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Governor's Message 



Hello from the PA ACP!  

This year marks the halfway point of my term as Governor of the Southeastern Region of Pennsylvania.  It seems like it just began! 

For those who don’t know me, I’ll begin here: As an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, my journey to medicine was supported by a scholarship from the Indian Health Service (IHS) who funded my undergraduate years at Rochester Institute of Technology and my medical education at Emory University in Atlanta.  Upon completion, I went back to Rochester to begin my internal medicine training at the University of Rochester, Strong Memorial Hospital, while my husband completed his Ph.D. at the “U of R.” We moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where we both could take the next steps in our careers: his post-doctoral research and my service obligation to IHS. My time with the ACP dates to those first years as a newly minted internal medicine physician who just started practice on the Winnebago Reservation in Northeastern Nebraska.  The transition from the educationally immersive environment of residency to practice is as difficult as any out there.  The Nebraska chapter of the ACP at that time provided so much support and education, as well as a professional home, I knew that I needed to remain close to our organization for life!

I moved to southeastern PA in 2009.  I am now the program director for Abington Hospital’s Internal Medicine Residency (part of Jefferson Health).  I practice primary care and hospital medicine in a group practice.  I also precept our residents in their clinic that cares for the underserved patients of Montgomery County.  

You might ask, what has the PA chapter of the ACP done in the past year or two?  Academically, we have offered numerous webinars with topics ranging from Hepatitis C treatment to feedback to IM learners and more!  The webinars are on our website for you to review, learn, and share with others.  

Each of our regions (West, East and Southeast) have hosted the ACP poster competitions for the medical students and residents to present their hard work as learners, propelling our collective knowledge into the future. As the regions’ future poster sessions are announced for this year, I encourage you to attend in support of our young physicians and even consider signing up to judge the posters.  Judging posters requires little time, however it contributes to your own personal academic growth and career development.

We had a riveting annual meeting in Harrisburg on November 18, 2023.  The day began with a keynote address delivered by our esteemed EVP and CEO of the College, Dr. Darilyn Moyer, who talked about the political determinants of health.  It was terrific! The rest of the day’s topics were especially chosen to meet the needs of our members from across the state.  If you’d like to see all the details, here’s the link to the rest of the agenda.  We are currently planning the Annual Meeting for this year.  If you have any educational or keynote suggestions, please contact me or your region’s governor.  

This year brought to fruition a tremendous victory for our physicians and patients with the implementation of the Prior Authorization Reforms.  If you are interested in participating in more of our health and public policy initiatives, please feel free to contact the chair of the HPP Committee, Dr. Amy Davis (please add her contact info if appropriate). 

Now that we are diving headlong into 2024, I look forward to all the great things our chapter is bringing to you.  Please see the information below regarding Leadership Day 2024 in DC this May.  

I would like to thank my fellow governors, Dr. Ibrahim Ghobrial (West) and his Governor-Elect, Dr. Jennifer Gonzalez-McComb, Dr. Linda Thomas-Hernak (East). Our group is here for you.  

I am grateful to be a part of the College and to represent my fellow physicians of the southeastern region.  

Respectfully,
Rachel Ramirez, MD, FACP
PA-ACP Southeastern Region Governor
Congratulations to the State Doctor's Dilemma Winners! 

Congratulations to our PA-ACP Doctor's Dilemma Champions - Albert Einstein Medical Center! They will move on to compete in the national competition at the ACP Internal Medicine Meeting in April! 

Regional winners:
  • Western Region winner: UPMC Presbyterian
  • Southeastern Region winner: Albert Einstein Medical Center
  • Eastern Region winner: The Wright Center
These three exceptional teams went head-to-head in the state final competition held during the 2023 Annual Meeting in Harrisburg on Saturday, November 18, 2023. A hearty congratulations to all participating teams for their dedication and hard work!
Call for Webinar Speakers! 
 
 
PA-ACP is currently recruiting speakers for our monthly afternoon webinar series! 
 
Talks should be around 30 minutes long and feature topics that are interesting and relevant to our Internal Medicine member physicians, residents, and students. 

If you have any questions or if you would like more information about becoming a presenter, contact Zoe Ellis at zellis@lutinemanagement.com.
RECAP - ACP Internal Medicine Interest Group Dinner
 
The ACP Internal Medicine Interest Group dinner that we held on the evening of Tuesday, January 16th. Despite some inclement weather causing last-minute changes in our venue, it turned out to be a great event! 

The event kicked off with a beginner's body scan meditation led by Allison LaRussa, our AVP of Health Humanities. This was followed by a presentation from Drs. Linda Thomas-Hemak and Meaghan Ruddy, focusing on the corporatization, consolidation, and commodification of healthcare and its impact on various aspects, including patient care and physician well-being. Dr. Ruddy introduced trauma-competent, self-empowering approaches to address healthcare industry challenges, alleviate physician burnout and encouraged participatory citizenship in the ACP as a proactive coping skill. A round-robin discussion allowed participants to share their reasons for attending and inspiring comments for the group. We quizzed the group on the materials that were covered in the presentation and surveyed their experience at the event. Throughout the evening, attendees had networking opportunities with fellow students, residents, and physicians. The event concluded with a unique activity where Dr. Thomas had the group choose their "primary care spirit animal" card.
Missing Something? Reinstate Your Access!


Did you lose access to JournalWise and DynaMedex?  Your membership renewal might be past due. Renew today with just a few clicks and regain access to valuable resources only available to you through the American College of Physicians. We'll also make sure you stay up-to-date with what's happening in our chapter and you’ll receive discounted registration to our annual scientific meeting! 
Upcoming Events 


ACP Internal Medicine Meeting
April 18-20, 2024
Boston, Massachusettes 
Register Here 


Leadership Day 2024 

May 14-15, 2024 
The Westin Washington, DC Downtown Hotel

Learn More Here

Lunch and Learn Webinar
Inpatient Diabetes Management: An Update 

May 15, 2024 - 12:00 pm 
Register Here

 
Leadership Day 2024
The Westin Washington, DC Downtown Hotel
May 14-15, 2024 


Leadership Day enables the College to increase its presence on Capitol Hill and bring our issues of concern to U.S. lawmakers. ACP members will receive two days of in-depth briefings on the College’s legislative priorities and an opportunity to meet with elected officials.

ACP members interested in participating in Leadership Day 2024 should contact Zoe Ellis to express their interest and to be included in the chapter delegation congressional meetings. A $50 registration fee to attend Leadership Day will be charged to attendees at the time of registration, with the exception of medical students and Residents/Fellows in-training members. Attendance will be limited to ACP members only.  

For more information about Leadership Day 2024, go to: https://www.acpservices.org/leadership-day/what-leadership-day. If you have further questions, please contact Shuan Tomlinson via email (stomlinson@acponline.org) or at 800-338-2746, ext. 4547.
ACP Resources 
 
Learn About ACP Fellowship
Fellowship in the College is an honor. Being a FACP® is a distinction earned from colleagues who recognize your accomplishments and achievements over and above the practice of medicine. The most important considerations for ACP Fellowship are excellence and contributions made to both medicine, and to the broader community in which the internist lives and practices.  LEARN MORE

Learn About ACP Mastership
The first Mastership in the College was presented in 1923 to Dr. James M. Anders, who served the College as President for two terms. He was recognized for extraordinary service to the College and for being one of the most outstanding internists and medical teachers of his day.

ACP Bylaws state that Masters shall be Fellows who have been selected because of "integrity, positions of honor, impact in practice or in medical research, or other attainments in science or in the art of medicine." Masters must be highly accomplished persons demonstrating impact in practice, leadership, or in medical research. Evidence of their achievements can come from many types of endeavors, such as renown within their field and/or ACP chapter, research, education, health care initiatives, volunteerism, administrative positions, care of patients, and service to their community. LEARN MORE
News from the Field 

American College of Physicians Research Report Shows Score Comparability In-Person, Remote Proctoring
American College of Physicians 
Residents taking the 2020 Internal Medicine In-Training Examination (IM-ITE) performed similarly across in-person and remote proctoring – providing evidence of score comparability, according to an American College of Physicians (ACP) research report published in Academic Medicine, the journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). LEARN MORE

‘We are extremely worried’: Pa. officials concerned following healthcare cyberattack | Today in Pa.
PennLive
Those in Pennsylvania’s government — and outside of it — are “extremely worried” following a cyberattack on a prominent medical billing system. Also, be wary of ATM skimming. The state AG is urging Facebook to crack down on account takeovers. Finally, it’s the caper of the antique trailer. LEARN MORE

ACP Continues to Advocate Against Misinformation and Disinformation on Vaccines
American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is continuing its mission to dispel vaccine misinformation and disinformation and safeguard public health. Most recently, ACP contributed to an amicus brief along with the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association and other leading health care groups outlining the dangers of public health misinformation in Murthy v. Missouri. The original lawsuit was filed by the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana and alleges that the Biden administration violated the First Amendment by colluding with Meta, X (Twitter) and YouTube to engage in censorship involving COVID-19. LEARN MORE

The Effect of Practitioner Empathy on Patient Satisfaction
Annals of Internal Medicine
Practitioners who deliver enhanced empathy may improve patient satisfaction with care. Patient satisfaction is associated with positive patient outcomes ranging from medication adherence to survival.  LEARN MORE

CDC issues alert to healthcare providers as measles cases rise
6ABC Action News
With the recent cases of measles in the Philadelphia region, parents and doctors are keeping an eye on kids for any potential symptoms of the illness. Given the disease was declared eradicated more than 20 years ago in the United States, it's something many young doctors have never seen. LEARN MORE

Telehealth utilization on the rise nationally
Healthcare Finance 
Telehealth utilization increased nationally and in every U.S. census region in November 2023, according to FAIR Health's Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker. The widespread increases followed a month of varied changes in October. In November, national utilization increased 6.3%, climbing from 4.8% of medical claim lines in October to 5.1% in November. LEARN MORE

For questions, please contact Zoe Ellis at zellis@lutinemanagement.com

Copyright © 2024 PA-ACP, All rights reserved.


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