We are deeply saddened to convey to you that Peter J. Cohen, MD, JD, passed away on Saturday, August 14. We are told that he died after suffering a massive stroke on hemodialysis.  We are truly devastated by this news since Dr. Cohen was a good friend and a tremendous support to those in recovery.  He was always incredibly understanding but firm. He was a role model and inspiration to many, showing that living sober and free of alcohol and drugs was a gift that the program of Alcoholics Anonymous could give.
     Dr. Cohen was a true believer that physicians who had substance abuse problems deserved treatment and deserved  to heal and continue practicing medicine. He also believed that those who became sober should give back to our community. Dr. Cohen not only volunteered to be on the MSDC Physician Health Program but gave freely of himself on that committee for many, many years. Dedicating hours and hours of his time to serve physicians who needed and benefited from his help.  Dr. Cohen served his last years on the MSDC PHP Committee as chairman and did so with the greatest of distinction. We are blessed to have been his friend and to have known him. He remains a role model.
     Dr. Cohen was and will always be in our hearts. May he rest in peace.
Written by By Daniel Perlin, MD

     MSDC Executive Vice President, K. Edward Shanbacker, joined other State and National  Medical Society leaders to discuss upcoming issues in organized medicine and public advocacy.  The recently passed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was heavily discussed and scrutinized among those in attendance.  Other topics covered include:

• Medicaid expansion, budgeting and physician payment
• Aggressive private payer reform at the state level
• Scope of practice with various allied health roles
• Medical Liability Reform and it's legislative potential

     If you would like more information on MSDC's legislative initiatives and policies, please contact Ed Shanbacker at shanbacker@msdc.org.

     In support of a critical partnership between Georgetown University Medical Center and Howard University, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a $38 million Clinical and Translational Sciences Award to aid the universities' effort to transform health care and preventive practices in communities through medical discoveries made in laboratories and clinical settings.  
     The two Washington institutions will form the Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science (GHUCCTS).  The $38,217,660 grant will be provided to the universities over five years, beginning July 2010.
     As part of the GHUCCTS, researchers will collaborate with MedStar Health/MedStar Research Institute in Hyattsville, Md., Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tenn., and the Washington DC Veteran's Affairs Medical Center to form one of the nation's largest biomedical and clinical research networks.
     The Center will be led jointly by Joseph Verbalis, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Georgetown, and Thomas Mellman, MD, professor of psychiatry and associate dean for clinical and translational research at Howard.  They will serve as principal investigators.
     GHUCCTS activities will include supporting clinical research, community engagement, research training and career development, regulatory support, and technology development.

Submitted by William Lawson, MD, PhD, DFAPA
Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Howard University College of Medicine and Hospital

     Medication errors are a common source of medical malpractice lawsuits. The most frequent prescribing mistakes include:

• incorrect or inappropriate dose;
• use of an inappropriate medication;
• failure to monitor for drug side effects; and
• lapses in communicating with patients (e.g., failing to update medication histories or drug allergies, or not emphasizing side effects to the patient).

     Most medication-related lawsuits are triggered by simple mistakes.

     To continue reading, please click here.

     Registrations are being accepted.  Just contact Barbara Allen at (202) 355-9403 or allen@msdc.org to join the crew.  Registration is $60 for members, $105 for members and spouses, $50 for students/residents, and $80 for non-members.
     Hurry and register soon - if you don't make the Captain's Log before Sail Date, registration at the door will increase to $80 for members and $100 for non-members, with no member/spouse or student/resident ticket available.

Meeting Sponsorship
     Annual Meeting sponsors are currently being accepted.  If your company or practice would like to sponsor our Annual Meeting and receive your entry, please e-mail Barbara Allen at allen@msdc.org.
     Thank you, ProAssurance, Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School, and NIH Federal Credit Union for registering early in support of the Medical Society and our Annual Meeting.  You continue to be wonderful partners of the Society and our members!