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In this Issue:
- Governor's Message
- ACP Vermont Chapter Meeting
- Register Now!
- Save the Date!
- Vermont Resolutions
- Green Mountain Medicine
- Early Career Physicians Committee Chair Needed
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
- Announcements
Priscilla W. Carr, MD, FACP, ACP Governor
Governor's Message
Greetings!
It was so wonderful to see so many of you at the Vermont Chapter Meeting in September! In all, 59 members attended and 23 students and residents participated in the poster sessions. We were privileged to hear from a fantastic line up of Vermont speakers. George Abraham gave the keynote address and an update on ACP initiatives and activities. I'd like to give a big shout out to Allen Repp for his role in planning the meeting!
In October I travelled to Orlando Florida for the ACP Board of Governors meeting and I'd like to share a little bit of my experience. Leading up to this meeting, several governors expressed concern about the Florida location given the state's restrictions on access to abortion and pregnancy services, and open hostility toward persons of color and LGBTQ persons. One of my children is transgender, and Florida has some of the most hostile laws in the country toward transgender persons. What I wasn't expecting, was for the polite letter of concern I sent to the ACP to result in an invitation to speak on a plenary panel on the topic on how physician leaders can be LGBTQ+ allies, and ways to support patients and physicians. I found myself on a stage telling my family's story and speaking about the affirmation we've received from many in our community, and how much of an impact this has had on our family. (The panel also included a physician researcher, and an activist from Equality Florida.) In the days after that presentation, countless people from all over the US went out of their way to tell me how meaningful it was to hear that story, and how they'd been impacted by the entire presentation. (Below is a picture of me with the ACP Governor from Japan, Harumi Gomi after the presentation.) As our country becomes increasingly divided, this meeting served to remind me that we can make a difference when we look for opportunities to share our stories and connect with others. I'm grateful to the ACP for creating a platform to spotlight this and many other important issues of our time.
With Gratitude,
Priscilla Carr MD FACP
ACP Vermont Chapter Meeting
Vermont Chapter 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting
Friday, September 29, 2023
Trapp Family Lodge
Congratulations to Poster Competition Winners!
Medical student clinical vignette: Robert Adamian
Checkmate to the Heart: Fatal Arrhythmia Induced by Checkpoint Inhibitor Myocarditis
Resident/ Fellow clinical vignette: Dr. Sara Heard
Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis due to type II cryoglobulinemia in the setting of Sjogren's syndrome
Medical Student Research/ QI/ High Value Care: Shruthi Santhanakrishnan
Provider Perspectives on Language Barriers in MyChart Enrollment for Patients with Limited English Proficiency
Resident/ Fellow Research/ QI/ High Value Care: Dr. Massoud Saleki
Rate of In-Hospital Initiation of SGLT-2 Inhibitors Remains Low Despite Reduction in Rate of 30-Day Readmission from Heart Failure Exacerbation
Register Now!
April 18-20, 2024
Boston MA
Save the Date!
ACP Leadership Day 2024
May 14-15, 2024
Leadership Day is the College's annual two-day advocacy event in Washington, DC that enables our members from across the country to bring our issues of concern to U.S. lawmakers. This is a great opportunity for the College and our members to bring our policy priorities to Congress and try to influence the legislative process on behalf of internal medicine.
Vermont Resolutions
Vermont will be sponsoring the following resolutions at the spring 2024 Board of Governors Meeting:
Reducing The Environmental Impact Associated With American College of Physicians Publications
Developing Educational Programs to Train Internal Medicine Physicians in the care of Sexual and Gender Minority Persons
Improving the experience of international medical students (IMS) and international medical graduates (IMG) seeking clinical observerships and letters of recommendation in the United States of America and Canada.
Green Mountain Medicine
Green Mountain Medicine is an original podcast series for all things internal medicine, sponsored by ACP Vermont. Hosted by University of Vermont medical students Caity Decara and Haley Bayne, this podcast deconstructs the topics that impact the field and characterize the practice of medicine.
Episodes are also available on Spotify, Apple Podcast & Google Play Music
Early Career Physicians Committee Chair Needed
The Vermont Chapter is looking for a member willing to chair our early career physicians committee. Anyone interested should contact Mark Pasanen or Priscilla Carr
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
ACP Vermont DEIB Corner
By Simrun Bal, MD
Dr. Bal recently moved from New Hampshire to Vermont and lives in Burlington, VT, where she practices internal medicine at the Burlington VT Veterans’ Affairs Clinic (affiliated with the White River Junction VA Medical Center).
As part of the Governor’s Newsletter, we seek to raise awareness in our chapter of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) issues among Vermonters.
During this fall’s newsletter, we will specifically be providing information about supporting LGBTQIA+ patients, colleagues, and community members. You might be wondering:
- The Basics: What does LGBTQIA+ stand for? The established “LGBTQ” abbreviation now has more letters that represent acceptance and greater inclusion related to sexual orientation and gender identity. L – lesbian, G – gay, B – bisexual, T – transgender, Q – queer or questioning, I – intersex, A – asexual, and + denotes everything on the gender/sexuality spectrum that letters and words are not able to describe. It is important to note that an individual’s definition of their gender and/or sexuality may not match what we have detailed here; it is important to respect people’s desired self-identifications. Try to match the language that people use to describe themselves. Please see below for this newsletter’s Practical Pearl about pronoun use.
- What is Vermont’s status as it relates to providing inclusion for members of the LGBTQIA+ community? Vermont is one of the five top states for protections extended to members of the LGBTQIA+ communities (LGBTQIA Alliance of Vermont). According to the Movement Advancement Project, an organization that tracks over 50 different LGBTQ-related laws and policies: in Vermont, about 5.2% of adults (18+) identify as LGBTQ (Gallups/William 2019), with about 23% of LGBTQ adults raising children. The Movement Advancement Project rates Vermont as a “high” tally state indicating that the laws and policies that shape LGBTQIA+ people’s lives, experiences, and equality, tend to be supportive when compared to other states. It is important to note, though, that a “high tally” score reflects only existing laws, not bills under consideration, the implementation of law’s, or social climate within a state Movement Advancement Project.
- What can you do as an internal medicine physician and advocate in the state of Vermont? It is important to educate oneself about LGBTQIA+ rights and resources in one’s community (see below), as well as understanding what may be happening on a national level. Last year, several anti-LGBTQIA+ bills were introduced across numerous states. As a physician, you can provide written testimony for or against a bill, write an op-ed, and practice greater inclusivity in caring for patients and others. You can also make sure to reflect upon your own values and beliefs, learn about LGTBQIA+ issues using community resources (see below), and practice inclusivity in your workplace.
- What are some community resources for LGBTQIA+ community members in Vermont? The Pride Center of Vermont holds several groups for those who are LGTBQIA+, including Glam Vermont (for gay, bi, ,trans, queer+ male identified individuals; also offers stigma-free HIV and STD education and outreach events), Thrive QTPOC (a space for Queer & Trans People of Color in Vermont), Momentum (for 40+ LGBTQ Vermonters), and the LGBTQ People with Disabilities Network.Health screenings are also offered by the Pride Center of Vermont, such as rapid HIV testing and cancer screenings (such as mammography). Patients can also identify affirming physicians as part of the Vermont Diversity Health Project and as a physician, you can also sign up to be part of this directory.There are also a variety of events this fall, including a Trans Love Tuesday Walk in Burlington on 11/14 (See Pride Center VT Events), a Pride Book Club in Winooski on 11/15, and a Film Screening and Discussion for World AIDS Day on Dec 1 in Montpelier. See an events calendar here for specifics and other activities around Vermont.
- Practical Pearl: How does one practice gender-inclusive language? One way to practice gender-inclusive language is to carefully consider the pronouns you use for others. You can’t always know what someone’s pronouns are by looking at them. Asking and correctly using someone’s pronouns is a basic way to show respect for their gender identity. One way to ask is “What pronouns do you use?” It is not offensive to ask, and allows for better communication. You can also model sharing your pronouns when you meet someone new by saying, “Hi, my name is [Name] and I use she/her pronouns. How about you?” You have thus signaled that you’re aware that people may use pronouns that you wouldn’t assume for them and that you are a safe person to disclose your pronouns to. If you make a mistake, the best thing to do is correct yourself in the moment or apologize right away.
Announcements
9th McMaster International Review Course in Internal Medicine
Harvard Combined Dermatology Project Echo
In January 2024, the Harvard affiliated dermatology departments will be launching a dermatology specific specialty care Extension for Community Health Outcomes ECHO primary care providers in New England