JPS physicians take on United Way obesity study
In the face of countless studies and advocacy reports that have publicized the growing threat of childhood obesity among U.S. children, several organizations are working to combat the negative trends in their communities so that children today can avoid future health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke.
United Way of Tarrant County, the University of North Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health and the JPS Health Network Department of Family Medicine have joined forces to fight the obesity epidemic in their Fort Worth community. The project is part of FitFuture™ Tarrant County, which is a larger community-wide effort by United Way to address obesity.
One of the participating JPS physicians, TAFP member Richard Young, M.D., works with a team of other health care providers to teach a group of 43 third graders at Mitchell Boulevard Elementary how to be fit and live healthier lives. The ultimate goal is to reduce the rate of obesity for participating students by at least five percent by 2009 as measured by body fat, waist circumference and body mass index, according to an article from United Way.
“The timing is right because so many people are aware of the big picture that this is a problem,” Young says. “At least now we can go to them and start a conversation and they feel good about what we’re doing.”
The study will run over three years, following the students through fifth grade, and will encompass all parts of the school and community. Parents and students will learn “a lot of common sense stuff, not rocket science,” according to Young, such as portion sizes, exercise tips and to encourage limiting TV and video game use at home.
The participating physicians start by gathering data on each student’s body fat and blood pressure. They gauge the density of fat on their bodies by using an EKG-type machine to measure the time it takes for a small electrical impulse to travel from the student’s foot to his hand.
Response to the study has been positive on all fronts, according to Young, and has brought the school, nonprofit groups, businesses, fast food establishments and grocery stores, city officials, and local fitness groups together to make small changes throughout the community.
“We’re trying to make a little difference in every part of their lives so that they are able to make good choices that are supported by the environment around them,” says Young. “We’re trying to change the community, we’re just measuring the third graders.”
McKinney to lead Texas A&M University System
TAFP member Michael McKinney, M.D., was named chancellor of the Texas A&M University System in November by the A&M System Board of Regents. McKinney practiced medicine for 16 years in Centerville, Texas, and has used his experiences as a family physician in the other stages of his career.
“What you learn from being a family physician, you learn to be a good listener you learn to be a good observer,” McKinney says. “You are taking time and explaining what you’re doing, why you’re doing it and what you’ll do in case your first plan changes.”
McKinney says his desire to branch out into other roles in the community mirrors the sentiment of other small-town doctors who naturally assume roles in education or government because of interactions with patients outside of the office everyday. He started at the city level of government and worked up to the state level, serving as a former chief of staff to Gov. Rick Perry, commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and as a member of the Texas House of Representatives for eight years.
“I used to see 50 people a day and would affect those 50 people,” McKinney says about his time in his medical practice. “Now if you do work on Medicaid or other policy, you can affect 50 million people.”
After his work with local and state government he switched to academia, serving as the senior executive vice president and chief operating officer of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston where he had been since 2002. He served as acting dean of the medical school in 2006.
Throughout his career, he says that all of his experiences have prepared him for his current post as chancellor, a place “where he is meant to be.” As chancellor, he will work with the Board or Regents to oversee the administration of the A&M System, which brings together nine universities, seven state agencies and a health science center.
McKinney earned a bachelor’s from the University of Houston and a medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. A member of TAFP since 1990, he was previously awarded TAFP’s Presidential Award of Merit for Exemplary Service.
Texas family medicine practice awarded Practice of the Year
When Physicians Practice, a national practice management journal, recognizes a medical practice as Practice of the Year, it’s a big deal. When the Practice of the Year is a Texas family medicine practice, it’s an even bigger deal.
This year’s winner, Family Medical Specialists of Texas in Plano, is where Matthew Weyenberg, M.D., and TAFP members Christopher Crow, M.D., and Sander Gothard, M.D., put their forward-thinking beliefs into practice. The three young family physicians are recognized specifically for their innovative use of technology, focus on disease management, and ability to connect patient care with office efficiency.
“Certainly we’re honored; we feel like we always ask the question, ‘what is best for the patient?’ and then we go from there,” Crow says.
One of the judges, David Albenberg, M.D., noted the practice’s emphasis on the physician-patient relationship in the Physicians Practice profile. “What really
got me with this practice was their focus on doctor-patient communication,” Albenberg said in the article. “These guys have it going on—video patient education, Web site portals for access to patient records, e-mail access to physicians, and e-newsletters all establish, build, and solidify the doctor-patient relationship.”
The entire FMST staff is recognized for being an effective, integrated network. Because they do not have an office manager, the physicians, nurses and office staff make all decisions together, from hiring to practice improvement strategies. That keeps the staff on board as the practice evolves.
“The staff thinks of change as a good thing, it is what has brought all of the positive progress to the practice,” Crow says.
Fittingly, the three physicians are looking to the future and expect to expand to a larger office, add between three to five new physicians and triple the size of the practice within a year.
Read about Family Medical Specialists of Texas in the November/December edition of Physicians Practice, available on their Web site, www.physicianspractice.com. The site is for subscribers, but if you enter your ZIP code, position and specialty, you may view the full article for free.
AAFP names the 2006 Degree of Fellow recipients
Congratulations to the newest class of family physicians to receive the AAFP Degree of Fellow, which honors family physicians who have distinguished themselves through service to family medicine and ongoing professional development. Of the 295 inductees confirmed on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2006, in Washington, D.C., 27 are members of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians.
AAFP established the Degree of Fellow in 1971 and since this date has bestowed the title upon 29,000 physicians nationwide. Other criteria for the distinction include having a membership in AAFP for a minimum of six years, completing extensive continuing medical education, participating in public service programs outside medical practice, conducting original research or serving as a teacher in family medicine.
Help TAFP applaud the following 2006 AAFP Fellows: Jerry Bolin, M.D.; Michael Bond, D.O; Donna Canney, M.D.; John Cannon, D.O.; Roberto Cardarelli, D.O.; Stephen Carter, M.D.; Michael Centeno, M.D.; Chinglin Chan, M.D.; Phillip Disraeli, M.D.; Tricia Elliott, M.D.; John Garcia; M.D.; Neeta Gautam, M.D.; Craig Gunter, M.D.; Todd Hamel, M.D.; Clare Hawkins, M.D.; Donald Hearn, M.D.; Armando Jarquin, M.D.; Kendrick Kahler, M.D.; Kelly Klein, M.D.; Gary Mennie, M.D.; Mary Parish, D.O.; JoAnne Rogers, M.D.; Josef Schmid, M.D.; Andrzej Stypko, M.D.; Richard Usatine, M.D.; Samuel Wang, M.D.; and Chad White, M.D.
Van Winkle appointed to AAFP Commission on Membership
The AAFP Board of Directors recently appointed Lloyd Van Winkle, M.D., of Castroville, to a four-year term on AAFP’s Commission on Membership and Member Services. He began his term on Dec. 15, 2006. As a member of the commission, Van Winkle will attend several meetings throughout the year to deal with issues such as the value of membership, chapter relations and life-state career issues. Van Winkle previously served as member and chair of the now non-operational AAFP Commission on Communications and is currently one of TAFP’s two delegates to the AAFP Congress of Delegates.