Winter 2008
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Winter Issue |
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You are invited to the Texas Chapter and Alumni Reception at ACP’s Internal Medicine 2008
In Washington, D.C. Friday, May 16 5:30–7 p.m.
Renaissance Washington, D.C., Hotel
find out more information about the ACP meeting at their web site (link)
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The Texas Internist is a publication of the Texas Academy of Internal Medicine, the Texas Chapter of the ACP-ASIM. Articles from the chapter membership are welcome. Send to: the Newsletter Editor, TAIM Business Office, 401 W. 15th St., Austin, TX 78701, or fax to (512) 370-1635.
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Mission Statement
The mission of the Texas Academy of Internal Medicine is to promote high-quality, cost-effective health care for all patients by preserving and strengthening the practice of internal medicine and all its subspecialties, by vigorously supporting high standards of professionalism, excellence in medical education and research, strong advocacy for all patients and Texas physicians practicing internal medicine and its subspecialties, and comprehensive service to our membership.
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President's Message
Robert E. Jackson, MD, FACP, Houston,
Nominations Committee Chair and TAIM President-Elect
"God and Doctor we alike adore,
But only when in danger, not before;
The danger o’er, both are alike requited.
God is forgotten, and the Doctor slighted."
— John Owen (1771-1858)
The Texas Chapter of the ACP/TAIM is poised on the edge of greatness. I concur with my esteemed colleague, Dr. Gene Stokes from San Angelo, that we have seen a wonderful transformation of our organization. Clearly, we have benefited from past leadership and superb mentors. They have positioned us to demonstrate to our constituents the value of belonging to the Chapter.
Primary care and internal medicine should be viewed as a resource rather than a cost center. The economics of supply and demand apply: as any resource becomes scarcer, it becomes more valuable.
In medicine, health care access for patients has become more and more limited. Many doctors will not see Medicare patients. Even established patients have long waits to see their doctors. An excellent study by the Texas Primary Care Coalition, “Fractured: The State of Health Care in Texas” (PDF) reports a huge shortage of doctors in areas of our state.
Evidence-based medicine has demonstrated the value of having a “medical home.” Quality improves and the costs fall in areas of the United States where primary care is emphasized -- see The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care (link).
Actually, being healthy makes good business sense. Indeed, Dr. George Beauchamp’s recent book, Slaves to Medicine: How to Ransom Your Health Care From Power and Money, reports that medical technology and health care improvements infused $48 trillion into the economy between 1970 and 1990. This occurred by improving the health of our citizens and their ability to continue to work and be productive. you are sick or die, you’re no longer part of an effective workforce.
However, more doctors are now leaving primary care than entering. Some 25 percent of internists my age, over 50 years of age, are doing something else besides primary care. Medical schools are scrambling to increase their class sizes to make up for the general shortage of doctors.
The only way internal medicine can reverse the exodus from primary care is to become the leader in health care and not the led. TAIM is the leader of internal medicine in Texas. We must continue to focus on solutions. As we have been doing, we must push advocacy, maintain high standards, and focus on quality.
As president of TAIM, I plan to focus on two areas: advocating the reinstatement of funding for the three primary care medical student preceptorship programs to the $2 million level, and organizing our quality and performance improvement endeavors. I invite you to join me in these two projects. The first is necessary to infuse new blood into internal medicine. The second is essential to sustain our profession in Texas. Please contact me any time with suggestions, recommendations, and to volunteer to be part of the solution. Best of health to you in 2008! rejackson@tmhs.org.
However, more doctors are now leaving primary care than entering. Some 25 percent of internists my age, over 50 years of age, are doing something besides primary care. Medical schools are scrambling to increase their class sizes to make up for the general shortage of doctors.
The only way internal medicine can reverse the exodus from primary care is to become the leader in health care and not the led. TAIM is the leader of internal medicine in Texas. We must continue to focus on solutions. As we have been doing, we must push advocacy, maintain high standards, and focus on quality.
As president of TAIM, I plan to focus on two areas: advocating the reinstatement of funding for the three primary care medical student preceptorship programs to the $2 million level, and organizing our quality and performance improvement endeavors. I invite you to join me in these two projects. The first is necessary to infuse new blood into internal medicine. The second is essential to sustain our profession in Texas. Please contact me any time with suggestions, recommendations, and to be part of the solution. Best of health to you in 2008!
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Governor's Message
W. Mark Armstrong, MD, FACP, Dallas
Texas Northern Region
The American College of Physicians has long recognized that young physicians — those who have graduated from medical school within The American College of Physicians has long recognized that young physicians — those who have graduated from medical school within the past 16 years and who are not medical students or residents — need to be encouraged to participate more fully in our organization.
When young physicians enter practice, they are hungry for advice about practice opportunities and financial issues. To help them, the College’s Practice Management Center offers a Young Physician Practice Management Survival Handbook which can be accessed online (PDF).
(You will need your ACP username and password to access these sites. If you do not know this information, please visit www.acponline.org/help/register/.)
Also, in 1999, ACP formed a young physicians subcommittee to weave these physicians in the fabric of the national and state organizations. In 2005, the subcommittee was transformed into the ACP Young Physicians Council, which recently developed a Pocket Guide to Selected Preventive Services for Adults. Currently, 11 state chapters have a council of young physicians.
Your governors, Dr. Andy Diehl and I, along with the TAIM board, are interested in creating a council of young physicians for Texas. TAIM has actively named young physicians to our board, but we want a more structured process to include all interested young physicians.
Certainly, young physicians will have agendas that do not completely match those of older physicians. Maintenance of certification, reducing medical school debt, and balancing practice with a young family come to mind. We older physicians may not even be aware of other issues important to these younger members.
Young physicians are encouraged to become active at the state and national levels. They should be recruited to be key contacts and to take an active role as advocates for their patients and for medicine. Through early involvement, new leaders for our chapter will emerge. And as more young physicians become involved, we hope they will invite others to join.
Young physicians’ participation in our annual meeting is slowly increasing, and we must provide programming that is valuable to them. Including a module as credit for American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) recertification, which began last year, should draw interest. Enticing young physicians to become involved in program planning for the state meetings would be another way to help ensure the meeting addresses their needs.
Dr. Bruno P. Granwehr, Houston, serves on the ACP Council of Young Physicians and has enthusiastically volunteered to be a point person in developing the state council. Drs. Aaron Samsula, Plano, and Robert B. (Bryan) Allison Jr., Dallas, also have agreed to help.
If you are interested in becoming part of the young physicians council, you can contact me (marktex46@hotmail.com); Dr. Diehl, governor of the ACP Texas Southern Region (diehl@uthsca.edu); or any of the physicians involved with the council — Drs. Granwehr (bgranwehr@hotmail.com), Allison (BryanA@baylorhealth.edu) or Samsula (aarons@baylorhealth.edu). We welcome the support and participation of our young physicians and look forward to reporting to you on the council’s activities in the coming year.
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2007 Annual Meeting
Thanks, Supporters
The following companies generously provided financial support for the 2007 TAIM Annual Meeting.
| Gold Level Support provided by: |
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| Silver Level Support: |
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Exhibitors
American Physicians Insurance Company
ePaperless Practice
HCA Physician Services
IPC-The Hospitalist Company
LifeScan
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Medicus Insurance Co.
Med-Surge Advances, Inc.
Mereteck-Otsuka America Pharmaceutical
Novo Nordisk
PD-Labs
Practice IT
PriMed
Rheumatalogy Diagnostics Laboratory, Inc.
Texas Department of State Health Services
Texas Medical Foundation Health Quality Institute
Texas Medical Liability Trust
The Doctors Company
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Chapter Honors Outstanding Members
Four distinguished members were honored with the Texas Chapter’s highest awards during the November 2007 annual chapter meeting in Galveston. Texas Chapter Laureates for 2007 are Delbert L. Chumley, MD, FACP, San Antonio; Edith Irby Jones, MD, MACP, Houston; and Joseph Viroslav, MD, FACP, Dallas.
The Laureate Award honors those Fellows and Masters of the College who have demonstrated a lifelong commitment to excellence in medical care, education, or research; and in service to their community, their chapter, and the ACP.
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Edith Irby Jones, MD, MACP, Texas Chapter Laureate, is surrounded by her longtime friends and mentors at the annual awards luncheon, Herbert L. DuPont, MD, FACP (l), and Edward C. Lynch, MD, MACP, (r).
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The TAIM Services Chumley/Snyder Advocate of the Year Award was presented to Spencer R. Berthelsen, MD, FACP, Houston, for his outstanding leadership in legislative advocacy and grassroots activism on behalf of medicine and the patients of Texas.
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Ned Snyder, MD, FACP, (l) congratulates Spencer R. Berthelsen, MD, FACP, 2007 Advocate of the Year (center), and Delbert L. Chumley, MD, FACP, 2007 Texas Chapter Laureate (r), on their awards.
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The Awards Committee welcomes and accepts nominations from the membership year round. Nominations for Chapter awards should include a detailed letter of recommendation and curriculum vitae (CV). Additional letters of support are welcome and may strengthen the nomination.
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Randall L. Rosenblatt, MD, FACP, (r), presents the 2007 Texas Chapter Laureate Award to Joseph Viroslav, MD, FACP (l)
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Send nominations, CVs, and letters of support to:
Texas Academy of Internal Medicine,
Awards and Recognitions Committee,
401 W. 15th St.,
Austin, TX 78701;
or e-mail to catherine@taim.org.
Visit bios of this year’s award recipients, complete descriptions of the awards, and to see who has received awards in past years (link).
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'Firsts' Enhance Annual Meeting
At least two “firsts” for the TAIM Annual Meeting drew members representing 61 Texas cities and diverse practice settings to balmy Galveston and the luxurious Moody Gardens Hotel.
Thirteen members arrived early on Friday to take advantage of the first annual American Board of Internal Medicine Self-Evaluation Process (SEP) module offered by the Texas chapter for those working toward ABIM recertification. Also, the new Saturday/Sunday format was well-received, with attendees spending less time out of the office, and was adopted for this year’s meeting in Dallas Nov. 15-16.
The Gulf Coast drew doctors from El Paso to Fort Worth and from Harlingen to Amarillo, as well as from Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. The meeting also drew 79 residents and 51 medical students. Attendee evaluations consistently reported positive feedback on presentations by expert clinicians from The University of Texas Medical Branch faculty.
A friendly, competitive spirit enlivened this year’s meeting, thanks to the various events planned especially for medical students and residents. Some 40 ACP members served as volunteer judges, accepting the daunting task of selecting the best from among the many incredible competitors.
The Doctor’s Dilemma team from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston took first place among a record 10 teams. Three-member teams were new for the state competition this year. The change was made to match the format of the ACP’s national competition, to which the winning team will progress.
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The Doctor’s Dilemma team from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston accepts congratulations and cash awards from Gov. Andrew K. Diehl, MD, FACP. Team members are (l to r): Gregory R. Honeycutt, MD; Noman Ashraf, MBBS; and Naval G. Daver, MBBS.
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Tara P. L. Neubrand, UTMB student, won the student’s clinical vignette competiton with “An Unusual Case of Necrotizing Fasciitis in the Bilateral Upper Extremities of an Elderly Man.”
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Eugene W. Stokes, MD, FACP, TAIM president, presents the clinical vignette competition top prize to Tara P.L. Neubrand, UTMB student
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Sahil Mittal, MD, UTMB, won the Associate’s clinical vignette competition with “A Diagnostic Dilemma – An Immunocompromised Patient With Persistent Nausea and Vomiting.”
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Ana M. Torres, MD, Houston, wins an iPod from Rheumatology Diagnostics Lab. Kevin E. Kendall, MD, Katy (center), and Gov. Andrew K. Diehl, MD, FACP, drew prize winners in the exhibit hall.
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Baylor’s Doctor’s Dilemma team and the two clinical vignette winners will enjoy an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C., to represent the Texas chapter at the national ACP meeting in May.
Both winners in the medical students’ poster competition were from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston: Lindsey Price (clinical case report) and Sandip P. Patel (research). Winners of the Associates’ poster competition were Yanjun Ma, MD, Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas (clinical case report), and Devish M. Pandya, MD, The University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio (research).
Dan C. Cohen, MD, Baylor, presented his winning On Being a Doctor creative writing essay, “It was a Privilege.” This was the fourth year of competition for medical student and Associate ACP members. Read Cohen’s essay here (link) as well as all of this year’s entries (link).
The complete list of winners:
Medical Students: Oral Clinical Vignette Competition
1st place: Tara P. L. Neubrand, UTMB
"An Unusual Case of Necrotizing Fasciitis in the Bilateral Upper Extremities of an Elderly Man"
2nd place: Rachel Shevchek, Baylor College of Medicine
"An Unrelenting Case of Back Pain"
3rd place: Nisha Patel, UTMB
"Fever and Fatigue"
Medical Students: Clinical Case Poster
1st place: Lindsey Price, Baylor COM
"Is This a Migraine Headache?"
2nd place: Scott Selinger, UT San Antonio
"A Rash Decision: Dengue Comes To America "
Medical Students: Research Poster
1st place: Sandip P. Patel, Baylor COM
"Cardiotoxicity In African-American Patients Treated With Arsenic Trioxide For Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia"
2nd place: Robert Schutt III, Texas Tech HSC, Lubbock
"Plasma Pro-BNP Level As A Predictor Of Postoperative Cardiac Events In High-Risk Patients Undergoing Non-Cardiac Surgery"
Associates: Oral Clinical Vignette Competition
1st place: Sahil Mittal, MD, UTMB
"A Diagnostic Dilemma – An Immunocompromised Patient With Persistent Nausea and Vomiting"
Associates: Research Poster Competition
1st place: Devish M. Pandya, MD, The University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio
"Cancer Survivorship: Perceptions Among Patients In The Acute Survival Phase (ASP)"
2nd place: Ghassan H. Abu Said, MD, UTMB-Galveston
"Caffeinated Coffee Blunts The Myocardial Protective Effects Of Statins Against Ischemia-Reperfusion"
Associates: Clinical Case Poster Competition
1st place: Yanjun Ma, MD, Baylor University Medical Center , Dallas
"A Most Unusual CXR - Plombage"
2nd place: Mathews George, MBBS, The Methodist Hospital, Houston
Pulmonary And Cutaneous Kaposi Sarcoma In The Setting Of Polymyositis In An HIV Negative Individual
Associates: Doctor's Dilemma Competition
1st place team: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
Gregory R. Honeycutt, MD; Noman Ashraf, MBBS; and Naval G. Daver, MBBS
2nd place team: UT-San Antonio
Kevin C. Schindler, MD; J. Alejandro Marmol-Velez, MD; and Ashlei W. Lowery, MD
3rd place team: UT-Houston
Seth A.Politano, DO; Jeremy M. Huff, DO; Michael A. Ekizian, MD
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GIMSPP
Attention First-Years: Preceptorship Apps Due March 3
Now is the perfect time to apply for a four-week summer rotation with a community-based general internist. The application deadline is the end of the business day March 3.
The student application is available online (link). Early applicants have the best opportunity to be matched with a preceptor in their choice of location.
A preceptorship allows you to get a head start on your clinical experience and be paid during your summer break. A four-week rotation in a rural or medically underserved area pays $1,000, and a rotation in a metro or urban area offers a $750 stipend. Three-week rotations are prorated for Baylor College of Medicine and The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine students.
Check out the GIMSPP recruitment presentation (link) or online orientation at (link).
If you still have questions, call Pat Maples, program manager, toll free at (866) 244-6777 or via e-mail at pat-at-taim.org.
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GIMSPP
Preceptor Availability Form Deadline Extended
If you are hoping to serve as a preceptor this summer, the deadline to return the Preceptor Availability Form has been extended until St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. The GIMSPP will again match 125 first-year medical students who are eager to work with community-based internists. Following receipt of your form, you will be contacted to confirm your availability for specific dates before being matched with a student.
Please fax the form to Pat Maples at (512) 370-1635 or email information to pat-at-taim.org.
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GIMSPP
Award Honors Long-Time Preceptors: Twelve Receive Decade of Service Distinction
The GIMSPP Decade of Service Award was presented at the annual meeting to 12 devoted preceptors who have shown a steadfast commitment to mentoring medical students. Winners received an engraved plaque recognizing their contribution to the education of the future physicians of Texas. To receive the award, physicians must have been involved with the GIMSPP for 10 years and served as a preceptor for seven of those years. Since the award was developed in 2005, 36 physicians have received the award.
- John G. Casey, MD, FACP
- Delfino F. Garcia, III, MD, ACP Member
- Robert E. Jackson, MD, FACP
- Philip C. Johnson, MD, FACP
- Mark A. Johnston, MD, ACP Member
- Prakash P. Kagal, MD
- Sheldon L. Markowitz, MD
- Patrick McNamara, MD
- Ana I. Rodriguez, MD, ACP Member
- Francisco C. Rugama, MD, ACP Member
- Pankaj K. Shah, MD
- Sarah I. Smiley, DO, ACP Member
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“I learned more about doctoring from observing him than I could have from any book. He is great fun to be around and is the benchmark to which all future teachers will be measured.”
“He taught a systematic approach to assessing any given pathology to teach us not to miss anything. He also quizzed us about general exams and helped us to notice all kinds of important and informative details.”
“My preceptorship was a great experience that left me strongly considering a future in internal medicine.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with my preceptor. I learned more than I ever expected and made a friend in the process.”
“My preceptor is dedicated to his team, his patients, and to creating an incredible learning environment for students. He is a physician whom I admire and respect, and I feel honored to have had the opportunity to work with him.”
“My preceptor was a fantastic teacher who significantly increased my interest in internal medicine. My experience surpassed all expectations.”
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Chapter Elects Officers, Directors
Physicians from around the state and from varied practice settings were elected to represent the membership as volunteer leaders on the TAIM and TAIM Services board of directors during the annual awards and business meeting luncheon in Galveston.
Directors serve a three-year term. The secretary-treasurer serves a two-year term. The president-elect advances to president in November 2008.
TAIM President
Robert E. Jackson, MD, FACP
Dr. Jackson practices general internal medicine at the Texas Medical Center in Houston. He is president of The Methodist Hospital Medical Staff and serves as medical director for The Physicians Alliance for Quality. |
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TAIM President-Elect
Scott W. Yates, MD, MBA, MS, FACPE, FACP
Dr. Yates practices general internal medicine, and is a member of the medical staff of Presbyterian Hospital of Plano, Baylor Plano Medical Center, and Select Specialty Hospitals of Dallas. He also serves as a quality and utilization review physician for the Texas Medical Foundation. |
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TAIM Secretary-Treasurer
Randall L. Rosenblatt, MD, FACP
Dr. Rosenblatt is a professor of medicine and medical director of the lung transplant program and the adult cystic fibrosis program at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. |
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TAIM Services President
Rene M. Rodriguez, MD, FACP
Dr. Rodriguez is in private practice in Corpus Christi. He has served on the Medical Executive Committee of Christus Spohn Hospitals, chaired the Department of Medicine at Christus Spohn Hospital Shoreline, and chaired the Ethics Committee and served as executive vice president at Christus Spohn Hospital South. |
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TAIMS President-Elect
Felicia L. Austin-Tolliver, MD, FACP
Dr. Austin-Tolliver is in private practice in Angleton. She is treasurer of medical staff at Angleton Danbury Medical Center and serves as a clinical instructor for fourth-year medical students at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. |
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TAIMS Secretary-Treasurer
Sue S. Bornstein, MD, FACP
Dr. Bornstein is a senior physician consultant with the BARD group, specializing in hospital-medical staff relationships with emphasis on medical staff
redesign. |
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Directors
Northeast Director: Temple S. Howell-Stampley, MD, FACP, Dallas
Northwest Director: Robert C. Kimbrough III, MD, FACP, FRCP, Lubbock
Southeast Director: Victor A. Simms, MD, MPH, Pasadena
Southwest Director: Joseph E. Johnson IV, MD, FACP, San Antonio
At-Large Director: Roger S. Khetan, MD, Dallas
In addition, Kenneth M. Nugent, MD, FACP, Lubbock, has graciously agreed to extend his term for another year, serving as one of three directors representing the Chapter’s Northwest Region. Dr. Nugent is filling a vacancy left by Kenneth Rose, MD, who has moved out of state.
If you are interested in serving on the TAIM or TAIMS board of directors in the future, e-mail Catherine Bailey, TAIM executive director, at catherine-at-taim.org. Be sure to include your curriculum vitae.
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Dr. Gregg Wins Governor-Elect Race
Clark R. Gregg, MD, FACP, Fort Worth, was elected governor-elect for the Texas Northern Region through a member vote by mail. He will officially take on the role at the ACP Internal Medicine 2008 during May in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Gregg is chief of staff for Veterans Affairs North Texas Health Care System and professor of medicine (infectious diseases) at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
Dr. Gregg served as a member of the Texas Chapter (TAIM) Board of Directors in 2004-2007. During that time, he also served on several chapter committees, including the Associates, Health and Public Policy, Membership, and Nominations committees. Dr. Gregg was program co-chair for the 2004 TAIM Annual Meeting in Dallas.
The Houston native attended Rice University and The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, where he received his medical degree in 1972. After service as a medical officer in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, Dr. Gregg completed his internal medicine residency and infectious diseases fellowship at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, where he remained on the faculty until moving to Fort Worth in 1988.
In his vision statement, Dr. Gregg said: “Training and retention of internists and of general internists, in particular, are falling short of the projected need for physician services in Texas. Energetic focus on the need to train primary care internists for Texas must be a key priority at both the state and national levels of ACP leadership and governmental involvement in health care manpower planning and funding.
“My career has included basic and clinical science research, frontline private practice, directorship of postdoctoral training programs and, in recent years, leadership of one of the largest university-affiliated Veterans Affairs health care systems. I hope to apply that experience to advance the priority for internal medicine training and access to care for Texans.”
Dr. Gregg will serve as governor-elect for one year, working closely with Gov. W. Mark Armstrong, MD, FACP, Dallas, during the final year of his four-year term. Dr. Gregg will assume the governor role in April 2009.
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It was a Privilege
Dan C. Cohen, MD, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
Editor’s note: As winner of the 2007 On Being a Doctor writing competition, Dr. Cohen presented his essay during the TAIM Annual Meeting.
I rarely attend a funeral of anyone other than a family member. In fact, I had only been to a handful of funerals my entire life. Needless to say, I felt a little out of place, surrounded by unfamiliar company, embracing one another, shedding tears, and lamenting the mutual loss of a loved one.
But I loved him, too, in a sense, and it behooves me to be present at his funeral. After all, we knew each other for more than 30 years. Not in the same way one knows a sibling, close friend, or even a colleague. But he had become a staple in my life, and his loss is ever so great to me.
We engaged in conversation even the dearest of friends find difficult to share, or even husband and wife for that matter. And, at times, we spoke of more mundane subjects: sports, the news, politics. I saw him one morning the day after a vice presidential debate. We must have spent 20 minutes mocking the candidates and their unrealistic plans to ameliorate the nation’s health care system.
Thankfully, our political views were somewhat in line, or the rapport that was so crucial to our relationship may have suffered an abrupt decline. I actually confronted him of that boldly once: “I am giving you until the next appointment to get a new pair of glasses so you might actually see my point of view.” We both laughed. Half a year later he was wearing the same glasses, and we were playfully jabbing at one another again.
I introduced my eldest daughter to him when we happened across one another at the neighborhood grocery store. I had told her about him, and she was honored to make his acquaintance. As we were saying our goodbyes, I heard her whisper to him, “I think your glasses suit you quite nicely.” He smiled and whispered back, “Thank you, I don’t intend to change them any time soon.” I had no idea that was the last time interactions between us would ever be so light-hearted.
I suppose it was when things took a turn for the worse that our relationship of trust and mutual respect was affirmed. Although by any measurement what happened can only be considered tragic, it further strengthened the already existing bond between us. I will never forget the day that biopsy result came back — adenocarcinoma of the prostate.
We sat together for a long hour and discussed each treatment option to the most miniscule of detail: surgery, radiation, watchful waiting. The gravity of the situation only underscored the importance of the relationship we had established over the years. There we were patient and physician, sitting side by side, making life-altering decisions. We took much more than just cold medical facts into consideration. We also considered the desires, ambitions and expectations of the human being afflicted with the disease. I will miss him immensely.
The strange thing is that nobody informed me of his death. I came across his name in the obituaries Sunday morning. At my age and position, reading the obituaries has become somewhat of a routine. But when I saw his name, I was dumbstruck. It may sound cliché, but my heart sank to my knees. I found it difficult to believe and even harder to digest. But there it was, in bold letters:
Douglas James Harris, MD, Husband, Father, Doctor.
I have lost both of my parents and a brother, and their deaths brought me unimaginable grief and sadness. But losing my doctor has brought me something different. I feel lost, alone, and vulnerable. True, he wasn’t my only doctor. Believe me, I have plenty, and three medications to go with each one. But he was with me all along. I put so much faith in him, and he got me through the toughest of times. He looked after me. He cared for me.
As the last of the eulogies came to an end and the final prayers were recited, the mournful crowd began to scatter. I approached the gravesite, tearful and afraid, accompanied by the distant sounds of weeping loved ones. Looking down at the gravel that will forever represent a man that meant the world to me, I gathered myself, took a deep breath, and uttered the words I had come to say: “Thank you for taking care of me Dr. Harris. It was a privilege to be your patient.”
You are invited to send your stories (prose or poetry) about the joys or distress of medical practice, which remind us what is most special about our profession. Send your stories to the Chapter Business Office, Attn: Catherine Bailey, CAE, CMP, TAIM Executive Director, 401 W. 15th St., Austin, TX 78701; or e-mail catherine-at-taim.org.
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TAIM Welcomes Staff Member
TAIM is pleased to introduce Claire Hogan as the new exhibits and Associates program coordinator. She manages the annual meeting exhibit sales and trade show, provides staff support to the TAIM Associates Committee, and provides administrative support for many chapter activities.
Claire comes to TAIM from Texas Medical Association’s Conference Management Department, where she worked as a coordinator of practice management seminars.
Give Claire a call to welcome her to TAIM. She can be reached at (512) 370-1463 or at claire-at-taim.org.
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Annual Meeting by the Numbers
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4.8
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Evaluation score (out of 5 possible points) for top-ranked speaker Herbert L. DuPont, MD, FACP, Houston, governor emeritus, ACP Texas Southern Region, who spoke on travel medicine |
10
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Residency programs that competed with three-member teams in the eighth annual Doctor’s Dilemma competition |
78/66
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High and low temperatures enjoyed by meeting attendees on beautiful Galveston Island Saturday, Nov. 3 |
79
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Submissions for the medical student and Associate ACP member abstract poster competition, doubling the number submitted in 2006 |
2,252
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Miles traveled by the attendee from the farthest distance (Join Luh, MD, FACP, former member of the Texas Chapter, came from Arcata, Calif., to co-chair the Doctor’s Dilemma competition.) |
200,000
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Motorcyclists sharing the road (and hotels) with attendees (The annual Lone Star Rally also was in Galveston during the chapter meeting, unbeknownst to staff until a few weeks before the meeting.)
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