Volume 2 – No. 7
July/August 2006 (Mid-Summer Edition)
DFSM E-Newsletter
Department of Family and Social Medicine
Montefiore Medical Center
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, NY
AECOM  1300 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY 10461  718-430-2900
MMC  3544 Jerome Ave, Bronx, NY 10467  718-920-4678
We are pleased to present the Mid-Summer edition of our departmental e-newsletter. Thank you for your
continued support and contributions. Next release September 2006! We look forward to hearing from
you!
Editors-at-Large:
Mark Polisar, MD
Tami Rivera
Peter Selwyn, MD, MPH
Becky Williams, MD, MHPE
PUBLICATIONS
Maizes V, Silverman H, Lebensohn P, Koithan M, Kligler B, et al. The integrative family medicine program:
an innovation in residency education. Acad Med. 2006; 81:583-589.
Venters HD, Razvi AM, Tobia MS, Drucker E. (Case Report) The Case of Scott Ortiz: A clash between
criminal justice and public health. Harm Reduction Journal 2006; 3: 21.
Available at: http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/content/3/1/21
PRESENTATIONS
Pediatric Academic Societies' Annual Meeting
April 29-May 2, 2006, San Francisco, CA
Braganza SF, Sharif I, Ozuah PO. Improving Appropriate Therapy for Children with Asthma.
O'Connor K, Sharif I. Managing Childhood Overweight: Relationship Between Parent and Child Self-Efficacy.
Sharif I. Relationship Between Health Literacy and Childhood Obesity.
29th Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting
April 26-29, 2006, Los Angeles, CA
Cheung HC, Martinez A, Kogan M, Paccione GA, Drucker E. Factors Related to Retention of Health
Promoters in a Training Program in Highbridge and Morrisania, Bronx, NY.
Cunningham CO, Sohler NL, Li, X, Ramsey K. A Comparison of Self-Report and Medical Record HIV
Utilization Measures in a Marginalized Population.
Cunningham WE, Sohler N, Tobias C, Drainoni M, Bradford JB, Davis C, Cabral H, Cunningham C, Eldred L,
Wong M. Health Services Utilization For People with HIV Infection: Comparison of a Population Targeted for
Outreach with the U.S. Population in care.
Fox A, Sacajiu GM, Ramos M, Sohler NL, Heller D, Cunningham C. Perceptions of Health and Housing of
Unstably Housed HIV-Infected Individuals in New York City.
Karasz AK, Watkins LT, Sacajiu GM, Kogan M. Family Decisions About End of Life Care.
1
Kogan M, Sacajiu GM, Watkins LT, Karasz AK. The Role of Spirituality in End-of-Life Decisions.
Milan FB, Buono D, Arnsten J, Schoenbaum E, Klein RS, Webber M. Use of Complimentary and Alternative
Medicine (CAM) in a Middle-aged, Inner-City Population with or at Risk for HIV.
Paccione GA, Asgary RG, Smith L, Sckell B, Bagheri P. Immigrant and Refugee Health; Didactic Educational
Curriculum with Country-Specific Profiles and Special Ambulatory Morning Reports.
Sacajiu GM, Wright M, Query C, Arnoux J. South Bronx Obesity Reduction Initiative (SOBORI): Advocating
for a Weight Loss Intervention.
Sanchez JP, Heller D, Sohler NL, Cunningham CO. Methods: We Chose a Convenience Sample of Americans
Who Had Been an Evaluation of Appointments Kept at a HIV Medical Outreach Program in New York City.
Shalev N. From Public to Private Care: The Historical Trajectory of Medical Services in a New York City Jail.
Sobota M, Warkol R, Gold M, Milan F, Sohler N, Kunins HV. An Intervention to Increase Emergency
Contraception Knowledge, Attitudes and Prescribing Practices Among Physicians in an Internal Medicine
Teaching Site.
Venters HD, Deluca JP, Drucker E. Bringing Primary Care to Legal Aid in the Bronx.
Watkins LT, Karasz AK, Sacajiu GM, Kogan M. The Role of Bioethicists in Family Decision Making at the End
of Life.
Watkins LT, Sacajiu GM, Karasz AK, Kogan M. Physicians and Families’ Conflicts During End-of-Life Decision
Making.
Widoff J. Health Care Experiences and Needs of Street-Based Sex Workers in New York City.
GRANTS
Congratulations! To Dr. Katherine O'Connor on her receipt of a Community Access to Child Health grant
from the American Academy of Pediatrics. The grant entitled, "Medical-Legal Collaboration in the South
Bronx" will allow for a needs assessment regarding the medical-legal collaboration project at the
Comprehensive Health Care Center.
Congratulations! To Dr. Elizabeth Lee-Rey on her receipt of a K07 grant on Reducing Health Inequalities
through Medical Education (RHIME) from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). RHIME will
concentrate on cultural competency and health disparities regarding blood, cardiovascular, and pulmonary
diseases and their risk factors; seek to develop a longitudinal, vertically-integrated, reinforcing curriculum;
and produce and disseminate valuable and enduring educational materials.
WELCOMES & FAREWELLS
FAREWELL…
Good luck to Audrey Stephens, who has transferred from our department to the CME office. June 23rd was
her last day of work with us; she will be sorely missed.
AND WELCOME… (To a new role)
To Dr. Jamal Harris, RPSM 2007 (SP), who has been selected to be Chief for the Residency Program in
Social Pediatrics for 2007-2008. He did his undergraduate work at the University of Pennsylvania where he
graduated Phi Beta Kappa. Prior to entering medical school, he was a Truman fellow with the National
Rural Development Partnership in the US Department of Health and Human Services. His stay at DHHS
included working in the Surgeon Generals Office where he provided policy analysis related to the National
2
Racial and Ethnic Disparities Initiative.
While a student at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Harris was involved in several community related programs
including; a youth violence prevention program, mentoring middle school students and working on a
community development project in the Dominican Republic. He took a year off from his medical studies,
between the 3rd and 4th year. It was during this time he received a Doris Duke/HMS Pasteur Program
Clinical Research Fellowship. As a fellow he designed and implemented a qualitative research project on
motivators and barriers to HIV testing in Black and Latino young men in Boston. This resulted in a
presentation at the 2003 American Public Health Association meeting.
Dr. Harris was recently in South Africa doing research that utilizes an electronic patient record to increase
HIV testing in a pediatric population. This type of work typifies the commitment that he brings to the field
of community pediatrics and we are very pleased to announce his acceptance of the position of chief for
2007-8.
CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES
Fun Committee
Inspired by the spirit of this year's Department Retreat, DFSM now has its own
Fun Committee. The Fun Committee seeks to encourage a deeper sense of
community, liven up the workday, and harness the Department's creativity.
Since its formation, the Fun Committee has hosted a monthly 15-minute dance
party (photo from left: N. Debb, C. Herbitter, G. Sacajiu, and M. Pasa) and a
monthly 15-minute yoga session, both of which have been enormously popular.
Look for colorful signs posted around 3544 Jerome for information regarding
upcoming events! For more information on this committee or if you wish to
begin a fun committee at your location please contact Cara Herbitter at (718)
920-6367 or via e-mail at cherbitt@montefiore.org.
Movie/Book Club
For more information please contact Aisha Mays at (917) 218-3372 or via e-mail at aimays@montefiore.org
or Dan O'Connell at (917) 433-6083 or via e-mail at oconnel@montefiore.org.
SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
SAVE THE DATE...
Please mark your calendars and plan to attend the 3rd Annual NYC RING Convocation of Practices, on
Thursday, September 14, 2006. Past Convocations have been well-attended and invaluable opportunities
for participating sites to learn about NYC RING and contribute to our early development. For our third
Convocation, we are planning a different type of event, one that we hope will encourage discussion among
colleagues, support ongoing efforts, and generate many new ideas. This year’s event will feature informal
presentations of completed projects, works-in-progress, and ideas in development at NYC RING practices.
Teams from participating sites and investigators working in NYC RING practices will display their work, in
the form of “Story Boards” (informal posters). These storyboards will showcase ongoing projects,
completed projects, or ideas in various stages of development. Our hope is that this open forum will allow
for a great deal of exchange between clinicians and investigators across practices and institutions. The
event will be held in the Mazer Building on the Einstein campus, from 4:30-7:30 pm. Hot and cold hors
d'oeuvres and wine will be served. Please join us to visit with old friends, enjoy the food, and engage in
discussions about the wide range of activities going on in practices throughout the Bronx, Yonkers, and
Manhattan. We welcome any comments or suggestion that you may have for planning the convocation.
Please contact Stacia Maher at 718-430-2749 or smaher@aecom.yu.edu.
(Mentoring) Career Day: Monday, November 20, 2006 with keynote speaker Dr. Allen Spiegel, Dean,
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, speaking on Bedside to Bench: Collaboration Between Basic Science &
Clinical Faculty. Note to All Faculty: please be sure that you are listed on the All Faculty mailing list for
3
AECOM to be sure you are receiving notices on all upcoming events. Skill-based workshops are now being
planned for 2006-2007.
December 2006, Faculty Networking Breakfast, date to be determined.
2007 Post New Years Bash, Friday, January 5, 2007 to be held at Maestros Catering Hall. More
information will be available soon.
PERSONAL HAPPENINGS
People in the news…
Congratulations! To Dr. Alison Karasz on her promotion to Associate Professor of Family Medicine.
Dr. Zach Rosen was quoted extensively with peer educator, Albert Ramos, in the July 17, 2006 edition of
the USA Today newspaper in the carry a major Life Styles Section cover story on Learning About Diabetes
Early and the effects of delaying action. (See attached article)
FHC Medical Director, Zach Rosen, MD, is in the July 31st edition of OK Magazine, on the newsstands now.
He answers a helpful medical hints column question: Should I see my doctor for a check-up every year?
RPSM participation in the NYRR (New York Road Runners)
To celebrate graduation, 4 RPSMers participated in the 5-mile New York Road Runner race in Central Park
on June 24. To add to the general principles of social solidarity and Social Medicine and Exercise, this was
the Lesbian and Gay Pride Run. Runners included Emily Jackson '06, Carlos Victorica '07, Joanna Dognin,
Family Medicine PsychSocial faculty, and Dan O'Connell '94 whom all successfully completed the run, and
are now happy owners of Pride Run commemorative vented running caps. We look forward to doing more
group runs with NYRR, and invite other members of the community to contact Dr. Dan O'Connell at (917)
433-6083 or via e-mail at oconnel@montefiore.org for more information on joining future events.
MISCELLANEOUS
You can access a complete list of MonteTalk E-Bulletins click here: http://intranet/newsevents/montetalk
MONTHLY SCHEDULE REMINDERS
All Faculty Administrative Meetings
1:30 to 3:00 p.m., 3544 Jerome Ave, 3rd Floor Conference Room.
Presenters and Topics: TBA
Sept 5 - Cross Track Collaboration
Nov 7 - TBA
Dec 5 - TBA
DFSM Grand Rounds
8:00 - 9:15 a.m., Moses II Conference Room:
July 28
Presenter: STFM/FMEC National Oral Health Curriculum
Topic: Smiles for Health Part III
4
Social Medicine Rounds
Convener: Matt Anderson, MD
4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., Binswanger Auditorium*, Lite refreshments will be served.
July 18
Presenter: Victor Sidel, MD
Topic: Impact of the Iraq War on Clinical Practice
in the Bronx
October 3
Presenter: William Difazio
Topic: Ordinary Poverty: A Little Food and Cold
Storage
August 1
Presenter: Victor Sidel, MD
Topic: War and Public Health
October 17
Presenter: Dr. Ollie Fein and others
Topic: The Lincoln Collective
August 15
Presenter: Emily Jackson, MD
Topic: The Toxic Bus Tour
November 7
Presenter: Alice Fornari, EdD
Topic: Hunt's Point Walking Tour
September 5
Presenter: Peter Sherman, MD
Topic: The Effects of Domestic Violence on
Families
November 14
Intern Project Presentations
September 19
Presenter: Dr. Ruth Macklin
Topic: TBA
*Locations are subject to change
December 5
Presenter: Pat Beresford,
Topic: Foster Care in New York City Post-Nixzmary
December 19
Presenter: Marjorie Cadogan
Topic: Health Insurance Options for Low-Income
New Yorkers
Educational Scholarship Writer's Group
Next meeting scheduled for August 8, 2006, 5:00-6:30pm. For more information contact Dr. Alice Fornari at
afornari@aecom.yu.edu.
***************************************************************************************
STRESS RELIEVER OF THE MONTH!!
***************************************************************************************
If you wish to receive a copy of a previously released electronic newsletter, please contact Tami Rivera at
(718) 920-8434 or at the e-mail listed below.
Please send email submissions for upcoming newsletters, by the 20th of each month, to:
Rebecca Williams
rewillia@montefiore.org
Mark Polisar
mpolisar@montefiore.org
Tami Rivera
tariver@montefiore.org
Peter Selwyn
pselwyn@montefiore.org
5