2007 - 2008 Annual Report
Marking its 60th year, Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) celebrated this significant anniversary with a flurry of activity, a series of important accomplishments and recognition of many Academy leaders who have excelled in their service to family medicine. Ohio started the year off in a big way picking up three of the most prominent national awards presented in family medicine from American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Mary Jo Welker, M.D., was honored as recipient of the AAFP Robert Graham Physician Executive Award. Edward Bope, M.D., received the Thomas W. Johnson Award for Lifetime Achievement in Education. And, Ron Van Buren, M.D., and his wife, Glenda, were named 2007 American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation (AAFP/F) Philanthropists of the Year. OAFP’s tradition of national leadership is respected around the country. OAFP holds the incredible record of having had a member on the AAFP board of directors for 50 of the last 60 years—more accumulated service than any other AAFP constituent chapter. That tradition of service continued in 2007 with the election of Ken Bertka, M.D., to a three-year term on the AAFP board. Brian Bachelder, M.D., was named chair of the AAFP Commission on Quality. Tom Houston, M.D., was selected to serve on the AAFP Commission on Health of the Public, and joins the following OAFP members who are in mid-term of service on national commissions: Jeff Bachtel, M.D., (Finance and Insurance); Matt Finneran, M.D., (Governmental Advocacy); Sherri L. Morgan, M.D., M.P.H., (Health of the Public); Jeff Susman, M.D., (Quality); and OAFP Treasurer Colette Willins, M.D., AAFP delegate to American Medical Association (AMA). OAFP resident and student members contributed in national leadership roles as well. Melissa Cunningham, M.D., is AAFP alternate resident delegate to AMA; Jacob Bryan is AAFP alternate to the AMA Medical Student Section; and Kirsten McNamara is an AAFP Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) Coordinator.
OAFP members, staff and others gather in Chicago in support of Ohio’s candidate for AAFP board of directors, Ken Bertka, M.D.
Ken Bertka, M.D., delivers his campaign speech for election to AAFP board of directors at AAFP Congresss of Delegates in Chicago.
Furthermore, OAFP provides key leadership to American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation (AAFP/F) with Mark H. Belfer, D.O., serving as its president; Welker as treasurer; and Linda Stone, M.D., as a member of its board of trustees. This fall, at the AAFP Congress of Delegates in San Diego, Ross Black, M.D., and his wife, Linda, will be honored as 2008 AAFP/F Philanthropists of the Year. The Academy continued to prioritize its work around the four vision statements of our current strategic plan: •Based on the principles of family medicine’s New Model of Care, OAFP is the leading health policy
administration and financing decisions for Medicaid. OAFP President Renee Markovich, M.D.; Finneran; Randy Wexler, M.D.; and Executive Vice President Ann Spicer traveled to Memphis, Tenn., in November to attend the AAFP State Legislative Conference. In January, Stephen Eby, M.D., testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Business in Washington, D.C., describing the challenges that face small family physician practices and other Rick Kellerman, M.D., AAFP board chair, presents awards at AAFP Congress of Delegates to small businesses in providing Edward Bope, M.D., (left) and Mary Jo Welker, M.D., (right). health insurance coverage to their employees. An Ohio delegation of ten advocate in the state of Ohio (advocacy). participated in the AAFP Family Medicine Congressional •OAFP identifies and cultivates future family physicians to Conference held May 19-20 in Washington, D.C. The Family ensure a sufficient family medicine workforce in Ohio (filling Medicine Congressional Conference is designed to the pipeline). educate participants on federal issues that affect family •OAFP advances the family physician as the leader of the medicine and to provide training on effective lobbying. Bryan, patient’s personal medical home to legislators, Ohio families from The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, College and healthcare colleagues (image continuum). of Medicine attended as recipient of the James G. Jones, •OAFP is the resource on best practices for efficient physician M.D., Scholarship. office management that ensures quality patient outcomes “Advocacy Guru” Stephanie Vance conducted sessions on (practice management/enhancement). “Effective Advocacy 101: How to Work the System and Beat the Odds” and “Till Death Do Us Part: Building Long-term Advocacy Relationships with Elected Officials” during the C. David The Academy’s legislative work through the Ohio Coalition Paragas Leadership and Advocacy Training Seminar held of Primary Care Physicians continued as the Coalition’s May 17. Academy lobbyist David Paragas and Kelly Arledge, publication, Ohio Primary Care in Crisis: Breaking Beneath representing the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease the Strain of a Fractured Healthcare System was instrumental in securing and restarting a stalled 3 percent increase in physician reimbursement and revision of the funding formula to weight higher payment toward primary care codes. The Coalition plans to have another collaborative publication later this year—this time on the patient-centered, physician led medical home. The Coalition also met jointly with officials from the Ohio Office of Health Plans to discuss specific issues that need addressed in future Medicaid managed care contracts. Those issues include verification of adequate provider panels, contracts that ensure pass through of legislatively enacted payment increases to providers of care and the need for an independent study in evaluating the Medicaid population’s access to healthcare. Bachelder was appointed to a two-year term on the Ohio OAFP member Stephen Eby, M.D., met with Congressman Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Medical Steve Chabot while testifying before the House Small Business Care Advisory Committee, the body required by federal Committee. Eby testified on challenges facing small businesses law to advise ODJFS on policy development, program in providing health insurance benefits for employees.
• Celebrating 60 Years of Service for Ohio’s Family Physicians
SB301) •Supported the ongoing efforts of the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation and opposed any attempts to remove Foundation assets designated for fighting tobacco use.
OAFP members gather in front of the Capitol in Washington, D.C., while attending AAFP Family Medicine Congressional Conference.
(PFCD), examined the healthcare platforms of the then remaining presidential contenders (Sens. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain). Conference scholarships were provided to 25 medical student, resident and emerging legislative leader members. The OAFP political discussion listserv, a forum for discussion of political issues and candidates, is back by popular demand and will be operational through the November presidential election. During the past year, the Academy has adopted the following legislative positions: •Opposed expansion of advanced practice nurses’ authority to include prescribing schedule II drugs (HB 253) •Supported the Ohio School Wellness bill (HB 254) •Remained neutral with technical assistance on the Ohio Prevention First Act (HB 251)—technical assistance provided is the AAFP policy on reproductive health •Opposed legislation or any law proposed by initiative petition to mandate that employers with 25 or more employees provide paid sick leave annually to their employees •Opposed requiring physicians to tell a woman who has experienced a miscarriage at any gestational age that she has a right to a fetal death certificate (SB 175)—OAFP Speaker Sarah Sams, M.D., testified twice on this bill •Remained neutral with technical assistance on the healthcare reform package submitted by the House Health Care Access and Affordability Committee (HB 456) •Strongly opposed pathologist direct billing (HB 493/
Throughout the year, Student Interest Commission closely examined lifestyle issues and other barriers that could impede medical students from pursuing a career in family medicine. OAFP and Ohio Academy of Family Physicians Foundation (OAFP/F) are already conducting a multitude of programs designed to “fill the pipeline.” In addition to those existing efforts, the commission will strive to break down barriers by: •Featuring profiles of unique and diverse family physician roles in The Weekly Family Medicine Update; these features will be catalogued on the Academy Web site •Hosting focus group discussions on family medicine at each Ohio medical school through the school’s family medicine interest group (FMIG) •Working with Rep. Jim Raussen on ways to legislatively incentivize medical students to chose family medicine and stay in Ohio to practice in areas of special need. We continue to work closely with our students and FMIGs—offering scholarships, grants, preceptorships and leadership opportunities to introduce them positively to our specialty. While welcome at all Academy events, special programming for students and residents is also offered at our student retreat, chief resident workshop and the annual fall kick-off event—this year, a canoe trip at Mohican; next fall, paint ball at “Splatter Park.” And, we continue to be enthusiastic about our collaborative affiliation with MedShow™, a Web portal produced by 2 Under Entertainment, to promote family medicine to high school, college and medical school-aged students. MedShow™ is designed to attract and engage Generation Y by integrating new media forums (blogs, Webisodes, message boards, games, contests, etc.) with older media forums (documentaries, interviews and fictional video). Explore MedShow™ at www.MedShow.com.
Filling the Pipeline
Stephanie Vance, “the advocacy guru,” speaks to attendees at the C. David Paragas Leadership and Advocacy Training Seminar.
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system” into a healthcare system. OAFP Vice Speaker Ratna Palakodeti, M.D., participated in a PFCD media event with former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, M.D., where Palakodeti emphasized that “family physicians are the foot soldiers in the fight to prevent chronic disease.”
Family medicine residents and students gather at Mohican Adventures Canoe Livery for OAFP student and resident fall kick-off event.
Last fall, AAFP unveiled a new strategic initiative to become “bold champions” for members. While AAFP and OAFP work hard advocating for family physicians and family medicine, members often fail to recognize these efforts in part because physicians are bombarded with so many messages that compete for their attention each day. While OAFP has fabulous communication vehicles to disseminate information to members, we must find ways to cut through the clutter in order to let our members know how we are representing, gaining relief and earning respect for them. In an effort to do just that, OAFP adopted a new logo that reinforces the new, robust AAFP brand. But wanting to go further than just a “look,” the board adopted a multi-phase branding initiative aimed at three distinct target audiences (members, patients and the public). Members received their new membership logo pin in June with information on OAFP information resources. Next, each received a medical home poster for display in their practice. And finally, a medical home publication will be sent to state legislative candidates prior to the fall election and then again to those legislators who take office in January. Since early November, OAFP has been actively engaged in PFCD, a broad-based coalition of community leaders committed to raising awareness about prevention and management of chronic disease, its costly impact on healthcare and the need for political candidates, particularly presidential candidates, to address chronic disease in their healthcare platforms. Highlights include the participation by Steve Brezny, M.D., in The Columbus Dispatch editorial board meeting in which Brezny stressed the need to educate, mobilize and challenge policymakers to turn our “sick care
4 • Celebrating 60 Years of Service for Ohio’s Family Physicians
Image Continuum
OAFP launched two new quality improvement initiatives this year—the Demonstration Project to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening and the Cessation of Smoking Today (CS2day) program. •The Demonstration Project to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening is geared toward the entire primary care office. Seven participating practices customized an office protocol regarding patient screening. This program, made possible with funding from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Ohio Division of the American Cancer Society, not only provides continuing medical education (CME) for physicians but also maintenance of certification data for the American Board of Family Medicine’s Part IV Module for Comprehensive Care. •CS2day helps three participating practices learn to use recommended tenets of the AAFP Future of Family Medicine Project New Model of Care to improve practice workflow while increasing patient smoking cessation rates. CS2day is made possible through grant funding secured through California Academy of Family Physicians. OAFP also introduced two free member benefit programs in 2008 that are designed to enhance family medicine practice—Atlantic Health Partners (AHP) vaccine purchasing program and Office Testing Evaluator tool. •Atlantic Health Partners—Inadequate reimbursement from insurers that fails to cover the costs of vaccines and vaccine-related costs has forced many family physicians to stop offering immunizations in the office setting. In an effort to help family physician members with this issue, OAFP partnered with AHP, a vaccine purchasing program that is open to any OAFP family physician practice. AHP offers favorable pricing, payment and purchasing terms for a wide scope of pediatric, adolescent, adult, travel and flu vaccines. So far members’ comments about the plan are quite positive; they have found the contract to be simple and straightforward, AHP staff to be professional and practices are saving money. Call (800) 741-2044 for more information. •Office Testing Evaluator—This online tool developed by Palakodeti helps family physicians evaluate whether it is cost effective to provide a service or do a procedure in the practice office setting. Access the Office Testing Evaluator at www.ohioafp.org/members/testeval.php.
Practice Enhancement
Two Ohio family practices—Henry County Family Physicians Inc. of Napoleon, Ohio, and Kollman Clinic Inc. in Dover, Ohio—are TransforMED demonstration sites. TransforMED is a practice redesign project of AAFP that is based on four overarching goals: a personal medical home, patient-centered care, a continuous care relationship and the whole person orientation. AAFP Board and TransforMED Board Member Lori Heim, M.D., will moderate a session with representatives from these two practices during the 2008 OAFP Members Assembly. Ongoing is the work of the group charged to conduct a thorough evaluation of the Care Hub® patient-centered medical home product for the purpose of making a recommendation as to whether OAFP should collaborate with Equity Health Partners on this pilot effort.
Constituencies (NCSC) full delegation award; delegates were Raelyn Calendine, M.D.; Mark McLoney, M.D.; Arvind Modawal, M.D.; Faozen Narvel, M.D.; and Suellywn Stewart, M.D. McLoney and Narvel were both elected to serve as special constituency alternate delegates to the 2008 AAFP Congress of Delegates, will serve as special constituency delegates to the 2009 AAFP Congress of Delegates and will be co-conveners of the 2009 NCSC.
Regional chapters will launch in January 2009. OAFP will support each of the seven regional chapters by providing each with a listserv to facilitate communication among chapter members. For the first time during the 2008 Members Assembly, Nominating Committee will propose a candidate slate based on the new structure. Another big anniversary—the 45 th year of successful Family Medicine Workshops— was celebrated in January. Leaders attended the 2008 Ten State Regional Conference hosted by Connecticut Academy of Family Physicians Feb. 810. Susan Keane Baker presented sessions on service quality, leadership, patient satisfaction and patient relations. In March, President-elect Keith Lehman, M.D., and Spicer attended the American Society of Association Executives Chief Elected/Executive Officers Symposium in Cary, N.C. Also attending were chapter leaders from Michigan and North Carolina which provided bonus networking opportunities. The Ohio Family Medicine Symposium on Research and Education, the Residency Faculty Development Day, the FMIG Advisors Summit, the Family Medicine Student Retreat and the Chief Resident Workshop made up the five components of this year’s Mega Spring Event. Attendees of each component joined forces at lunch to hear keynote addresses by Joseph E. Scherger, M.D., and Kevin Burke, AAFP director of government relations. Scherger spoke on “The Future of the Office Practice.” Burke previewed the fall presidential race. OAFP received another National Conference of Special
Annual Programs and Operations
Pictured above are award recipients from the Ohio Family Medicine Symposium at the Mega Spring Event.
OAFP is making adaptations to our board room to facilitate paperless meetings. During the year we were honored to be visited by Donna Valponi, AAFP vice president for marketing, membership and meetings; Nancy Fisher, manager of the AAFP chapter relations office; and Larry Pheifer, Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians executive director. All three visits were helpful exchanges of information and ideas.
Ronald Van Buren, M.D., and his wife, Glenda, received the 2007 AAFP /F Philanthropists of the Year Award at the AAFP/F Awards dinner in Chicago. Pictured above are the Van Burens with Barry Kauffman, D.M.D., master of ceremonies and Jerry P. Rogers, M.D., former AAFP/F president.
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As of Dec. 31, 2007, OAFP had 4,387 members: 2,457– active; 44–inactive; 289–life; 445–resident; 1,143–student; and 9 supporting. Of that total, 2,466 are in membership classifications (active and supporting) that pay state dues; members in the inactive, life, student and resident membership categories do not pay dues to the state chapter. All and all it was a great a n n iver sa r y yea r. W h i l e challenges abound, we also have much to celebrate!
Officers President Renee L. Markovich, M.D. Immediate Past President Catherine A. Bishop, D.O. President-elect Keith J. Lehman, M.D. Vice President Jeffrey A. Harwood, M.D. Treasurer Colette R. Willins, M.D. Speaker Sarah L. Sams, M.D. Vice Speaker Ratna K. Palakodeti, M.D. AAFP Delegate (2006-08) Matthew P. Finneran, M.D. AAFP Delegate (2007-09) Mark H. Belfer, D.O. AAFP Alternate Delegate (2006-08) Jeffrey Bachtel, M.D.
AAFP Alternate Delegate (2007-09) Gary L. LeRoy, M.D. OSMA Delegate (2006-08) Randell K. Wexler, M.D. OSMA Alternate Delegate (2006-08) Steven F. Brezny, M.D. Resident Gregory Whisman, M.D. Student Evelyn Hemmingsen District Directors District 1 - Roy Jacobson, M.D. District 2 - Teresa Zryd, M.D. District 3 - James T. Bowlus, M.D. District 4 - Anna M. McMaster, M.D. District 5 - George E. Kikano, M.D. District 6 - Jon C. Seager, M.D. District 7 - Douglas W. Harley, D.O. District 8 - Kurt J. Palazzo, M.D. District 9 - Mark Haugen, M.D. District 10 - Sherri L. Morgan, M.D., M.P.H. District 11 - Brian Bachelder, M.D. District 12 - Tony Costa, M.D.
Renee L. Markovich, M.D. President
Ann M. Spicer Executive Vice President
Summaries of all commission, committee, workgroup and strike force meetings held during the 2007-08 Academy year, along with complete 2007 financial statements, are available at www.ohioafp.org.
Staff Ann Spicer Executive Vice President Kate Mahler Deputy Executive Vice President Megan Smith Director of Communications Erin Jech Director of Meeting Services
Ellen Kreider Financial Coordinator Emily Pavoni Communications Coordinator Pat Shields Membership/Meetings Coordinator OAFP Foundation Julie Mask - Coordinator, Foundation Programs and Operations
6 • Celebrating 60 Years of Service for Ohio’s Family Physicians