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In this Issue:
- Governor's Message
- From our Program Committee Chair, Doug Couper, MD MACP,
- From our Awards Committee Chair, Chris Wellins, MD FACP
- From our UNE Medical School Rep, Connor Devoe
- Chapter Excellence Award
Rebecca B. Hemphill, MD, FACP, ACP Governor
Governor's Message
Dear Colleagues
It is time once again to update you with all that our Chapter has been up to these last several months. We have held a number of fun and educational events. In September, the weather cooperated and we hosted a beautiful afternoon at Hadlock Field to see a Portland SeaDogs game – with of course a visit from Slugger! Below, you will read updates from a number of our Committees regarding other events and topics of interest.
As we approach the end of the second year of the Pandemic, I want to again recognize all the incredible work that every one of you do every day. It remains critically important that we recognize the strain that all healthcare workers are under, the frustration that we need to work through with every vaccine-hesitant patient that we try to reason with and the emotional drain of taking care of critically ill patients with COVID, knowing that it was preventable. It remains so important to care for yourselves while we care for patients. I would encourage you to check out ACPs IM Emotional Support Hub , a site that they have developed with content that offers strategies for taking care of ourselves and coping with the stresses of today.
I wish all of you the best for a restful and happy holiday season!
Rebecca Hemphill
From our Program Committee Chair, Doug Couper, MD MACP,
The Maine Chapter of the ACP held its annual scientific meeting on September 17 and 18th, 2021. Due to the pandemic the educational session was again virtual this year. The sessions started with Internal Medicine Resident cases of the year. As always, the presentations were stellar and the cases fascinating. Each year, this is always one of the most popular sessions of the conference. Our outstanding resident presenters were Jenna Ptaschinski, MD, Nicole Rebusi, MD and Elizabeth Mazzeo, DO. Congratulations to Dr. Mazzeo for winning the Vignette competition, and she will be bringing her case to the National ACP Meeting in Chicago in the Spring of ‘22. Many thanks to Dr. Stephen Hayes, MD MACP for working with the residents once again. Our chapter is very appreciative of your many years of service and commitment to these presentations as you move on to serving as our Chapter's Governor next year.
This was followed by a group of presentations focusing on what's new in Covid-19. This included non-ICU hospital management, new Covid strains, prevention and vaccination. The presentations were very timely, with one speaker citing an article that was released the day of the conference! Dr Rebecca Lincoln from the State of Maine CDC, educating us on the health effects of climate change in Maine. The day wrapped up with poster presentations.
The second day segued from climate change to emerging diseases in Maine and tick-borne illnesses. A Multiple Small Feedings of the Mind session followed educating us on antibiotic resistance in STDs, Recurrent UTIs, and Influenza. DR Elisa Choi discussed racial disparities with an eye-opening session.
Overall, the session was contemporary and extremely up to date with current medical events, and was very well received by attendees. Next year we plan to be back in Bar Harbor, September 23rd -25th and look forward to seeing you there!
Resident Vignette presenters with Dr. Stephen Hayes
From our Awards Committee Chair, Chris Wellins, MD FACP
We were pleased to give out several well-deserved awards at our Chapter Meeting.
Hsin Cindy Chu - medical student of the year award. Ms. Chu was recognized for her activity as a student representative on the Governor's Advisory Council and helping to coordinate several medical student activities including social gatherings and medical student Morning Reports.
Hani Jarawan, MD FACP - Advocacy award. Dr. Jarawan is widely recognized as being intensely engaged in political advocacy. He was rewarded for his knowledge, advocacy, and efforts to advance measures beneficial to the care of our patients.
Michael Roy, MD FACP – Dr. Roy received this year's Laureate Award in recognition of his many years of service to his Gastroenterology patients, and to learners and colleagues as the Chief of Medicine at Maine Medical Center. He has been a longstanding supporter of ACP and its mission. The care of his patients and his leadership have been remarkable for many years, and we wish him all the best in his retirement.
Dr. Michael Roy receiving the Laureate from Dr. Rebecca Hemphill, Maine Chapter Governor
From our UNE Medical School Rep, Connor Devoe
On Friday, November 19, 2021, students from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNE COM) Class of 2024 met via Zoom with the residents of the Maine Medical Center Internal Medicine Program. Each year, residents from Maine Medical Center guide UNE COM students through a Morning Report, encouraging students to engage in critical thinking and clinical decision making. Students were given a brief introduction to a patient case, constructed a more thorough history, built a differential diagnosis, ordered pertinent labs and were then shown how the actual case unfolded. Cases this year featured a case of “Fatigue” which would later be revealed as Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and a case of “Fever” in which the patient became septic and was later discovered to have Lyme disease. In addition, each Morning Report featured an in-depth discussion of the clinical sequelae and an opportunity to ask questions about the lives of residents within the Internal Medicine Program. These presentations were engaging and encouraged many lessons of clinical education: a thorough history is often the best diagnostic tool and, when in Maine, Lyme disease must be on the differential.
Chapter Excellence Award
I am pleased to announce that our chapter is in receipt of the Gold Level of the 2021 Chapter Excellence Award! The award recognizes truly extraordinary chapters that surpass excellence in chapter management. We are in the company of 44 other outstanding chapters. In order to achieve the Gold Level of the Chapter Excellence Award, chapters must meet twenty-one Bronze criteria, seventeen Silver criteria and multiple Gold level activities. Criteria include such activities as holding a volunteerism/community service activity, holding multiple stand-alone meetings, having revenue sources outside of dues and meeting registration fees, implementing a strategic plan and conducting various activities for Medical Students, Residents and Early Career Physicians. I would like to extend a special thanks to those chapter members who assisted us in all of these endeavors! For their hard work and dedication, we received this award.