AMA Foundation Honors TAFP Member as Emerging Leader in Medicine

Mary S. Nguyen-Poole, M.D., from Castroville, Texas, has been named a recipient of the American Medical Association Foundation’s 2005 Leadership Award, which provides medical students, residents, fellows, young physicians and international medical graduate physicians from around the country special training to develop their skills as future leaders in organized medicine.

The AMA Foundation honored 66 individuals with the award at its annual Excellence in Medicine Awards ceremony on March 13 in Washington D.C. Recipients of the award demonstrate outstanding non-clinical leadership skills in advocacy, community service or education.

Nguyen-Poole is a family physician at Medina Valley Family Practice. In addition to participating in the Leadership Award training, she attended the AMA’s National Advocacy Conference later in the week.

“Through their committed efforts in advancing health care in their communities, these men and women have shown tremendous potential for being part of the next generation of medical leaders,” said Krishna K. Sawhney, M.D., president of the AMA Foundation in a release from the foundation. “Whether the issues are political or social, I am confident that these talented people will provide solid leadership in the interest of improving the nation’s public health.”

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Congratulations to Texas students and residents

Six students and residents have received scholarships from the AAFP Foundation to attend the National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students. The conference is held annually in Kansas City and will run from July 27-30 this year.

Amy Cantor from UT San Antonio is one of two recipients of the Student Community Outreach Award. This award honors medical students who have been actively involved in a community service project, including clinical work and patient education that is not part of an offered or required rotation in their schools’ curricula. Linda I. Esquivel, M.D., of San Antonio, is one of 15 recipients of the Minority Scholarship Program for Family Medicine Residents. Applicants for this award were required to prepare a 500-word, one-page typed essay describing the challenges and opportunities in family medicine’s future. Four of the 25 recipients of the Minority Scholarship Program for Medical Students were from Texas. Sonia M. Gonzalez from Houston, Tricia Punsalan from San Antonio, Peter A. Ruiz from Harlingen and George Sanchez from Harlingen.

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Reports from AAFP’s Annual Leadership Forum and National Conference of Special Constituencies,
May 5 – 7, 2005

Report From Richard Young, M.D.
Fort Worth, Texas

I recently attended the AAFP’s Annual Leadership Forum for the first time. Let me just say this: If you have any interest in learning more about what is happening at the national level and being a part of that process, this is the meeting for you.

The meeting takes place in Kansas City every spring, usually in early May. Representatives from all the state chapters and the AAFP board members are invited to attend, but anyone is welcome. All the national leaders of the AAFP are there also.

The meeting lasts three days and is a combination of plenary talks and smaller breakout sessions. I heard great talks on the future of family medicine, electronic health records, physician satisfaction, tips for getting the most out of your clinic team, and many others. I would say the most common themes for these talks were the overall status and direction of family medicine, including what the leadership is doing currently; tools and tips for strengthening state and local chapters; and ways to improve your management and leadership skills to make everything you do in your work life more effective.

It was clear that the staff and physician leadership of the Texas Academy is second to none. Jim White and the support staff have their act together. It was surprising how many other state chapters are struggling with issues the TAFP ironed out years ago. In short, the AAFP needs the character and leadership of the TAFP if family medicine is to reach its full potential over the next decade.

If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines of medicine wondering what’s going on and what you can do to help, the Annual Leadership Forum might be just the place to dip your toes into the political waters. It is very refreshing.

Report From Melissa Gerdes, M.D.
Whitehouse, Texas
TAFP’s NCSC New Physician Delegate

I was very honored to represent Texas at the recent NCSC in Kansas City. I was also honored to be elected New Physician Alternate Delegate to the AAFP’s Congress of Delegates, which meets in conjunction with the Annual Scientific Assembly in San Francisco this October.

NCSC this year was a very lively meeting with a brand new elections procedure and arrangement of delegate and alternate delegate seats from NCSC to the Congress of Delegates. It went very smoothly, however, and we elected six excellent candidates. We hope to work together to bring forward, testify to and help pass resolutions from the NCSC.

In the New Physicians’ Section, issues such as increasing end-of-life care, business management and use of performance-enhancing substances training were discussed. I was happy to see that some of these topics are being addressed at TAFP’s Annual Session this year in San Antonio. Also, issues such as implementing EHRs, new physicians’ interactions with AAFP’s new Practice Resource Center, and payment for physicians were debated. In the Joint Constituency Section, resolutions regarding incorporating organized physical activities into AAFP meetings and encouraging government to ban smoking in public areas were passed.

Going forward, I would like very much to represent the new physicians (those in practice less than seven years) and their special concerns as they dive into the “unknown world” of medicine at the TAFP and AAFP levels. I encourage anyone interested to become more involved or contact me with questions. Sometimes working on medicine makes working in medicine much better.

Contact Melissa Gerdes, M.D. at gerdesm@trimofran.org.

Report From Thuy Hanh Trinh, M.D.
Fort Worth, Texas

Gathering the information packets outside the meeting room, I made sure that my name tag was pinned clearly and that I picked up one of each of the colored hand-outs on the table. As I entered, I read the title slide of the opening session, “Welcome first-time attendees to the National Conference of Special Constituencies.” The conference co-conveners, whose responsibilities include organizing the meetings, each gave their advice on how everyone could benefit most from the conference. It was a challenge to discover the roles of the meeting participants, especially my own role, as a third-year resident. I soon recognized that this conference, paired with some sessions that were held jointly with the AAFP Annual Leadership Forum, was among the most rewarding experiences that I have had the opportunity to attend.

Even for those who might be initially unfamiliar with parliamentary procedure and resolution writing, submitting a resolution and participating in the reference committee hearings were both compelling and achievable. Breakfasts and lunches were the settings for meeting chapter peers, as well as networking with other chapters around the nation.

Lecture sessions were chock full of high-profile topics, such as the Future of Family Medicine Project and Maintenance of Certification, where the meetings engaged the attendees to ask questions openly and to hear the answers from those who are leaders in their fields. The evenings afforded opportunities for chapter members to come together and reflect on the events of the day, as well as to discuss the plans for the next day.

Not only did I learn about fascinating topics that challenge family physicians across the nation, I also made life-long friends with whom I will keep in touch for years to come.

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Special incentive to encourage participation in National Committee on Quality Assurance program to be announced at TAFP Annual Session

Have you checked out the National Committee on Quality Assurance program and considered enrolling? TAFP and the TAFP Foundation are working on a project to encourage participation in the NCQA Physician Recognition Award programs for Diabetes and Heart/Stroke.

NCQA is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington D.C. with the purpose to “improve health care quality everywhere.” Physicians wishing to participate in the quality assurance program will apply to either or both the Diabetes Physician Recognition Program and the Heart/Stroke Physician Recognition Program, purchase a license for a Web-enabled survey tool and begin reporting data regarding certain quality measures to NCQA. According to the NCQA Web site, once recognition is received, it is valid for three years and will be published in health plan provider directories and on the NCQA’s Web site. For more information, visit their site at www.ncqa.org/PhysicianQualityReports.htm.

TAFP has negotiated a discounted rate for members to participate in the programs. If you are interested, contact Kathy McCarthy, TAFP Director of Member Services, at kmccarthy@tafp.org or (512) 329-8666.

Here’s the big news. Now, thanks to special grants from Carolyn Oliver, M.D., and the Texas Affiliate of the American Heart Association, there are two very exciting reasons for signing up. We can’t tell you what they are yet, but TAFP President, Erica Swegler, M.D., will make the big announcement at the 2005 TAFP Annual Session. (Hint: have you been to the Bahamas lately?) If you miss the announcement at Annual Session, watch your e-mail or contact Kathy.

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AAFP honors Texas at ALF for achievement in resident, active membership

At the recent AAFP Annual Leadership Forum in Kansas City, Mo. TAFP was honored for having the highest percentage increase in active members in a large state and for reaching 100 percent resident membership. Thank you for your continued membership.

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TAFP member honored for contributions to medical management

The American College of Physician Executives recently awarded the degree of Fellowship — one of its highest levels of achievement — to Gary Piefer, M.D., M.S., C.P.E., F.A.C.P.E., of Austin, Texas.

ACPE’s Board of Directors honored Piefer as a Fellow for demonstrating significant and enduring contributions to the advancement of medical management.

“Fellowship is among the highest honors that can be bestowed on a physician. It shows that Dr. Piefer has attained regional and national stature while also demonstrating a mastery of clinical medicine and outstanding leadership skills,” said Marvin Kolb, M.D., M.S., F.A.A.P., C.P.E., F.A.C.P.E., president of ACPE’s Board of Directors, in an ACPE press release.

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TAFP member elected to AAFP alternate delegate position

Melissa Gerdes, M.D., of Whitehouse, Texas, won her bid to become one of two alternate delegates to the AAFP Congress of Delegates representing new physicians at this May’s National Conference of Special Constituencies. The other recently elected new physician delegate is Ronald Labuguen, M.D., of Cerritos, Calif.

In the state Academy, Gerdes currently serves as an alternate director on the Board of Directors, as a member of the Commission on Membership and Member Services, and as chair of the Section on Special Constituencies. She is completing a term on the Executive Committee and the Commission on Core Delegation.