JANUARY/FEBRUARY2010

Volume 40, No. 1

ESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY

We Care Doctor of the Year AwardedPage 4

In MemoriamPage 5

Inaugural BallPage 6 - 7

New MembersPage 2

President’s MessageReflecting On The Past...Look Forward To The Futureby Wayne Willis, MD

Dr. Wayne Willis

Visit our website at

escambiacms.org for helpful

information on meetings,

sample ICD-10 forms and to

connect with our newest website

sponsor SunTrust.

The January edition of the ECMS journal is a good

time to reflect on the past year and to look forward

to the future. Under the guidance of our execu-

tive director Holly Strickland and our most recent

president Dr. Michael Riesberg, we continue to grow

and provide value to our members. For those who

missed the ECMS Ball, we celebrated our 125th an-

niversary, honored the wounded warrior project with

a cash donation and enjoyed the band Mr. Big. More

importantly, we enjoyed socializing with each other

and our families. We also enjoyed the thoughts of

Senator Don Gaetz.

For those who wonder what organized medicine as

“done for me”, Senator Gaetz reminded us in the

passing of SB 1122 which allowed payment to phy-

sicians who are not participating in certain health

plans but never-the-less rendered treatment. With

a lot of work by the FMA and legislators like Senator

Gaetz, payment now goes to those non-participating

physicians not the patient. The insurance industry

spent tons of money trying to defeat this bill. The

previous rule allowed insurance companies to strong

arm doctors in to signing up for health plans under

the threat of not being reimbursed directly. Most

likely most physicians will benefit from this new rul-

ing many times over their dues for ECMS/FMA.

As we look to the New Year, we hope to assist our

members with developing web pages and to use

these to coordinate referrals. This should be a ben-

efit to patients (they can get information about their

referral physician including location, phone number

and references) and as-

sist those doctors who

have not yet used web

pages to market and manage their practice.

For me personally, I made the decision to give up

hospital work. As a family physician, I’ve always

believed that hospitalization is a failure of outpatient

care. As reimbursements for hospital use have fall-

en, volume is the only way to compensate and not a

visible choice for me.

Bringing in an EMR (Electronic Medical Records)

was a huge decision at this point in my career. Af-

ter two months we are still in the learning curve, but

accessing my records from home has already been

helpful. It is also easier for my nurses to gather pa-

tient information and set up referrals. Additional

benefits are fewer paper charts floating around the

office and no more waiting for dictation to come in.

Lack of typing skills has slowed me down but I’m

getting better at using templates and macros.

The downside has been less face to face contact

with patients but they are happy to see their doctor

going high tech. Hopefully, the promised reimburse-

ments by the Obama administration will help make

the “high tech” investment worthwhile. I’ll keep you

posted.

Finally, I want to thank to Dr. Roger Henson and Dr.

Quintin Law for all their help in getting me started

on my EMR.

Membership

Galinis Andrius, MDMedical School: Indiana University, 2004Residency: Indiana University School, 2008Board Certified: American Board of AnesthesiologyPractice: Panhandle Anesthesiology Associates (850) 416-2332

Alka Wells, MDMedical School: University of Louisville, 1994Residency: University of Louisville Hospital, 1999Board Certified: American Board of RadiologyPractice: Pensacola Radiology Consultants(850) 416-6020www.pensacolaradiology.com

Wade Baggs, MDMedical School: University of Miami, 1975Residency: Medical College of Georgia, 1978Board Certified: American Board of Internal MedicinePractice: Baptist Medical Group Perdido (850) 437-8686www.ebaptishealthcare.org

Congratulations to our members in new locations.

Karanbir Gill, MD5149 North 9th Ave, St 246Pensacola, FL 32504Phone (850) 416-6159

Anita Westafer, MD2569 Gulf Breeze ParkwayGulf Breeze, FL 32563Phone: (850) 934-0932Fax: (850) 934-0737

Welcome New Members!

Escambia County Medical Society

Founded in 1873

2010 ECMS OfficersWayne Willis, MD

President

Michelle Brandhorst, MD President-Elect

George Smith, MD Vice President

Wendy Wozniak, MD Secretary-Treasurer

Michael Riesberg, MDImmediate Past President

Membership

Alliance News The Share Bear Project was a success. Thank you for your help on this project.What do the 200 Alliance Share Bears represent? The bears represent a child, a victim of violence, a patient in your of-fice, a student in need, and a distraught family. These children have fallen victim to environmental, social, and psychological determinants they may never overcome. They carry with them the scars of society’s ailments. You may treat them, their parents, or grand parents in your office and never know. However, the abuse is not meant to be suffered alone. It permeates without a sound to all reaches of the family unit. These children do not ask for play stations and go carts for Christmas. They are simple in their requests. The Alliance has supported this cause for over 10 years. Thank you for donating to this cause over the years. On this day, each bear rep-resented a smile you helped create.

Coming UP…The Alliance King Cake Fundraiser! See the insert in this newsletter.•Alliance Lunch – Tuesday, February 9, 2010 – The Courtyard in North •Hill. This lunch will be catered to Thank the ECMS Alliance spouses for all of their dedication and hard work in our community. This is courtesy of the ECMS physicians. RSVP (850) 478-0706.

Doctor’s Day Hors d’ Oeuvres and Drinks Downtown! Sponsored by •the ECMS Alliance and Regions Bank. Thank you for your Contribu-tion to Medicine and your Family. Tuesday, March 30, 2010 5:30p – 8p | Artissimo | Downtown | 104 Palafox Place

Baptist Health Care Baptist Medical Group Grows Trusted Physician Base, Locations in Community Earlier this year, Baptist Health Care formed Baptist Medical Group to provide physicians with the support needed to allow them to focus on their one true purpose of caring for patients. Now, with more than 50 physicians, Baptist Medical Group has in-creased access to primary care and specialty physicians for residents throughout northwest Florida and south Alabama. Baptist Medical Group physicians practice in Pensacola, Pace, Perdido Key, Gulf Breeze and Navarre. They offer a wide range of specialties including: internal medi-cine and family practice, cardiology, gynecology/oncology, medical and radiation oncology, neonatology and pediatrics, orthopaedics and ortho-paedic surgery, plastic surgery and urology and urologic surgery. Baptist Direct Access Offers Smooth Transfers, Admissions, and Outpatient ServicesBaptist Health Care (BHC) has launched Baptist Direct Access, a new program designed to benefit physicians and patients with easy, fast and convenient access for patient admissions, transfers and outpatient ser-vices - 24 hours per day, seven days per week. When patients, physicians or staff call 877.469.7500, they are con-nected with an experienced Direct Access Nurse who coordinates and ensures each patient’s care. With just basic patient information, the Bap-tist Direct Access Nurse will pre-assign a patient bed number and the name of the accepting physician. As a national leader in patient satisfaction, Baptist continuously seeks ways to improve our patients’ experience. Ultimately, Direct Access improves patients’ hospital experience by simplifying the transfer and ad-mission process. Please call one toll-free Direct Access at 877.469.7500 for all of your scheduling needs, or visit BaptistDirectAccess.org to learn more.

West Florida Healthcare Announces Partnership with iTriage Mobile Marketing West Florida Healthcare recently announced a new partnership with Healthagen® to promote its hospital facilities on the iTriage™ mobile mar-keting solution for all iPhone, smartphone and desk top users. With the introduction of this premier level of service, West Florida Healthcare is one of the first hospitals to utilize this interactive technology which empowers consumers to evaluate symptoms, learn about the possible causes, find appropriate locations for treatment, as well as get cost information based on the type of facility. West Florida Healthcare recognizes that providing technological excellence and cost effective healthcare to its patients re-quires that cutting-edge solutions like iTriage be adopted.

Sacred Heart Sacred Heart’s new Cancer Center Opened Sacred Heart Medical Oncology Group physicians, Drs. Sunnen-berg, Eldawy, McLeod and Watkins are now seeing patients in the newly opened Sacred Heart Cancer Center, located on the corner of Airport Blvd. and College Parkway In Pensacola. As of March, Gulf Region Radia-tion Oncology Centers (GRROC) physicians Drs. Lowrey (ECMS Founda-tion WeCare Doctor of the Year!) and Krentel will also have offices in the new facility. The centralized outpatient services offered at the new Cancer Center expedites coordination of services, including radiation oncology, medi-cal oncology, chemotherapy, laboratory services, pharmacy services and more.. ECMS members are invited to an open house celebration of the 95,430-square-foot facility on Saturday, Feb. 20, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.Innovative Procedure Targets Liver Cancers Interventional radiologists at Sacred Heart Hospital are providing an innovative therapy for liver cancer that shuts off the artery supplying blood to liver tumors, while also injecting anti-cancer drugs directly to the site. The non-surgical procedure for liver cancer is known as chemoemboliza-tion. During the procedure, interventional radiologists use a catheter to enter an artery to the kidney. Then they inject tiny beads loaded with a chemotherapy drug into an artery that supplies blood to the liver or part of the liver. The treatment has been found to be effective in reducing the size of liver tumors, prolonging life, and giving patients a better quality of life.

Hospital News

Foundation

Transitional Care Corner By Donna Jacobi, MD

Happy New Year! Just a few facts from our local ElderCare transi-

tional care project (2006-2009) that confirm why this area of care is receiv-

ing increased attention.

Our 30 patients were 2/3 women, 1/3 men, average age 74.8 yr (M

70.1, F 77.1). 20% were <65 years old (uninsured or Medicaid patients

with limited access to post-hospital care). They were returning home from

hospital or nursing facility alone or without a capable caregiver. They

were taking an average of 11.1 medications (2-21; how many were new

or changed?). More than half were at high nutritional risk and more than

a third at moderate risk on a nutritional screen – only 13% were not at

risk. More than half had had recent falls (our nurse coach’s assessments

and home safety evaluations should have proved useful in reducing the

risk of future falls). Half of the patients completed a Mini-Mental Status

exam (the others had passed a simpler cognitive screen, the Mini-Cog

exam). Of those, 46% had clearly abnormal cognitive status (scores of

25 or less) – was this due to delirium or unrecognized dementia, or were

these demented patients “home alone?” 39.1% had a screen suggest-

ing significant depression – again, were these newly detected or inad-

equately treated cases? A medication review for correlation with these

latter issues – and the risk for falls – is underway. Approximately 40% lack

advanced directives – with someone who is “alone,” we should all strive to

clarify their desires before a crisis occurs.

Why we think this type of transitional care program is likely to be cost-

effective:

• Themajorityofpatientswereabletoperformmost,ifnotallactivities

of daily living, suggesting that they could continue to live safely in a home

environment.

• Only1of30(3.3%)hadanunplannedreadmissiontothehospitalin

the 30 days after enrollment; only 3 of 18 (16.7%) at 60 days and 5 of 16

(31.25%) at 1 year were readmitted! These are very small numbers and

a select data population. These are much lower than national – or even

local – averages for the entire Medicare population. Data for the entire 30

will be collected this summer.

• The projected costs for services were held within the budgeted

ranges. The not accounted for in our original planning were the signifi-

cant costs to establish communication and lines of referral. This should

be much less with such services as part of a health care system rather

than trying to superimpose “one more service” on our current fragmented

one(s?).

More on service utilization later!

We Care Program Signature Project of theEscambia County Medical Society Foundation

2009 Total of Free Services: $ 6,511,842.06

We Care Doctor of the Year Award:

Dr. Gerald Lowrey

$201,494.00 of donated medical care

This project first started in 1994. Without the support and coopera-

tion of all four area hospitals* and over 300 doctors, many patients would

have struggled to find the specialty care they needed. Our medical soci-

ety can be proud that this project is ongoing after 13 years and supported

by so many caring physicians and hospital administrators who see the

need and care deeply enough for the indigent, adult patients of our com-

munity.

Congratulations to the entire healthcare community who have united

in this project to take care of our own.

Please support our ECMS Foundation efforts this year as we help

fund the salary for a staff member at the WeCare office. We are thankful

for the staff that helps route patients to much needed physician care.

*Baptist Health Care, Gulf Breeze Hospital, Sacred Heart Health System, West Florida Healthcare

Dr. Lowrey and his nurse Nancy

Dr. Lowrey’s wonderful staff

FOR MDs Continuing Medical Education (CME) is required for licensure re-newal. The chart below describes these requirements. CME coursework for licensees renewing by January 31, 2010 must have been completed between February 1, 2008 and January 31, 2010. Licensees should not submit CME documentation unless audited. Physicians and/or spouses in the military are exempt from the CME requirements. All CME must be AMA approved category I, except for Domestic Vio-lence and Prevention of Medical Errors. Domestic Violence and Preven-tion of Medical Errors courses offered by any State or Federal Government Agency or professional association including any provider of category I or II AMA continuing medical education will be acceptable. Required Continuing Medical Education for Physicians Renewing by 1/31/2010: 1st Time License Renewal: •1hourHIV/AIDS •2hoursinPreventionofMedicalErrorsEducation 2nd and Subsequent Renewals: •38hoursgeneralCME •2hoursinPreventionofMedicalErrorsEducation

CME Courses: Preventing Medical Errors You must complete an approved Medical Errors course if you are renewing your license. Not all Risk Management or Ethics courses meet the Medical Errors criteria required to renew your Florida medical license. How can you be sure that a course does? Make sure that the course you take includes the following information;

A study of root cause analysis•Error reduction, prevention, and patient safety•The five most misdiagnosed conditions during the previous bien-•nium

1. Cancer 2. Cardiac 3. Acute abdomen 4. Timely diagnosis of surgical complications 5. Stroke and related cranial conditions The two-hour Medical Errors course must be approved by state or

In Memoriam Henry Matthew Yonge, MD 1920-2009

Henry Matthew Yonge passed away Tues-day, November 24, 2009. He was born in Pensacola on July 31, 1920 son of J.E. Davis and Hilma Green Yonge. He lived his entire life in Pensacola except for his education and four years military service in World War II. His brother, Philip Keyes Yonge, his sister, Hilma Yonge Edwards, and his first wife, Patri-

cia Kansinger Yonge, preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife of 22 years, Rebecca Gray Yonge and her daughter Elizabeth Jane Anderson Ferruelo; two sons: John Eayres Davis Yonge of Boca Raton (Sherry S. Yonge) and Howard Matthew Yonge of Pensacola (Amelie Cooper Yonge); four grandchildren: Amelie Anne Yonge and Katherine Chandler Yonge of Pensacola and John Eayres Da-vis Yonge and Henry Matthew Yonge of Boca Raton; three nephews, Lane Edwards Jr., John Edwards, and Philip Edwards; and a cousin, Priscilla Lamore. After graduation from Pensacola High School in 1938, he was award-ed a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington and Lee University in 1942. He attended Tulane University Medical School and was awarded a Doctor-ate of Medicine in 1945. He continued his graduate medical education at the University of Pennsylvania, North Carolina Baptist Hospital (Bowman Gray Medical School), and at the Oschner Foundation in New Orleans. He was on the staff of the Internal Medicine Department at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor until 1952.

He began the private practice of internal medicine in Pensacola in 1952 and retired in 1998. He dedicated his life to excellent patient care and to the education of young physicians. He was instrumental in the organization and administration of the Pensacola Educational Program - a graduate education program for interns and residents. He served terms as chairman of the department of internal medicine and chairman of the board for the PEP program. He served as president of the Escambia County Medical Society, Secretary of the Florida Medical Association, Secretary of the internal medicine section of the Southern Medical As-sociation, and alternate delegate to the American Medical Association for the Florida Medical Association. He served on the medical education committee in all four of these organizations. He served several terms and was on the first medical advisory committee to the dean at the University of Florida medical school in Gainesville. Additionally, he was president of the Escambia Tuberculosis Association, and also active in the Florida Heart Association. He received numerous awards, including Baptist Hos-pital’s Hollinger Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1998. He was active in Christ Episcopal Church most of his life and served as senior warden under two rectors. He was also active in several so-cial organizations and clubs, including the Sierra and Canoeing Clubs, and was a tennis and sailing enthusiast. He traveled extensively, having served on three around the world Semester at Sea tours as ship’s physi-cian. Memorials may be made to Christ Church, 18 West Wright Street, Pensacola, Florida 32501 or Covenant Hospice.

CME Requirements for Florida Re-licensure (www.doh.state.fl.us)

federal government agency, any national affiliated professional association, or any provider of category I or II American Medical Association CME. One hour of a two hour course which is provided by a facility licensed pursuant to Chapter 395, F.S., for its employees may be used to partially meet this requirement. The two-hour Medical Errors course must have been completed with-in 24 months of renewing your license. NOTE: End-of-Life Care and Palliative Care can no longer be com-pleted in lieu of HIV/AIDS or Domestic Violence courses.

FOR DOs In order to retain their Florida licenses, osteopathic physicians must earn a set number of hours of Continuing Medical Education (CME) cred-it.

Each physician must complete a total of 40 CME hours, 20 of which •must be AOA Category 1-A.

Included in the 40 hours, there are five (5) mandatory hours re-quired for Florida relicensure (each licensure period) and cannot be taken by correspondence. The following must be LIVE, PARTICIPA-TORY credits: • 2hoursofPreventionofMedicalErrors• 1hourofRiskManagement• 1hourofFloridaLaws&Rules• 1hourofUses&AbusesofControlledSubstances In addition to the above 5 hours, you are required to take 2 hours of Domestice Violence every 6 years. This may be taken by correspon-dence: • 2hoursofDomesticViolenceevery6yearsstarting4/1/06FOR NEW LICENSEES ONLY:

1 hour of HIV/AIDS must be taken before the end of your• FIRST licen-sure renewal. All those that are not in their first two years of licensure are NOT REQUIRED to take an HIV/AIDS course.

REMEMBER: Any FOMA CME meeting you attend you will receive ALL of your MANDATORY hours and those hours will be reported to CE Broker and the AOA for you as a member benefit! Licensure Periods: (Previous) April 1, 2006- March 31, 2008(Current) April 1, 2008- March 31, 2010 (Next) April 1, 2010- March 31, 2012

2010 Inaugural Ball

2010 Installation of OfficersAND FUNDRAISER FOR THE

WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT

New President: Wayne Willis, MD

Thank you for celebrating our 125th Anniversary with us this year. We started the year off with a wonderful celebration.

ECMS Physicians raised over $2,000 for Wounded Warriors. This will be a monumental year for ECMS Physicians!

Keep up with our newsletters and emails. There are more events to come.

We wish to thank the following organizations for their support of the Inaugural Ball. Their support is pivotal in creating events for ECMS members.

Distinguished Service MedalFirst Professionals Insurance Company

Silver Star MedalMedical Center Clinic

Covenant HospiceMAG Mutual

RegionsMichelle Brandhorst, M.D.

Baptist Health CareSacred Heart Hospital

O’Sullivan CreelPensacola Chamber of Commerce

Dr. & Mrs. Wayne WillisDr. & Mrs. Thomas Sunnenberg

Superior Service MedalGulf Coast Bank

Saltmarsh, Cleveland & GundBlue Cross Blue Shield of Florida

Dr. & Mrs. James NalleyDr. Jack Kotlarz

Mr. Dietmar Laenger & Dr. Susan LaengerDr. Michael Hammer

Dr. & Mrs. Andres CandelaDr. & Mrs. Rodger Garrett

Dr. Paula Montgomery & Mr. Bill Caplinger Virginia College

Dr. & Mrs. Joseph Howard

Special Gratitude is given to our 2010 LIFE MEMBERS. They have been a Champion of Health Care through ECMS for 35 years. Holding a Life Member Status is a prestigious achievement. Life members enjoy the benefits of a dues exempt position with all the

benefits of an active member.

Michael Redmond, MD and Jerald Kuenn, MD

Dr. Madelyn Butler installs Dr. Wayne Willis. Dr. Wayne & Carole Willis. Our President Dr. Willis and his loving family.

125th Anniversary

Gulf Coast Community Bank, Jeanne & Skip Prange. Dr. Jack Kotlarz with beautiful date Lisa.ECMS welcomes our new Board members.

Dr. Michael & Jane Redmond, 2010 Life Member. Our Immediate Past-President, Dr Michael Riesberg and his wife Mary.

Thank you Senator Gaetz for being a friend of Medicine.

We enjoyed the wonderful music of Prime Time Entertainment.

Josh and Ashley Jacobi.Thank you Dr. Michelle Brandhorst and Dr. George Smith for your support this year. FMA President-Elect Madelyn Butler and her husband Bill. We

enjoyed spending the evening with you.

Dancing the night away.FSU was represented by Dr Alma & Gentle Littles. Thank you for coming to celebrate with us.

Deposit products and services are offered through SunTrust Bank, Member FDIC.

Securities and Insurance Products and Services: Are not FDIC or any other Government Agency Insured · Are not Bank Guaranteed · May Lose ValueSunTrust Private Wealth Management Medical Specialty Group is a marketing name used by

provided by SunTrust Bank. Securities, insurance (including annuities and certain life insurance products) and other investment products and services are offered by SunTrust Investment Services, Inc., an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker/dealer and a member of FINRA and SIPC. Other insurance products and services are offered by SunTrust Insurance Services, Inc., a licensed insurance agency.

©2009 SunTrust Banks, Inc. SunTrust is a federally registered service mark of SunTrust Banks, Inc. Live Solid. Bank Solid. is a service mark of SunTrust Banks, Inc.

Specialized Wealth Management for Practices and Physicians

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Treasury and Payment Solutions Lending Investments Financial PlanningFor more information, contact Shelly Hakes, Director of Society Relations at (800) 741-3742, Ext. 3294.

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Endorsed by

Escambia B-W 3.5x10.indd 1 1/8/10 12:08:25 PM

DOCTOR’S DAY CELBRATION!

MARCH 30, 2010 AT ARTISSIMO

5:30 PM – 8 PM

Sponsored by ECMS Alliance and Regions Bank

Automatically upload patient immunization histories and multiply your Florida SHOTS time savings. With data upload you can upload a month’s worth of immunization records in less than four minutes.* Now that’s fast!

Call 877-888-SHOT today to enroll in Florida SHOTS or to learn more about using data upload in your office.

Florida SHOTS™

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RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

8880 University Pkwy., Suite BPensacola, FL 32514Ph: 850-478-0706 Fx: 850-474-9783Email: ECMSinfo@bellsouth.netExecutive Director: Holly StricklandAdmin. Asst: Ashley Jacobi

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT #258

PENSACOLA, FL

The Escambia County Medical Society Bulletin is published six times a year. Editors are Dr. Norman Vickers and Holly Strickland, Executive Director. View and opinions expressed in the Bulletin are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the board of directors, staff or advertisers. Copy deadline is the fifteenth of the month, preceding publication month. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit or reject any submission.

2010 dues are NOW DUE! Pay by check or credit card. Call 478-0706.

Upcoming Conferences

The Annual NW FL Academy of IM issues in Internal Medicine and West Florida Hospitals’ Geriatric ConferenceNew World Landing, Friday, February 12, 2010Register at Baptist 434 4819

41st Annual Pediatric SymposiumMay 29-31, 2010, Sandestin HiltonRegister at MECOP.org

MECOP Office: (850) 477-4956 MECOP Fax: (850) 477-8144 mecop@mecop.org