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February 2006 News

  2006 Winter Clinics

Join the Ada County Medical Society in Sun Valley for the 2006 Winter Clinics February 18-20. This conference is one of the longest running medical conferences in Idaho. This year's conference covers a wide variety of primary care topics from, "Hormone Roulette", "Low Back Pain", "PTSD" to "Wilderness Medicine", a potpourri of topics by a faculty of experts from the Mayo Clinic to the Eastern Idaho Medical Center. This year's conference will once again be in the Sun Valley Inn Convention Center/ Registration will be $175.00 before 2/3 and $200.00 after. Registration includes meals. Our banquet speaker this year is the President of the Wilderness Medical Society, Luanne Freer, M.D. She will present on "The World's Highest Medical Clinic"

Winter Clinics is a family oriented weekend that also includes a children's program and ski races.

To register call ACMS at 336-2930 or ACMEC or 331-1478.

  Idaho Perinatal Conference

On February 1-3, 2006 the Idaho Perinatal Project Conference will hold its annual meeting. The conference will be held at the Student Union Building at Boise State University. A complete agenda and registration information is available from the Idaho Perinatal Project at 381-4174

  4th Idaho WWAMI Mini Medical School

This year's focus for the Mini Medical School will be the digestive system. This effort now in its fourth year encourages public interest in health care fields and how medical instruction is accomplished. The program provides 5 evening sessions with local and University of Washington faculty. While this program is not a program structured for physician education, our medical community is served by the awareness building of many community leaders that attend this program.

If you would like more information or if you have someone you wish to have attend, please contact Dana Ellis at 327-0641 in the WWAMI office.

 

  Anderson Center - Wednesday, 8:00 a.m.

 8 Alan Rappleye, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of OB/GYN, University of Utah School of Medicine.
15 Michael Press, MD, Professor of Pathology and the Harold E. Lee Chair in Cancer Research; Director for the Breast International Research Groups Central Laboratory and for the Breast Cancer Research Program at the University of Southern California.

  Mercy Medical Center - Wednesday, 12:30 p.m. - Winter Room

 8 Alan Rappleye, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of OB/GYN, University of Utah School of Medicine.
15 Michael Press, MD, Professor of Pathology and the Harold E. Lee Chair in Cancer Research; Director for the Breast International Research Groups Central Laboratory and for the Breast Cancer Research Program at the University of Southern California.

  Centennial Room - Friday, 8:00 a.m.

10 Eric Orwell, MD, Professor of Medicine, Associate Dean for Research, Oregon Health Sciences University School of Medicine.
24 Baseem El-Masari, MD, Director, Lipid Clinical Research Program, Weill-Cornell Medical Center and New York Presbyterian Hospital..


  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: : Stephen Miller, M.D.; Mark McConnell, M.D.; Aileen King, M.D.; Saadia Akhtar, M.D.

  Upcoming Events:

Feb 17-20, 2006 Winter Clinics, Sun Valley Resort and Convention Center. Contact the ACMS office (336-2930) for Registration information


 

Thought of the month!

Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll squeeze those dangly things here and drink whatever comes out."


 

Upcoming Calendar

  March 2006

 3 Medical Residency, Military Combat, and other Sleep Deprived States, William Thompson, MD
 8 Update on MS, James Bowen, MD
10 Management of DVT, Alex Spropolous, MD
15 ADHD, J. Timothy Leavell, MD
31 Diagnosis of Acute Retro-Viral Syndrome (HIV) in Idaho, Clay Roscoe, MD

  April 2006

 5 Flu Pandemic 1918
12 Rehab for the Brain Injured Patient, Nancy Greenwald, MD
14 Childhood Immunizations, Maggie Cross, MD
19 Burkholder Lectures in Oncology


 

(A decade old reflection from Mohr's Musing's seems worth a reprint.)

Looking Over One's Shoulder

"Don't look back they might be gaining on you!" Satchel Page, ageless black major league baseball player, responded when asked how much longer he would be able to pitch.

It seems like I am looking back more and more these days in my practice of medicine. Looking to make sure my hospital admissions meet medical criteria, looking to make sure my office notes justify certain codes, looking to make sure my OSHA and CLIA guidelines are met. This look really became intense recently with a letter from Medicare indicating that my office codes were inappropriate in frequency compared to some of my peers. After review, however, I was told that the letter should not have been sent and it was based on faculty data. Such Orwellian machinations make one wonder if a scheme to intimidate us into lower charges is not the intent.

On the other hand, looking back can also be beneficial if done for reflection. One such look reminded me of how physicians used to announce their arrival in town. Such announcements were just that, intended to advise the public of one's arrival. Now, near quarter-page advertisements are commonplace detailing the physician's training and accomplishments. These often include pictures and run for days or weeks. Radio spots are also common. I suspect TV spots won't be far behind. We've criticized chiropractors for large billboard advertising and booths at the fair but don't be surprised if our own colleagues following in their footsteps.

This only serves to remind me of how much the business ethic has overtaken the practice of medicine. Some of it, I suppose, is unavoidable but I guess I expect more from a profession based on a tradition of caring and advocacy. Maybe I will quit looking over my shoulder.

John J. Mohr, M.D.


 

February 2006 Conferences

  St. Luke's Regional Medical Center - Wednesday 8am, Anderson Center

 1 Legislative Update, Robert Seehusen
 8 Contraception Update, Alan Rappleye, MD
15 Update on Breast CA, Michael Press, MD
22 Management of ACNE, Matthew Bender, MD

  Mercy Medical Center - Wednesday 12:30pm

 1 Legislative Update, Robert Seehusen
 8 Contraception Update, Alan Rappleye, MD
15 Update on Breast CA, Michael Press, MD
22 Management of ACNE, Matthew Bender, MD

  VA Medical Center - Thursday 8am, AW Horsley Learning Ctr.

 2 Dementia, Stephen Asher, MD
 9 Best of American Heart Association Meeting, J. Brent Muhlstein, MD
16 Update in Congestive Heart Failure, Wayne Levy, MD
23 The Physician as A Story Teller: A Fresh Perspective On Medical Literature, Audrey Young, MD

  St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center - Friday 8am, Centennial Room

 3 Allergy and Asthma One Airway, William Palmer, MD
10 Osteoporosis Update, Eric Orwoll, MD
17 Diet & Exercise, Counseling in Primary, Jennie Eckstrom, MD
24 Management of Hyperlipidemia, Baseem El-Masari, MD

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