DFSM Monthly Electronic Newsletter - Vol 1.1, February 2005
This is the first of our new monthly newsletters for the Department of Family and Social
Medicine. We hope that as we all get used to this format, it will be easier for us to keep
abreast of the many activities in which we are all engaged. This is meant to be an
informal process which can evolve as we see what we have to share. This is meant to
include all aspects of our department: clinical & research, East Campus and West
Campus, all residency tracks, to include attendings, residents, and administrative staff.
Different from other newsletters, it is not our intention to nag you all for submissions.
Rather, if you have something to share, we hope that you will let us know. The section
headings we plan to use include: Publications, Presentations, Grants & Awards, Clinical
Initiative and Updates, Arrivals and Farewells, Schedule Highlights, Personal
Happenings, Volunteer Opportunities, and Classified Ads. We welcome your feedback!
Remember the deadline for submissions is the 20th of each month. We look forward to
hearing from you!
Editors-at-Large:
Becky Williams, M.D.
Mark Polisar, M.D.
Tami Rivera
Peter Selwyn, M.D., M.P.H.
PUBLICATIONS
A review of acupuncture for stroke by Francine Rainone was published by the enewsletter Acubriefs, Volume 5 Issue 4. Available online at
http://www.acubriefs.com/newsletters/newsletter_Q4a04.htm, Francine recommends
this site as a wonderful resource for references about acupuncture.
Dr. Rainone was also a member of the Family Practice Pain Education Panel (FP-PEP). A
group of Family Physicians and specialist consultants from around the country convened
to write recommendations and algorithms on the management of common pain
problems. They also produced a CME program, "Managing Pain in the Primary Care
Office," which is now available (2.0 free credit hours of CME) at
http://www.familypractice.com/managingpain/lobby.html
Five pain conditions were selected as areas of focus: joint pain; neck pain; low back
pain; pelvic pain; and cancer pain. The reference material that the FP-PEP team
developed was subsequently refined into a consensus summary that provided the basis
for this CME program for family physicians.
PRESENTATIONS
AAHPM/HPNA Conference, January 19-23, 2005, New Orleans, LA
Rainone F, Blank A, Selwyn P. Palliative Primary Care: How Far Upstream Does
Palliation Coherently Extend?
O'Mahony S, Blank A, Persaud J, McEliveen J, Selwyn P. A Palliative Care and Case
Management Program for the Elderly in the Emergency Department: a Model for
Enhanced Access.
CLINICAL INITIATIVE AND UPDATES
From our Vice Chair, Jonathan Swartz:
1. Zach Rosen named as Chair of the Montefiore Medical Group QI Committee - first
ever Family Physician in this role. Congrats to Zach!
2. Next version of Last Word (CIS) is rolling out in June - we will have an electronic
inbox where lab reports will go to rather than paper. This will free up our clerical staff
to better support care. Jon Swartz is working with Medical Directors and the lab to work
out a system for resident's labs that will assure appropriate supervision.
3. Document imaging will go live in Montefiore in May of this year. All inpatient records
will be scanned in, as well as clinic notes from the Montefiore DTC clinics. All providers
will have access to these documents from your desktop computer. In the near future,
ER notes will also be available through this system.
4. Utilizing quality improvement monies from Affinity Health Plans, Jennifer Klein began
in December as Manager of Patient Education for MMG2 and MMG4. She is doing a
needs assessment and will be hiring an additional educator. Her initial focus will be to
support and expand our current efforts in disease management. We plan to have
Diabetes Self Management Classes available in all 9 MMG2 health centers this year.
PEOPLE ARRIVING AND DEPARTING
Welcome to Nandini Deb who has joined the data management team/Center for the
Evaluation of Health Programs. Nandini has an MS degree in economics from the
University of Albany. Before joining our team she was working as a health economist
with the Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne's States University's School of Medicine, a
Project Manager with the Department of Quality Management with Oxford Health Plans,
and most recently as a health services researcher with Montefiore's Department of
Epidemiology and Population Health.
SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
February 1st: Team leaders in the Family Medicine Track will be attending a curriculum
development seminar as part of the Davidoff Education Day.
April 12th: Family Medicine Residency Retreat will be held at Mt. St. Vincent.
PERSONAL HAPPENINGS
People in News.....
Dr. Strelnick was featured in a NY Times article (the New York Region) on January 25
which describes the epidemic of obesity and diabetes in the Bronx, along with Chris
Norwood, the director of Health People, a Bronx community organization with which Dr.
Strelnick and his program have collaborated in recent years.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Tar Wars is a smoking prevention program aimed at 4th and 5th grade students and
we need your help. You can go to the website: www.tarwars.org for more details.
Basically, it takes 45 minutes to present the already developed curriculum to the
students. Almost always the presenter has as much fun as the children!! Please contact
me if you are interested in getting involved in this important public service project,
especially given the high rates of asthma/respiratory problems in our communities.
Contact Margaret Coughlan M.D. at mcoughla@montefiore.org for further information.
Unique volunteer opportunity from Katie Appel, Policy and Planning, Department of
Homeless Services: HOPE
On February 28, 2005 the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) will conduct its third
annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) to produce a point-in-time
estimate of the unsheltered homeless population in New York City.
This is the first year that the Bronx will be included in the estimate. The information
collected will help DHS to reduce street homeless by first assessing the scope of the
problem, and then assisting individuals living in public places. HOPE is a one-night
commitment for volunteers. Volunteers will report to training centers throughout the
City on February 28th at 10:30 PM to receive training, and then be dispersed with their
teams until approximately 4:00 AM. 2,000 volunteers are needed to make this event a
success!
Interested volunteers can register at http://www.nyc.gov/html/dhs/html/about/hoperegistration.shtml or by dialing 311
<http://www.nyc.gov/dhs%20or%20by%20dialing%20311.
Monthly Schedule Reminders
Social Medicine Rounds:
4:30 - 6:00 p.m., 3544 Jerome Ave, 3rd Floor Conference Room
February 1
Speaker: Margaret Coughlan, MD
Topic: “Tar Wars: Nipping it in the Butt”
February 15
Speaker: Bruce Soloway, MD
Topic: “Vioxx-The Marketing of a Dangerous Drug”
DFSM Grand Rounds:
February 25
Speaker: TBN
Topic: TBN
Please send email submissions for upcoming newsletters, by the 20th of each
month, to:
Becky Williams
Mark Polisar
Tami Rivera
Peter Selwyn
rewillia@montefiore.org
mpolisar@montefiore.org
tariver@montefiore.org
pselwyn@montefiore.org