It's not the time you put in, but what you put in the time.

Henry B. Burg, Auburn

The IAFP office is closed Dec. 23-25 and Dec. 30-Jan. 1

Also, we need your best photos of family medicine for the 2013 Annual Report to the Membership!  Your photo could be on the cover in February. E-mail your photos along with permission to use them and the names of any IAFP members in the photo to Ginnie Flynn at gflynn@iafp.com by January 14, 2014.  

Congratulations to our AAFP Commission appointees

Alvia Siddiqi, MD, IAFP First Vice President has been appointed to the Commission on Quality and Practice

Deb Clements, MD joins Asim Jaffer, MD on the Commission on Continued Professional Development

Also, the AAFP board of directors has voted to submit Bernard Ewigman, MD, Chair, Dept. of Family Medicine at the University of Chicago/NorthShore University as one of three candidates for the ABFM board of directors.  The ABFM board will consider the nominees and select one in Spring 2014.

SAVE THE DATE:  White Sox game August 15, 2014

The weather may be frightful now, but imagine a warm summer night at the Chicago White Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays game with your IAFP friends!  Save the date now!  We have a Friday night game this time and tickets will be available in both Lower Box and Outfield Reserve sections.

Renee M. Poole testifies in Chambers

Family Physicians support Chicago tobacco ordinances

Four family physicians and a future family physician (UIC student) provided testimony to support two proposed ordinances aimed at curbing youth smoking in Chicago. The first, which passed out of the committee and the full City Council, restricts sale of any flavored tobacco products, including Menthol, within 500 feet of a school.  Chicago is the first major city to restrict menthol flavoring sale.  The other ordinance would classify e-cigarettes with the same rules prohibiting sales to minors under 18 and also include them in the clean indoor air act.  That ordinance was pulled amid technical concerns raised by some Aldermen and may be reintroduced at a later time.

Testifying that day included

-IAFP board member Renee M. Poole, MD (Link to her testimony here) who said, "We need to regulate these products that are directly aimed at hooking new and younger customers.  IAFP supports these ordinances that will help keep our young people away from costly and deadly nicotine addiction."

-Past President Carolyn Lopez, MD (currently President of the Chicago Board of Health) who said "We should remember our oath to do no harm.  E-cigarettes have not been proven safe."

-UIC Dept. of Family Medicine Professor Samuel Grief, MD, who said "Smoking habits invariably start in the teenage years, so keeping these products out of the hands of children and adolescents will be effective in curbing smoking in our future generations."

Bechara Choucair, MD, Chicago Commissioner of Public Health and a family physician, is leading the effort to implement comprehensive approaches to youth tobacco use.  

Do you have questions about the ACA?

Check out our new member briefings

IAFP has developed our third Member Briefing addressing aspects of the Affordable Care Act. Briefing #3 features a handy chart to help you and your practice staff effectively incorporate the newly insured into your practice operation, whether they are enrolled in Medicaid or purchased a plan on the Marketplace.

Briefing #1 addresses the Health Insurance Marketplace, called GetCoveredIllinois. 

Briefing #2 addresses Medicaid expansion, which is processed through ABE (Application for Benefits Eligibility). 

Federal Update -

Congress passes a 3-month patch and pathway to SGR repeal

The U.S. Senate passed a budget resolution on Dec. 18 that includes the three-month payment patch to the sustainable growth rate.  After more than a decade of inaction,Congress is finally offering a bipartisan, bicameral solution. The House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Finance released an SGR repeal proposal in early November, and the two committees have since met to revise their respective bills.  The final outcome will repeal the SGR and make other changes in the physician payment structure.  The bills also provide funding to help small practice modernize and transform to quality-based payment models.  You can read the full story on AAFP News Now.

Student and Resident Scholarships to AAFP Family Medicine Congressional Conference

Get your resume up to date and your essay thoughts cranking!

Invitations and applications for student and resident scholarships will be sent soon.  AAFP has funding available-covering registration, travel, lodging and meals-for three students (including the single James G. Jones, MD Student Scholarship) and two residents.  The FMCC is a great experience for young family physician advocates and leaders. Additional information is forthcoming with an anticipated application deadline of around January 27^th.

If you have a news item to share, email it to Ginnie Flynn at gflynn@iafp.com.

Rachel Yankey, MD and Stephanie Reyburn, MD of Quincy both discuss the need for young people to establish a relationship with a primary care physician to ensure good health once they are out on their own. The story is in the December 17th Quincy Herald-Whig.

Loren Hughes, MD of Collinsvilleis the new president of HSHS Medical Group, according to the Dec. 9 Belleville News Democrat

Debra Winiger, MD is featured in the Dec. 13 Daily Herald for Advocate Condell Medical Center's outreach work with five Lake and McHenry County high schools through the CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) program, teaching healthy behaviors during physical education classes.

John Wilkerson, MD of Alexian Brothers Medical Group who practices in Elgin, helps to explain how their use of the Patient Centered Medical Home model helps to coordinate care and deliver services in a team based approach led by the family physician.  Several Alexian practices are currently in the PCMH recognition process, with plans for the remaining practices to follow.

J. Rene Davidas, MD is the owner of Green Bliss Clinic in Niles, which is evaluating patients who may qualify for medical marijuana prescriptions under the state's Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act.  The practice is working closely with the Illinois Department of Public Health.  An article appeared in the November 22 Sun-Times local versions in Niles and Morton Grove. 

Our two current IAFP Award honorees and a past award recipient were featured in recent news stories. 

Family Medicine Teacher of the Year Careyana Brenham, MD of Springfieldwas featured in the Nov. 26 Springfield State Journal Register for the many ways she impacts the health care system and the physicians she trains.  Input was provided by Tabatha Wells, MD, Janet Albers, MD and 2010 Family Physician of the Year Michael Brewer, MD, who happens to be Brenham's father!

Family Physician of the Year Joseph M. Welty, MD of Dixon was featured in the November 26 Sauk Valley News on his award.

A past IAFP Distinguished Service Award honoree, Thomas Cornwell, MD was featured in the November 15 My Suburban Life for his 20 years of making house call visits and how this model can help reach goals of the Affordable Care Act by reducing hospital admissions and readmissions, along with overall lowering costs of end of life care.