Dallas Medical Journal

Women in Medicine - Physician Spotlights on DCMS Women

DCMS Foundation - Annual Fund Drive Begins

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Women in Medicine

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About the Cover Photo

Deborah Fuller, MD, is a practicing physician in Dallas juggling the demands of a thriving practice and an active family.

167 President’s Page Whither the TMA

171 Physician Spotlight Deborah Fuller — Extreme Life Juggler, MD

173 Membership Matters Why being a member of DCMS is important

to Carolyn Evans, MD

174 DCMS Foundation Annual Fund Drive Support the improvement and distribution

of quality health services across Dallas County

177 Physician Spotlight Lee Ann Pearse — Small-town MD

179 Community Health Fair Photos

181 Membership Matters Why being a member of DCMS is important

to Cynthia Sherry, MD

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Dallas County Medical SocietyPO Box 4680, Dallas, TX 75208-0680Phone: 214-948-3622, FAX: 214-946-5805www.dallas-cms.orgEmail: [email protected]

DCMS Communications CommitteeRoger S. Khetan, MD ............................................. ChairRobert Beard, MD Gene Beisert, MDSuzanne Corrigan, MDSeemal R. Desai, MD Daniel Goodenberger, MD Gordon Green, MD Steven R. Hays, MDLudwig A. Michael, MDDavid Scott Miller, MD

DCMS Board of DirectorsShelton Hopkins, MD ...................................... PresidentRichard W. Snyder II, MD .........................President-ElectSteven R. Hays, MD .........................Secretary/TreasurerStephen Ozanne, MD ............. Immediate Past PresidentGarret Cynar, MD Sarah L. Helfand, MD Michael R. Hicks, MDJeffrey Janis, MD Rainer A. Khetan, MD Dan McCoy, MD Todd Pollock, MDCynthia Sherry, MD Jim Walton, DO

DCMS StaffMichael J. Darrouzet .................. Chief Executive OfficerLauren N. Cowling ............................... Managing EditorMary Katherine Allen ..........................Advertising Sales

Articles represent the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Dallas County Medical Society or the institution with which the author is affiliated. Advertisements do not imply sponsorship by or endorsement of DCMS. ©2011 DCMS

According to Tex. Gov’t. Code Ann. §305.027, all articles in Dallas Medical Journal that mention DCMS’ stance on state legislation are defined as “legislative advertising.” The law requires disclosure of the name and address of the person who contracts with the printer to publish legislative advertising in the DMJ: Michael J. Darrouzet, Executive Vice President/CEO, DCMS, PO Box 4680, Dal-las, TX 75208-0680.

Dallas Medical Journal(ISSN 0011-586X) is published monthly by the Dallas County Medical Society, 140 E. 12th St, Dallas, TX 75203.

Subscription rates$12 per year for members; $36, nonmembers; $50, overseas. Periodicals postage paid at Dallas, TX 75260.

PostmasterSend address changes to:Dallas Medical Journal, PO Box 4680 Dallas, TX 75208-0680.

v o l u m e 9 7 • n u m b e r 9 • s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1

4004 Worth Street, Dallas, TX 75246

Avi Frias, 14, loves to play soccer. But when an asthma attack struck during a game, she

was afraid to play. “It was really scary because I couldn’t breathe, and I felt this huge pressure

on my chest. I started panicking,” she says. At the Martha Foster Lung Care Center at Baylor

Dallas, Avi was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma. “The people at the asthma center

were really caring. They took great care of me to make sure that I could function again.” Now,

Avi uses an inhaler twice a day and keeps a rescue inhaler on hand for emergencies. “Thanks

to Baylor, I can get back to what I love doing every single day.”

For more information about asthma care services, call 1.800.9BAYLOR or visit us online at BaylorHealth.com/AsthmaToolbox.

Physicians are members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Health Care System’s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and are neither employees nor agents of those medical centers, Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, or Baylor Health Care System © 2011 Baylor Health Care System BMFLCC-107 DCMS CE 8.11

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President’s Page

I believe that the way things are is the way they always will be. This is not the result of a rational evaluation, of course, only a mindset. If I can just get the machine running smoothly, everything will fall into place forever.

All of our intellect and our experience, however, tell us that that is absolutely wrong. The one thing we know for sure is that change is inevitable. But it is not inexorable. Change can be channeled and guided. Therefore, because we are responsible members of our medical community, we must accept that change is upon us so we can nudge it in the best direction. We always are aware of this at our DCMS and our TMA.

Our TMA is in the midst of a thorough effort to evaluate the current and future practices of its members, their attitudes and desires, and the external forces impinging on those practices and attitudes. This is a huge undertaking.

This is possible because the membership of our TMA (i.e., you and I) has been generous with time and money. This has created a staff nonpareil in Austin (nonpareil in other state capitols, that is; DCMS is at the same level), and a sense among the medical leadership that problems can be solved with thought and effort. Because of that optimism, tinged with urgency (and our older members know just what a strong driver urgency can be), our TMA recently convened a meeting of its committee chairs, board members, AMA delegates, and presidents of the larger county medical societies. At issue were underlying questions we have to face if we want TMA to forcefully represent us in the legal field and state legislative level.

Those questions included, “What will our position be on the independent practice of nurse practitioners (NPs) and physicians assistants (PAs)? The long-time answer has been (and, in my opinion, still should be) that there is a clear, bright “line in the sand,” and on one side are those with a medical degree and on the other are those without one.

“All right, Dr. High and Mighty,” a West Texas legislator could say, “perhaps in a better world where Texans did not have the 42nd poorest doctor/patient ratio in the country (including the ratios in Dallas and Houston, where you can’t throw a rock without hitting a doctor), you might be right. But what do I tell

my constituents in Rotan, Texas, when they get sick or have an injury? ‘Be tough! You’re the one who chose to live out here.’ It’s not like we’re stupid; we recognize that we take a step down in medical knowledge and sophistication when we use a PA or NP, but they are a lot better than Aunt Edna at the corner of the town square.” (My apologies if there really is an Edna at a corner of the Rotan town square.) One participant in the meeting described being on the receiving end of a legislator’s forceful “expression of opinion” regarding the above question.

We must each consider, discuss and then reconsider the primary care and specialist physician shortage/maldistribution. Over it all must be the concern for our patients, both ours individually and as a class. (I don’t have any patients in Rotan, but any policy I push for should take them into account.)

If considering the pros and cons of the above doesn’t give you a headache, then what about employment of physicians by nonphysicians? It’s always been a no-no in Texas. Only a few other states have our (previously) strict prohibitions, but they have not fallen into Bhutan medicine or UK medicine. Many of the same arguments given in the above paragraph can be used to justify allowing rural counties or hospitals to hire physicians. In fact, those arguments were used to good effect in the last legislative session. Plus, just how “free” are the physicians and groups whose practices have been purchased by hospitals? (I know it’s not exactly “purchased” or “by hospitals.”) Is it much different than being hired outright by a hospital? Do the young physicians care? Should we spend political capital and money on that issue every legislative year?

Other questions are just as difficult and contentious: will we still be demanding a $250,000 cap on pain and suffering when a Big Mac costs $250? What should the TMA position be on government-directed interactions with patients (the pre-abortion sonogram and graphic counseling)? Should physician couples get a break on membership dues? Yes, they probably could afford the dues better than most, but one of them can get many of the bennies with $0 outlay if he/she relies on the spouse. Would it not be better to offer double membership at 1.5x regular dues?

These questions are being pondered as I write, and after many queries of the membership and much gnashing of teeth, we should have answers in about a year. These are important and difficult issues, and they deserve the discussion and dissection they are receiving.

Shelton Hopkins, M.D.

Whither the TMA

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WHEN IS IT? Friday, Oct. 28, 6 - 9 p.m.

WHERE IS IT? Eddie Deen's Ranch, 944 S. Lamar, Dallas, near the Dallas Convention Center

WHAT TO EXPECT? Entertainment includes James Munton the magician; photo booth; 3-shot pool and basketball; face painting; kids craft station and goodie bags for all ages. This is a

great evening to enjoy with your family AND to network with your physician colleagues.

RSVP BY FRIDAY, OCT. 21. Fax this form to 214.946.5805, or call Linda Doyle at 214.413.1437,

or e-mail RSVP information to [email protected].

The only cost is $7 to park your wagon. Dinner is FREE, thanks to our event sponsors: DCMS CIRCLE OF FRIENDS, Texas Medical Liability Trust, TMA Insurance Trust, n-Able MD and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.

Event is hosted by Dallas County Medical Society.

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DMJ Women in Medicine Full Page_HSM.pdf 1 8/15/2011 3:55:39 PM

DCMS Physician SpotlightExtreme Life Juggler, MD by Lauren Cowling, director of communications

If Deborah Fuller, MD, decides to stop practicing medicine, she could consider professional juggling. Not only is she a physician in private practice, delivering babies, but she’s a mother of three and wife of one, and involved in myriad activities outside her office and family.

Dr. Fuller started the juggling act in her youth, when she played sports, sang in choirs and acted in plays while growing up in Euless, a town that her family helped put on the map, literally. (Ever driven down Fuller Road?) After graduating as valedictorian of her high school class, she set off for Southern Methodist University, where she had dreamed of going to school since she was a child, on an engineering scholarship. After one semester of engineering, she switched to pre-med.

“I had the math skills, but I really wanted to talk to people, so I switched,” she says.

After a battle with mononucleosis during her teen years, Dr. Fuller thought adolescent medicine would be the best fit for her. She felt as if that specialty filled a gap in patient care, but after a few months of a clinic rotation, she found she missed the excitement of acute care and the rush of providing almost immediate help to patients. During the first night of her OB/GYN rotation, she knew what medical road she wanted to take.

“Obstetrics gave me the acute and emergent care areas that I love, and patients I could talk to and build relationships with,” she says. “And, really, I just liked taking care of women.”

Dr. Fuller has been taking care of women in Dallas for 23 years. After being born at Baylor University Medical Center, she says the umbilical cord pulled her back after training at the University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston and her residency in San Antonio. She’s lost count of the number of babies she’s delivered, but guesses it’s in the thousands.

When Dr. Fuller isn’t delivering babies, she’s running all over Dallas to get to school events for her three daughters, Meredith, 19; Elise, 17; and Gillian, 15. The girls take after their mother in at least one way — they’re active in several pursuits, including sports, choir, piano, musicals, and art. The family, which also includes Dr. Fuller’s husband, Kevin Broadway, also is active in its church, University Park United Methodist Church.

Dr. Fuller admits it’s incredibly difficult to be a doting mother of three, but she does her best to make it to every event she can. She regrets that her schedule forces her to miss out on some family dinners.

“I like to cook,” she says, “but my kids don’t think I can cook, because I usually don’t.”

That’s where her supportive husband comes in. “I couldn’t do this without a very supportive husband,” she says, adding that Broadway regularly comes home from work before she does to provide dinner in some form or fashion.

With “so many balls in the air” as she likes to say, it’s hard to imagine adding more, but Dr. Fuller finds time to be an active member of DCMS and TMA. She’s a DCMS delegate to the TMA House of Delegates and is chair of TMA’s Council on Health Promotion. Dr. Fuller has served on the DCMS board of directors and the Legislative Affairs Committee, and currently serves on the Mediations Committee.

Her distant cousin and physician mentor, George Boswell Jr., MD, urged her to become involved in DCMS and TMA when she moved back to Dallas in 1988.

Dr. Boswell, a retired orthopaedic surgeon, told her, “If you’re going to be a practicing physician, you need to know what’s going on in medicine, so you need to be involved with DCMS and go to TMA meetings.” And that’s exactly what she did. She even went to a TexMed meeting when she was 38 weeks pregnant.

Dr. Fuller regularly treats patients from DCMS’ Project Access Dallas, and she’s volunteered for numerous medical mission trips with her church to Costa Rica and Guatemala. She’s a sustaining member of the Dallas Junior League, where she praises the volunteer work the group does in the community. She’s involved with Dallas Summer Musicals, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League, and the Booker T. Washington High School PTSA, which she will serve as one of two “senior moms” for the school year.

Even though Dr. Fuller continues to redefine the word “busy,” she says that she wouldn’t change any part of her life.

“I love what I do,” she says. “I love my patients. I love getting to know them and learning about their lives and their children’s lives. My patients keep me interested and keep me going.”

If one is still keeping track, that makes Dr. Fuller a practicing physician, who is devoted to her patients, her husband, three daughters, her church, numerous organizations, boards, councils, and committees. And SMU. And Texas.

Oh, and she loves to read.


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M E M B E R S H I P M A T T E R S

I joined DCMS and TMA right out of residency. I was told that if I didn’t get my name in the DCMS member directory, no one would be able to find me and then no one could refer patients to me.

When I became a DCMS delegate to the TMA House of Delegates, one of my friends asked me why I wanted to do it. I told her I believed I wasn’t represented there. I then told her that if you are not represented and you are given the chance to become a part, you have no one to blame but yourself that your views are not heard.

What I received after I started serving was something even more than I had counted on for my participation — I got to work with some of the brightest minds in the medical field. Our profession is filled with smart and dedicated people. Our task is to fight for the preservation of our profession and to work for the betterment of our patients. We come from different backgrounds and practice situations. We bring different ideas to the table. The end result is better than any one of us could do by ourselves. I have formed great friendships. I have gotten to know some remarkable men and women. We have won some battles and we have lost some, but I believe that medicine is that much the better for it.

You might not think that one person can make a difference. Dr. Phil Berry

took his organ donation idea of “Live and Then Give” to the TMA and to the AMA. One great doctor took one great idea and showed the rest of us the way.

At an AMA meeting, a resolution was proposed to seat alternate delegates on reference committees. Some thought this wasn’t a good idea. I stood up and brought to the attention of the delegation that our diversity was in our alternate delegates. Our women, our minorities, our International Medical Graduates, our young physicians, our residents, and our students all were alternate delegates. A vote against this resolution would be a vote against diversity. If you are not in one of those groups, you might not have thought about that aspect. Shedding light on the situation helps us do the right thing.

I have been fortunate to serve my fellow physicians in several positions. I was chair of the TMA Council on Communications and of the Board of Trustees. I have chaired the Scholarship and Loan Committee and the Council on Long Range Planning and Development of the AMA. One of my greatest pleasures was to be elected the second female president of the Dallas County Medical Society in its more than 100-year history.

I continue to be honored to serve as a guardian of our profession. And I continue to receive more than I give.

C a r o l y n E v a n s , M D

D r . E v a n s i s a p e d i a t r i c i a n i n P l a n o i n a g r o u p o f f o u r p h y s i c i a n s .

S h e h a s b e e n m a r r i e d t o h e r h u s b a n d , R i c h a r d T u r n e r , a p i l o t f o r S o u t h w e s t A i r l i n e s , f o r 2 9 y e a r s a n d h a s o n e s o n , R i c h a r d .

DCMSFOUNDATIONANNUALFUNDDRIVE

Give online through our secure Web site at www.active.com/donate/11campaignor contact DCMS Director of Finance Jackie Campbell at [email protected] or 214.413.1428.

On behalf of the Dallas County Medical Society board of directors, I invite you to participate in the 2011 Annual Fund Drive for the DCMS Foundation. The foundation has supported healthcare-focused community service efforts in the Dallas area for decades. The next page describes the projects in the community that you, as a member of the Dallas County Medical Society, help support. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the history and work of the foundation, and make a personal or group contribution.

The foundation’s most ambitious and successful endeavor is Project Access Dallas, which provides healthcare services to the uninsured working poor of our community. With your generous tax-deductible gift, DCMS can continue to develop and expand its community programs and health outreach efforts.

Your contribution shows that you care about the work DCMS does in thecommunity.

In recognition of your gift, you will be identified as a 2011 DCMS Foundation Annual Fund Drive donor in an upcoming issue of the Dallas Medical Journal. Thank you for considering a donation to the DCMS Foundation.

Sincerely,

Shelton Hopkins, MDPresidentDallas County Medical Society Foundation

PROJECT ACCESS DALLASTo lessen the challenges physicians face in caring for uninsured patients, Project Access Dallas is a network of volunteer physicians, partnering hospitals, charity medical clinics, and ancillary partners.

GREATER DALLAS/FORT WORTH ASSOCIATIONOF CHARITABLE CLINICSThe association provides resources through physician volunteer opportunities and is an advocate for low-income, uninsured populations on legislative issues.

MEDICAL MISSIONS METROPLEXPhysicians are asked to volunteer just one Saturday to work in the “mission fields” of the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIRDCMS physicians are among the judges of some 750 science projects created by area high school students.

IMMUNIZE KIDS! DALLAS AREA PARTNERSHIPIK educates parents, the community and medical professionals about the importance of immunizations.

CONFERENCE OF PROFESSIONSThis annual conference at SMU convenes physicians, attorneys and clergy members to build community relationships and discuss important life issues.

ANNUAL MEDICAL STUDENT DINNERIncoming freshman medical students are welcomed into the family of medicine with a dinner and evening with DCMS physicians.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESSThis program distributes resource cards that list signs and symptoms of abuse, legal protection available, and phone numbers of shelters and pertinent law enforcement agencies.

HARD HATS FOR LITTLE HEADSThis program provides children’s helmets and safety information to families, educating them on the importance of wearing a helmet while bicycling, roller skating, skateboarding, or riding a scooter.

SOUTHWEST TRANSPLANT FOUNDATIONThe foundation assists Metroplex organ transplant patients with expenses not covered by insurance.

TMA MINORITY SCHOLARSHIPDCMS helps fund a scholarship for a deserving minority medical student.

BAYLOR OBGYN RESIDENTS FUNDThis fund supports the training and education of Baylor OBGYN residents.

UTSW GO FELLOWSHIP FUNDThis fund supports the training and education of UT Southwestern gynecologic oncology fellows.

1 7 6 • S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 • D a l l a s M e d i c a l J o u r n a l

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DCMS Physician SpotlightSmall-town MDby Tracy Casto, director of legislative affairs and advocacy

Lee Ann Pearse, MD, gladly took her place in her medical family.

She refers to herself as a “small-town hick,” having been born in Flagler, an eastern Colorado town of about 450 people, and then moving with her family to Yuma, Colorado, with its population of 2,500.

Her father was the town’s family practice physician and her mother was a nurse. Her only sibling, an older brother, became a family practice physician in Denver.

“For a while he was the only doctor in town,” she says of her father. “I grew up seeing him working, and Mom being a nurse. I grew up in a doctor’s office. Mom was a nurse in a hospital for a while and then worked in a clinic with Dad.”

Growing up the daughter of a family practice physician gave her an incredible respect for physicians in that specialty and played a large part in Dr. Pearse’s decision to become a subspecialist (pediatric cardiology).

“A family practice physician has a very underrated and difficult job,” she says. “He had to know so much about so many things. But I wanted to know a lot about something. In many ways it’s easier to be a subspecialist, especially in a climate like Dallas where I have colleagues who can help.”

Dr. Pearse earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder in molecular cellular developmental biology. An experience early in her career shaped her future.

“Once when I went home as a fellow in Denver, Dad delivered a preemie at 25 weeks. Mom assisted. I stabilized the baby. The child did well and has graduated from high school. That was one of the moments that had a big impact on my career — seeing what family practice docs do. I realized I didn’t have what it takes to be a small-town doctor and face what they did day in and day out.”

While in medical school, Dr. Pearse was interested in several specialties. “I thought about oncology, but I fell in love with pediatrics. I’ve always enjoyed kids. When I completed my PD rotation, I really loved it.” She adds that long before medical school, “my science fair projects were always about cardiology.”

Her dad’s philosophy also shaped her practice of medicine.

“My dad always said that the privilege was not for the patients to meet us but for us to meet them,” she recalls.

Dr. Pearse’s parents have transitioned to a

metropolitan area, and have lived with her and her husband, Einar Vagnes, for about 10 years. Both are 83.

“They’re fascinated by the changes that are going on in medicine,” Dr. Pearse says. “In the house, we talk politics and health care a lot. They have opinions about that.”

She met her husband-to-be in 1984 when she went on a cruise during her residency. He was a Norwegian who was working for Royal Caribbean, boarding each ship once or twice a year to meet with crew members, and he happened to be on the Sun Viking.

It was serendipitous that Dr. Pearse was asked to join the captain’s table for dinner; Vagnes was invited, also. Because he lived in Miami, the two had a long-distance relationship for a while.

“I still had a lot of Colorado in my heart,” Dr. Pearse says. “I did a fellowship in cardiology in Denver. Ultimately, I went to the University of Miami and started the pediatric transplant program there.” She notes that her second transplant patient is a professional golfer.

Dr. Pearse came to Dallas to join a private practice multispecialty group. About six years ago, she sold her solo practice assets to Pediatrix and joined the company.

“They run the business; I get to do the doctoring,” she says. “They have the strength of a business when it comes to contracting, hiring and legal matters. I can keep being a doctor.”

Dr. Pearse has worked in several business environments, and says her current situation is the most secure. “I worked in a university, in a multispecialty private practice group, in a practice with one other doc, and have been solo,” she says. “I’ve run the gamut of models.”


c o n t i n u e d o n p . 1 7 8

Einar Vagnes and Lee Ann Pearse, MD


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The company also supports her charity work. Dr. Pearse operates a clinic in Paris, Texas, a few days a month, seeing pediatric cardiology patients. Although the days are long and busy, they are rewarding. She also sees patients referred to her by Project Access Dallas.

“Part of the reason I enjoy going to Paris to my outreach clinic is I feel like I’m completing the circle,” she says, “like the subspecialists did helping my parents in their practice. It all comes back around to patients. It’s that one-on-one with patients and families that drives it for me, and seeing patients get better.”

Treating patients in Paris is one of her favorite parts of her practice. The 90-minute drive through the farm country is relaxing, providing a nice break between the hectic pace of her Dallas practice and the full day that lies ahead in East Texas.

“Paris has a high Medicaid population, so it’s difficult for the patients to come to Dallas,” she says. “And because they can’t come to Dallas, they’ll wait months to be seen. I really feel like we’re serving people. It’s a privilege to see them.”

Treating patients at these clinics, plus her background growing up in a small town, shapes some of her thoughts when she meets with her legislators in Austin.

“I’m trying to be a voice for those people in Yuma

where I grew up or the people in Paris,” she says. “I certainly see the challenges the patients and the parents face.”

Dr. Pearse’s husband also supports her in her practice. He is involved in the TMA Alliance and TEXPAC (Texas Medical Association Political Action Committee), and often accompanies Dr. Pearse on her lobbying visits to Austin. She is one of a handful of physicians who attends every First Tuesday at the Capitol during legislative sessions and can be counted on to be a strong, sane voice in meeting with legislators of all political persuasions.

Dr. Pearse enjoys her service on the TEXPAC board of directors and TEXPAC Candidate Evaluation Committee. In May she was appointed to the TMA Council on Legislation and is the chair of the DCMS Legislative Affairs Committee.

“Doctors need to get engaged at the state, local and federal levels of politics,” she says. “So much is happening that they need to get their voices from the halls of the hospital or the doctors’ lounge to the legislators. I understand their disillusionment in feeling that their voices don’t count and that they don’t have time to be involved, but they need to let the people they elected know what their livelihood is all about. A lot of people who don’t understand our profession still have the ability to change how we practice medicine.”

c o n t i n u e d f r o m p . 1 7 7


Community Health FairThe DCMS Alliance hosted a community health fair on Aug. 13 at the Church of the Incarnation in Dallas. Ten physicians volunteered their time and answered questions, gave medical advice, referred patients to charitable clinics for further care, taught children the importance of wearing bicycle helmets to avoid head injuries, and performed more than 40 school sports physicals, eye exams, blood glucose screenings, and dental checkups. Over 100 free vaccinations were given to children. Approximately 200 people attended the health fair, where 32 bicycles and over 70 bicycle helmets were given away.

Richard Collier, DO, performs an eye exam. Sally Hurd, RN, performs a physical.

Volunteer Jim Rain fits a child with a helmet. Richard Anderson, MD, with a student DCMS Alliance members and zumba class

Michelle Forbes, MD, with a student John Secor, MD, and Warren Lichliter, MD

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M E M B E R S H I P M A T T E R S

It has been an honor for me to be a member of the Dallas County Medical Society for the past many years — amazingly, it has been just over three decades since I joined as a medical student! I still fondly recall the DCMS Medical Student Dinner and the warm welcome I felt from my hosts. I was very proud of, and excited about, being a part of the medical profession.

Even though many things have changed within our profession over the ensuing years, I still feel the same swell of pride in our noble profession. Over the years, I have appreciated many times the position that DCMS holds as a reasoned and respected voice for Dallas County physicians, cutting across interhospital competition and political rhetoric to provide guidance for physicians, and steadfastly promote quality patient care and access across the metropolitan area.

Today’s healthcare landscape is undergoing profound changes as a result of many drivers, such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, our growing and graying population, the recent economic downturn, and heightened consumerism. It seems a little chaotic to all of us as we go through the transformations. This truly is a time for physicians to take their rightful positions as the most capable leaders to navigate the stormy healthcare changes in our community, as well as nationally. Every physician should find a way to participate because various opportunities are available to us to make a difference in patients’ lives.

The mantle of physician leadership is not just for a chosen few, but for all of us. No one can predict the future, but I think it is safe to assume that we will face more governmental intrusion into healthcare delivery and that the United States will provide some sort of universal coverage in the next several years. Therefore, physicians must gain the skills and build inroads to influence public policy so decisions are not only fiscally prudent but also are socially ethical and in our patients’ best interests.

DCMS is a rich resource through which physicians can get involved and make a meaningful difference. Numerous working committees want and need interested physician members. DCMS is focused on the future and is engaged in many critical projects that are poised to make a lasting and positive impact in the lives of Dallas County residents and physicians. As a DCMS board member, I became more aware of the breadth and scope of the organization’s activities and now better recognize the powerful potential of this group to influence change in Dallas. I also became much more appreciative of the terrific dedication and remarkable commitment that the DCMS staff holds for Dallas County physicians and patients. Without their valuable partnership, our ideas could never take flight. I feel very fortunate for the opportunity to be a DCMS board member and to contribute, even in a small way, to the stewardship of DCMS.

C y n t h i a S h e r r y , M D

D r . S h e r r y c h a i r s t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f R a d i o l o g y a t T e x a s H e a l t h P r e s b y t e r i a n H o s p i t a l D a l l a s a n d s e r v e s a s m e d i c a l d i r e c t o r o f B o d y M R a n d C T a t S o u t h w e s t D i a g n o s t i c

I m a g i n g C e n t e r , w h e r e s h e h a s b e e n o n t h e m a n a g e m e n t c o m m i t t e e s i n c e 1 9 9 4 .

She’s been married to Dean Sherry for 29 years and has one daughter.


OVERVIEWThe North Texas Multidisciplinary Lung Cancer Symposium will focus on recent advances in lung cancer screening, therapy and research. The expert faculty will present key data in support of imaging in screening, genetic evaluation, minimally invasive surgery, combined modality therapy and the integration of biomarkers for personalized therapy. Discussion will also include recent clinical trial results and impact on patient care.

The format of the conference will include didactic lectures, open discussion and case-based learning. An audience response system will be utilized to enhance interaction with the participants.

SPEAKERS AND TOPICS Role of CT Screening in Lung CancerClaudia I. Henschke, PhD, MD, Arizona State University Epidemiology & Cigarette Cessation Strategies in Lung CancerMark W. Millard, MD, FCCP, Baylor Martha Foster Lung Care Center

The New TNM Staging System for Lung CancerHarvey I. Pass, MD, NYU Langone Medical Center

Pulmonary Nodules: Evaluation & ManagementDavid F. Yankelevitz, MD, The Mount Sinai Medical Center

Minimally Invasive Surgery for Lung CancerClark B. Fuller, MD, Saint John’s Health Center

Role of Surgery & Perioperative Therapy for Stage III Lung CancerDavid M. Jablons, MD, UCFS Helen Diller Comprehensive Health Center

Treatment of Early Stage Lung Cancer: Chemotherapy & Integration of New Agents Kartik Konduri, MD, Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas

Lung Cancer in Never SmokersHoward (Jack) West, MD, Swedish Cancer Institute

Combined Modality Therapy for Treatment of Locally Advanced Lung CancerRamaswamy Govindan, MD, Washington University

Integration of Biomarkers for the Personalized Treatment of Lung CancerPaul A. Bunn, Jr., MD, University of Colorado

New Paradigms in the Treatment of Advanced Lung Cancer: Role of Maintenance ChemotherapyChandra P. Belani, MD, Penn State Hershey College of Medicine

Upcoming Agents in Treatment of Lung CancerCraig H. Reynolds, MD, Lung Cancer Research

Baylor Sammons Cancer Center10th Floor Conference Center3410 Worth Street • Dallas, Texas 75246

SATURDAY, OCT. 1, 2011

TARGET AUDIENCE AND SCOPE OF PRACTICEPhysicians/Fellows: Pulmonologists, Radiologists, Medical Oncologists, Radiation Oncologists, Thoracic Surgeons

Members of multidisciplinary teams involved in the care of patients with lung cancer: Residents, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Research Staff, Pharmacists, Allied Health Professionals.

ELEMENTS OF COMPETENCEThis CME activity has been designed to change learner competence and focuses on the American Board of Medical Specialties areas of patient care and medical knowledge

MORE INFORMATION... ONLINE: www.cmebaylor.org EMAIL: [email protected]

PHONE: 214.820.2317

©2011 Baylor Health Care System Sammons_313 DCMS CE 8.11

Visit www.cmebaylor.org for accreditation and full conference information.


The Project Access Dallas Physician Network team has created a contest to encourage peer-to-peer recruitment within the top needed specialties. By visiting each physician office and extending the opportunity to win a free iPad to physicians and office managers, Physician Network Director Marilyn Haspany says she hopes peer-to-peer physician recruitment will increase.

J. Edward Rosenthal, MD, was presented his iPad after recruiting one of his colleagues to volunteer for PAD. Rosemary McKeown won an iPad for encouraging John Douglas Overbeck, MD, to participate. Congratulations to you both!

PAD Contest Winners

Marilyn Haspany, Director of PAD Physician Network, and J. Edward Rosenthal, MD

Rosemary McKeown, office manager for John Douglas Overbeck, MD, and Cheryl Prelow, PAD Vice President

Dallas County Medical Society

Wall Dallas County Medical Society ʻLikeʼ DCMS on Facebook and be a part of the newest way to connect with DCMS and your physician colleagues.

Beginning in September: Any physician who ʻlikesʼ DCMS or posts a comment for discussion will be entered in for a drawing for an Apple gift card.

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Documents

Dallas Medical Journal