UPCOMING EVENTS • February 4, 2005: SDAFP Annual Installation Dinner - Admiral Kidd Club, NTC, San Diego, CA • April 14-15, 2005: CAFP Scientific Assembly - Los Angeles, CA • June 24-26 2005: SDAFP Postgraduate Symposium - Family Medicine Update, Loews Coronado Resort, Coronado, CA • September 28– October 2, 2005: AAFP Annual Conference - San Francisco, CA

Introduction to Clinical

Medicine for Precepting of 2nd Year UCSD Medical Students

Albert Ray, MD Dear Family Physicians, About a year ago I presented to you the opportunity to take a UCSD medical student into your office for a brief period. That time has now come. I kindly ask that you volunteer to accept a second year, second semester UCSD Medical Student into your practice between January 19, 2005 and May 4, 2005 for a 1/2 day per week in the afternoon every other week for 7 sessions. The expected activities of the student would be initially to observe patients, followed by being responsible for a portion of the history and physical, and, finally, to be able to do a complete exam once or twice before ending the rotation. The students have already learned the written format for complete H&P's as well as SOAP notes. A benefit to be derived is that you and your student may elect to continue to work with each other for the 3rd year Primary Care Core Clerkship, if mutually desired. Please contact Pam Murphy, Coordinator for Introduction to Clini-cal Medicine at UCSD. Ph: 858-534-2710/ FAX: 858-534-1311/ email: pmurphy@ucsd.edu for participation information.

Edi tor : R . Payne, MD

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NOVEMBER 2004

• Family Physicians • Recognized • Preceptorship Program • Electronic Medical Records • Candidate Statements • Symposium Update

P.O. Box 910144

San Diego, CA

Family Physicians Finally Recognized in

San Diego’s Magazine’s Top Doctors Listing. Lee Ralph, MD

Finally, San Diego Magazine has come to its senses and begun listing family physicians in their annual listing of top doctors of San Diego. This year for the first time more than 30 family physicians were listed in the October edition of San Diego Magazine ranking their top doctors by specialty as ranked by their Board Certified peers in the community. A warm congratulation goes out to all of the family physicians listed in the magazine and especially to those members of the San Diego Academy of Family Physicians Board of Directors who are prominently mentioned. Members included Dr. Ada Marin, Dr. Martin Kabongo, Dr. Joseph Leonard, Dr. Albert Ray, Dr. Wayne True, Dr. Steven Green, Dr. Linda Olafson, Dr. Richard Payne and Dr. Vernon White. Our deepest gratitude go out to these hard working mem-bers who finally got their deserved recognition by our local magazine. This is a marked improvement from previous years when San Diego Magazine didn’t even mention family physicians as specialists and only mentioned a token representative from our esteemed discipline. We thank San Diego Magazine and in particularly those doctors mentioned for providing outstanding care that is truly recognized by your peers.

Welcome to the decade of Health Information Technology, as recently declared by past HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson! The AAFP’s leadership supports this historic transition that will assist in the process of caring for our patients. Discussed for decades, it appears that the time is now to begin the leap into using elec-tronic records for our patients. Indeed, very soon Medicare and other health insurance plans will require electronic records for payment, much like they essentially mandate electronic billing. Taking the high road, and getting kudos from the Feds, AAFP is taking a lead with the “Partners For Patients” project.

To be sure you are up to date with the lingo, the term is electronic healthcare records (EHRs) rather than electronic medical records (EMRs). This reflects a broader role for the records than just medical care. Patients will share ownership of these records, and they will contain all aspects of a patient’s health.

The AAFP has started a Center for Health Information Technology directed by family physician David Kibbe, M.D. This Center has launched the Partners For Patients project in which “family physician friendly” healthcare vendors will give discounts and special services to AAFP members who institute use of EHR’s in their practices. The Center’s webpage is: www.aafp.org/centerforhit.xml. The website for the Partners For Patients vendors is: www.aafp.org/pforpinfo.xml.

The AAFP is using four principles to measure a potential vendor: affordability, compatibility, interoperability and data stewardship. Standards for language and security are being set by the Federal government as well as the industry, and not all EHRs qualify. Also, do not think that you can simply invent your own EHR. With HIPAA

For questions or to submit an article of interest for the next SDAFP newsletter, please contact: Sabrina Bazzo, MPH P.O. Box 910144, San Diego, CA 92191

Phone: 858-458-9439 * Fax: 858-458-9467 * E-mail: sabrinab@san.rr.com Also, check out the website for up-to-date information on upcoming activities: www.sandiegoafp.org

and other regulations, this business is complex. San Diego County has a history of important initiatives in the EHR realm. The former Sharp Family Practice Residency based at Grossmont Hos-pital adopted usage of EHR in 1994 using Practice Partner, one of the AAFP’s recommended choices. At that time it ran on an MS-DOS system and IBM 486 computers (pre-Intel processors). You can talk with Drs. Jim Amberg or Mike Hart, as well as other members of that group to find out what their experience was with this process. The VA health system has been using EHR for more than 5 years with great success. The health center at the St. Vincent de Paul Village is in the process of adopting Practice Partner making it possible that the downtown homeless may have a better medical record system than some patients going to private practices! Most of the larger health systems in San Diego County have chosen their EHR systems and are in the process of implementa-tion. Hillcrest pediatrician, Steve Carson, M.D., is leading the charge with formation of the San Diego Medical Information Network Exchange (SD MINE) project of the San Diego County Medical Society Foundation (website is pending). You may contact Steve at SC_MD4kids@aol.com for further information. There will also be discounts available when working with this project, which has some overlap with the AAFP vendors. Experts in change say that with any transition, there are innovators, early adopters, late adopters and laggards. The time for innovators has come and gone, and we are now in the exponential rise of early adopters. This is a big decision which should not be put off any longer. Begin the process. As Rosabeth Kantor of the Harvard Business School has said: “Change is disturbing when it is done to us; Change is exhilarating when it is done by us.”

Now is the Time for Electronic Health Records

Joseph E. Scherger, MD, MPH

Presenting…

SDAFP Candidates for the

2005 Ballot!

Secretary/Treasurer Willie E. Thigpen, M.D. I am running for Secretary/Treasurer of the SDAFP Board of Directors due to a strong desire to continue representing the SDAFP in the San Diego community and to further efforts to involve all practice styles of Family Medicine in our local organization. I grew up in New Orleans and went to college and medical school at Lousiana State University. I then joined the U.S. Air Force for 6 years before going to work at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego where I am presently employed. I am dedicated to the goals of the SDAFP and want to continue strengthening our relationship with the San Diego community.

Three Year Director

Anthony Fatch Chong, MD I grew up in San Diego, went to school at UCLA, and graduated from the UC San Diego School of Medicine in 2000. While completing residency with the UCSD Family Medicine Program, I served as chief resident and member of the residency advisory committee. Currently, I am in my second year of full practice with Sharp Mission Park Medical Group. Organized medicine is essential to improving the practice of medicine and the life of the physician. I’m interested in supporting family medicine here in San Diego by working with the SDAFP Board of Directors. In doing so, I’d like to promote and work on issues that affect us all, both locally as well as nationally. I bring experience as a chief resident, vice president of the CMA resident physician council, chair of the UCSD Resident Council, as well as work done in many other organizations. My greatest qualities are listening and teamwork. By coming together as one in order to understand the issues, we can increase the effectiveness of the family medicine community as a whole. Darren A. Farnesi, MD I graduated from UC Irvine College of Medicine and from the SHARP/Grossmont Hospital Family Practice Residency. I was class president my senior year of medical school and chief resident my senior year of residency. I have always enjoyed being involved in leadership. Since that time I have been working as a contract physician for the Navy in the Family Medicine clinics of Miramar Marine Corps Air Station, Balboa Hospital and North Island. I also work as a Sub-Investigator for Family Medicine – Oriented Clinical Trials at Encompass Clinical Research. I believe in Family Medicine and a primary care-oriented approach to health care. I am running for the SDAFP Board of Directors because I would like to give back some of what Family Medicine has given to me. I am interested in being more involved in shaping, promoting and improving Family Medicine for both doctors and patients in our community. Stephen M. Daquino, DO I completed residency at North Shore University Hospital in Plainview, New York and was Chief Resident in 2003. I then went on do a Fellowship in Sports Medicine in San Diego. I also presented a lecture entitled ’Use of PDA-Based Medical Applications’ at the recent 2004 All Member Meeting. I am currently practicing at the San Diego Sports Medicine and Family Health Center. Melissa Vourlitis, DO I completed residency at Sharp Family Practice, Metro site. I also serve as Vice President of the San Diego Osteopathic Medical Association and was a speaker at the SDAFP Pain Management Conferences in 2002 and 2003. I am currently with the Family Medicine Dept. at Metro Family Physicians Medical Group in San Diego.

FP JobsOnline provides candidates FREE access to job opportunities that are updated regularly. These positions are targeted specifically to Family Medicine.

Employers may post family medicine job opportunities as well for a small fee. Log on to Family Medicine Online via the CAFP website: www.familydocs.org where you may access FPJobsOnline.

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P. O. Box 910144 * San Diego, CA 92191

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CHULA VISTA, CA

48th Postgraduate Symposium Highlights and Looking Ahead to 2005 David E.J. Bazzo, MD

The SDAFP once again pulled off another fantastic Symposium. Topics ranged from Migraine Headache Management to Update on Contraceptives. Our keynote speaker on Saturday, June 26th, 2004 was Joan Jerzak., Chief of Enforcement for the Medical Board of California. She discussed regulation issues relevant to the current practice of medicine. Our Program Chairperson, Lee P. Ralph, M.D. and all those who played a role in the 2004 program are to be commended for producing an excellent continuing medical education event. The 49th Annual Postgraduate Symposium Family Medicine Update: 2005 will again be hosted at the Loew’s Coronado Bay Resort, June 24-26, 2005. The 2005 program will continue to provide a broad range of primary care topics. Special emphasis will be on Preventive Medicine and modernizing your practice. We invite all members of the SDAFP to attend! We are pleased to have California’s own Mary Frank, M.D. as the Saturday keynote speaker. Dr. Frank is currently serving as the President of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Please mark your calendar now and plan on attending.