Harris County Medical Society

The Harris County Medical Society (HCMS) and the Houston Academy of Medicine (HAM) installed their new officers Friday, Jan. 22, at the HCMS/HAM Installation of Officers & Leadership Recognition, at the Westin Galleria Hotel.

Dr. William S. Gilmer, a board-certified neurologist practicing in the Museum District, was installed as the 109th president of HCMS. He is the former president of both Texas and Harris County Neurological Societies, as well as a former president of HAM. He remains on the Texas Neurological Society board and serves as its representative to Texas Medical Association (TMA). He was a founding member of the American Academy of Neurology’s BrainPac, and now serves on the TexPAC board of directors and Candidate Evaluation Committee. He also serves on the TMA Council on Public Health, the TMA InterSpecialty Society Committee as well as being a Harris County Delegate to the TMA House of Delegates and vice chair of the HCMS Delegation to TMA.

Dr. Gilmer has chaired the TMA Council on Member Services, HCMS Board of Medical Legislation and HCMS Community Health Improvement & Communications Committee. He serves on the boards of Medserv, Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center and Park Plaza Hospital. He also serves on the Park Plaza Patient Safety Committee and chairs the Park Plaza Medical Records Committee. He has served as president of the board of Bering Community Services Foundation and president of the medical staff of Clear Lake Rehabilitation Hospital. He has been on numerous HCMS committees, including strategic planning, finance, building, membership, bylaws, TMA liaison, and president of HCMS Central Branch. In addition, he has served as assistant professor of the department of neurology at Baylor College of Medicine, chief of medicine at Park Plaza Hospital, and a member of multiple committees at Park Plaza Hospital, including pharmacy & therapeutics, bylaws, information management, UM/QM, and others. He received his medical and postgraduate degrees from Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. JoAnne L. Rogers, a Houston board-certified family medicine physician, was installed as the 2010 president of HAM. She is in private practice and is also a preceptor in the department of family medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, clinical assistant professor in the department of family medicine at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, clinical assistant professor in the department of family medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, and a volunteer preceptor at H.O.M.E.S. “Lord of the Streets” Homeless Clinic. She has hospital affiliations at the following hospitals: St. Luke’s Episcopal, Memorial Hermann, Park Plaza, Memorial Hermann Southwest, Plaza Specialty, Dubuis, and Christus St. Joseph. Her involvement in organized medicine and community service has included serving as president of the Houston Medical Forum, president of HCMS Central Branch, a board member of Wellspring Homeless Shelter, HCMS Delegate to the TMA, TMA’s Committee on Physician Distribution and Health Care Access, and she currently serves as a board member of the Mickey Leland Kibbutz Internship Program. She received her medical degree from The University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio and conducted her internship and residency at Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Gilmer and Dr. Rogers will serve as presidents for one-year terms, ending Dec. 31, 2010. The HCMS Executive Board is the governing board of HCMS and its members serve on the HAM Board of Trustees, the governing board of HAM. The four HCMS members-at-large are the officers of HAM. The HCMS Executive Board officers for 2010 are: Dr. Gilmer, president; Dr. Guru N. Reddy, president elect; Dr. Keith A. Bourgeois, vice president; and Dr. Lisa L. Ehrlich, secretary/treasurer.

The HAM Board of Trustees for 2010 are: Dr. JoAnne L. Rogers, HAM president and HCMS member-at-large; Dr. Robert B. Morrow, HAM vice president and HCMS member-at-large; Dr. Elizabeth Torres, HAM treasurer and HCMS member-at-large; and Dr. Bradford S. Patt, HAM secretary and HCMS member-at-large.

Other HCMS board and HAM trustee members are: Dr. Denis K. Hoasjoe, Board of Ethics chair; Dr. Andrew P. Kant, Board of Medical Legislation chair; Dr. Ronald S. Walters, Board on Socioeconomics chair; Dr. Jonas Garcia, Council of Hospital Chiefs of Staff chair; Dr. Swapan Dubey, Council of Specialty Societies chair; Dr. Judi Shaw-Rice, Council of International and Affiliated Medical Societies chair; Dr. Diana L. Fite, Delegation to TMA chair; Dr. Yvonne I. Chu, Central Branch president; Dr. James J. Bernick, East Branch president; Dr. Jimmie L. Bergeron, North Branch president; Dr. Glen B. Garner, Southeast Branch president; Dr. Kulvinder S. Bajwa, Southwest Branch president; and Dr. Vijay Sreenarasimhaiah, Western Branch president. Representing Houston’s medical schools on the HCMS executive board are: Dr. John W. Burruss for Baylor College of Medicine and Dr. Brent R. King for The University of Texas Health Science Center.

Public Health Focus

Haiti needs medical support

In the aftermath of the earthquake that struck Haiti, among the country’s top priorities is medical support. The Texas Medical Center (TMC) is coordinating one of the many medical relief efforts in Houston. Details can be found on the Harris County Medical Society (HCMS) Web site (www.hcms.org). In addition, go to the Center for International Disaster Information Web site (www.cidi.org), which serves as a focal point for volunteers and provides information on the latest relief priorities in Haiti.

The HCMS Retired Physicians Organization (RPO) has already gotten involved. On Jan. 14 Texas Task Force 1, who was asked to participate in the search and rescue efforts in Haiti, requested support from the RPO medical auxiliary team during the pre-deployment phase of its team mobilization. Drs. James Butler, Duane Catterson, Joel Reed, and Peter Weston evaluated more than 75 Task Force members in four hours, which the individual team members and managers expressed sincere appreciation. RPO will be asked to return to College Station to perform follow-up evaluations when the team comes back after this deployment.
Finally, be aware that at times like these many fictitious relief organizations appear to solicit relief funds. Before making any donations to unfamiliar organizations, verify their nonprofit status on www.charitynavigator.org. In addition to verifying tax status, this Web site shows what percentage of funds collected go toward administrative expenses versus program support. If you have any questions, call Ahuva Terk at HCMS, 713-524-4267.

Presented by the HCMS Community Health Improvement & Communications Committee

Health System Reform on hold?

With the stunning election of Republican Scott Brown to Ted Kennedy’s seat in Massachusetts, the Democrats are having to rethink their entire legislative strategy – especially Health System Reform. Prior to the election, the Democrats were trying to work out the details on a health care bill that could garner enough Democratic support to pass both houses. Now, they likely will need to include the Republicans in those discussions.

Senator elect Brown campaigned on being the 41st vote to break the Democrats’ filibuster-proof majority. A likely scenario has House and Senate leaders significantly scaling the bill back but it is unknown what will drop out.

One of the biggest areas of contention will certainly continue to be the role of the states in implementing the health system overhaul. The House bill would create a new federal agency to create a national marketplace for people to buy insurance. However, the Senate envisions 50 state marketplaces or exchanges. These provisions would have a tremendous impact on how a new health care system would function. Both the House and Senate feel their system is the best.

The Democratic leadership has yet to find a compromise on the anti-trust provision for the insurance industry. The House bill repealed the industry’s anti-trust exemption, which has been in place since 1945, but the Senate put it back in its bill. However, several senators are asking for the exemption to be eliminated from the final bill.

The Harris County Medical Society will continue to monitor Washington and will post any major developments in the “Health System Reform” section of its Web site, www.hcms.org. To receive legislative alerts directly to your e-mail, sign up for HCMS Direct by going to www.hcms.org and click on News/HCMS Direct/Legislation.

Presented by the HCMS Board of Medical Legislation

President's Page

President's Page
Dr. William S. Gilmer

We are strong and diverse

(The following is Dr. William S. Gilmer’s Installation Speech on Jan. 22, 2010.)

Thank you all very much for coming out to share this night with me and all the physicians who are being installed as your representatives in leadership positions of our medical society.

Dr. Foxhall, Dr. Edwards, officers and physicians of the Harris County Medical Society and Houston Academy of Medicine, thank you for your leadership last year. Your stars will shine brightly in the history of these two organizations.

It is a great honor for me to serve you and the patients of Harris County as the 109th president of HCMS. I have two major themes for tonight. They deal with two of our strengths: One is the power in our diversity and the other is our ability to deal with the unexpected.

What a difference three days and one election in Massachusetts make! By now, I am sure you have heard that Republican Scott Brown unexpectedly won the Democratic seat, held for decades by Ted Kennedy. Now this is a game changer, just as everything changed for The University of Texas when it lost its ace quarterback, Colt McCoy, in the first quarter of the championship game earlier this month.

Over the past months, we all watched as our vision of truly effective health reform devolved into a bitter, purely partisan fight – not over the merits of ideas, but over the brute strength of one group to shut out another. Well, look where we are today. The old strong-arm script is out and the new reality is “revise and compromise”. Doctors, patients, the Texas Medical Association and the Harris County Medical Society have consistently asked Congress to fix the parts in our health system that are broken, but keep intact what works well. We will continue working to this goal with our elected officials on both sides of the aisle. Many of whom are here tonight.

Tomorrow is another day. Who knows what new invention the necessity of bipartisanship will bring. But we will be ready.

As I observe those gathered here this evening, I am struck by a single overlying characteristic of our group: DIVERSITY! I see men and women of broadly differing backgrounds, nationalities, lifestyles, cultures, education, and experiences, but I also see our unity of purpose. We are all here to fulfill our mission to improve the health of all Texans. We are truly “Physicians caring for Texans”.

Just as my friend Mayor Annise Parker takes pride in representing the incredibly diverse population of Houston, so do we as leaders of the largest county medical society in the universe, represent an equally diverse community of physicians. This is our strength. To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, “Since we will never end our differences, we must therefore work together to make the world safe for its diversity.” Look around you. Our membership truly reflects the infinite variety of the patients we serve.

Business of Medicine

Manage your inventory and save

In many practices, not enough attention is given to inventory management. This is unfortunate as the costs for drug, medical and office supplies in the typical medical office run a whopping $51,200 to $113,495 per full-time employed physician, according to annual cost surveys from the National Society of Certified Healthcare Business Consultants (NSCHBC) and the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). So, the beginning of a new year is a good time to take charge of your inventory.

Smart inventory control means identifying your needs and balancing product availability, procurement and costs. Getting the fundamentals right is important so that you have what you need when you need it, without waste or pricing gouges. The following strategies will help you keep tight control on costs:

• Take personal ownership of your practice’s inventory control. Don’t delegate this to your suppliers. Evaluate inventory costs, examine opportunities to reduce costs, and identify ways to manage them better. Collaborate with vendors and value these relationships — They are golden. Certain suppliers offer just-in-time, stockless supply programs that are worth exploring.

• Let suppliers know when material costs are a concern and that you will take steps to reduce supply expenses through price comparisons, negotiations with preferred vendors, and group purchase discounts.

• Start developing points of accountability within your practice, determining which individuals will be responsible for identifying needs, approving expenditures, as well as ordering, and tracking costs. Without accountability at each of these points, it will be difficult to control costs.

• Bring the internal players in the inventory supply chain together. Develop a system that assigns both responsibilities and accountability, including determining budgets (by department) and reviewing expense controls each quarter. When you insist people accept responsibility for maintaining a budget for supplies, they will pay attention to costs and possible waste.

• Prepare your budget by scrutinizing high-cost and high-volume items to bring supply expenses down. Validate which supplies are essential and whether there are ways to reduce some of those costs. Failing to perform the necessary due diligence here can cause big supply-management problems.

• If you’re a specialist, you probably have special supply needs, too. Factor that into the equation. Clue into rising costs of materials, where shifting to another supplier might bring significant financial benefit without compromising outcomes. Also, you can do some cost comparisons with online suppliers.

• At an operations level, examine supply maintenance to be sure you are not over-ordering and keeping more supplies on hand than is necessary. In particular, watch out for those drugs and antigens that have a short shelf life and end up wasted. Automated inventory control systems can help organize supplies and manage costs in a way that dictates typical utilization and triggers when supplies need to be reordered. But even a simple spreadsheet can help control and manage supply costs.

Make sure your team takes inventory management seriously. Creating a system that monitors usage and holds people accountable will be worth the effort and bring long-lasting results.

Presented by the HCMS Board on Socioeconomics
Source: Physicians Practice

Medserv spotlight

Criminal background checks

The 2010 job trends appear to have all the signs of a healthy employers’ market. However, in the new year, Medserv Employment Services, the service company of the Harris County Medical Society, has found an alarming rise in the number of blemished criminal records as it performs background checks on candidates for employment in physician offices. This is a great concern, since Medserv only runs criminal background checks on candidates who are prequalified for a face-to-face interview at Medserv and who have the appropriate/relevant physician office work history. This year, Medserv has found candidates with histories including: disorderly conduct in a sexually oriented business; possession of marijuana; prostitution; felony bond forfeiture; and burglary of habitation.

A practice manager candidate interviewed in December 2009 had current hospital and medical practice work experience BUT also had been charged with aggravated assault-murder with a deadly weapon. Linda Gonzalez of Medserv said, “This candidate is actively conducting a job search in our health care community. It’s a buyer’s beware market. Protecting your practice during the hiring process is more prudent than ever.”

Although a criminal background check will not protect a practice from a first-time offender, a criminal background check will at least protect your practice from those with an established record. Moreover, a reference check and a proper employment and education verification process will go a long way to protect your practice from employees who may consider doing it harm. “An employment candidate that misrepresents his/her educational background or employment history illustrates a lack of integrity that can be easily transferred to how his/her job is performed,” said Gonzalez.

Medserv can assist member practices by providing tools to guide employers through the hiring maze, free of charge, or by handling the search efforts for a special member rate that includes presenting candidates who are prescreened, tested, and had their references and criminal backgrounds checked. For more information, contact Linda Gonzalez, Employment Services Manager at 713-526-7378, ext. 217, or e-mail linda@medserv-hcms.com.

Find CME online

Locate CME credit courses by going to the HCMS Web site, www.hcms.org, and click on “CME” at the top of the page. You can browse home study and online courses that offer CME and ethics CME offered through the Texas Medical Association (TMA).

Patient-Physician Relationship Web Seminar

Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT) has a Web seminar, which is only available to TMA members. Physicians who listen to “Patient-Physician Relationship” Web seminar can purchase the “Medical Records – Consent for Treatment of a Minor” Web seminar and the “Professional Courtesy” Web seminar for $49 each. TMLT policyholders who complete all three Web seminars will earn a 3-percent discount (not to exceed $1,000) which will be applied to their next eligible policy period.

How Does it Work?

Go to www.texmed.org and click on Patient-Physician Relationship story to download the handouts and evaluation form. Listen to the Web seminar session on Patient-Physician Relationship. Then complete and return the evaluation form.

To claim CME credit for this course, you must return the completed evaluation via fax to 512-370-1693 or mail to: Texas Medical Association, Attn: Patient-Physician Web Seminar, 401 W. 15th St., Austin, TX 78701-1680.

CME credit is available for the period of July 30, 2009 to Dec. 31, 2011. Please complete and return the evaluation form prior to the expiration date.

The TMA designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM. This activity has been designated as one hour of ethics and/or professional responsibility education.

Candidates for membership

Please note that candidates for HCMS membership can be found by going to the HCMS Web site, www.hcms.org, and clicking on Membership/Membership Candidates in the top margin.

Members who have information about these physicians should contact a member of the HCMS Board of Ethics by Feb. 11. Members of the Board of Ethics are: Chair Dr. Denis K. Hoasjoe; Vice Chair Dr. Clare A Hawkins; and Drs. Jacob Tal; Steven M. Petak; Helen M. Schilling; Natarajan S. Bala; and Freemu K. Varghese. Call HCMS at 713-524-4267.

HCMS Member Day - Feb. 20: Free Museum/Free CME

Bring your family to the John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science (The Health Museum) on Saturday, Feb. 20, for the Harris County Medical Society (HCMS) Member Day to view exhibits and attend a CME seminar—all for FREE. The free CME, presented by Texas Medical Liability Trust, will be at 10:30 a.m.; RAC, CMS, OIG, MAC, CPT, E&M: What Does This All Mean To Me? Also, enjoy the museum and its exhibits with your family. Reservations are required. For more information or to RSVP, go to the HCMS Web site, www.hcms.org and click on “Meeting RSVPs”. Note: children must be accompanied by an adult.

‘HOT’ Member Benefit

Network in your area

Network with colleagues in your part of town through the Harris County Medical Society Branch meetings. Current branch meetings include wine tastings, Rockets game, and seminars all with available CME.

For more information, go to page 6 of the newsletter or to the HCMS Web site, www.hcms.org, and click on Calendar. RSVP online at www.hcms.org and click on “Meeting RSVPs” in the left margin.

Back to top

TMA leaders go to Washington

Texas Medical Association (TMA) President-Elect Dr. Susan Rudd Bailey led a group that included Council on Legislation Chair Dr. Dan McCoy, TMA lobbyist Darren Whitehurst, and TMA Executive Vice President Louis J. Goodman, Ph.D., to Washington, D.C. They went there to work with delegations from California and other state societies to lobby House and Senate members on health system reform legislation.

TMA is working to build support for replacing the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula with a stable funding platform for Medicare payments. It is also trying to protect Texas' medical liability reforms and to rewrite some of the more odious physician-evaluation provisions in the bill. The TMA Council on Legislation met last week via conference call to reaffirm TMA's priorities.

For a comprehensive 11-page comparison of the House and Senate bills, go to the Harris County Medical Society (HCMS) Web site, www.hcms.org and look under Health System Reform on the home page.

Source: TMA Action, Jan. 15, 2010
Presented by the HCMS Board of Medical Legislation

HCMS Aeros Day

Members, their families and friends are able to receive discounted tickets to the Houston Aeros games on Sunday, Feb. 14, at 4:05 p.m. (Houston Aeros vs. Chicago Wolves). Get the second seat free when you buy a: lower end-zone seat at $21, corner seat at $26, or club/center-ice seat at $34. To reserve your seats, call Ravi Dubey at 713-361-7946 or go to the HCMS Web site, www.hcms.org.

Need judges for Science Engineering Fair!

Physicians, residents and medical students are needed to be volunteer judges at the 50th annual Science Engineering Fair of Houston on Friday, March 12, 1:30 to 5 p.m., at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Medical students will be paired with physicians to judge in the following divisions: junior, ninth grade, senior laboratory, and senior non-laboratory. For more information, contact HCMS at 713-524-4267, ext. 223, or e-mail stefanie_cunanan@hcms.org. This is a great opportunity to help guide young minds toward a future in science.

Dr. Raymond Kaufman receives prestigious John P. McGovern Compleat Physician Award

The Harris County Medical Society (HCMS) and the Houston Academy of Medicine (HAM) presented Dr. Raymond H. Kaufman, professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology and in the department of pathology at The Methodist Hospital, with the John P. McGovern Compleat Physician Award at the HCMS/HAM Installation of Officers & Leadership Recognition on Jan. 22.

The John P. McGovern Compleat Physician Award is a national award presented annually by HAM to recognize a physician who exemplifies the ideals of Dr. William Osler—medical excellence, humane and ethical care, commitment to medical humanities and writing, research, and harmony between the academic and medical practitioner. The award is named after its first recipient, Dr. John P. McGovern, who founded the American Osler Society.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Kaufman has spent more than 60 years as a researcher and clinician. In his clinical practice, he has combined his expertise in pathology with his practice in gynecology to become one of the leading gynecologic pathologists. He has presented lectures throughout the world. His ongoing research into the effects of DES on the women whose mothers were given this drug during their pregnancies has been widely published. He has authored more than 270 published articles and numerous books chapters.

Dr. Kaufman received his medical degree from the University of Maryland. He completed his residencies and postdoctoral fellowship at The Methodist Hospital and Beth Israel Hospital in New York City. He served as the chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine from 1973 to 1992 and chief of OB/GYN at Texas Children’s Hospital and St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital until 1992.

Dr. Kaufman, a multi-accomplished physician, has dedicated his life to the advancement of his field and the benefit of humanity. He is a true academician as well as a caring medical practitioner. Dr. Kaufman is a visionary leader in medicine who exemplifies the Oslerian tradition in American medicine. He personifies the Compleat Physician.

Past recipients of the award are Dr. John P. McGovern (1993), Dr. Raymond Scalettar (1994), Dr. Ernest W. Johnson (1995), Dr. Donald W. Chapman (1996), Dr. Theodore E. Woodward (1997), Dr. Charles D. Sherman (1998), Dr. Michael E. DeBakey (1999), Dr. Victor McKusick (2000), Dr. W. Walter Menninger (2001), Dr. Robert L. DuPont (2002), Dr. Denton A. Cooley (2003), Dr. Jack P. Strong (2004), Dr. John Bilezikian (2005), Dr. Kathleen M. Foley (2006), Dr. Ralph E. Feigin (2007), Dr. Stanley H. Appel (2008) and Dr. Richard O’Reilly (2009).

Museum Spring Break Discovery Camp

Don’t miss one of Houston’s best-kept secrets - Spring Break Discovery Camps at the John P. McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science (The Health Museum). Camp programs are for children ages 8-13, including the Scout Merit Badge Camp. The Health Museum Camps offer fun learning adventures in week-long day camps.

Camp days are March 15-19, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Are you a working parent? Take advantage of the Before & After Camp Programs! Registration has begun. For more information, contact Adam Benjamin at 713-942-7054, ext. 123.

CME close to you

Harris County Medical Society (HCMS) offers ethics CME on a regular basis throughout the Greater Houston area through the HCMS branch societies. The branch meetings provide practice management information, medical legislation information, information helpful services and seminars, and networking opportunities.

To attend a branch meeting, make your reservations online at www.hcms.org and click on “Meeting RSVPs” in the left-hand margin or call HCMS at 713-524-4267.

Baytown, Channelview, LaPorte Highlands & Crosby areas
East Branch
6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 2
Rockets Game Night with CME-to-Go (home study)
1 hour of ethics CME & TMLT discount
Toyota Center

Pasadena, Clear Lake and southeast areas
Southeast Branch
6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 2
Rockets Game Night with CME-to-Go (home study)
1 hour of ethics CME & TMLT discount
Toyota Center

Alief, Sharpstown, Bellaire & southwest areas
Southwest Branch
6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 18
Red Flag Rules: Proceed with Caution (Identity Theft & Unneccessary Expenses in Your Practice)
Sarah Fontenot, JD
1 hour of ethics CME
Braeburn Country Club

Humble, Tomball and north areas
North Branch
6 p.m., Tuesday, March 2
Topic Pending
Northgate Country Club

Inside Loop 610
Central Branch
7 p.m., Wednesday, March 10
Wine Tasting/Networking with CME-to-Go
3 hours, 1 hour in ethics CME (home study)
Corkscrew Wine Bar on Washington

Memorial, Spring Branch and west areas
Western Branch
6 p.m., Thursday, March 11
Show Me the Money—How to Keep What the Government Doesn’t Take
Houston Racquet Club

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February 1, 2010