Summer 2018
Mission Statement
The mission of the Texas Chapter of the American College of Physicians is to promote quality health care for all Texans by strengthening the practice of internal medicine.
President's Message
Brenda Vozza, MD, FACP
TXACP President
I am honored to be serving as your Texas Chapter ACP president and am humbled by the experience. I have been in solo private practice in East Texas for almost 20 years. While my passion is outpatient internal medicine, I also find great joy in inpatient and academic medicine.
I joined the ACP immediately following my first year out of residency and have made it a priority to attend every annual meeting thereafter, except for the one I missed while pregnant with my first daughter. To this day, I look forward to seeing my friends from residency at the annual meetings.
The benefits of being a member of the ACP are boundless. I have had the privilege of learning from exceptional educators in our field and my knowledge base has expanded exponentially because of it. I had the opportunity to receive training as a Diabetes and Atrial Fibrillation champion because of the support the ACP offers. My confidence has only increased as a result of being a part of this great society and I am now more self-assured in a multitude of topics including, but not limited to, coding, billing, contracting, negotiation, gender equality, and quality improvement. I have been able to successfully expand the procedures I do in my office, such as skin biopsies and joint injections for example, by acquiring the knowledge I received at the ACP national meetings. I am inspired by the networking opportunities these meetings encourage in addition to the amazing education and enjoyable activities at our disposal.
Your Program Chairs, Dr. Curtis Mirkes and Dr. Alejandro Moreno have put together a robust Chapter Meeting this November with plenty of sessions for Internists and Subspecialists with special tracks on Wellness, Hospital Medicine and New Resident and Student Tracks as well as Pre-Course sessions. Mark your calendar for November 17-18, 2018 (Precourses offered November 16) at the JW Marriott in Austin!
I have had the pleasure of working with students in the GIMSPP (General Internal Medicine Statewide Preceptorship Program) and have enjoyed mentoring and teaching first year students. For those interested in this please contact Sara Schmidt in the chapter office at Sara.Schmidt@texmed.org.
The Texas Chapter has many committees that will be focus on promoting Hospitalist Medicine and wellness in addition to the previous topics. I encourage you all to get involved in all of the great work this chapter is doing to promote quality health care for all Texans by strengthening the practice of internal medicine.
I look forward to this next year as your president to helping promote positive change in addition to helping foster the amazing academic experiences that cannot be found anywhere except the ACP!
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Governor’s Message
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George Crawford, MD, MACP
Governor, TX Southern Region
Please join me in welcoming our new Texas Southern Governor-Elect, Cynthia Peacock, MD, FACP. Dr. Peacock is certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Associate Program Director at Baylor College of Medicine. She has been an ACP Member since completing residency and a Fellow since 2004. She has been very active in the ACP and the Medicine community in general. Please take the time to read more about your new Governor-Elect of the Texas Southern Region, Dr. Cynthia Peacock.
Together, with your leadership, we are looking forward to continuing work towards many of the issues that our strategic plan addresses, specifically the connectivity of our current regions. Thank you to many of you who provided feedback related to the proposed addition of a third region for the chapter. We look forward to providing an update on this strategic initiative soon.
One of the greatest benefits of being a member of the ACP are the extraordinary events we attend that offer opportunities for professional development, continuing medical education, networking with colleagues, and helping shape health care policy with fellow leaders. Please mark your calendar for our upcoming Texas Chapter Annual Meeting this November 17-18, 2018 in Austin, TX. Keep your eye out for registration to open later this summer. I look forward to seeing you there!
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ACP Announces the Release of the 2017-2018 Annual Report
ACP is pleased to announce the release of the 2017-2018 Annual Report of the Executive Vice President and CEO, which highlights activities, efforts and achievements ACP has undertaken over the past year, working both with and for our members on behalf of internal medicine.
In conjunction with the release of the annual report, ACP will be holding a Town Hall webinar on Wednesday, July 25, 2018, at 3:00 pm ET. ACP members are encouraged to participate and take advantage of this opportunity to interact directly with College leaders, learn more about ACP key activities and how and why we address priority issues, and additional opportunities to get engaged in ACP activities.
Register Now
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Call for Awards
Nominate a colleague today for a Texas Chapter Award
Recognize a colleague in Texas through the chapter's highest honors, including the Texas Chapter Laureate, Volunteerism & Community Service and Advocate of the Year awards.
The Texas Chapter Laureate Award is the most prestigious honor bestowed to a member at the local level. This award is designed to honor a few long-time Fellows or Masters of the College who have demonstrated by their example and conduct, an abiding commitment to excellence in medical care, education, and research, and services to their community, their chapter, and the ACP.
The Volunteerism & Community Service Award honors members of the Texas Chapter who have distinguished themselves in voluntary service in the area of medicine.
The Snyder/Chumley Advocate of the Year Award presented by TXACP Services, recognizes a member of the chapter who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the areas of legislative advocacy and grassroots activism.
These awards are not self-nominated. Nominations must include a detailed letter of recommendation and curriculum vitae; additional letters of support are welcome. Nominations are due to the Chapter business office no later than August 1, 2018. More information is available here.
Nominations for the Texas Chapter Laureate, Volunteerism & Community Service, and Advocate of the Year awards are due August 1, 2018. Awards will be presented at the 2018 Annual Meeting in Austin on November 17.
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Save the Date for the Texas Chapter Annual Meeting!
November 17 - 18, 2018
Precourse sessions offered November 16
JW Marriott Austin
110 E 2nd Street
Austin, Texas 78701
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To call to reserve your room, contact central reservations at 1-888-236-2427 and refer to the
"Texas Chapter of the ACP" for group rate.
Rates Single/Double occupancy: $199 (plus applicable tax and hotel fees)
*Please note: This rate is available to registrants until the room block is full or October 24, 2018.
Parking Rates: Self-Parking is $25/night. Valet parking available at published rate per night for hotel
Event details to follow. Registration Officially Opens late July! Stay tuned for more information. Visit the website at www.txacp.org/annualmeeting
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Developed with the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) and the Society for Ultrasound in Medical Education (SUSME), ACP is hosting an upcoming webinar:
“A 3-Year Course: Implementation of POCUS Training within Internal Medicine Residency Programs”
Thursday, August 16, 2018, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EDT
At the conclusion of this webinar participants should be able to understand:
-the value of a longitudinal, residency-based POCUS training curriculum for Internal Medicine residents;
-the logistics of program implementation;
-and basic methods for resident and faculty training.
Register today
Additional point-of-care ultrasound webinars are available on-demand through ACP’s online learning center.
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Wellness Initiatives from the Texas Chapter
Texas ACP Focus on Wellness
Key Findings from the Mini-Z Survey Results:
In 2017, Texas ACP distributed the Mini-Z survey to gain insight into the wellness needs of chapter members.
Key findings included:
- 69.6% of respondents reported a great deal of job-related stress, and 51.2% reported feeling burned-out
- 41.6% of respondents felt they had marginal or poor control over their workload, and 52.03% reported insufficient time for documentation
- qualitative comments from respondents indicated the following priorities:
-work/life balance, protected time away from professional responsibilities
-need for additional control over scheduling
-reduction in administrative tasks / paperwork
-management of time / efficiency related to electronic health records
-personal self-care (exercise, diet)
-improved social / support networks both at and outside of work
Future Directions of the Texas ACP Wellness Task Force
Drs. Sabina Lee and Stacey Rose, co-chairs of the Texas ACP Wellness Task Force, were selected to represent Texas ACP as National Well-being Champions, and participated in formal training as part of the National ACP meeting in April 2018. Using the skills and resources from this training, as well as the expertise of other members of the Texas ACP Wellness Task Force, the goal is to develop and implement chapter-level wellness initiatives, taking into considering the priorities of chapter members as determined from the Mini-Z survey results. Initiatives will focus on improving two main areas: Personal Resilience and Workplace Efficiency.
Wellness tips:
A myriad of resources are available online to help you learn more about burnout, wellness and how to improve your personal resilience or enhance the efficiency of your work environment.
Here are few suggestions for how to get started:
National ACP Resources: https://www.acponline.org/practice-resources/physician-well-being-and-professional-satisfaction
American Medical Association Stepsforward Resources (includes practice modules with CME): https://www.stepsforward.org/modules?category=wellbeing
WISER: a study through Duke University which improves well-being by sending daily text messages to foster gratitude; enrollment is free and includes 10 hours of CME. The next WISER study begins July 9, 2018. Sign up at bit.ly/3wiser to begin receiving messages on July 9, 2018.
Tell us your story!
We want to help members improve their personal resilience and workplace efficiency by learning from each other!
Members who submit their stories will be entered into a raffle to win FREE REGISTRATION to the annual Texas ACP meeting in November 2018!
Personal resilience: Have you overcome a challenging situation? Do you have some wisdom to share about optimizing well-being or managing stress? We would love to hear your story! Share your story here
Workplace efficiency:
Have you implemented a workplace modification that made the environment run more smoothly? For example, perhaps you developed a new template to improve your efficiency in documentation? Or maybe you devised a new patient registration system that expedited access to care? Please share your wisdom by telling us your story! Share your story here
Feel free to contact Drs. Lee or Rose with any questions or suggestions related to Texas ACP Wellness: sabina.lee@bcm.edu; srrose@bcm.edu.
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Personal Resilience Spotlight
Anil Nanda, MD, FACP
Given today's and future healthcare climate, physician health and wellness is and will remain a significant issue. Here are some tips for the individual physician from my personal perspective to help improve wellness and reduce burnout.
1. In addition to treating patients, physicians are often involved in taking care of family members, including spouses and children. However, it is important for physicians to take care of themselves. Maintaining adequate sleep, nutrition, and exercise is easier said than done, but it is paramount that the individual physician is mindful of these essential basics. In addition, the physician should address one's own physical and emotional issues by regularly seeing health care providers.
2. Finding a sanctuary outside of medicine can help alleviate the daily stresses of practice.
3. Many physicians do not fully use their allotted vacation times. Taking scheduled vacations can also help the individual physician destress and allow a "recharge" of energy.
4. Take breaks during the workday, including breaks from electronic devices.
5. Focus on positive aspects of work as well as family and personal issues and maintaining a sense of humor regarding these topics.
Remember, as healthier Internal Medicine providers, we can be even better advocates for our patients and our wonderful specialty.
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Start Earning CME Credits Today with DynaMed Plus®
DynaMed Plus provides a convenient means for obtaining CME credits. Simply sign in to your DynaMed Plus personal account or create one. As you read DynaMed Plus topics, the system tracks your activity and credits are added to your CME tab at the top of the DynaMed Plus page.
When you are ready to submit, click the CME tab in the toolbar and the "Prepare for Submission" link. Certificates are stored for easy access.
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ACP Calls for Policies that Better Support Women and their Families Improve Health Outcomes
A new policy paper, approved by the Board of Regents and published in Annals of Internal Medicine, examines the unique challenges women face within the U.S. health care system and calls for policies to better support them. The paper addresses a wide range of issues, such as support for paid family and medical leave, recommendations on policies to reduce domestic violence, sexual abuse and harassment, and participation in clinical trials.
The paper also addresses access to coverage, including coverage for medically necessary reproductive services, and opposition to policies that would create barriers to their access to reproductive health services.
ACP urges policymakers to strongly consider how to better integrate women’s health needs over the course of their lifetime. Ensuring that women have access to non-discriminatory health care coverage is essential to improving the overall health and well-being of women living in the U.S., and a longstanding goal of ACP.
ACP Member, NASA Astronaut, Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor in Space
From practicing physician to ISS Crew Member, we've been thrilled to watch via social media Dr. Auñón-Chancellor's expedition since arriving on the ISS in early June...
Get breaking news, images and features from the station on
Instagram and
Twitter.
This is the first spaceflight for Auñón-Chancellor, who was selected as an astronaut in 2009, and she is the 61st woman to fly in space. Learn five things you may not know about Auñón-Chancellor in a
profile video and an interview on
Houston We Have a Podcast. Follow Dr. Auñón-Chancellor on her space mission at:
Thank you for being a member of the ACP.
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