acknowledge that non-measurable skills such as humanism and judgment might improve with age, but these are no substitute for up-to-date knowledge.
Staying abreast of medical knowledge has always been a challenge for physicians. Specialty groups have started requiring re-certification to maintain board status and many states, including Idaho, now require CME. We're fortunate in Boise to have a stellar ongoing CME program with David Mueller at the helm.
The true physician never quits learning. It's often noted that the word
doctor means teacher, but it is as teacher of himself that he meets the
challenge of staying current most effectively. Complacency is the dry rot of medical competency. Without continuing to learn a physician will rapidly decline into obsolescence.
When patients come to see us and we ask, "How may I help' they expect professional competency. Perhaps the greatest compassion
may be that of making the correct diagnosis. (1 Annals of Internal Medicine, February 15, 2005)
John J. Mohr, M.D.
St. Luke's Regional Medical Center - Wednesday 8am, Anderson Center
Mercy Medical Center - Wednesday 12:30pm
VA Medical Center - Thursday 8am, AW Horsley Learning Ctr.
St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center - Friday 8am, Centennial Room
Three aspiring psychiatrists were attending their first class on emotional extremes.
"Just to establish some parameters", said the professor, to the student from Arkansas,
"What is the opposite of joy?"
"Sadness", said the student.
"And the opposite of depression", he asked the young lady from Oklahoma.
"Elation", she said.
"And you sir", he said to the young man from Texas, "How about the opposite of woe?"
The Texan replied, "Sire, I believe that would be giddy-up".
4 Topic TBA, Elizabeth Gailis, MD
6 Sports Enhancing Drugs, Scot Scheffel, MD
11 Current Treatment for Hyperlipidemia, Speaker TBA
18 Update on Osteoporosis, Michael McLung, MD
25 Update on Kidney Disease, Jean Bender, MD
27 Topic TBA, Jill Kalcich, MD
1 New Vaccines with Focus on the Adolescent Health Visit, Tom Rand, MD
8 Topic TBA, Greg Johnson, MD
15 Travel Medicine, Amy Baruch, MD
17 Topic TBA, Katherine Miller, MD
22 Stroke Update, Helmi Lutsep, MD
27 Update on Gallbladder Biliary Disease, Stephen Schutz, MD
6 Borderline Personality Disorders, H. George Nurnberg, MD
13 Update on Prostate Cancer, Joseph Williams, MD
20 USDA New Dietary Guidelines, Connie Weaver, PhD
27 New Thoughts on Old Bones: NSAID's and Cardiovascular Risks, Eric Gershwin, MD
6 Borderline Personality Disorders, H. George Nurnberg, MD
13 Update on Prostate Cancer, Joseph Williams, MD
20 USDA New Dietary Guidelines, Connie Weaver, PhD
27 New Thoughts on Old Bones: NSAID's and Cardiovascular Risks, Eric Gershwin, MD
7 Sexual Dysfunction, H. George Nurnberg, MD
14 Chronic Pain Management, Gordon Irving, MD
21 Recent Advances in Treatment of Overactive Bladder, Donald Walker, MD
28 Mozart, David Lee, MD
1 Technological Updates in Pap Smears, Mickey Myher, MD
8 Sexual Side Effects of Antidepressants, H. George Nurnberg, MD
15 Treatment Options for Trigeminal Neuralgia, Bruce Andersen, MD
22 IGE and Allergens, Miles Mirhosseini, MD
29 Oral Health for Primary Care Physicians, Sunday Henry, MD
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