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In This Issue
Academy in Action
Resident Opportunities
Family Medicine Midwest
Job Opportunities
Government Relations
Members in the News
Sox Game Tickets
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Think baseball and the annual IAFP Foundation White Sox Game on Friday, August 15.

Orders are due July 11!

Link to the Form


 

Be a Safe Prescriber
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Click on the logo to access IAFP's easy and effective program to help you manage your patients with chronic pain.
 
Member Benefits
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Healthcare Associates Credit Union

Financial Services

Mass Marketing Insurance Consultants, Inc. - Health insurance for members and their staff

FP JobsOnline 

free job search for your family medicine fit

Prescriber's Letter - Free CME that is free from industry influence.  

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May 2014

Academy In Action

Residency Programs Would you like an IAFP leader to visit your residency program?  Email Ginnie Flynn at gflynn@iafp.com with possible dates/time and she'll work on scheduling a visit for you. 

 

Board and leaders at ALF and NCSC

  IAFP sent a full delegation to Kansas City for the AAFP National Conference of Special Constituencies this week to participate in the leadership process representing key sectors of the IAFP membership, which by the way - is now over 115,000, with 26,000 student members!

 

 

Representing Illinois are:

New IAFP board member Regina Kim, MD - Women

Tabatha Wells, MD - Minority

IAFP New Physician Board member Michael Hanak, MD - New Physician

Board member Asim Jaffer, MD - IMG

Treasurer and Alternate Delegate to AAFP Ravi Grivois-Shah, MD- GLBT

 

Board member Alice Daniels , MD & Resident Board Member Monica Fudala, MD are also attending NCSC as general attendees.

 

Meanwhile the rest of the IAFP board and key staff are participating the concurrent Annual Leadership Forum to hone their leadership skills and exchange best practice information with fellow chapters.  The board of directors will meet on Saturday, May 3 after the conferences conclude.  Look for key outcomes from that meeting in the next issue of e-news.  

 

E-cigarette restrictions now law in Chicago

Tuesday April 29, 2014 marked the beginning of the end for electronic cigarettes in Chicago, as the nicotine delivery devices were officially included in the city's Clean Indoor Air act.  Likewise, e-cigarettes are subjected to the same rules for sale as traditional cigarettes, meaning they must be kept behind the counter and may not be sold to anyone under age 18.  Chicago was the first major city to pass an ordinance, and was quickly followed by other major cities like New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.  Past President Carolyn Lopez, MD, the current president of the Chicago Board of Health kicked off the press conference unveiling the City's updated no smoking signs now available for Chicago businesses and facilities.

 

IAFP Hosts Roundtable on Food Safety

Family physicians, residents and medical students gathered April 23 for dinner and conversation hosted by IAFP.  Ronald Kleinman, MD, chair of pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital discussed food safety and biotechnology. "More than ever in our history, the public has questions about food: how it is produced, where it was grown, whether it is safe. At the center of many discussions is agricultural biotechnology. We as physicians are called upon to provide guidance for patients and policy makers alike. People care about and listen to what we think and what we say."  IAFP leaders included Kristin Drynan, MD, board member and chair of the Public Relations Task Force; Aaron Goldstein, student board member and member of the Public Health Committee; and John Franco, MD, resident member of the Government Relations Committee.  Coincidentally, the May 2014 issue of National Geographic features the start of six issues of features on food, safety and biotechnology.

 

Illinois leaders on Capitol Hill

Illinois AFP continued our tradition of representing you in Congress with a strong showing at the AAFP annual Family Medicine Congressional Conference April 7-8.  Attendees spent a day of learning and updates, including a panel presentation with IAFP vice president of external affairs Gordana Krkic, CAE.  Armed with current information and AAFP position papers, they headed to Capitol Hill for individual and group meetings with lawmakers and staff.  Much more information to come in the May issue of Illinois Family Physician.  Representing Illinois were: President Edward A. Blumen, MD; President-elect Janet Albers, MD; Second Vice President Deborah Edberg, MD; Resident board member Monica Fudala, MD; past presidents David Hagan, MD and Steven Knight, MD and IAFP members Thomas Cornwell, MD; James Valek, MD; Santina Wheat, MD; resident/fellow Emma Daisy, MD and resident Stephanie Gadbois.

 

IAFP leader testified on Capitol Hill for Teaching Health Center

Dr. Edberg testifies

 

Dr. Edberg has a well-timed opportunity to also testify live before the Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging in support of reauthorizing and fully funding Teaching Health Centers.  Edberg is program director for the Northwestern-McGaw Family Medicine Residency program at Erie Family Health Center on Chicago's Northwest Side, one of the first 11 federally funded THCs in the nation. 

 

She said, in part: These talented doctors increase our nation's capacity to provide care in underserved communities. But they are also the leaders of tomorrow.  In addition to direct experience, the McGaw program provides a rigorous academic curriculum that emphasizes leadership in health policy, community engagement, and research. The Teaching Health Center program invests in students, patients, communities and long-term solutions to some of the most critical challenges facing our health system and our society.

 

  

Get a Pocket Card for ACA conversations with your patients

Check it out, and use it in your practice to help uninsured and under-insured patients.

 

Seeking Teacher of the Year Nominations

We need your input on the great family medicine educators in our state. Nominate the family physician that inspires your journey in family medicine and makes YOU a better doctor. Nominations are due by June 30 and must include a letter from you on why this family medicine educator rocks. Link to form  

Resident Opportunities

Resident Research Webinar

Wednesday May 7, 2014 - Presentations all day long!

Residents are invited to log on and listen in as 17 resident research projects are presented live!  The first presentation kicks off at 9am and the last one is at 4pm.

Link to the schedule of presentations

Register Here - Space is limited!!

 

 

AAFP Free webinar on Personal Finance

The AAFP will host a free webinar for residents, Personal Finance for Residents: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You(www3.gotomeeting.com), Wednesday, May 14, 5:30-6:30 p.m. CT. Presented by Mountain Area Health Education Center's Residency Director Blake Fagan, MD, this webinar will provide residents with practical tips about wills, insurance, retirement vehicles, purchasing a house, and planning for children's educational needs. Space is limited so register today!

Family Medicine Midwest - abstracts due 5/19

Get ready for our region's premiere family medicine collaborative event.  Find your next class of residents, find your first job, showcase your own research and talents and have some great fun in a wonderful Midwestern city - Minneapolis, MN.

 

The 2014 Call for Abstracts is now open.  All submissions must be entered through the online form.  The deadline for presentation abstracts is May 19, 2014.  The deadline for poster submissions only is June 2, 2014. Prior to submitting, please review the following documents:

2014 FMM Call for Abstracts  Information

2014 FMM Poster Presentation Guide

 

Awards Galore:  All 2014 Family Medicine Midwest Awards recipients will be honored during the 2014 Family Medicine Midwest Conference October 10-12 in Minneapolis, Minn. Travel expenses not included, but any student award winner would be provided a standard FM Midwest scholarship.  A nomination should include a 2-page maximum letter summarizing the individual's contribution and a copy of the nominee's resume. Nominations will be received through July 31, 2014.

Job Opportunities 

Please use this link to open the full document with details on all these job openings

 Advocate Lutheran General Family Medicine Residency - Park Ridge

 

PrimeCare -Chicago

 

 

Rush Copley Family Medicine Residency - Aurora

 

PCC Wellness Center

Full and part-time opportunities with great benefits.  Located in the near west suburbs of Chicago

 

Family Medicine Osteopathic Full Time Faculty Member 

Adventist Hinsdale Hospital Family Medicine Residency is seeking a full time osteopathic faculty member for our dually accredited ACGME/AOA program.

 

Chicago Faculty Position
UIC /Advocate Illinois Masonic Family Medicine Residency seeks a full time Faculty Physician interested in maternity care for our 24 resident program located in a lively, diverse north-side Chicago neighborhood.

 

Site Medical Director-Waukegan

Opening July 2014 - Apply at www.eriefamilyhealth.org.

 

Government Relations

Statehouse Update

Spring Session in Springfield: The General Assembly returned on April 28th after a two week Spring Break.  The list below highlights a few bills that IAFP is either actively supporting or opposing

 

Mandatory Hep C Screening:

IAFP opposes SB2670 bill that would mandate screening for Hepatitis C screening for eligible populations.  President-elect Janet Albers, MD testified before the Senate Public Health committee at a subject matter-only hearing on April 29 urging a collaborative education and awareness approach rather than a mandate.

 

"Family physicians would like to see increased awareness of the Hep C screening guidelines among providers, patients, and insurance carriers...." Albers told the committee. "As our health care system moves toward a patient-centered medical home, this comprehensive care model can lead to improved screening rates and the provision of preventive services for those who need them.  We believe the Task Force is the appropriate structure for further action on raising Hepatitis C awareness. Medicine must remain responsive as new evidence leads to changing recommendations and new treatment options emerge.  Legislatively mandated screenings are not always the best course of action to address public health concerns."

Read her full testimony on our web site

 

Funding the Poison Control Center (IPC):

SB 2674 Harmon/ HB 4230 Lilly. IAFP supports these bills which would reallocate two cents of an existing wireless surcharge to fund the IPC. Without long-term sustainable funding, the IPC is facing an impending closure date of June 30, 2014. 

SB2674 is moving and is on 3rd reading in the Senate. The fact sheet includes IAFP.

 

ACTION ALERT

Due to state and federal funding reductions, the Illinois Poison Center (IPC) has lost $1.5 million in annual funding since 2009.  In response to the funding cuts, the IPC decreased outreach education services by 70% and decreased clinical call center staff by 25%.  The IPC has notified IDPH of its impending closure on 6-30-2014.

 

The IPC has been working with the Illinois State legislature on a plan that will provide sustainable funding for many years. HB 4230 and SB 2674 would reallocate 2 cents from a cell phone fee to the IPC. The money is reallocation from the Wireless Carrier Fund which the state is currently sweeping for other purposes.

 

Health care providers in Illinois are one of the biggest utilizers of the IPC services, with over 21,500 requests for information every year.  We ask you to send this physician-specific letter that will be automatically sent to your representative and senator. The text can be edited and personalized to reflect your practice situation if desired.   

Send your letter now

 

Opposing dentists vaccinating: IAFP is working to oppose SB 3409, the synopsis of which provides that a dentist enrolled in a medical network or enrolled as a Medicare or Medicaid provider may administer vaccinations for influenza to patients enrolled in the same medical network or enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid upon completion of appropriate training. Vaccinations shall be limited to patients 18 years of age and older pursuant to a valid prescription or standing order by a physician and requires notification to the patient's physician and appropriate reporting and record retention. This bill has passed the Senate and is assigned to the House Health Care Licensing committee. The fact sheet enumerates providers' concerns.

 

Medical Marijuana hearings on proposed rules

proposed rules were published in the Illinois Register on April 18. The Legislature's Joint Committee on Administrative Rules begins its review in early June.

 

Federal Update

 

HHS Releases ACA Marketplace and Medicaid enrollment figures

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) just released their report on Obamacare enrollment. The result? 217,492 Illinoisans have now secured health care coverage through the Marketplace. They contribute to 8.2 million Marketplace plan enrollees, and to 21 million total enrollees nationwide!

Check out Illinois' state profile from the report.

Learn more about Medicaid enrollment numbers.

Read the complete report.  

 

SGR - what happened in DC? The U.S House passed yet another temporary fix to the controversial sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula for calculating Medicare payments, thus averting a major cut in payments for physicians. However, AAFP is leading the call on legislators to finish their work on a permanent repeal. This time, the patch spans 12 months. For more information, AAFP News provided "Ask the Expert: What You Need to Know About the Latest SGR Patch" http://www.aafp.org/news/government- medicine/20140402patelsgrinterview.html

 
Members in the News

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

 

Former IAFP resident board member Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar, MD, MPH is returning to Chicago.  After several years at Johns-Hopkins University in Baltimore, Salisbury-Afshar is the new medical director for Heartland Health Outreach Center.

 

IAFP Second Vice President Deborah Edberg, MD is included in this week's AAFP News story about her testimony at an April 9 hearing (www.help.senate.gov) of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions' Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging, in support of teaching health centers like her residency program, Northwestern McGaw Family Medicine Residency program based at Erie Family Health Center.

 

Congratulations to Christine Mueller, MD of Elgin who has been named Altrusa Elgin Woman of the Year.  She will receive the honor at a banquet on May 15.  The local Altrusa Woman of the Year Award began in 1950 when Harriet Armstrong was recognized as the first recipient. Since then, a long line of dedicated local women have been honored for their volunteer service to the greater Elgin area community.  The award announcement appeared in several suburban Chicago newspapers on May 2.