April 26, 2013

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Pine Cone masthead
Greetings!

   

Are you interested in Advocacy for Family Medicine? 

 

The MAFP Board of Directors has been active in advocating for Family Medicine this Legislative Session, providing written testimony on several bills of importance to preserving family physicians scope of practice.  Come join in the conversation about issues that are important to you on the Tuesday Legislative Calls held by the Maine Medical Association - it's easy and FREE to call in.

Information about how to participate HERE.

Also, why not take advantage of the "Doctor-of-the-Day" at the Maine Legislature?  Doctor of the Day Program this year.  Your presence at the statehouse is always greatly appreciated.  For those of you who have been unable to participate thus far, there are still  dates in May (7th, 9th, 15th, 16th, 20th, & 21st) and at least the first 2 weeks of June that need a Doctor of the Day.  If you are interested and available please contact Maureen Elwell of the Maine Medical Association who coordinates this program at 207-622-3374 ext. 219


Deborah Halbach

Executive Director, MAFP 
  

 

 
 
Long-time Rumford Area Family Physician Named "Maine's Family Physician of the Year" by MAFP 
  
Dieter Kreckel MD, of  
Rumford  Maine's  
2013 Family Physician of the Year

Do You Do Driver Exams?  (bus driver or commercial?)  The NEW Federal Rule Affects You!

MAFP recently had a well attended  "Commercial Certified Driver Medical Examiner Training Course
on April 13th.

If you were unable to attend but wish to sometime this year - or there are others at your Clinic or Group than need this training -
contact Deborah at the MAFP office to get on the mailing list to find out about other trainings in Maine and New England.
 
Repeat article: 
Final Rule Calls for National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners

 

The new federal regulations call for the creation of a training, testing and registration program for health professionals who provide physicals for drivers of commercial vehicles.

 

Physicians Providing Driver Exams Face New Federal Regulations -

The new rule is intended to improve highway safety and driver health.

The regulation calls for medical examiners to re-certify every 10 years and comply with additional reporting requirements.

 

Read More                                                            

Rural Physicians - You Don't Have to Go it Alone

 
Rural physicians account for less than 20 percent of the AAFP's active membership, and that percentage is gradually shrinking.  

 

The trend in our membership is toward employed positions in urban areas. And although more than 11,000 family physicians are practicing in small towns, farming communities and other out-of-the-way places, it's easy to feel isolated when you are the only physician -- or one of the few -- in town.  

 

It also can leave small-town docs feeling like we don't have a voice in what the Academy is doing on behalf of family physicians.  (read the complete editorial about AAFP's Working Group on Rural Health

 

Rural Family Physician Resources 

MC-FP Exams Scheduled 

 

Mark your calendar now for the 2013 MC-FP Examinations scheduled for November 2013.  

 

The online application for the November 2013 Examination will open in the summer of 2013.  

 

Dates for November exams are:

November 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Physicians may contact the ABFM Support Center with any questions: help@theabfm.org or 877-223-7437. 

 

Commercial Driver Medical Examiner (CDME) Self-Assessment Now Available Online 

 

Commercial Driver Medical Examiner (CDME) Self Assessment

The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) offers an innovative, challenging, and practical way for providers of commercial driver medical examinations to exercise, update, and maintain their knowledge base and conveniently and affordably earn valuable CME credits.

 

The ACOEM CME program consists of a user-friendly 46-question self-assessment based on  the NEW 5th Edition of The DOT Medical Examination: A Guide to Commercial Drivers' Medical Certification, by Natalie Hartenbaum, MD, MPH, FACOEM.   

 

READ more 

 

In This Issue
2013 Family Physician of the Year
Driver Exam-NEW Rules
Rural Docs - Don't Go It Alone
AMFM MC-FP Exams
NRCME On-line Exam
Veterans Resources
MAFP Receives National Awards
From the 1st Tooth
CME- Child Psych Care

MAFP Receives Two Awards from AAFP at Annual Leadership Forum in Kansas City

  MAFP Executive Director, Deborah Halbach was on hand to receive two awards for the Maine AFP Chapter at the **Annual Leadership Forum (ALF) & National Conference of Special Constituencies (NCSC) this week in Kansas City.


  The MAFP received First Place recognition for the highest percent
increase in Active Members for 2012, as well as First Place for highest percent increase in Student Membership for 2012.


  THANK YOU to our Student Board Members for all your help in Medical Student Membership recruitment!

**ALF/NCSC takes place each spring in Kansas City -  more information HERE if you are interested in attending in 2014!

 


"From the First Tooth" - is YOUR Practice on this list? 

First STEPS Phase 3 Learning Initiative- it's not too late to sign up! (Read full article)

The First STEPS Learning Initiative can help your practice improve upon the work they do with families on promoting healthy habits - including obesity screening, healthy weight  and oral health screening.  

 

For more information:

contact Dr. Amy Belisle at or  download a registration form.  

 

For Your Patients: 

Sesame Street Video: "Kids Just Want to Brush" 

 

READ the entire "First Tooth" newsletter 

Child Psychiatry in Primary Care Conference 

 

University of Vermont's Child Psychiatry in Primary Care conference is taking place May 31, 2013 at the Hampton Inn in Colchester, Vermont outside of Burlington.

 

Primary care physicians very frequently report that they do not receive enough training in mental health.  This conference is specifically designed to be useful to the primary care community and has been extremely well received in the past.

 

REGISTRATION INFO
  
Thinking about transforming YOUR practice site?  Check out the FREE resources like Delta Exchange offered by
Maine AFP - PO Box 424 - Hartland, ME 04043
207-938-5005
 www.maineafp.org