Updated: January 25, 2013
Faculty & Staff
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News
January 25, 2013: Three faculty members accepted into the ADFM fellowship program
In response to a need to develop future department leadership, the Association of the Departments of Family Medicine (ADFM) created a fellowship for family physicians to develop the skills needed to be a department leader or chair.
Joel J. Heidelbaugh, M.D., associate professor of family medicine and urology, clerkship director, Caroline R. Richardson, M.D., associate professor, and Eric P. Skye, M.D., associate professor, associate chair of educational programs, have been accepted into the 2013-14 ADFM’s Senior Leaders Fellowship Program.
The new fellows will have mentors as well as attend two national-level meetings and conduct a fellowship project. Dr. Heidelbaugh’s project is to devise financially sustainable models for academic family medicine departments. Dr. Richardson will focus on implementing new ideas for delivering population-focused interventions in the Department’s health centers, including diet, exercise, and diabetes prevention. She will also assist with evaluating the impact of the changes. During his fellowship, Dr. Skye will be working on developing curriculum for interdisciplinary topics such as health disparities and bioethics in the medical school. He will also be developing the Department’s pilot program for international fellowships, the first of which will be a women’s health fellowship with the Department’s partners in Ghana.
“A department can reasonably expect maybe one candidate for such fellowships every few years. To have three of our faculty members of such high caliber accepted, is, well, extraordinary,” says Philip Zazove, M.D., the George A. Dean, M.D. Chair of Family Medicine. "It attests to the exceptional quality of our faculty.”
To learn more about the fellowship, read the article in the Annals of Family Medicine.
The first meeting takes place in February in New Orleans, La.
December 20, 2012: Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship receives 5-year accreditation
The U-M Department of Family Medicine is pleased to announce that the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship has received a five-year accreditation with no citations from the Residency Review Committee (RRC), which is the maximum cycle allowed by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
Phillip E. Rodgers, M.D., assistant professor, associate program director for the fellowship, says, “Our program collaborates with the Internal Medicine Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine to provide high-quality training for fellows from diverse backgrounds including family medicine, internal medicine, med-peds, emergency medicine, and others. Our intensive one-year program trains fellows at the University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers, the Ann Arbor Veterans Administration Medical Center, and Arbor Hospice, and relies on numerous and dedicated interdisciplinary faculty to provide a broad spectrum of learning experiences. We are all very proud of this achievement.”
To learn more, visit the fellowship homepage, http://www.med.umich.edu/geriatrics/edu/hospice.htm.
December 18, 2012: Dr. Reed to present at ISSWSH
The International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH) fosters collaboration among clinicians, researchers, and academics to promote the good health of women.
Barbara D. Reed, M.D., M.S.P.H., professor, will be speaking at the 2013 ISSWSH annual meeting in February, in New Orleans, La. The talk, "Vulvodynia—does previous oral contraceptive use increase risk?", is based on a study that was coauthored with Laurie J. Legocki, Ph.D., lecturer, and Ananda Sen, Ph.D., research associate professor, from the Department of Family Medicine, and Sioban Harlow, M.D., professor of epidemiology; Margaret Helmuth, Ph.D., statistician from the Department of Epidemiology; Hope Haefner, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology; and Brenda Gillespie, M.D., research associate professor of biostatistics.
"There has been ongoing controversy regarding the possible role of oral contraceptive use in vulvodynia risk. Our study indicates that oral contraceptives taken before the onset of vulvodynia do not increase risk—an important piece of information for physicians caring for these women. Further study on possible risk in specific subgroups will be ongoing," says Dr. Reed.
Learn more about the ISSWSH annual meeting, http://www.isswsh.org/meetings/2013/default.aspx.
December 11, 2012: Dr. Ruffin published in the American Journal of Health Behavior
Mack T. Ruffin IV, M.D., M.P.H., the Max and Buena Lichter Research Professor of Family Medicine, associate chair for research programs, was recently published in the American Journal of Health Behavior for a paper he co-authored, “Perceived risk of cervical cancer in Appalachian women.”
The authors interviewed nearly 600 women and found that those who have good or very good knowledge of cervical cancer, greater worry, and history of sexually transmitted infection had higher odds of rating their perceived risk as somewhat or much higher than did other women. Additionally, the authors found that former smokers had perceptions of lower risk.
From this information, Dr. Ruffin and his colleagues conclude that self-regulation model factors, or the way a patient understands the risk of illness and what she does to get better, are important to understanding cervical cancer risk in underserved women. They also note that smoking and worry to perceived risk may be a target for intervention.
“This study was led by Dr. Kimberly Kelly, a new investigator. Her work represents one of the first focusing on Appalachian women who still have higher rates of cervical cancer than other women in the United States even though they get checked regularly. The results will help us understand how we might eliminate the burden of cervical cancer for them,” says Dr. Ruffin.
Full citation information: Kelly KM, Ferketich AK, Ruffin MT IV, Tatum C, Paskett ED. Perceived risk of cervical cancer in Appalachian women. Am J Health Behav 36(6):849-59, Nov 2012.
December 10, 2012: Dr. Heidelbaugh named chair, GOMSE steering committee
Joel H. Heidelbaugh, M.D., associate professor of family medicine and urology, clerkship director, has been named chair of the Group on Medical Student Education (GOMSE) steering committee. Also of note, 2009 residency program alumnae Miranda M. Huffman, M.D., an assistant professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas, recently became a member of the group.
The steering committee meets monthly to discuss and create projects, as well as report to the Society of Teachers in Family Medicine (STFM) on medical student issues. At the upcoming 39th Annual Conference on Medical Student Education the group is hosting a preconference workshop, "Hot topics in family medicine education." Additionally, Dr. Heidelbaugh will be presenting and leading a breakout session on developing teaching portfolios and preparing for academic promotion. Moreover, he will be co-presenting, "So a medical student has claimed mistreatment, now what?"
"This is a great honor to represent the department on a national level and continue to promote innovations in medical student education, as well as to foster faculty development," says Dr. Heidelbaugh.
December 6, 2012: Dr. Sen presents at U.S. Army Conference on Applied Statistics
Ananda Sen, Ph.D., research associate professor, was invited to give an oral presentation at the Army Conference on Applied Statistics (ACAS) held in Monterey, Calif., October 24-26, 2012.
ACAS is a conference of the Interface Foundation of North America and leading forum for the presentation and discussion of theoretical and applied papers relating to the use of probability and statistics for solving defense- and security-related problems.
Dr. Sen’s presentation, “Statistical inference for a parametric model for repairable systems under multiple failure modes,” focused on methodological advances in the field of recurrent events experienced by individuals or prototypes of a machine that are subject to multiple sources of recurrence.
“It has direct applications in industrial engineering and biomedical sciences,” says Dr. Sen.
To learn more, visit their website, http://www.armyconference.org.
December 5, 2012: Ectopic Pregnancy
Sahoko H. Little, M.D., Ph.D., lecturer, and Pamela G. Rockwell, D.O., assistant professor, medical director-Domino’s Farms Family Medicine, have written a paper that was recently published in the Journal of Family Practice, “Ectopic pregnancy: Zero in on these lab and imaging clues.”
The authors discuss ways to make reliable clinical decisions including hormone tests and transvaginal ultrasounds, as well as treatments of ectopic pregnancy.
“Quantitative ß-hCG measurements and transvaginal ultrasound findings interpreted in light of a ß-hCG ‘cutoff’ can reliably guide clinical decisions,” says Dr. Little.
Read more online: http://www.jfponline.com/Pages.asp?AID=10884&issue=November_2012&UID=.
Full citation information: Little SH, Rockwell PG. Ectopic pregnancy: Zero in on these lab and imaging clues. J of Fam Prac, vol 61, no 11, Nov 2012.
December 4, 2012: A long-term study of vulvodynia symptoms
Lead author Barbara D. Reed, M.D., M.S.P.H., professor, and co-authors Laurie J. Legocki, Ph.D., lecturer, and Ananda Sen, Ph.D., research associate professor, were recently published in the Journal of Women's Health. Their article entitled, "Urogenital symptoms and pain history as precursors of vulvodynia: A longitudinal study" demonstrated that the incidence of vulvodynia was substantially increased among those with intermediate urogenital symptoms compared to those without any pain with intercourse or history of short-term vulvar pain.
"Our findings suggest that urogenital sensitivity may be very common long before patients present or are diagnosed with vulvodynia," says Dr. Reed.
Read the abstract online: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23134279.
Full citation information: Reed BD, Payne CM, Harlow SD, Legocki LJ, Haefner HK, Sen A. Urogenital symptoms and pain history as precursors of vulvodynia: A longitudinal study. J Womens Health (Larchmt). Nov;21(11):1139-43, 2012.
November 28, 2012: CACHIM annual meeting
Rita K. Benn, Ph.D., adjunct research investigator, Amy B. Locke, M.D., assistant professor, director of Integrative Family Medicine (IFM), and Suzanna M. Zick, N.D., M.P.H., research associate professor, attended the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine (CACHIM) annual meeting in Washington, D.C., in October 21-23, 2012.
“The annual meeting is an excellent opportunity to network with educators and researchers of Integrative Medicine from around the country. I look forward to increased participation from faculty, residents, and students from across the medical center in the Consortium’s meetings and programs. At this year’s meeting we heard from Darrell G. Kirsch, M.D., president and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), as well as Jeffrey Levi, Ph.D., executive director of Trusts for America’s Health, both of whom spoke about the future of health care and the role for Integrative Medicine. I found both presentations inspiring for how we best train students and physicians to treat and care for patients and communities,” says Dr. Locke.
In addition to the annual meeting, CACHIM has several groups and committees that focus on collaboration and act as a resource for programs across the country, including the Research Working Group (RWG) whose mission is to support, facilitate, and encourage high-quality integrative medicine research. Dr. Zick has served as the chair of the RWG for the past several years, and is reaching the end of her term. She helped organize the research talks at the annual meeting, which included inviting Caroline R. Richardson, M.D., associate professor, to speak about using electronic media to support physical activity.
The University of Michigan will be hosting the spring CACHIM Steering Committee meeting.
Learn more about CACHIM, www.imconsortium.org.
November 19, 2012: A deaf pioneer, now a department chair: Accomplished physician named head of U-M Family Medicine
Philip Zazove's experience and expertise to contribute to advancements in primary care, an increasingly critical area of health care for the nation
After more than 30 years in the medical field that includes making history in his profession as one of the first deaf doctors in the country, University of Michigan physician Philip Zazove, M.D. has been named chair of the U-M Medical School's Department of Family Medicine.
Zazove, a faculty member in the department for 23 years, begins his new position as the George A. Dean, M.D. Chair of Family Medicine December 1, following approval by the U-M Board of Regents Thursday.
"Dr. Zazove has an exceptional record of accomplishment in patient care, teaching, research and service throughout his academic career at the University of Michigan," says James O. Woolliscroft, M.D., dean of the Medical School and Lyle C. Roll professor of medicine.
"His expertise and experience are invaluable assets that will contribute to our family medicine department's distinguished history of serving as a model for primary care education and research and improving the health of our patients, their families, and our communities."
Read the rest of the press release.
November 12: Job stress and mental health problems contribute to higher rates of physician suicide, U-M study shows
Despite high access to health care, doctors are less likely to seek mental health treatment; trouble at work is associated with higher suicide risk for physicians
Doctors who commit suicide appear to be under-treated for mental health problems, despite their seemingly good access to health care, a new University of Michigan study shows. Read the rest of the press release featuring the study by Katherine J. Gold, M.D., M.S.W., M.S., assistant professor.
This was also featured on CBS Detroit, "Study: Physicians Have Higher Than Average Suicide Rates."
MedPageToday featured the study as well, "Physician Suicide Linked to Work Stress."
This was also featured in UPI, "Doctors often don't get mental help."
From Life Matters Media: "Occupational stress: Doctors may suffer when unable to save lives."
From American Medical News, "Doctors shun the help that could cut suicide risk."
November 8, 2012: Drs. Meunier and Apgar Co-Author a Paper in JABFM
Matthew R. Meunier, M.D., recent women’s health fellowship graduate, and Barbara S. Apgar, M.D., professor, recently published a paper in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine (JABFM) entitled, “Plans to accommodate proposed maternity care training requirements: A national survey of family medicine directors of obstetrics curricula.” Dr. Meunier is currently a faculty member at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minn. Dr. Apgar is the Department’s obstetrical service chief and sees patients at Chelsea Family Medicine. Read the paper on the JABFM website.
November 6, 2012: Dr. Richardson Has Been Invited to Speak at ACC.13
Caroline R. Richardson, M.D., associate professor, has been invited to speak at the ACC.13, the American College of Cardiology's 62nd Annual Scientific Session and Expo in March 2013 in San Francisco, Calif.
Her presentation is entitled, "Technology and informatics for lifestyle modification." For more information, visit their website.
October 30, 2012: Dr. Gold Serves as Keynote Speaker at Two Conferences
Katherine J. Gold, M.D., M.S..W., M.S., assistant professor, was the keynote speaker at the 2012 International Conference on Stillbirth, SIDS, and Infant Survival in Baltimore, Md., on October 7, 2012. Her presentation was entitled, "After the baby dies: Maternal bereavement and mental health as a public health issue." At this conference she also presented, "Depression and PTSD among mothers with stillbirth and early infant death compared to mothers with live birth: The Michigan Mothers Study," and a poster along with Ananda Sen, Ph.D., research associate professor, "Hospital costs associated with the delivery of stillborn infants in the U.S." Dr. Gold also served as the keynote speaker for the Michigan Perinatal Bereavement Coalition Professional Conference in Livonia, Mich., in September. Her talk was entitled, "Perinatal loss and grief: Why it's a public health issue."
October 25, 2012: Dr. Richardson Co-Authors Diabetes Clinical Care Guidelines
The U-M Health System recently published updated clinical care guidelines for diabetes. Co-authored by Caroline R. Richardson, M.D., associate professor, the guidelines are available to UMHS employees now, and will be available on the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality website in January 2013.
The guidelines assist physicians in providing optimal care for patients in a cost effective manner, and focus on important clinical decisions and actions in the context of overall case management. They are based on empirical evidence, other evidence-based guidelines prepared by nationally recognized groups, and expert consensus about practical considerations in providing care.
Full citation information: Standiford CJ, Vijan S, Mi Choe, H, Harrison RV, Richardson CR, Wyckoff JA. Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (Update). Ann Arbor, Mich.: Office of Clinical Affairs, University of Michigan Health System, 2012.
June 26, 2012: Dr. Greenberg Named Associate Chair for Information Management
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| Lee A. Green, M.D., M.P.H. |
Since 2006, Lee A. Green, M.D., M.P.H., professor, has served as the associate chair for information management. He is retiring from the Department in July, and moving on to be the chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
“Creating an associate chair for information management in 2006 is just one of the ways in which the Department has been an innovator and leader in the transformation of primary care, to a systems-based and team-based approach. It has been a very interesting and exciting role, changing constantly as the field has changed,” says Dr. Green.
Taking the helm is Grant M. Greenberg, M.D., M.H.S.A., M.A., assistant professor. As did Dr. Green, he will be overseeing the information technology related issues and concerns in all areas of the Department, including clinical, education, research, and clinician scheduling arenas as well as representing the Department externally to the institution.
“While Lee will certainly be missed, I am pleased and excited that Grant has assumed this role for the Department. He brings to the job a wealth of experience, and I have no doubt that he will enable us to not only navigate but indeed to excel as we move forward in the increasingly technological environment we face over the next decade,” says Philip Zazove, M.D., professor and interim chair.
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| Grant M. Greenberg, M.D., M.H.S.A., M.A. |
Dr. Greenberg has a long history with the University and the Department. He earned his medical degree from U-M in 1997, and completed his residency training with the Department in 2000. He has been serving as the medical director of the Chelsea Health Center since 2005. In 2010 he became the Faculty Group Practice Quality Management Program Guideline Development Clinical Lead, as well as the co-liaison for the electronic medical record transition to MiChart along with David C. Serlin, M.D., assistant professor, medical director–Briarwood Family Medicine. He has been the assistant director of the U-M Faculty Group Practice’s Quality Management Program since 2011.
“Working with our department and the institution to keep on top of our rapidly developing and ever changing technology will be an exciting and important challenge for our ongoing success in clinical, academic, educational, and research missions,” notes Dr. Greenberg.
June 20, 2012: Physicians Lend a Hand at Local Schools
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| Amy B. Locke, M.D. |
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| Elisa B. Picken, M.D. |
Helping students learn about gardening and healthy eating, Amy B. Locke, M.D., assistant professor, is co-leading the Food For Thought Garden at Eberwhite Elementary School in Ann Arbor. The garden is a Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) project that works with kids and classrooms to expose kids to gardening. They get an opportunity to learn about where their food comes from, plant seeds, care for the garden, and harvest the results. It is a great way to get the students excited about vegetables. "Many kids have changed their opinion about whether or not they like a particular food after they have grown it themselves," says Dr. Locke. The garden also provides a multi-sensory learning environment for exposing kids to curricular topics in math, science, writing, art, and more.
Additionally, other faculty members serve other schools with different skills. When kids feel good, they make better students. That is the goal of the Regional Alliance for Health Schools (RAHS), an independent University of Michigan (U-M) health center located at Scarlett Middle School in Ann Arbor. RAHS provides health programs and clinical services to students and their families, and takes full advantage of the resources that U-M has to offer, including electronic medical records.
Elisa B. Picken, M.D., lecturer, provides care one half-day a week, and the rest of the week the clinic is staffed by a nurse practitioner, a social worker, and a dietitian, who are all U-M employees. Together they provide students with high-quality physical, emotional, and preventive healthcare in an easily accessible, supportive, and youth-friendly environment. Each child must register with the health center to be seen there, though. "We offer a lot of chronic disease teaching-asthma classes, obesity nutrition and activity interventions, anger management groups within the school. I am proud to be a part of this valuable service," says Dr. Picken. John M. O'Brien, M.D., associate professor also with with RAHS at Ypsilanti Middle School. To learn more, visit their website, http://www.a2schools.org/rahs.
Retirement Celebration for Dr. Schwenk
The Department of Family Medicine celebrated the retirement of the Goerge A. Dean, M.D. Chair of Family Medicine, Thomas L. Schwenk,M.D. this summer. Dr. Schwenk accepted the position of Dean of the Universy of Nevada School of Medicine and Vice President for Health Sciences at the University of Nevada, Reno and left his position as Chair after 25 years with the Department. While his faculty, staff, peers, and patients are sad to see him leave, they are excited for his new opportunity. Dr. Schwenk was honored with several events prior to his departure including a health system-wide celebration from Dean Woolliscroft; a fire side chat with the the research faculty and staff; a party at Briarwood Family Medicine, where Dr. Schwenk practiced; and a meaningful farewell celebration put on by the entire Department. To say Dr. Schwenk was touched by these events is an understatement. He was honored, grateful and humbled by the outpouring of support for him. To see photos of these events, please view the slideshow below. Photo captions can be viewed by clicking on the photos.
August 22, 2011: Olidia Thomas Wins First Anual Work/Life Champion Award
Olidia Thomas, health care manager at Briarwood Family Medicine, was recently honored with on of the first annual Work/Life Champion Awards for Supervisors. She was nominated by members of her team at Briarwood and selected by a university-wide committee. Her team noted, "She encourages tem work, respect, and is very sensitive to staff professional and personal needs. She encourages us to be open to changes, education, and best practices. Olidia is positive in her leadership style and role as she empowers our staff to be the best they can be." Olidia will formally accept the award at the annual "Connecting the Dots" Conference in October. Congratulations Olida!
August 9, 2011: Dr. Djuric Named Chair of the Obesity & Cancer Section
Congratulations to Zora Djuric, Ph.D., research professor, who has been appointed as Chair of the Obesity & Cancer Section for 2011-12. Dr. Djuric's research focuses on cancer prevention and lifestyle interventions to be used to reduce cancer risk. Her research is highly interdisciplinary and translational engaging behavioral, clinical, and basic science. She is recognized for her lifestyle intervention research with cancer survivors as well as overweight adults. She currently serves on the NIH chemo and dietary prevention study section. She has an established funding history in lifestyle interventions including weight loss, Mediterranean diets and low-fat interventions in breast cancer survivors. See more about the Obesity & Cancer Section.
July 5, 2011: Why Family Medicine?
Michigan Academy of Family Physicians asked family physicians why family medicine is so important to them, why they chose this specialty, and why family medicine is so important to them and future of health care in Michigan. They created a video featuring the many varied answers. Anne L. Kittendorf, M.D., assistant professor, is featured in the video which can be seen on YouTube.
July 5, 2011: Family Physicians Around Town
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Mack T. Ruffin IV, M.D., M.P.H., professor, and Sara L. Warber, M.D., associate professor, were featured in an article in the Chelsea Standard about the reopening of Chelsea's Mission Market. Read the complete article at the Chelsea Standard online. |
June 30, 2011: Faculty Featured Following Work in Japan
Michael D. Fetters, M.D., M.P.H., M.A., associate professor and director of the Japanese Family Health Program, was featured in the Spring 2011 issue of the IUC Newsletter, which focused on documenting the IUC response to the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. The article reads: “Dr. Michael Fetters (’83-’84), Director of the University of Michigan’s Japanese Family Health Program, has been working with Shizuoka Prefecture since 2009 to establish the Shizuoka Family Medicine Program, a family medicine residency training program. According to Dr. Fetters, the health care system in Japan funnels specialists into offices where the majority of their work is in general care, and many doctors do not hold family medicine in high regard. In March, two of his Japanese colleagues from the SFM program visited the disaster zone in Tohoku. They found that while many people needed ordinary medical care, many of the volunteer doctors on hand were specialists who did not know how to treat such patients. The Japanese Family Health Program spearheaded by Fetters has thus contributed to meeting the primary care needs of patients in Tohoku, where the importance of training more Japanese doctors in family medicine became particularly clear.” Unfortunately, the newsletter is not available online at this time.
June 16, 2011: Family Medicine ‘Keeps You Running’
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Department participants gather after the race to share their experiences. From left: Thomas L. Schwenk, M.D., the George A. Dean, M.D. Chair of Family Medicine and professor; Eric P. Skye, M.D., assistant professor and associate chair for educational programs; Philip Zazove, M.D., interim chair and professor; Kristi L. Vanderkolk, M.D., house officer I; Joanna T. Lee, M.D., house officer I; Kei Miyazaki, M.D., house officer III; and Heather Bidgoli, M.D., house officer I. |
A group of U-M Department of Family Medicine faculty and residents participated in the annual Dexter-Ann Arbor Run on Sunday, June 5, 2011. Many wore maize colored shirts emblazoned with the iconic block “M” and the words, “Family Medicine Keeps You Running!” The course started in Dexter and followed Huron River Drive into downtown Ann Arbor.
Half marathon runners:
David J. Alvarez, D.O., assistant professor; Grant M. Greenberg, M.D., M.H.S.A., M.A., assistant professor and medical director at Chelsea Family Medicine; Masahito Jimbo, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor and inpatient service director; Anne L. Kittendorf, M.D., assistant professor; Thomas A. O’Neil, M.D., house officer III and co-chief resident; and Margaret A. Riley, M.D., lecturer.
10K runners:
Heather Bidgoli, M.D., house officer I; Scott A. Kelley, M.D., lecturer; Joanna T. Lee, M.D., house officer I; and Thomas L. Schwenk, M.D., the George A. Dean, M.D. Chair of Family Medicine.
5K runners and walkers:
James M. Cooke, M.D., assistant professor and residency director; Heather L. Holmstrom, M.D., lecturer; Kei Miyazaki, M.D., house officer III; Audrey B. Richardson, M.D., house officer I; Eric P. Skye, M.D., assistant professor and associate chair for education programs; Jamie Szelagowski, M.D., house officer III; Kristi L. Vanderkolk, M.D., house officer I; and Philip Zazove, M.D., professor and interim chair.
You can see a great photo of Drs. Bidgoli and Lee finishing the race as well as read more general details on annarbor.com. Photos from race day are also available on our Facebook page.
May 26, 2011: Research Growth at the U
Thomas L. Schwenk, M.D., the George A. Dean, M.D Chair of Family Medicine, professor, was quoted on AnnArbor.com in an article entitled, “New University of Michigan health care innovation institute to bring 500 researchers to ex-Pfizer site.” Dr. Scwhenk was featured as the head of a committee to make recommendations on the mission, governance and organization of the institute. Read the complete article at AnnArbor.com.
May 12, 2011: Family Medicine in the News
Anne L. Kittendorf, M.D., assistant professor, is featured on AAFP News Now in an article entitled, "Delegates Send Message to AAFP Leaders: Withdraw From the RUC."
Dr. Kittendorf voiced support for a resolution adopted by delegates at the AAFP's National Conference of Special Consitituencies which called for the AAFP to to formally withdraw its representative from the RUC and to create a task force to identify alternative means of valuing primary care services. The resolution also asks the AAFP to make this task force's recommendations available to CMS and other payers. Many family physicians are convinced RUC recommendations tend to undervalue primary care services and they were deteremined to have their voices heard at the conference.
Read more at AAFP News Now.
May 12, 2011: Dr. Green Consults in Canada
The Canadian province of Alberta is restructuring its healthcare system. And they have decided to bring in Lee A. Green, M.D., M.P.H., professor and associate chair for information management, as a consultant.
The Department's expert in building primary care research networks, Dr.
Green, will be in Edmonton for one week every five weeks with a fourteen-month appointment with the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
“It’s a great opportunity. The province is quite committed to making changes. It’s a chance to do something with a really big impact,” says Dr. Green.
Dr. Green is passionate about changing and improving primary care practices, making practices more effective, and putting research into practice. Working closely on a task force with the University of Alberta, Alberta Health Services, and the Deputy Minister for Health and Wellness, he will be helping develop an infrastructure for primary care research and support for practice change in health care, advising the University of Alberta and the provincial government on building research capacity, recruiting and training researchers to do the work of changing and improving primary care practice, and navigating funding for this work.
“It’s exciting! It’s doing research in the course of, and in the service of, making a difference,” notes Dr. Green.
March 28, 2011: Philip Zazove, M.D., Named Interim Chair of Family Medicine
The Department is pleased to announce that Philip Zazove, M.D., professor, has accepted the position of interim chair. Dr. Zazove has had an extensive and impressive career, and brings a wealth of clinical, education, research, community service and administrative experience to the position.
Wanting to be a physician from a very young age, Dr. Zazove realized his dream in 1978 when he earned his medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., and completed his residency training at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah (1981). Continuing his pursuit of education, he conducted a Federal Research Fellowship in Epilepsy at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minn. (1972), as well as earned a Masters in Science (1974), and a Masters in Business with honors (1994) both from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.
Helping people has long been a passion for Dr. Zazove. He has spent his career advocating for health services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people; improving the quality of health care; integrating genetics in primary care, which includes a 2003 trip to London, England, to meet with some of the world’s leaders in genetics; solving managed care issues; overseeing complex health care management; addressing rising health care costs; and working for ways to engage people in healthier behaviors. He continues to conduct research on health services for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing people, continuous quality improvement, and ways to incorporate genetics into primary care settings, and has been well funded and published in these areas. Furthermore he is active in teaching medical students and residents. He sees patients at Dexter Family Medicine, and has received numerous awards for his efforts including being listed among America’s Top Doctors.
In addition to authoring a number of academically oriented clinical and research journal articles, and serving as consultant for a wide variety of institutions, he has held positions with several editorial, boards and peer-reviewed services. An accomplished writer, Dr. Zazove’s first book, When the Phone Rings, My Bed Shakes, is a widely acclaimed autobiography. His second, a novel entitled, Four Days in Michigan, is a well-received drama.
Community service is a passion for Dr. Zazove. He has helped to settle Russian immigrants into the community, been on the boards of directors for the Center for Independent Living in Ann Arbor and SafeHouse, and was appointed by a former governor to one of the Michigan Department of Labor’s Advisory Boards. He has also been on other statewide and national boards of directors, and is one of the founders of the Louise Tumarkin Zazove Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides scholarships for students with hearing loss. In 2004 he ran for a seat in the Michigan House of Representatives, and, although he lost in the primary election, he continues to stay active in the issues. Additionally, Dr. Zazove is on the Board of Directors for the American Medical Professionals with Hearing Loss, has served as chair of the Medical Benefits Advisory Committee for Premier Health Care, and is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Michigan State Medical Society and the American Medical Association.
Dr. Zazove has held a number of leadership positions, including serving as Chair for the Family Practice Department at the Jordan Valley Hospital (1983-85) and President of the West Jordan Medical Center (1988-89) in West Jordan, Utah. Since joining U-M in 1989, he has served as Assistant Chair of Clinical Programs for the Department, Associate Medical Director for Ambulatory Care and Associate Medical Director of MCare. Most recently, he led the implementation of electronic prescribing (ePrescribe) across the UMHS ambulatory care network.
"I view this as both an honor and a responsibility. It is an honor to be associated with so many capable and caring people. It is a huge responsibility to ensure that the excellence of the Department continues and grows in all its missions and activities: clinical, education, research, and community service. To this I am totally committed," says Dr. Zazove.
Over the coming months, he will be working with Thomas L. Schwenk, M.D., the George A. Dean, M.D. Chair of Family Medicine and professor, to ensure a smooth transition. Dr. Schwenk is stepping down at the end of June to assume the role of Dean of the University of Nevada School of Medicine and Vice President for Health Sciences at the University of Nevada Reno.
Dr. Schwenk comments, "I am so pleased with the appointment of Dr. Zazove as the Interim Chair, as well as with the speed with which the Dean’s office has made this appointment so as to have the smoothest possible transition. Philip’s seniority and long experience within U-M and the Health System will serve the Department well. I know I am leaving the Department in very capable hands."
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Zazove as he assumes this responsibility.
March 15, 2011: Dr. Nease Accepts New Position with Cielo
After nearly 13 years with the Department, Donald E. Nease Jr., M.D., associate professor, is leaving the University to be a Senior Director for The Advisory Board Company, a research, consulting and technology services firm focused on the health care and higher education industries, which recently acquired Cielo MedSolutions™ (Cielo). Dr. Nease has been serving as Chief Medical Officer and on the Medical Advisory Board of Cielo since it acquired the licensing for the Department-developed ClinfoTracker software five years ago.
Additionally, he has accepted a position with the Colorado Health Outcomes Center at the University of Colorado-Denver. There he will be working to integrate Cielo Clinic into the Distributed Ambulatory Research in Therapeutics Network, or DARTNet, a clinical practice network that is beginning to perform large-scale comparative effectiveness research studies.
Dr. Nease comments on his transition, “I have enormously enjoyed my years in the Department, and I hope to continue to maintain many professional and personal ties. I’m excited that this new path in my career will allow me to oversee further development and dissemination of the Cielo software into medical practices all over the country.”
Dr. Nease earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas (1987), where he also completed a fellowship in faculty development (1991). He completed his family medicine residency training at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, S.C. (1990), where he also served as chief resident. Prior to joining U-M, Dr. Nease practiced in Kansas and Texas. He has special interests in mental health, health promotion, and doctor-patient relationship issues.
The Department would to thank Dr. Nease for his many years of service, and wishes him well with his new endeavors.
March 3, 2011: Dr. Brown Departs
Kristy K. Brown, D.O., lecturer and assistant residency director, will be leaving the Department to move with her family back to the New England area at the end of July.
Residency program director, James M. Cooke, M.D., assistant professor, says, "Dr. Brown has been critical to our success through her dedication to outpatient and obstetric teaching, residency leadership through her role as Assistant Residency Director, support of residents and through her many contributions to the curriculum and recruitment efforts. Her commitment to providing residents with a clear vision for Patient Centered Medical Home and future primary care practice at Ypsilanti Family Medicine has made a lasting impact upon residents and alumni, and will serve them well throughout their careers."
Dr. Brown earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts (UMass) in 1999. She received her medical training at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (2002), and then returned to UMass for her residency training (2005). She served on the UMass faculty for two years before joining the Department in 2007. Her clinical interests include women’s health, obstetrics, and pediatrics.
The Department wishes to thank Dr. Brown for her years of service.
January 24, 2011: One of Our Own Assists Local Vets
The University of Michigan Department of Family Medicine is proud to announce that Timothy D. Morris, B.A., M.S., information technology manager, is a volunteer with “Buddy-to-Buddy,” a program that helps veterans of the Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) wars cope with returning to civilian life in Michigan. The Program is based on the idea that military service is like no other experience, and those best equipped to assist are other veterans. Program volunteers, called “Buddies,” receive training in communication skills and community resources, and come from a variety of backgrounds and military service organizations.
Mr. Morris is a Marine Veteran who served in the Vietnam War in 1967 and 1968 as an Airborne Weapons System Technician on A6-A aircraft. He has been with the Department since 1993 and has worked on a variety of patient care quality improvement projects in addition to supervising a number of staff. He is active with the Marine-sponsored program Toys for Tots, woodworking, church, and family, including 13 grandchildren.
Reflecting on why he joined the Program in November 2010, Mr. Morris says, “In the past year there have been several suicides in southeastern lower Michigan. It is such a tragedy to lose these soldiers whose lives are just getting started. I want to do what I can to help prevent another death, and assist other veterans find employment, financial and other resources or just lend a friendly ear.”
The Buddy-to-Buddy Volunteer Veteran program is part of the Welcome Back Veterans initiative sponsored by Major League Baseball Charities and the McCormick Foundation to raise public awareness about the issues facing today’s veterans and their families, and to raise funds to support programs and services that these veterans need as they reintegrate back to civilian life and particularly the Michigan National Guard. Program supporters are the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Welcome Back Veterans, McCormick Foundation, and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
For more information, visit the program website: http://www.buddytobuddy.org.
January 7, 2011: Dr. Richardson speaks with Harmony about childhood obesity
Caroline R. Richardson, M.D., associate professor, was quoted in Harmony. The focus of the article entitled "Is Your Child Too Heavy?" is encouraging parents to teach and model healthy eating habits while allowing children to grow into their weight. Dr. Richardson explains the importance of balancing screen time with physical activity.
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