E-news for July 27, 2007 IAFP News **IAFP INAUGURATES NEW PRESIDENT Steven D. Knight, M.D. of Harrisburg has been elected president of the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians (IAFP). Dr. Knight was installed as president by Thomas J. Weida, MD, Speaker of the Congress of Delegates for the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) at a banquet July 25th at West Frankfort Country Club.  In an unusual twist, Dr. Knight assumed the presidency in his hometown in front of his colleagues, friends and family. Typically the president is installed with the entire board of directors at the IAFP annual meeting, held in June or July each year. However, with the American Academy of Family Physicians meeting scheduled for October in Chicago, the IAFP decided to forgo a summer meeting in the Chicago area and bring Dr. Knight’s big day to Southern Illinois.  Read the press release and view photos at http://www.iafp.com/PR/NewPresident.htm  ** AN EASY WAY TO SPEAK UP! TAKE THE IAFP MEMBER SURVEY IAFP staff and leadership need member input to help shape the Academy’s direction when the new Board of Directors is installed this October in Chicago. The survey will only take a few minutes of your time, but it adds up to tremendous input when IAFP members provide us their insight.  Access the survey online at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=wvpir5zuzmGRHtyrRFuyqw_3d_3d  **MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THESE UPCOMING IAFP EVENTS: View the IAFP Brochure at http://www.iafp.com/pdfs/annualmtg.pdf   Oct. 3: IAFP All-Member Assembly/Town Hall Meeting, Downtown Chicago Marriott.  Oct. 4: IAFP 60th Anniversary Party, Art Institute of Chicago.  For more information on the AAFP meeting in Chicago: http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/cme/aafpcourses/conferences/assembly.html   GOVERNMENT RELATIONS **STATE GOVERNMENT  SPRINGFIELD UPDATE  On Wednesday afternoon, the Senate Public Health Committee considered an amendment to SB 5 (Illinois Covered) which significantly scaled down the governor’s original proposal. Although there were many questions asked and some confusion among committee members, the amendment passed 7-4. The scaled back proposal will cost less than the original, but also eliminates some of the provisions that were favorable to family medicine in the original bill.  The bill’s fate in the full Senate is still in question, as most insiders believe that there are not enough “yes” votes in the bag at this time. IAFP staff and leadership are reviewing the changes to the bill and IAFP has not taken a position as of press time.  *UPDATE - On Friday the Governor called a special session for Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. to craft and pass another one-month budget to keep the state running.  *STATE CIGARETTE TAX COULD BE GOING UP Meanwhile, HB 556 has been amended several times by Sen. John Cullerton (who was instrumental in passing SB 500 Smoke-free Illinois, see below). The amendments would raise the excise tax on cigarettes by 90 cents per pack to $1.88, with 83% earmarked for the General Revenue Fund and the remaining 17% dedicated to a Health Provider Relief Fund to reduce the Medicaid backlog of delayed payments to providers. The new bill will also allow county governments to impose an additional tax, provided that the revenue is earmarked for public health or safety. The amendment passed the Senate Revenue committee on Thursday. The measure will go to the full Senate, and then will need house concurrence because of amendments. Both Gov. Blagojevich and Speaker Madigan have indicated they will support the measure.  ** GOVERNOR SIGNS SB 500 MAKING ILLINOIS THE 22ND SMOKE FREE STATE IAFP witnessed as Governor Rod Blagojevich signed SB 500 making Illinois Smoke-Free.  On Monday July 23, the long battle to make Illinois a smoke-free state ended victoriously. Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich signed SB500 into law as advocates and cancer survivors cheered. IAFP was represented by executive vice president Vince Keenan and IAFP Foundation Chair Arvind Goyal, MD of Rolling Meadows.  “This event is the culmination of 25 years of work by family physicians and others to establish clean indoor air in Illinois. IAFP was part of the first bill drafted in 1982 and is proud to be at the celebration of Smoke Free Illinois,” said Keenan.  Added Goyal, “Now our nonsmoking patients can breathe better, they will live longer and be healthier. We family physicians can focus on some of the other public health issues affecting our patients." • READ the Governor's press release at: http://www.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?SubjectID=2&RecNum=6105   • VIEW photos at http://www.iafp.com/legislative/pictures1.htm   **FEDERAL UPDATE  * AAFP SUPPORTS CHAMP ACT (HR 3162) This week, the U.S House of Representatives will vote on Legislation critical to family medicine and our patients. The CHAMP Act reauthorizes the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and replaces scheduled 15% Medicare physician payment cuts over the next two years with two years for positive updates.  To pay for these very important programs, the CHAMP Act increases the federal taxes on tobacco and reduces subsidies to private insurance companies that administer Medicare Advantage plans. Contact your Representative today and tell him/her to take a stand for children and seniors. Ask him/her to vote for the HR 3162, the CHAMP Act and preserve children’s and seniors’ access to their doctors.  The CHAMP Act also includes a number of provisions important to family medicine including an improved and expanded Medical Home Demonstration Project. HR 3162 is currently being considered by the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees.  Call or write your Representative today and ask him/her to Support HR 3162 the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act. The US Capitol Switchboard phone number is 202-224-3121. *FDA REGULATION OF TOBACCO A bill to give the FDA authority to regulate tobacco products continues to move along in the U.S. Senate. A new amendment that would require graphic warnings about the dangers of smoking to cover 50 percent of the pack was accepted by the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Edward Kennedy. Similar warnings are already used in Canada. The bill is still under consideration by the Senate HELP (Health Education Labor and Pensions) Committee. A hostile amendment that would delay implementation was defeated by the committee. The bill has good support in the Senate, with 52 co-sponsors already signed.   CME Information: ** DID YOU RECEIVE YOUR CME CONNECTION? IAFP launched a new electronic newsletter called “CME Connection” in June which will be dedicated entirely to IAFP CME opportunities and products as well as CME offerings from partner organizations and more. The publication connects IAFP members with CME options that meet their needs. Those interested in listing their CME product or event should contact Kate Valentine at kvalentine@iafp.com .  **FIND IAFP EVENTS AND OTHER CME OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILY PHYSICIANS ANY TIME AT http://www.iafp.com/calendar/   **WANTED: Project Faculty for Early Autism Detection program The Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP) is recruiting faculty for its Early Autism Detection and Referral project and will be holding a speaker training events on: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 9:00am – 12:00pm Cherry Hill Conference Center 2505 E. Washington Street Joliet, IL 60433 815/722-0166 Wednesday, August 15, 2007 1:30 – 4:30 PM Kreider Services, Inc. 500 Anchor Road Dixon, IL 61021 The presentation focuses on early warning signs of autism, typical and atypical social/emotional development, and referral issues if concerns are detected. Becoming faculty for ICAAP’s practice-based education programs is a great way to participate in Chapter activities while learning about important pediatric health issues and meeting other practitioners. Speakers receive training, logistical support from staff, and modest honoraria. Please contact Developmental Projects Director Sarah Baur at sbaur@illinoisaap.net  or 312/733-1026 x203 if you have any questions or are interested in participating. Please RSVP by August 3rd. Pri-Med CME information Partnering with the IAFP, Pri-Med Updates offers world-class CME programs in your area. Taught by leading experts, you can earn Continuing Medical Education credits at no cost. All activities listed are approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s). Application for AAFP Prescribed credit has been submitted.  *Pri-Med Updates Two-day continuing medical education programs designed for Primary Care Physicians currently engaged in patient care. This program features new and emerging guidelines, therapies, and evidence- based information on multiple therapeutic areas encountered in primary care.  • Oakbrook Terrace, IL-Wednesday and Thursday, September 26-27, 2007 (link here)- http://www.pri-med.com/pmo/LiveProgramDetail.aspx?url=/pmo/30/events/30OAK07B/Conference  • St. Louis, MO-Thursday and Friday, December 6-7, 2007(link here) http://www.pri-med.com/pmo/LiveProgramDetail.aspx?url=/pmo/30/events/30STL07B/Conference  • Chicago, IL-Thursday and Friday, November 1-2, 2007(link here http://www.pri-med.com/pmo/LiveProgramDetail.aspx?url=/pmo/30/events/30CHI07B/Conference  *Pri-Med Updates in Women’s Health Introducing a new one-day program designed for Obstetricians, Gynecologists and Family Physicians. By attending, you will gain a better understanding of screening techniques and management strategies that will serve the unique needs of your female patients • Chicago, IL-Saturday, November 3, 2007 http://www.pri-med.com/pmo/LiveProgramDetail.aspx?url=/pmo/43/cities/43CHI  *Pri-Med Online  Pri-Med.com offers over 200 primary care focused eCME activities at no-cost in 15 key Condition Resource Centers including: ADHD, Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy, Cancer in Primary Care, Congestive Heart Failure, Diabetes, Dyslipidemia, Hypertension, Infectious Disease, Sleep Disorders and more. Plus, four eCME activity types are offered so you can thoroughly examine a topic, including: Patient case studies, Clinical reviews, Expert perspectives and Multi-media slide lecture series. Earn high-quality physician-authored eCME anytime at www.pri-med.com/onlineCME  . __________________ Members in the News – If you would like a copy of any of the articles below or you have any news items to share with the IAFP membership, contact Ginnie Flynn at gflynn@iafp.com .  Ben Brewer, MD highlights the personal and practical importance of the physician-patient relationship he’s developed over 10 years in his July 17th “From the Doctor’s Office” column. Not only is he better able to help them, his patients are also willing to help him in a bind (such as towing his broken down car back to town). But he laments our system of insurance panels and other obstacles that often break those relationships. Martin Lipsky, M.D. and M. Nawal Lutfiyya, PhD of the University of Illinois – Rockford were featured on WNTA 1330 AM, WREX Channel 13, WTVO Channel 17, WIFR Channel 23, and the Rockford Register Star during the week of July 9, regarding their research determining if rural residency is a risk factor for children being overweight or obese. We missed one! Michael Mendoza, MD of Chicago was quoted in the June 24th Chicago Tribune article about the AMA’s practice of selling physician prescribing data to outside companies. Apparently many AMA members aren’t aware of the practice or the fact that they can opt-out.  Ronald Johnson, MD and his Summer Externship student Kendra Woods are featured in the June 27th Pike Press. Dr. Johnson has been a volunteer preceptor for the program for the past 10 years.  ------------------------------- FOR STUDENTS AND RESIDENTS: **STUDENTS: SAVE THE DATE!!! Mark your calendars for the next IAFP Foundation Fall Family Medicine Program! Date: Saturday, September 29th Time: 9 am – 2:30 pm Location: Oak Brook Marriott For more information please contact Crishelle O’Rourke at corourke@iafp.com.  Click here for a flyer you can print out and save: http://www.iafp.com/students/Fall%20forum.htm   **RESIDENTS:  *CONGRATS TO IDPH GRANT RECIPIENTS Four Illinois institutions received three-year grants for the FY08 Family Practice Residency Application Cycle: -Jackson Park Hospital Family Practice Residency Program – Chicago “Chronic Disease Management” -Board of Trustees University of Illinois – Rockford “Serving the Underserved: Meeting Mental Health Needs through Primary Care” -Board of Trustees Southern Illinois University – Springfield “Shared Mental Health: An Innovative Approach to Improving the Mental Health Curriculum for Residency Training” -Board of Trustees Southern Illinois University – Carbondale “Enhanced OB Curriculum” * RESIDENTS HONORED FOR RESEARCH Congratulations to the award winners at the annual Residency Research Symposium event held this year at Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago. The Symposium was hosted by the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at Rosalind Franklin University Medical School/The Chicago Medical School. Best Poster, Syed Fatima, M.D. 1st Place, Jessica Higgs, M.D. 2nd Place, Janusz Mejer, M.D. 3rd Place, Syed Kazmi, M.D. *EXIBITOR REGISTRATION FOR THE FALL FORUM IS ONLINE Has your program made plans to exhibit at the IAFP Foundation Fall Forum? For details, visit: http://www.iafp.com/students/exhibitor%20prospectus.htm   *JOB LISTINGS AND OTHER INFO ON-LINE Here is a place to start: http://www.iafp.com/JobListings/   *Link to resources for residents IAFP web site http://www.iafp.com/Residents/index.htm   ----------------------------- NEWS YOU CAN USE ** “DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS” IS COMING TO CHICAGO! Put Your Ideals Into Practice: Doctors Without Borders Recruitment Information Session Thursday, September 20 – 6:00 PM Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Lurie Building – Hughes Auditorium 303 E. Superior, Chicago IL 60611 Every day, Doctors Without Borders field staff from around the world work alongside locally hired staff to assist people struggling to survive amid armed conflicts, nutritional crises, natural disasters, and epidemics -- regardless of political, religious, or economic interests. On September 20, all prospective medical aid workers are invited to join us for a presentation and Q&A session about working in the field with Doctors Without Borders. Learn more about our organization and how you can put YOUR ideals into practice. A Human Resources Officer will be available to discuss requirements and applications. Registration and more information are at http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/recruitment . Doctors Without Borders recruits: Physicians - nurses - surgeons - anesthesiologists - midwives - epidemiologists - laboratory scientists, technicians, and technologists - mental health specialists - pharmacists **ILLINOIS HEALTH CONNECT UPDATES: [EDITOR’S NOTE: IAFP is committed to ensuring our members have the necessary information about Illinois Health Connect to make an informed decision on their participation] HFS LAUNCHES PROVIDER NEWSLETTER The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) offers the first issue of the joint provider newsletter for the Your Healthcare PlusTM and Illinois Health ConnectTM programs. The newsletter will be published quarterly and can be accessed by clicking on the following link: http://www.illinoishealthconnect.com/providernewsletter.aspx  NOTE: The newsletter is an 11x17” PDF file. If you are not able to print on 11x17 paper where you are, we recommend increasing the document size to at least 125% to make it easier to read on screen. If you have suggestions on how to keep this newsletter relevant to you, questions about something featured in an issue or would like to learn more about the programs in general, please contact: Illinois Health Connect http://www.illinoishealthconnect.com  1-877-912-1999 Your Healthcare Plus http://www.yourhealthcareplusdr.com  1-800-973-6792  Find an updated Fact Sheet about IHC at http://www.iafp.com/legislative/fact%20sheet.htm  ______  REMINDERS WORTH REPEATING **BRIDGING CARE PLANNER – FOR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT AT YOUR PRACTICE The Solution Enhance your quality improvement efforts and chronic care management with the BridgingCare® Planner (BCP) patient registry.  A registry is a practical tool that enables you to monitor patient care on a routine basis. A registry provides a systematic approach to documenting the quality of care provided. The information is organized in one place for tracking and monitoring the care of either individual patients or a group of patients over time. Through a dynamic reporting capability, a practice can identify patients due for evaluation or intervention and follow specific indicators (e.g. A1c).  Link to more information at http://www.iafp.com/whatsnew/BCP.htm   **PHYSICIAN VOLUNTEERS NEEDED  CommunityHealth is seeking physicians to volunteer at our clinic located at 2611 W. Chicago Ave. A volunteer commitment of just one clinic session (four hours) every month would be welcome. We are in need of primary care physicians and specialists (Gynecologists, Endocrinologists, Ophthalmologists, and Rheumatologists). Physicians must be licensed and boarded in Illinois to volunteer.  In addition, other volunteers such as, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, interpreters (Spanish and Polish), and clerical support are always needed.  Founded in 1993, CommunityHealth is Illinois' largest volunteer-based clinic serving the uninsured, serving 6000 patients annually.  For more information about CommunityHealth or to become a volunteer: go to http://www.communityhealth.org/volunteers  or contact: Kelly Jordan, Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 773-395-9901 ex. 23 or kjordan@communityhealth.org.   CLASSIFIED ADS: 1. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO MILE SQUARE HEALTH CENTER The University of Illinois at Chicago MSHC seeks a full and part time physician. Responsibilities will include reviewing developmental and medical history of patient; examining patient and obtaining medical history from patient, parents, guardians or responsible adults to prepare profile on patient for presentation at diagnostic staffing; participating in diagnostic staffing to correlate findings, determine diagnosis and develop appropriate treatment recommendations; if indicated, along with relevant member(s) of the team, discussing findings and recommendations with clients, parents, agencies, etc., responsible for medication management; supervising medical residents and other health professionals as appropriate; may include consulting to school/work/residential settings. Doctor of medicine degree from an accredited medical college; Board certification in required specialty; Illinois license to practice medicine or Illinois license eligible. Bilingual providers in Spanish/English preferred.  For full consideration, please submit your resume by August 13, 2007 to: Ms. Tammi Washington University of Illinois at Chicago Mile Square Health Center 2045 W. Washington Blvd. Chicago, IL 60612-2494 Fax: 312-413-7812 The University of Illinois at Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer 2. ORLAND PARK - Looking for FT Family Physician in growing suburban practice. Orland Park is a thriving family suburb with excellent schools, housing, and shopping in the South suburban Chicago area, within 30 minutes of downtown Chicago. Salary based on level of experience and partnership possibilities considered after two years of employment. No OB required. Resident or seasoned FP welcome. Contact Dr. Susan Rife - fax CV to 708-873-1204, e-mail to drsrife@pol.net  or phone 708-873-1187 for more information.  3. CHAMPAIGN, IL--Christie Clinic is a multi-specialty group of 90 physicians that is recruiting for a FP for its satellite office in Rantoul, 15 miles north of Champaign. Call: 1/8. No OB. The clinic is looking for a highly motivated FP who wants to work hard and be rewarded for it. Starting salary could be $190K, with lucrative bonus potential. Earnings well above national and regional averages. Champaign is the home of the University of Illinois, with comfortable college town lifestyle and many cultural amenities. 2.5 hours south of Chicago. Contact Christopher Kashnig at Christie Clinic. Phone 217-366-5374. E-mail address: ckashnig@christieclinic.com   **IAFP Members, Don’t Miss this Opportunity. Find the perfect employee or employer with IAFP’s comprehensive online job bank at FPJobs Online.  Candidates, find your ideal job to fit your lifestyle at http://www.iafp.com/JobListings/   • Expand your personal and professional growth by finding the right job from the most comprehensive resource of family medicine jobs available. • Present yourself in the most professional light possible with the state-of-the-art, customizable Resume Builder. • Keep up-to-date records of your professional accomplishments in one highly organized format. • Access the most coveted family medicine opportunities in the industry. • Uncover your professional style and identify optimum work opportunities. Recruiters, simplify and optimize the hiring process at FPJobs Online • Improve recruitment efficiencies–skip the broad job boards and hone in on preferred candidates. • Make the most of direct, targeted access to over 2,000 IAFP active members and hundreds of residents about to graduate. • Screen all candidates for your specific criteria. • Secure volume-pricing discounts with your multiple recruitment needs. Log on to http://www.iafp.com/JobListings/  today to learn more!  If you have any news items to share with the IAFP membership, please e-mail Ginnie Flynn at gflynn@iafp.com