Report from TAFP’s 58th Annual Session
and Scientific Assembly
Fun in the sun: TAFP goes to Corpus
By Kate McCann, photos by Jonathan Nelson
Despite a rainy start, more than 350 physicians attended TAFP’s 58th Annual Session and Scientific Assembly in Corpus Christi. While the sun reappeared later in the week, attendees earned up to 24.75 CME credits, shaped Academy policy in TAFP committee and commission meetings, explored new industry developments in the exhibit hall and relaxed in the sunny city by the gulf with family and friends.
CME lectures began with keynote speaker Louis Kuritzky, M.D., and his lecture, “Five Things I Wish I Knew Last Year.” Using his experiences in academia and medical practice, Kuritzky listed tidbits he had come across that “didn’t appear in the front page article of the New England Journal [of Medicine],” but that he felt were important clinical topics to share with colleagues.
“Most of them are based upon a premise that we probably are holding one thought in our minds as being the correct path and there are alternative paths or paths that should change what we do, so I try to share those with you as I discover them over time being in an academic setting,” Kuritzky said in the lecture.
Other speakers for the CME portion of Annual Session included Paul Berman, M.D.; S. Tim Coleridge, D.O.; Richard Grant, Ph.D.; Charles Reisner, M.D.; and many others, leading up to the conclusion Sunday morning with AAFP Board Member Judith Chamberlain, M.D. A family physician in Brunswick, Maine, Chamberlain outlined the progress of AAFP’s practice redesign initiative, TransforMED, and gave attendees a few ideas of ways to transform their own family medicine practices.
“It was clear when we talked about the future of family medicine [in the Future of Family Medicine Report] that family medicine and the health care system in this country have to change,” Chamberlain said. “Otherwise there is going to be no family medicine in 10 to 20 years.”
“Both family medicine and health care are at a cross roads in this country,” she continued. “I hesitate to say we need to change the system because I don’t think we have a system. We need to create one and I think if [family physicians] don’t do it, nobody else is going to.”
Chamberlain said that great opportunities exist for family physicians in the health care system because what we have in place is costly and inefficient. “The fact that there isn’t a system, the fact there’s money being wasted, those are opportunities.” She continued to list studies and other models that showed using a primary care physician for a medical home would result in a national savings of $67 billion per year with an additional improvement in Americans’ quality of life.
On Saturday, Chamberlain and fellow AAFP board member, Leah Raye Mabry, M.D., attended the Annual Awards Lunch and Officer Installation. Chamberlain presided over the officer installation and led the 2007-2008 officers in their oaths to assume the new posts. In charge of leading the Academy over the next year are President Linda Siy, M.D.; President-elect Robert Youens, M.D.; Vice President Melissa Gerdes, M.D.; Treasurer K. Ashok Kumar, M.D.; and Parliamentarian I.L. Balkcom, IV, M.D.
The Academy’s top honors were handed out as outgoing President Douglas Curran, M.D., revealed the 2007 awardees. Among the awardees were Dallas educator John Richmond, M.D., Texas Family Physician of the Year; longtime Austin physician Mathis Blackstock, M.D., Physician Emeritus; San Antonio health advocate Janet Realini, M.D., M.P.H., Public Health Award; Scott & White faculty member Gil Grimes, M.D., Exemplary Teaching Award; state legislator Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, Patient Advocacy Award; former Foundation president Stephen Benold, M.D., Philanthropist of the Year; and state legislator Rep. Sylvester Turner, Presidential Award of Merit.
Members gathered for the Town Hall Meeting on managed care Friday night to bounce ideas and opinions off Curran, TAFP Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President Tom Banning, and North Richland Hills physician Justin Bartos, M.D. The discussion included an update on where family physicians stand in the managed care market, what physicians can expect in legislation over the next few years and what TAFP members can do to preserve the specialty in this market.
More than 100 TAFP members participated in TAFP’s committee, commission and section meetings, where Academy members formed policy on pressing issues to the medical community. Some topics discussed included scope of practice, Medicaid reimbursement, public health initiatives and how to cultivate the next generation of family physician leaders.
The meeting wasn’t all business, however. For a little fun and to welcome Dr. Siy to her presidency, TAFP members flocked to the Texas State Aquarium for the President’s Gala Saturday. Guests meandered through marine displays, grabbing appetizers along the way, and listened to live steel drum music by the Steel Vibrations. As a special treat, Texas State Aquarium staff showed off the skills of its two playful dolphins and explained a few tips on animal training to the audience.
Finally, this Annual Session gave the Academy a chance to honor outgoing Executive Director Jim White, who has served TAFP for the past 25 years. Past presidents, organization executives from around the state, current and former TAFP staff, and family and friends gathered to bid farewell to Jim by sharing stories about his career and life, keeping the audience in stitches and tears throughout the evening. In White’s remarks, he said he felt honored to have served the Academy and the specialty of family medicine for a quarter century.
“It’s been about you,” he said. “It’s been about the specialty of family medicine and the patients you care for. What I’m most proud of is knowing that I helped with the realizations of your goals set by the TAFP leadership over the years.”
Mark your calendars for the 59th Annual Session and Scientific Assembly, July 16-20, 2008 in Houston.