As part of its goals for the future, the HCC will identify best practices in teamwork and promote educational programs that encourage interdisciplinary teams.
Look Back, Look Forward
For SHM CEO Larry Wellikson, MD, FHM, the end of 2009 is an opportunity to look forward to 2010 and beyond. “Ten years ago, hospital medicine was little more than an idea,” he says. “Today, it is a growing medical specialty, recognized by leaders in healthcare and public policy, with thousands of experienced and enthusiastic hospitalists throughout the country.
“I am confident that when we look back ten years from now, we will see a hospital landscape transformed for the better, and that hospitalists and the rest of the new healthcare team will have played an important role.” TH
Brendon Shank is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia.
Reference
- Jencks SF, Williams MV, Coleman A. Rehospitaliza- tions among patients in the Medicare fee-for-service program. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(14):1418-1428.
Chapter Updates
Los Angeles
The Los Angeles chapter met Sept. 24 at Craft restaurant. The event was hosted by Manoj K. Mathew, MD, FHM. The presentation, “An Update in Hospital Medicine,” was offered by Joseph Li, MD, FHM, director of hospitalist services at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and an SHM board member. Nearly 30 attendees from 10 hospitalist organizations attended the meeting. The next Los Angeles chapter meeting is scheduled for January 2010.
Southwest Wisconsin
Transitions of care was the featured topic at the Aug. 6 Southwest Wisconsin chapter meeting. Monica Anderson, director of business development at Select Specialty Hospital in Madison, presented valuable information about the role long-term acute-care hospitals play in a patient’s continuum of care. Following the presentation, attendees discussed ways in which hospitalists can collaborate across HM groups to address patient care and quality issues that are common to hospitalist practices.
Philadelphia Tri-State Area
The Philadelphia Tri-State Area chapter met Sept. 30 at Ristorante Panorama. About 20 hospitalists attended the event, which was sponsored by the France Foundation.
Todd Hecht, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania lectured on DVT prophylaxis. Chapter founder Jennifer Myers, MD, FHM, preceded the lecture by announcing she was stepping down as co-president after a six-year tenure. She thanked the audience for their support and introduced Susan Krekun, MD, chair of the division of hospital medicine at Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, as the new chapter co-president.
The chapter sponsored a job fair Nov. 19 at the downtown Marriott. Medical directors from more than 10 programs attended the event to meet aspiring hospitalists and discuss the state of hospital medicine in the Philadelphia area.
Indiana
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The Indiana chapter held a meeting Sept. 2 at Maggiano’s Italian Restaurant in Indianapolis. The meeting was sponsored by AstraZeneca and featured a meet-and-greet before the regular program. Attendees were treated to a report about SHM’s recent Leadership Academy in Miami, and election results were revealed.
Angela Corea, MD, announced the 2010 chapter election nomination results: vice president, John Gilbert, MD, unopposed; secretary, Robert Blessing, MD, unopposed; president, Angela Corea, MD, Raphael Villavicencio, MD, and Gordon Reed, MD, FHM. All three chapter president nominees addressed the attendees.
David Mares, MD, held a question-and-answer session to discuss “New Maintenance Options for the Treatment of COPD.” Drs. Reed and Corea discussed the results of the SHM survey. The meeting concluded with a secret ballot.
Nashville and Middle Tennessee
The Nashville and Middle Tennessee chapter met Oct. 27, with 16 attendees representing eight local hospitals. The speaker, Anton Maki, MD, of Kingsport, presented a thorough review of the microbiology and antimicrobial treatment recommendations for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Attendees also were provided information about upcoming SHM conferences and training academies, the application process for the fellowship program, and plans for the ABIM Recognition of Focused Practice in Hospital Medicine certification.
Boston
Anita Barry, the infectious-disease bureau chief and director of communicable-disease control for the Boston Public Health Commission, spoke to nearly 60 hospitalists and guests during the Sept. 10 Boston chapter meeting at Legal Sea Foods. Dr. Barry’s topic was the H1N1 virus. The next chapter event is a clinical investigator training course Dec. 10-11 at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Anyone interested in learning more about conducting clinical trials can attend. This course is not limited to physicians; nurses and others are encouraged to attend. There is no fee to attend Boston chapter events. For more information or to RSVP, contact Dr. Li at [email protected] or 617-632-0205.