Today's Christian Doctor - Spring 2011

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Recommend the Best.

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Cosamin joint health supplements are developed and manufactured by Nutramax Laboratories, Inc. V

Source: SLACK Incorporated Market Research Survey, April 2009.

Survey conducted of Orthopedic Specialists relating to glucosamine/ chondroitin sulfate brands.

Ministries of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations

®

Editor’s Note: This two-page section has been prepared for you to tear out and keep as an easy reference and contact list for CMDA’s resources, services, and ministry opportunities. Use it to show your colleagues what CMDA is doing and also as a guide for your prayers for our ministries and those who lead each effort. Go to www.cmda.org/ministryoverview for the latest revisions.

Transformation 1. Campus Ministries [J. Scott Ries, MD - ccm@cmda.org] A team of over 50 regional and area staff who organize campus Bible and ethics studies, mission teams, leadership training, and outreach functions on over 200 medical and dental campuses in the US. 2. Christian Dental Association® [dental@cmda.org] Encouraging and supporting dentists in living out their Christian faith in their professional and personal lives.

3. Chapel and Prayer Ministries [Debra Deyton - debra.deyton@ cmda.org] Mobilization of staff and members to pray on a daily basis.

4. Community Ministries [J. Scott Ries, MD - ccm@cmda.org] An opportunity for members to connect with fellow members in local area ministries to provide mentoring and ministry resources to assist them in living out the character of Christ in their practices and lives.

5. Saline Solution [Melinda Mitchell - melinda.mitchell@cmda.org] Training for healthcare providers via conferences or a small-group video series on how to appropriately and effectively help their patients with spiritual issues.

6. Side By Side [Cassie Porterfield - sidebyside@cmda.org] A Bible studybased outreach ministry to female medical/dental spouses.

Services 7. Christian Doctor’s Digest [Rusty Sluder - digitalmedia@cmda.org & Margie Shealy - communications@cmda.org] Bimonthly audio magazine resource containing interviews on timely topics of interest to doctors and their families.

8. Center for Medical Missions [Susan Carter, BSN, MPH - susan.carter@ cmda.org] A CMDA department aiding in the recruitment, training, and retention of career medical missionaries, including pre-field orientation training for new medical missionaries.

9. CMDA Leadership - Board of Trustees [President of CMDA, George Gonzalez, MD - board@cmda.org] The Board of Trustees, which meets three times a year, is the governing body of CMDA. It makes policy, strategically sets the goals for the organization, and provides financial oversight. The CMDA House of Representatives (HOR) represents local councils, states, students, residents, missionaries, Commissions, and Specialty Sections. They meet annually to promote the mission, vision, and needs of CMDA. The HOR exists to provide a voice for all CMDA members.

10. Commissions [www.cmda.org] Continuing Medical & Dental Education (annual two-week CMDE conference in Kenya or Thailand), Marriage Enrichment (provides weekend retreats each year to help

doctors strengthen their marriages), Medical Malpractice Ministry (prayer, resources, and encouragement to doctors experiencing malpractice suits), Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons (surgical residencies in African mission hospitals), Singles (networking, conferences, mission trips, and resources to meet the unique needs of single members), and Women in Medicine and Dentistry (conferences, resources, and networking to meet the distinctive needs of women in healthcare).

11. Discover the Joy [Susan Carter, BSN, MPH - susan.carter@ cmda.org www.cmda.org/discoverthejoy] Regional health missions conference giving opportunity to promote service opportunities in domestic as well as international medical missions.

12. Global Health Outreach (GHO) [Donald Thompson, MD, MPH&TM donald.thompson@cmda.org] One of CMDA’s short-term mission programs, sending forty to fifty medical/dental/surgical mission outreach teams annually. Designed to disciple participants, grow national churches, share the Gospel, and provide care.

13. Global Health Outreach/Operation New Life [Donald Thompson, MD, MPH&TM - donald.thompson@cmda.org] Partnership for short-term surgical trips to the large university hospital in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

14. Global Missions Health Conference [www.medicalmissions.com] A medical/dental mission conference, co-sponsored by CMDA, and held the 2nd weekend in November at Southeastern Christian Church in Louisville, KY, to inform, train, and equip healthcare professionals and students to use their skills to further God’s kingdom.

15. Healthcare for the Poor [www.cmda.org] InnKeepers (applying policies and providing care in a way that reflects God’s heart for the poor), Domestic Missions Outreach (partnership with Christian Community Health Fellowship to maximize efforts toward healthcare for the poor), and the 4 Percent Solution (a commitment of 4% of your time, talent, or treasure to the care of the underserved).

16. Intensive Care [Jamey Campbell - jamey.campbell@cmda.org] A newsletter dedicated to the reporting of changed lives as a result of the generous investment of our members and friends.

17. Medical Education International (MEI) [Shari Falkenheimer, MD mei@cmda.org] An academic teaching program used to spread the gospel to doctors in hard to reach countries.

18. National Student Council [nsc@cmda.org] A national organization of student leaders from CMDA Campus Chapters across the United States, designed to empower Christian medical and dental student leaders to: Live out their faith authentically, Influence the culture of healthcare, Unite with other Christian leaders for enduring fellowship, and Shape the future of CMDA.

19. Placement Service [Allen Vicars - allen.vicars@cmda.org] Recruiting service that brings together Christian physicians and practices throughout the US to enhance their ministry and advance the kingdom of God. 20. Scholarships & Grants [www.cmda.org/scholarships] Johnson Short-Term Mission (provides scholarships of up to $1,000 to residents doing rotations in medical mission ministries), Owen Grants (for short-term missions for students at Southwestern Medical School), Risser Fund (training and ministry to Third World national orthopaedic doctors), Steury Scholarship Fund ($100,000 awarded annually to a medical student going into career missions), Tami Fisk Mission (for medical personnel desiring mission service in East Asia), and Westra Mission (up to $500 to medical students doing short-term mission trips or medical mission rotations).

21. Specialty Sections [sections@cmda.org] Academic Medicine, Academic Surgery, Dentistry, Dermatology, Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Uniformed Services.

These sections equip, network, and provide a voice for CMDA members to their areas of specialty or service.

22. Today’s Christian Doctor [www.cmda.org/tcd] A quarterly magazine with the goal of helping doctors become all that God has designed them to be.

Equipping 23. Affinity Program [www.cmda.org/creditcard] CMDA Credit Card, a rewards program that supports the ministries of CMDA. 24. Audio/Video/Print Resources [www.cmda.org] Just Add Water (DVD resources that provides an “instant” meeting), Life & Health Resources (a distribution service for CMDA-produced and recommended resources), CDD STAT (interviews on timely topics in an audio magazine format), and Life Support (Podcast audio magazine covering topics of interest for students and residents).

25. Conferences [Melinda Mitchell - melinda.mitchell@cmda.org] Annual National Convention and numerous topical, regional, and local conferences listed at: www.cmda.org/meetings.

26. Continuing Medical/Dental Education [Barbara Snapp - barbara@ cmda.org] Accredited by the ACCME to provide AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ and an Academy of General Dentistry Approved PACE Provider which enables CMDA to offer continuing medical and dental education courses alone or in partnership with other organizations.

27. Ethics Committee [423-844-1000] Member volunteers that formulate CMDA’s ethical position statements for Board and House of Representative approval and also provides a bioethicist on-call program to assist members who face difficult patient care decisions.

28. Membership Services [Raquel McLamb - memberservices@ cmda.org] Assists members with information regarding the services and resources available through CMDA, membership renewals, as well as membership recruitment.

29. Mission Management Consultation [Susan Carter, BSN, MPH susan.carter@cmda.org] Consultation service offered to international medical mission ministries.

30. Newsletters [www.cmda.org] e-Pistle (monthly training/news for career missionaries), Gift Legacy (monthly stewardship information), Heartchanger Updates (monthly update for regular financial sponsors), Infusion (quarterly orientation for new members), News & Views (biweekly public policy education on bioethical issues), Progress Notes (bimonthly regional news and developments at CMDA), SCAN (a summary of major medical journals for medical missionaries), and Your Call (produced to encourage and equip those preparing for a career in missions).

31. Speaker Referral Bureau [Margie Shealy - communications@ cmda.org] An online self-referral speaker’s bureau of CMDA members.

32. Development/Stewardship Ministries [Jamey Campbell jamey.campbell@cmda.org] An educational service, teaching members to be good stewards of the resources God has given them.

33. CMDA Website www.cmda.org [Margie Shealy - communications@ cmda.org] The organization’s website with over 4,000 pages of resources – position papers, magazine articles, meeting calendars, audio and video files, and other information.

Voice 34. Amicus Curiae Briefs [Jonathan Imbody - washington@ cmda.org] A cooperative endeavor with Christian lawyers to develop legal briefs advocating for life and human dignity in important court cases.

35. American Academy of Medical Ethics® [www.ethicalhealthcare.org] A forum to help train and equip healthcare professionals to adopt the ethical tenets defined by the Hippocratic tradition.

36. Media Training [Margie Shealy - communications@cmda.org or www.cmda.org/mediatraining] Hands-on training to members so they can effectively communicate to the media.

37. News Releases [Margie Shealy - communications@cmda.org] CMDA’s response to breaking news on vital healthcare issues resulting in hundreds of media interviews each year.

38. Professional Testimony [Jonathan Imbody - washington@ cmda.org] Opportunities for CMDA experts to testify before the US Congress and state legislatures.

39. Public Service Announcements (PSAs) [Margie Shealy communications@cmda.org] Library of PSAs on ethical and healthcare topics available to radio stations each year.

40. Standards 4 Life [www.standards4life.org] Free web-based resource for the church or personal education that deals with the scientific and biblical issues surrounding tough bioethical issues in simple, easy-to-understand language.

41. State Public Policy Campaigns [Margie Shealy - communications@ cmda.org] Grassroots campaigns to promote life-honoring legislation/referendums at the state level on physician-assisted suicide, embryonic stem cell research, and other issues.

42. Washington Office [Jonathan Imbody - washington@cmda.org] A liaison with Congress, the administration, and policy organizations, presenting life-honoring perspectives through the national media, and publishing resources on vital issues.

Editorial

by David Stevens, MD, MA (Ethics) — Chief Executive Officer

It’s All About Transformation!

Only about one out of five shambas in our drawing area around Tenwek had latrines when I arrived in Kenya in 1981. People just went into the scrub bush and squatted when nature called.

More children died of dehydration from diarrhea and vomiting than from any other disease due to this poor sanitation and contaminated water. Every child was infected with roundworm and tapeworm. The infestations were so severe that one of our most common surgical problems in children were bowel obstructions secondary to a bolus of worms.

Our community health work focused on educating the local people about the importance of having a latrine. Our “Community Health Helpers” would not only teach but help their neighbors dig the hole, create the concrete slab, and then build their latrine building. Each month they would report on their successes in their monthly report.

Then it dawned on me that counting the number of times we taught about latrines or even how many latrines were built didn’t measure a real change in habits. Families would build a latrine but not use it. Some would reserve it only for guests. Having a latrine out back of the hut wasn’t an indicator of improvement in sanitation.

We needed a clear indicator of transformation. After much discussion, we realized that the best indicator was whether there was a worn path between the family’s hut and the latrine! We changed our reporting to reflect that.

We do what we do at CMDA to TRANSFORM students’, residents’, and graduates’ lives. Our vision is: Transformed Doctors, Transforming the World. We want to motivate, teach, and equip Christian doctors in such a way that they are completely changed and glorifying God in ways they never imagined. We want them to be true disciples following in the footprints of the Great Physician. When people interact with them, we want them to see Christ shining through their lives, whether they are working in their practices, serving in their churches, or leading in their homes.

We desire them to have a passion for sharing their faith, using their skills to help the needy, and a zeal for mentor-

ing the next generation. We want them to be examples of and advocates for righteousness in healthcare.

We completed a new strategic plan recently and categorized every measurable objective in one of three ways. The first category is “touches.” These objectives measure our efforts through communications, resources, public speaking, etc. Are we increasing and improving our efforts to touch lives? Yes, kind of like teaching Africans about latrines. Are we working faithfully to bring change?

The second category is “participation.” These objectives examine our efforts at causing our constituency to get involved by going on mission trips, attending local meetings, coming to conferences, buying resources, or whatever . . . like an African building a latrine. The person is now involved and making an effort to move concretely toward change. Our touches are beginning to bear fruit.

But participation is not enough.

The third category is much harder to measure, but not impossible. Is “transformation” taking place? Has someone been changed completely in their walk with the Lord, their practice habits, or their priorities? Transformation indicators come from testimonies and evidences of life changes. For example, a recent GHO participant wrote, “This trip was a life-altering trip.” Another member related, “Your resources help keep my perspective on serving Christ and not getting overwhelmed with my circumstances.” A student related to one of our area directors, “Hey man, I found Jesus in my life tonight because of you!” I was talking to a missionary doctor’s wife at the Global Mission Health Conference. She and her husband had just finished their second term. She said, “You probably don’t remember what you wrote in your letter sharing the need at the mission hospital where we now serve. You said, ‘If I was an orthopedic surgeon, I would go!’

God used that one sentence to grip my husband’s and my heart. He changed the course of our lives using that one sentence. We were transformed into career missionaries.”

Why do we do what we do? For the incredible blessing of seeing God transform lives and then to see those people transform the world! ✝

I n t e r n e t W e b s i t e : w w w. c m d a . o r g

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Spring 2011

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contents Today’s Christian Doctor

VOLUME 42, NO. 1

Spring 2011

The Christian Medical & Dental Associations® – Changing Hearts in Healthcare – since 1931.

13 Moving Beyond Physical Healing

28 It’s All About Relationships

by David Levy, MD, with MaryAnn Nguyen-Kwok

by Julie Griffin, MD

Behind the symptoms often lies a spiritual cause

What we do, we can do better together

17 CMDA Ministries Focus – A Snapshot Equipping Meetings Placement Center for Medical Missions Washington Office Medical Education International Global Health Outreach Women in Medicine & Dentistry

7 31

Progress Notes Advertising Section

Regional Ministries

EDItoR

David B. Biebel, DMin

Hyperlink Your Life

EDItoRIAl CoMMIttEE

Gregg Albers, MD Elizabeth Buchinsky, MD John Crouch, MD William C. Forbes, DDS Curtis E. Harris, MD, JD

Rebecca Klint-Townsend, MD George Gonzalez, MD Samuel E. Molind, DMD Robert D. Orr, MD Richard A. Swenson, MD

VICE PRESIDEnt FoR CoMMunICAtIonS

Margie Shealy ClASSIFIED AD SAlES

Margie Shealy • 423-844-1000 DISPlAy AD SAlES

Margie Shealy • 423-844-1000 DESIgn

Judy Johnson PRIntIng

Pulp CMDA is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).

TODAY’S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR®, registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office. ISSN 0009-546X, Spring 2011 Volume XLII, No. 1. Printed in the United States of America. Published four times each year by the Christian Medical & Dental Associations® at 2604 Highway 421, Bristol,TN 37620.

Copyright © 2011, Christian Medical & Dental Associations®.

All Rights Reserved. Distributed free to CMDA members.

Non-doctors (US) are welcome to subscribe at a rate of $35 per year ($40 per year, international).

Standard presort postage paid at Bristol,Tenn.

Postmaster: Send address changes to: Christian Medical & Dental Associations, P.O. Box 7500, Bristol, TN 37621-7500.

Undesignated Scripture references are taken from the New American Standard Bible. Copyright© 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture references marked (KJV) are taken from King James Version. Scripture references marked Living Bible are from The Living Bible© 1971, Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved. Scripture references marked (NIV) are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Other versions used are noted in the text.

For membership information, contact the Christian Medical & Dental Associations at: P.O. Box 7500, Bristol, TN 37621-7500; Telephone: 423-844-1000, or toll-free, 1-888-230-2637; Fax: 423-844-1005; E-mail: memberservices@cmda.org; Website: http://www.joincmda.org.

Long gone are the days when your phone was JUST used for talking to someone. Smartphones are used to keep us in touch with the office, our family, and friends. You can use them as a remote control for other technology such as recording your favorite television show when you aren’t home or sending documents to your printer from any computer. Text your friends or a group of friends all at the same time, play games, listen to music, read the news, or listen to the news.

CMDA continues to stay on top of the leading edge of technology, implementing the 2-D bar code tag into various programs and services connecting us with you via your mobile device with just a “snap.” It may appear as a square filled with geometric colored or black and white triangles, dots with a background image, or even a custom graphic design.

The “tag” is essentially a web link that, when scanned by your mobile telephone’s camera, will take you to more information such as websites, online photos, online video, and more.

The first step is to download the scanner software/tag reader application to your smartphone. There are a variety of programs, most of which don’t cost anything. One website where you can find the software compatible with your phone is www.gettag.mobi. Then use the tag reader application to scan or “snap” the 2-D bar code tag, and your phone goes to the information where the tag tells it to go.

Watch for additional CMDA tags wherever you go.

Henry Del Rosario was the first new member to join CMDA via the use of a tag and his smartphone.

Articles and letters published represent the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations.

Acceptance of paid advertising from any source does not necessarily imply the endorsement of a particular program, product, or service by CMDA. Any technical information, advice or instruction provided in this publication is for the benefit of our readers, without any guarantee with respect to results they may experience with regard to the same. Implementation of the same is the decision of the reader and at his or her own risk. CMDA cannot be responsible for any untoward results experienced as a result of following or attempting to follow said information, advice, or instruction.

I n t e r n e t W e b s i t e : w w w. c m d a . o r g

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Spring 2011

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Paid Advertisement

Register Now for the

Annual Meeting of the

“Snap” this tag with your smart phone (Download Tag reader at www.gettag.mobi)

The National Student Council of CMDA is a student driven organization designed to empower Christian Student Leaders to: • Live out their faith authentically • Influence the culture of healthcare • Unite with other Christian leaders for enduring fellowship • Shape the future of CMDA Join the National Student Council today!

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T o d a y ’s C h r i s t i a n D o c t o r

Or visit here: www.cmda.org/nsc

from the

CMDA

President

George Gonzalez, MD

Why We Do What We Do I remember distinctly how, when I was an undergraduate pre-med student taking inorganic chemistry and competing against hundreds for a passing grade, I could not see how all the effort and time spent on chemical equations could help me be an effective healer of people. However, once I got into biochemistry and physiology in medical school, I was like a sponge desiring to know more so as to apply it to healing the body and making people well.

When I became a Christian in college, I likewise wanted to know Christ and the Bible so as to pass it on to others as the only way of ultimate healing and salvation.

I sometimes felt awkward that I had to take notes for sermons as if in a class so I could remember and apply it to my life, instead of just sitting back and absorbing it and receiving the present blessing — sort of like Mary versus Martha. However, I came to realize that I am most blessed when I am a conduit and not just a receptacle.

CMDA is all about this — we exist to encourage one another on to love and good deeds. As Christian dental and medical professionals we have been given a platform where we might have opportunity to help people come to a better understanding of Christ through our verbal and nonverbal witness. It is a God-given privilege

and responsibility to care enough for others that we make a sincere effort to encourage everyone in Christ.

The late Dr. Yang Chen recognized this and felt it was spiritual malpractice not to take a spiritual history on every patient and then give them the answer for wholeness and life eternal if needed.

Our commission as Christian physicians and dentists is the same as if we were in the non-health field — specifically, to make disciples of all nations, teaching individuals all that Christ has revealed to us through His Word.

We, however, are fortunate to have people come to us who are looking for answers on health and wholeness.

Let’s not miss the opportunity, the privilege, and the reason for our existence.

We have been entrusted with much in knowledge and resources. God has blessed us to be a blessing to others.

We are to spiritually reproduce and expend all we’ve been given for God’s glory and the advancement of His Kingdom. Let’s pray together for great things to happen through all of us involved in CMDA and our other Christian colleagues, that we would change the world this year one person at a time. ✝

Your Christian Medical & Dental Associations is celebrating its 80th birthday this year! It has grown into the largest faith-based medical organization in the world with nearly 17,000 members and regularly touches the lives of twice that number. Each week you minister to over 10,000 students on campuses. Your participation in Global Health Outreach sent fifty teams around the world that brought over 20,000 people to Christ last year. MEI teams used education to witness in difficult to access countries. CMDA mission outreaches mobilize, train, network, educate, resource, and minister to healthcare missionaries that are taking the gospel around the world. Its wide range of resources and services equip you to serve God. CMDA is the “go to” Christian source on bioethical issues as it works to make your views known to the media, church, and government.

Your influence upon peoples’ lives continues to grow! We are looking forward to expanding our dental ministry and developing a program to send medical relief teams to help in crises. New outreaches will train students in leadership, life skills, and discipleship.

Eighty years old? No, your CMDA is eighty years young with the experience and wisdom for the challenges ahead. Our best years are still to come!

Meredith Hawkins, MD, Combats Diabetes in Developing Countries By the time CMDA member Meredith Hawkins was nine, she knew she wanted to be a doctor. By age twelve she had chosen diabetes as her specialty, after reading about Frederick Banting and Charles Best, her fellow Canadians, who discovered insulin in 1921. Then came dreams of becoming a medical missionary — which posed a problem. “I wanted to be a humanitarian and help the poor and vulnerable, but my passion — diabetes — was a First World problem in those days,” she recalls.

That conflict resolved itself thirteen years ago, when Dr. Hawkins volunteered her services in Romania in lieu of a vacation. There she discovered that diabetes was surging in the developing world as well. Although obesityDr. Meredith Hawkins is doing all she can related diabetes accounts for the majority of cases in underdeveloped counto try to thwart the surging epidemic of tries, increasingly, people are being diagnosed with diabetes caused not by diabetes in the developing world. too much food but by too little — a disease known as malnutrition diabetes.

To increase awareness, last August Dr. Hawkins headed a team that organized a symposium on diabetes management for one hundred doctors and nurses from twenty-two Ugandan health clinics. Topics included nutrition, drugs, foot and wound care, and handling emergencies. Though geared toward education and research, Dr. Hawkins’ global outreach included the kind of face-to-face contact with patients that she had dreamed of as a girl. “When we were in Uganda, I gave lectures but also tried to do bedside teaching,” she says. “Part of it was to teach medical skills, but part of it, honestly, was to model compassion in a setting where it doesn’t come as easily.”

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Adapted from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine 2009-2010 Annual Report.

To learn more about the Einstein Global Diabetes Initiative, write to the Einstein Global Diabetes Initiative, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Belfer 709, Bronx, NY 10461, or e-mail: global.diabetes@einstein.yu.edu.

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T o d a y ’s C h r i s t i a n D o c t o r

Up until the early twentieth century, people died at home, with family caring for their needs.

Everyone knew what death looked like and many prepared themselves, as those who went before them had done. Christians sought to die reconciled with God and their human brothers and sisters, and they professed their faith to those around them. Loved ones derived comfort from hearing the last words of the dying person and received support from others in attendance at the death. The church grieved together and rallied to support the bereaved. The whole process was as much spiritual as it was physical.

Today, according to one Christian gerontologist, “We’re so pro-life, we’re anti-death!” A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people of religious faith (95% of whom were Christians) were three times more likely to choose aggressive medical treatment at the end of their lives, even though they knew they were dying and that the treatments were unlikely to lengthen their lives. Yet there can be beauty and blessing in being with a believer who is moving from this world to the next. As we attend to another believer whose soul is returning to God, we catch a glimpse of the destiny that awaits us; we are reminded of our need for God; and we are spurred on to live with eternity in view. Only in God’s hand can something as ugly as death be transformed into a thing of beauty and purpose. Learning to prepare for the life to come will help us truly live. Paperback. 192 pages. $16.00

The Art of Dying

by Rob Noll

Available from CMDA Life & Health Resources: 888-231-2637 or www.shopcmda.org

If this subject interests you, watch for Finishing Well to the Glory of God: Strategies from a Christian Physician by John Dunlop, MD (not yet published).

6 Secrets to a Lasting Love

Preparing for the Future!

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh! It’s a secret! Are you one of those people that love to have the “inside scoop” when it comes to secrets?

If you are a member of CMDA, you have an opportunity to take advantage of a wonderful DVD study called 6 Secrets to a Lasting Love! This resource is valued at $150, yet it is being provided to you at no cost through a loaner program that has been established by CMDA. This leader kit includes resources for leading a seven-session group study that can be covered in a weekend retreat or weekly meetings. Topics address six specific kinds of love: Forgiving Love, Serving Love, Persevering Love, Guarding Love, Celebrating Love, and Renewing Love.

This program has been provided by CMDA’s Marriage Enrichment Commission, which was established to “nurture strong partnerships in medical and dental marriages.”

An Orientation for Medical Missions April 15 – 17, 2011 CMDA Conference Center at the National Headquarters in Bristol, Tennessee Content extremely valuable for both participant and spouse.

Faculty

Contact CMDA’s Life & Health Resources TODAY to get a copy!

1-888-231-2637

• David Stevens, MD, MA (Ethics) • Susan Carter, BSN, MPH • Daniel Tolan, MD and other guest facilitators!

Reach a new level of love, commitment, and intimacy in YOUR relationship!

For more information and to register go to: www.cmda.org/orientationformedicalmissions

I n t e r n e t W e b s i t e : w w w. c m d a . o r g

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Spring 2011

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2011 CMDA National Convention April 28 - May 1, 2011 Mount Hermon Conference Center Mount Hermon, CA (Santa Cruz area) www.cmda.org/nationalconvention Plan now to attend the CMDA National Convention, which features the following speakers and leaders:

Jim Garlow, PhD – Pastor, Skyline Church, LaMesa, California, is heard daily on over 800 radio outlets nationwide in his one minute historical commentary called “The Garlow Perspective.” In addition he airs a thirtyminute broadcast called “The Garlow Perspective Special.” Dr. Garlow has done over 750 radio, TV, and print interviews — national and local — covering a wide range of topics: historical, theological, marriage and family issues, and cultural trends.

Richard Swenson, MD – Futurist, Physician-Researcher, Author, Educator, Menomonie, Wisconsin, is a best-selling author and awardwinning educator. From 19821997, Dr. Swenson served as Associate Clinical Professor with the University of Wisconsin Medical School-Department of Family Medicine. His current focus is cultural medicine, researching the intersection of health and culture. As a futurist, his emphasis is fourfold: the future of the world, society, faith, and healthcare.

Cherie Harder – President, Trinity Forum, McLean, Virginia, served in the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Director of Policy and Projects for First Lady Laura Bush. From 2001 to 2005, she was Senior Counselor to the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, where she helped the chairman design and launch the We the People initiative to enhance the teaching, study, and understanding of American history.

Prior to that she was the Policy Director for Senator Sam Brownback and also served as Deputy Policy Director at Empower America.

James M. Tour, PhD – Professor, Rice University, Houston, Texas, has over 360 research publications and over forty patents and patent applications. He has served as a visiting scholar at Harvard University, on the Chemical Reviews Editorial Advisory Board, the Governor’s Mathematics and Science Advisory Board for South Carolina, the Defense Science Study Group through the Institute for Defense Analyses, the Defense Science Board Chem/ Nano Study Section, the Department of Commerce Emerging Technology and Research Advisory Committee, and the MD Anderson Cancer Research Center’s Competitive Grant Renewal Board.

David Stevens, MD, MA (Ethics) – CEO, CMDA, Bristol, Tennessee, served as a missionary in Kenya from 1981 to 1991, helping transform Tenwek Hospital into one of the premier mission healthcare facilities. Subsequently, he served as the Director of World Medical Mission, the medical arm of Samaritan’s Purse, assisting mission hospitals and leading medical relief teams into war and disaster zones. He is a leading spokesman for Christian doctors in America.

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T o d a y ’s C h r i s t i a n D o c t o r

Danny Byram – Evergreen, Colorado, is a singer and songwriter who has traveled to five continents and appeared on over a hundred US installations worldwide. He gives entertaining and inspirational Christian concerts for US military personnel, as well as the body of Christ worldwide. Byram was the senior producer for twenty-five national Promise Keepers events in NFL stadiums around the nation.

Behind the symptoms may lie a cause that is more spiritual than physical

Moving Beyond Physical Healing

A

n air of tension greeted me when I entered the exam room. As a neurosurgeon who specializes in aneurysms, I am often met with distressed patients who convey their worry through coldness, impatience, or anger. Today was no different.

Talia was a thin, attractive woman wearing an exasperated, unhappy expression. Sitting next to her was her anxious husband, an equally handsome and trim man. Together they were an attractive pair — the picture of upper middle class fitness. Talia’s mother was in the room as well and was sitting in the third chair looking apprehensive.

Two years of progressively worsening headaches brought her to me. Her primary care doctor had ordered an MRI, and the radiologist had reported an aneurysm.

Sitting across from them, I turned the computer screen around so they could see the small bump on the vessel that had been labeled an aneurysm. The bump did not qualify as an aneurysm in danger of rupture, so I ordered another scan in the future. I informed her that the bulge on her vessel was neither dangerous nor was it causing her headaches. She was obviously expecting bad news and this was a surprise to her.

We discussed her headaches and symptoms. Talia said that her two years of headaches had begun to get more serious in the last six months, so I asked if she had experienced any emotional trauma. She paused and sat back in her chair. She had come in with an idea that she would need surgery of some kind. Now the danger of dying from a bleeding aneurysm seemed remote, and the visit was taking an unexpected turn. After a few moments, she said,

by David Levy, MD with MaryAnn Nguyen-Kwok

“My son Robbie died two years ago . . . and I don’t think I’m over it yet. The loss is so big that I doubt that I will ever feel the same again.”

I probed further about the death of her son, and she told me that he was diagnosed with lymphoma. Everything was done to control the disease, but the cancer continued to spread, and he died at the tender age of eighteen. As she chronicled her story, her pain was visible.

“Do you have a faith or religion?” I asked.

She shrugged, “Christian, I guess, but I don’t go to church.”

“Did you stop going to church when your son died?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she replied flatly, staring at the wall behind me.

I was hesitant to proceed because of her coldness. The fact that her husband and mother were present also affected the atmosphere. I feared she might be less likely to open up in the presence of those closest to her.

In addition, she appeared to be an educated woman with upper class mentality — meaning that she might be less inclined toward spiritual matters. Often, I have found that those in this upper socioeconomic group do not feel like they need God because of the resources they have at their fingertips.

I didn’t want to offend her, knowing that she was no longer attending church. Her struggle with her faith indicated that she might have been hurt by the religious establishment. Despite this risk, however, I couldn’t ignore this shell of a woman in front of me. For in a place where there was beauty and should have been joy, there was none.

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Moving Beyond Physical Healing

While her appearance was striking, her eyes were vacant, without warmth. I couldn’t leave her like that without trying to rescue her from that place.

“Whenever a child dies before a parent, it is a tremendous blow. There is often a great sense of injustice,” I said. “I can’t explain why Robbie died, but I can attest that God gave him grace to go through his trial two years ago.” She nodded. I paused, and then continued slowly. “Watching Robbie suffer, you may have taken offense at God. It is very common to become angry and take up a grudge against God when those we love go through difficult times, but when we do, we are in a dangerous and lonely place. . . . ” “You’re right,” she said, frowning. “Robbie seemed to have a peace about it, but I’ve had a problem with it for the last two years. I don’t understand why God thought I could do this . . . that I could actually live without Robbie.” Some fire came into her eyes.

But Talia was stuck. Many of us remain stuck when we do not agree with God’s decisions. Talia was stuck because she refused to move close to a God who would allow Robbie to suffer and die. She had prayed repeatedly, and her prayers were answered . . . “No.” Although Robbie was not angry with God over his suffering, Talia was. I have seen such anger, if unresolved, turn into resentment and bitterness. Bitterness against anyone, including God, can cause illness. We must release our resentment toward God through recognizing that He loves us and always has the best intentions for us — even if it doesn’t appear true because of the pain we experience.

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“I wonder if there are some things for which you are thankful, that happened before and after Robbie died,” I suggested, seeing if she was ready to move toward God. She sat back in her chair again, thinking. After a few moments, expressionless, she began naming a few things. She was thankful for her job, her daughter, and her husband. I reminded her of her resources and education, and she lifted her eyebrows in recognition of blessings that she had taken for granted. Talia smiled slightly, and she said that she was thankful for those things. As she continued to give thanks, her countenance began to change. I hoped that she was softening.

At this point, I sensed that she needed affirmation. I looked into her eyes and spoke truth to her. “God is not angry with you,” I said. “He is not punishing you. He is not disappointed with you.” I paused, and then said quietly, “I know that He misses you.” Talia gave no sign that she had received my words. She was staring straight ahead, over my shoulder. However, out of the corner of my eye, I saw her husband nod, indicating that I was on the right track. I could tell that he hoped that his wife could be freed from her prison of despair.

“You have a sensitive heart and a sensitive spirit. You are still grieving the loss of your son,” I continued. “And that’s OK.” She nodded her head slowly in agreement.

I was then prompted to tell her what God thought of her. “Do you realize who you are? You are a daughter of the King of the universe. That’s who you are. It’s your identity. Nothing can change your identity. No matter what happens to you or to others around you, you are a daughter of the King. You are on this earth to do something special. Children are a gift from God and you are a loving mother, but you have a calling separate from your children. You have a destiny to overcome this and then to turn around and help others who are going through similar trials.”

Her eyes glazed over. I thought that I had lost her.

“God’s relationship with Robbie is between God and Robbie — just as God’s relationship with you is just between the two of you. It may be hard for you to imagine, but God loves Robbie even more than you do.”

She blinked and moved her head backward, indicating that she had never considered God’s love for Robbie as being greater than her own.

“Unfortunately, the ‘Why?’ questions rarely get answered in this life. ‘Why?’ or ‘Why me?’ questions assume a victim mentality. You are not a victim, you are an overcomer. I encourage you to ask ‘What’ or ‘How’ questions. ‘What do you want me to know about You that will help me through this?’ ‘How do You want me to move forward?’ ‘What shall I do with my feelings of despair?’ Don’t just ask these as rhetorical questions but

Moving Beyond Physical Healing

take time to listen for the answers. God wants to speak to you.”

She nodded but did not smile. I wanted to connect her with her God — the only One who could breathe life into the joyless shell.

I asked if I could pray for her, and she said, “Yes.” I stood to the side of her with my hand on her left shoulder. I asked her husband to put his hand on her right shoulder. I asked God to bless her life with knowing how much He loved her, giving her clarity and purpose.

I asked God to bless her with healing from her debilitating headaches. I blessed her marriage, sensing that it was at a breaking point because of her depression, and then I blessed her with good life choices and decisions.

Talia nodded slightly after the prayer but gave no indication that anything had changed. Her eyes appeared brighter than when she had come in. When she came out of the exam room, she seemed tranquil, but I couldn’t tell if my words of encouragement had pierced her cocoon of grief, anger, and depression. Her husband and mother shook my hand warmly and thanked me for taking the extra time to talk with her. It was evident that they had felt as though they had lost her.

Days later, Sylvia, the physician who had treated Talia’s son, came to my office looking bewildered.

“What did you say to her?” she asked. “I was the one who took care of her son. He was a handsome boy and that was one of my most painful cases. It was a very depressing situation. What did you say?”

“I told her that God gave grace to her son to go through his trial, but her relationship to God is separate from her son’s. God loves her son more than she does, and He always has her best interest in mind.”

“Her son was an amazing boy with lots of friends,” said Sylvia. “There were always kids in his hospital room.”

“I think that she has been angry with God. Very common when a child dies,” I said.

“Do you know what she told me after her visit with you?” Sylvia asked.

“What did she say?” “‘He healed me,’ she said. ‘He healed me.’”

A few months later, I received a letter from Talia, indicating that the healing she had experienced was more than just physical.

“Thank you for choosing to listen to your heart, looking beyond the surface and really seeing ‘me.’ Since Robbie died, I had convinced myself to never relinquish my grip on my grief. I had confined him to a timeless loop of goneness, a place where it is cold — like the emptiness between planets. This space was safe because it helped me avoid terror and truth. I had locked up my heart and lost myself and Robbie in the process. That is where you came in. You recognized the death in me — but also, life — and that is what you focused on. Thank you for speaking life into the vortex of darkness, because as you did, I was able to breathe my first breath since Robbie died. Since that hour in your office, I’ve had many conversations with God — of sadness, anger, love, hope, and joy — and have come to the conclusion that He is still with me. I am experiencing transformation, healing . . . and a new beginning.”

Experiences like these remind me why I take the time to ask my patients spiritual questions, and see them as individuals with unique life stories. This is particularly true when I have no physical explanation for their symptoms. It can be an “open door” for God to heal a broken heart and set a captive free. ✝

David I. Levy, MD, practices neurosurgery in San Diego, California. He specializes in brain aneurysms and diseases of the blood vessels of the brain. He attended Emory Medical School in Atlanta, Georgia, and did his neurosurgical training at The Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona.

He did a Fellowship in Endovascular Neurosurgery at The University of Vienna, Austria. He is the author of the book Gray Matter: a neurosurgeon discovers the power of prayer . . . one patient at a time. The book was written with Joel Kilpatrick and will be available March 2011 through Tyndale House.

MaryAnn Nguyen-Kwok is a freelance writer who is currently in the Masters of Divinity program at Bethel University and whose passions include understanding and revealing God through studying and teaching the Scriptures.

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Equipping: CMDA as the Quartermaster

by Gene Rudd, MD When my commanding general ordered many of the doctors to “go to the field” for a week of training, I went to the quartermaster to obtain the equipment required for the task.

Initially the quartermaster did not find it amusing when I told him I wanted “some army stuff.” When I explained that I wished to be guided by his knowledge and experience in how to equip soldiers, I received just what I needed.

One of the measures of CMDA is how well we provide the “right stuff” so that our members can “serve with professional excellence as witnesses of Christ’s love and compassion, and by advancing biblical principles of healthcare within the Church and to our culture” (from the CMDA Mission Statement). Our goal is to provide the tools that help members glorify God with their personal and professional lives. Following are some examples: Information, Networking, and Counseling: Whether you need someone to talk to while going through a malpractice suit or you simply want to refer a patient to a Christian colleague, CMDA seeks to be helpful. Our Medical Malpractice Ministry includes colleagues who provide prayer and encouragement during the most difficult times. The CMDA website (www.cmda.org) has thousands of pages of information. Along with descriptions of CMDA and its many ministries, there is abundant information on medical topics and bioethical issues. The public can access a limited list of members (members may opt in or out of having their names published); the “members only” section allows you to search for colleagues by community and specialty.

Conference Ministry: CMDA offers thousands of meetings and conferences each year. Yes, thousands! While the majority occur as student meetings on campus or in local graduate chapters, there are dozens of regional and national meetings — some with specific themes, some with multiple themes — and they often include continuing medical and dental education credits (www.cmda.org/meetings). Note: See the following page for more information on our meetings ministry.

Publications: This article was written for Today’s Christian Doctor, our quarterly print magazine that brings you content pertinent to living out your faith

in Christ in the medical and dental professions. For those who also like to listen, Christian Doctor’s Digest provides similar content in audio format (CD or MP3). News & Views is our most popular electronic newsletter. It provides up-to-date news and commentary on our culture. Progress Notes keeps you informed on the many CMDA ministries and events. SCAN is sent to nearly 1,000 medical missionaries serving around the world. With permission from many western medical journals, we summarize the articles most useful on the mission field. Medical missionaries also receive e-Pistle, a monthly newsletter filled with information and encouragement. Other newsletters include Infusion (received during the first year of membership), Heartchanger Updates (specific information on the CMDA staff you financially support), Gift Legacy (stewardship information), and Your Call (intended to guide interested students into a career of missions).

CMDA’s Member Services provides help that is only a call or e-mail away (423-844-1000, e-mail: member@cmda.org). Our staff is available to assist you with membership issues and to guide you to find a CMDA resource best suited to meet your need. Life & Health Resources and Prescribe-AResource provide books, audio, and video targeted to the needs of doctors, patients, and their families.

Other resources include Just Add Water (DVDs produced by CMDA on many topics — each providing content suitable for a graduate or student meeting), CDD STAT (timely e-mail updates on current events), Life Support (an audio digest for students and residents), and CMDA’s Ethical Statements — useful to doctors, patients, and the church). With so many resources, it is likely we have something to meet your need.

Whether we practice with a stethoscope or dental probe, we need to be equipped with the right tools. Likewise, the right tools can help us grow in faith and likeness to Christ.

CMDA strives to be the quartermaster equipping you to glorify God. “May the God of peace . . . equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21). ✝

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Our Ministry Through Meetings

by Melinda Mitchell The mission of the Meetings Department is to encourage, train, and equip Christian doctors and students in their professional and personal lives. This is accomplished by providing continuing education in medicine and dentistry not only at home but abroad. We conduct conferences on specific topics such as evangelism, marriage, singleness, medical ethics, women in healthcare, and family life. The majority of these issues are addressed at the annual National Convention. However, some weekend conferences are specific for one topic, such as a Marriage Enrichment Weekend, a Saline Solution Seminar, or the Singles’ Winter Conference.

The National Convention is the main event of the year where members can fellowship with other Christian healthcare professionals, increase their knowledge of current health and social issues, and network with exhibiting organizations.

Our Marriage Enrichment Weekends help medical and dental couples Refocus, Rekindle, and Recommit by offering a comfortable, get-away-from-it-all setting, allowing couples to communicate and experience a deeper appreciation for their marriage partnership. Hundreds of couples

who have attended the conferences affirm the positive impact the weekend has had on their marriage.

What participants are saying about attending one of our meetings: “How blessed I have been with this weekend. The Lord has done exceedingly more — abundantly more than I could dare ask or think — I need an encore.”

“I expected to benefit maritally, but I have received much for spiritual growth as well.”

“Great job in presenting a diverse, inspiring, and informative conference to a broad audience.”

“This weekend has really provided us with a platform from which to grow and be still to listen to that quiet voice of the Lord and His will for our lives.” ✝ For a complete list of upcoming events, visit: www.cmda.org/conferences

CMDA’s Placement Ministry

by Allen Vicars CMDA Placement serves two types of clientele, with a goal of connecting like-minded professionals — practicing doctors or mid-levels searching to join a Christian practice and practices desiring a Christian associate. We seek to develop relationships with both candidates and practices. We find out what they are looking for in an opportunity or an associate, their goals and expectations, preferences, their faith, and how they integrate their faith into practice. We assist independent and hospital-owned practices, inner-city clinics, community health centers, and we assist with most specialties.

We encourage practicing doctors or mid-levels to seek God’s will for their practice, and we provide counsel and prayer throughout the recruitment process. Our department provides information on opportunities for our clients’ review, prayer, and follows them through the process from interviewing through negotiating a contract. We strive to help Christian practitioners discover where the Lord is calling them, and then we facilitate the process.

Our staff is committed to the advancement of God’s kingdom, and we understand that by bringing together professionals and practices sharing the same values and visions,

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placements can have a far-reaching effect in transforming individual lives, offices, communities, and the world.

Here are some comments we’ve received: “CMDA’s Placement Service . . . has proved to be a blessing to my family and me. The most notable feature with CMDA’s Placement specialists, however, is their constant encouragement, commitment, and prayers.” ~ John Aaron, MD “It makes a big difference having a Christian organization searching for us as they understand and care about our needs and expectations and finding those with a shared mission and vision.” ~ Lydia Best, MD, Medical Director; Covenant Community Care; Detroit, Michigan “CMDA Placement exceeded my expectations and was the biggest help I’ve ever had. Went above and beyond to assist me with placement and to provide a good match.” ~ Carrie Yerkes, PA-C ✝

CMDA’s Center for Medical Missions

by Daniel Tolan, MD

Have you ever wondered . . . what life is like as a medical missionary? Or . . . if healthcare personnel are still needed in missions? Or . . . how medical missions can be more effective?

Because of questions like these, CMDA formed the Center for Medical Missions (CMM) — to recruit, train, and equip career medical missionaries and help them meet the calling of God in their lives.

We desire to see continued and even greater impact of medical missions around the world, both now and in the future.

The Center for Medical Missions is helping to raise up and train the next generation of healthcare missionaries. The future of medical missions is dependent upon how we nurture the “next generation” of doctors, now. CMM strives to accomplish this in several ways: Through partial scholarships, students and residents are allowed to gain overseas crosscultural experience during their training.

“Your Call” is published electronically and is full of mission stories, challenges, book reviews, questions for the missionary “corner,” and other missions news or events.

This is sent monthly to over one thousand who have expressed a deep desire to pursue God’s calling in missions in their lives.

An annual conference is held targeted toward new missionary orientation. The idea is to give orientation to what healthcare missions demands that medical/dental school and residency does not teach you.

This is a challenging, full three-day conference every April.

CMM encourages “missions focus” on medical and dental chapters across the nation.

Most recently we began hosting “Discover

the JOY,” a missions conference to encourage both local missions efforts/programs as well as international efforts. We hope this model can be reproduced in other areas of the country as well.

CMM is working to increase the effectiveness in mission healthcare. CMM staff are available for external consulting services to mission projects and agencies. This could be greatly expanded if demand increases.

The “e-Pistle” is a management information and training resource sent via e-mail to career missionaries in healthcare.

CMM has twice hosted a mission executive networking and strategizing workshop, encouraging organizational partnerships and cooperative efforts. The next planned workshop will examine recruiting, training, and retention issues and how we can better address these issues together in the future.

CMM emphasizes the continued focus on the biblical model of wholistic transformational ministry.

The late career missionary physician Dr. Ernie Steury said, “God still calls us to care for the sick and relieve suffering in missions. We must be faithful to follow His leading. But, who will be part of the next generation to follow, and will we keep our spiritual focus in mind?”

Through nurturing the next generation of healthcare missionaries and working to increase effectiveness in healthcare missions, CMM desires to see Jesus reflected more clearly in all medical mission efforts. We believe this requires ongoing strategy development, partnerships, and cooperation. This will be especially true as we face the future together and seek to reach the ends of the earth not yet reached for Jesus. ✝

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CMDA’s Voice in Washington

by Jonathan Imbody, MA – Vice President for Government Relations

The Washington Office links our members with Congress, the administration and policy organizations; presents lifehonoring perspectives through the national media; and publishes resources on vital issues. A few examples of the issues that the office focused on the past year include: Abstinence A CMA commentary published in The Church Report challenged Congress and the White House to restore federal funding for abstinence education. The piece raised awareness of “an impeccably designed, randomized controlled trial that tested and compared sex education methods” and explained, “The objectively researched study found that not only did abstinence education achieve impressive results; it also outperformed the competing approaches favored in federal funding — condom training and ‘comprehensive sex ed’ programs.”

Abortion The Washington Office wrote and coordinated a sign-on letter from over 200 physicians who have served soldiers, opposing a Senate bill that would allow the use of military facilities for abortion. CMA also endorsed a conscienceprotecting bill that would ban federal funding of abortions — the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” introduced by Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey. The bill would also codify the Hyde-Weldon conscience clause that ensures that recipients of federal funding do not discriminate against healthcare providers, including doctors, nurses, and hospitals, because the providers do not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions.

AIDS Vice President for Government Relations Jonathan Imbody met privately with President Obama’s AIDS czar, Ambassador Eric Goosby, MD, and presented data and rationale for protecting conscience rights to help faithbased groups access federal funding.

Conscience Rights After coordinating a national effort to block the Obama administration’s plan to get rid of the only federal regulation protecting the exercise of conscience in healthcare, CMA continued to lead the way in marshaling physicians to stand up for their right to practice medicine according to ethical standards. Over 60,000 individuals have used CMA’s Freedom2Care web site to contact government officials to urge support for the conscience regulation and legislation. CMA keeps 32,000 physicians and patients who have participated in Freedom2Care updated on conscience issues and opportunities for action. The Washington Office developed a document (available at www.Freedom2Care.org) for physicians to distribute to patients regarding threats to conscience rights. The office also provided input on draft legislation in the US House of Representatives to protect conscience rights in healthcare for professionals, insurers, and plan participants.

Federal Service The CMA Freedom2Care coalition launched a web-based clearinghouse that allows healthcare professionals to indi-

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cate their openness to opportunities for service at the national level.

By completing a web-based survey and joining the Freedom2Care group on the professional network LinkedIn, healthcare professionals post their CVs and make their expertise and preferences known. Participants are kept updated on federal opportunities for employment positions in the federal government; serving on a federal commission; or providing expert counsel to Members of Congress, White House staff, and federal agency officials.

Healthcare During the healthcare reform debate, the Washington Office educated legislators and also published commentaries and interviews in USA Today, The Washington Post, The Washington Examiner, The Church Report, Life News, and online social media.

A Washington Office commentary in USA Today critiqued the healthcare overhaul law and presented other considerations for reform: “Consider alternatively these core principles for true health reform: providing a safety net for needy patients while staying within our financial means; driving down costs to consumers by increasing competition across state lines and decreasing excessive bureaucracy; and averting the looming crisis of patient access caused by physician and nurse shortages by addressing runaway malpractice litigation and threats to healthcare professionals’ conscience rights.”

federal funds away from proven effective research poses to those patients who are waiting for cures. The court noted that “the will of Congress, as expressed in the Dickey-Wicker Amendment, is to prohibit federal funding of research in which human embryos are destroyed.

Plaintiffs have demonstrated a strong likelihood of success on the merits. The Dickey-Wicker Amendment is unambiguous. It prohibits research in which a human embryo is destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subject to risk of injury or death greater than that allowed under applicable regulations.”

The Washington Times published a CMA commentary that highlighted the ethical implications and physical dangers of conducting clinical experiments on human patients with embryonic stem cells.

What CMDA members are saying about our Washington Office: “Your public policy involvement is critical to our country and is a major reason I continue to support CMDA.” “I believe CMDA to be very effective in representing the Christian position in medicine and public policy.”

“Thanks for working so hard on the Right to Conscience laws. Your work was very impressive and very much appreciated!” ✝

Federal Policy Resources Human Trafficking The CMA Washington Office met with President Obama’s AIDS czar and also with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s staff and offered ideas to encourage outreach to the medical community regarding trafficking in persons (modern day slavery). Ideas included a White House summit to engage medical specialty groups in raising awareness in the healthcare community, the use of web-based CME training curricula for healthcare professionals, and the use of physicians in examining and interviewing trafficking victims following rescue raids by federal agents.

Stem Cell Research A federal district court granted CMA and other plaintiffs a preliminary injunction against the administration’s attempts to bypass a law that prohibits federal funding of research in which human embryos are harmed or destroyed. The case highlighted the harm that diverting

• Washington Office web site: www.cmawashington.org – track federal policy issues • Washington Update monthly e-mail newsletter: www.cmda.org/WCM/cmdaforms/subscribe_to_news_views.htm • Freedom2Care: www.Freedom2Care.org – keep up-to-date on conscience rights, healthcare, and pro-life issues • Blog: http://freedom2care.blogspot.com/ • Twitter: https://twitter.com/Freedom2Care • Facebook: www.facebook.com – search for Freedom2Care • Federal service clearinghouse – serve on federal commissions and provide expert testimony and counsel ✑ Take the interest survey: www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22AKFPSP4QE ✑ Join the Linked In group: www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=2996363 • Group listservs – join e-mail conversations on special topics ✑ AIDS ministry: http://groups.google.com/group/aids-ministry ✑ Conscience rights: http://groups.google.com/group/conscience-rights

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Medical Education International (MEI) FOR INFORMATION ABOUT MEI OPPORTUNITIES, VISIT:

WWW. CMDA . ORG / MEI

Teaching to Transform

Caspian Compassion Project Clinic (L) with joint MEI/FMEI team member (next to sign)

“Teaching to Transform” medically and spiritually — that’s the essence of MEI’s mission and vision! MEI is one of CMDA’s short-term mission arms.

MEI sends small, short-term teaching teams to medical/dental schools and hospitals in other nations that request additional training for their faculty, staff, and/or residents. Teams are tailored to the need. These vary widely — team members may speak at medical, dental, and/or bioethics conferences, provide clinical teaching on the wards or in the operating room, help with faculty development, or even serve as consultants to governments or teaching centers desiring to develop new specialty centers and teaching programs.

While providing the requested training, team members model competent Hippocratic care, seek to develop relationships with colleagues, and share God’s love and their faith as God provides opportunities. Over 80 percent of MEI teams serve in countries that are predominantly Muslim or Buddhist. As with any transformational efforts, MEI’s work requires

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long-term commitment and stepwise change. But patience and commitment do really lead to visible longterm transformation.

Many readers are already familiar with MEI’s work in Mongolia and Kenya. When the first of MEI’s semiannual teams went to Mongolia fourteen years ago, there were only a handful of known Christians, no CMDA sister organization, and the country was struggling with major changes in its government and health system following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Today, Mongolia has an estimated 50,000 Christians, its own CMDA called the Good Acts Society, and continues to work to improve its health services to the nation. Most recently, MEI has assisted a small pilot project to bring true family medicine (FM) to Mongolia, and one long-time MEI participant and team leader has been asked to be part of the Millenium Challenge effort to bring cervical cancer screening to rural areas.

In partnership with the Kenyan Christian Medical Fellowship, five small MEI short-term teams taught advanced life support principles and then trained Kenyans to train additional colleagues. One MEI team member even became a long-term missionary in Nairobi and provided a strategic link between MEI and the Kenyan CMF. As a result, over 1,500 additional professionals have been trained, and advanced emergency care is now provided in many Kenyan hospitals.

The past four years have brought many new and exciting opportuni-

ties. Four years ago, MEI began sending annual teams to assist a Central Asian Ministry of Health (MOH) working to restructure its medical system from the Soviet to a more Western model. Each MEI team provided faculty development sessions to medical school professors from around the country on the topics requested by the MOH. This work is expected to continue. Over two years, two small MEI teams not only assisted a war-torn nation with knowledge and equipment to treat the clinical depression and posttraumatic stress so prevalent there, but our presence has established a long-term relationship with several local medical professionals and leaders, both Christian and others of the predominant local faith.

Family medicine is increasingly being recognized as a need by other nations that request MEI’s help. Just last fall, an MEI team in partnership with In His Image Family Medicine Residency’s Family Medicine Education International (FMEI) made a visit to Azerbaijan to provide consultation to a small group of Christians desiring to begin a FM residency at a clinic to the poor there and to determine ways MEI and FMEI can assist via future teams. The same team visited a wartorn country where the government had initiated FM training, but wanted assistance in developing its faculty’s teaching and communication skills plus acquainting its residents and medical students about the specialty.

MEI’s and its ministry partners’ efforts have made important contributions to transformation through their

MEI TEAM OPPORTUNITIES May 12-20 – Albania and Kosova Family Medicine Teaching Team – Family Medicine and specialists in fields applicable to family medicine (Internal Medicine, Peds, OB-Gyn, Dermatology, etc.) are needed to teach at the annual “Transforming” Conference, the only national CME conference for general practitioners in Tirana, Albania, and at a 3-4 day conference in Prishtina, the capital of Kosova.

May-June (Exact Dates TBA) – Mongolia Disaster Medicine Team – Teaching CPR, emergency medicine, and spiritual health care in the capital and outlying villages of Mongolia; MDs, medical students, nurses, paramedics, and other healthcare workers with a heart for Christ are welcome.

Sept 26-Oct 10 – China Family Medicine/Multispecialty Team

Cameroon Internal Medicine Residency – IM subspecialists needed to teach their field at IM residency at mission hospital in Cameroon; one week minimum but 2 or more weeks desired.

May 19-22 – Moldova Multi-Specialty Team – Most specialties are welcome but endocrinologist, nephrologist, and ENT (FESS) are particularly requested.

Oct 3-7 – Kenya Oncology Conference – Medical and dental professionals with expertise in oncology are needed to teach at an oncology conference in partnership with the Kenyan Christian Medical Fellowship.

China – OB-Gyn and/or Oncology Physicians and Nurses – Help local personnel of an MEI partner organization gain access to and serve the medical community through lectures at hospitals and nursing schools.

healthcare teaching and personal outreach to colleagues in all of these settings. But God, working through His people in many organizations, is the source of true transformation! To Him be the glory! May He continue to use MEI to bring His name, love, and competent caring to people in many nations! Why does MEI do what it does? Because it wants to be an instrument of God’s love and a part of God’s vision to transform the world both physically and spiritually.

If you like to teach, would you prayerfully consider whether God may be calling you to use your knowledge and gifts to bless other nations on an MEI team? The first step in the process is to go to the website: www.cmda.org/go/mei, fill out an initial application, and send your CV to MEI. The MEI Director will then contact you about upcoming teams that could use your skills. May God guide and direct you regarding where and how to serve! ✝

Team members from joint MEI/FMEI (Family Medicine Education International) team (1st three from left) and Azerbaijani partners (2 at right) at Caspian Sea coast

Sept-Oct – Kenya Pediatric Neurodevelopment Team Opportunities with open-ended dates (adjustable to MEI volunteer’s schedule):

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Global Health Outreach (GHO)

New Directions – New Opportunities

by Don Thompson, MD, MPH&TM — Director, Global Health Outreach

Praying for guidance and safety prior to surgery in a hospital in Guatemala

These are thrilling and rewarding days to be serving our Lord with our medical, dental, and surgical skills! The needs have never been greater, but the opportunities to be righteous stewards are increasing as well. GHO continues to seek new sites and partners that will broaden your prospects to use the expertise entrusted to you by our Lord and Savior to serve the needy and to bring physical and spiritual healing.

If you are interested in more surgicalfocused trips, disaster relief, and humanitarian assistance, or capacity building in medical education and training, as well as clinical care in the nations where we work, read on!

Natural disasters, conflict, and unequal development and resource distribution have led to many occasions where short-term medical trips can have an effective impact. A short-term surge of medical resources can have a dramatic long-term impact by reducing physical suffering until longer-term humanitarian assistance and developmental aid capacity is put in place.

GHO is evaluating how we might take steps into these areas that will build on our core competencies of high quality,

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committed experts in many healthcare disciplines.

GHO teams have been serving the needy around the world for over a decade, ministering to physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Last year alone, over 70,000 needy patients received medical, dental, surgical, and eye clinic care in a setting where spiritual needs could be met as well.

Many dedicated volunteers have trained national physicians, surgeons, dentists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals while providing clinical and spiritual care. Training conferences for pastors and other church workers have been added in a number of countries so long-term disciplemaking is able to take place.

surgery, orthopedic surgery, plastics, maxillofacial surgery, and gynecologic surgery since 2003. In the planning stages are trips with a focus on ENT, cardiovascular, emergency medicine, neurosurgery, and dermatology. Team participants will work alongside Honduran surgeons, surgical residents, anesthesiologists, operating room nurses, and other hospital staff to partner with and offer training in surgical procedures that allow them to advance their skills and provide an increased level of care after the team departs. Teams often provide advanced equipment such as arthroscopy and laparoscopy, train the surgeons in appropriate use, then leave the equipment with the hospital, having taught the personnel “how to fish.”

Short-term Surgical Trips More opportunities are being developed to build local capacity in healthcare delivery systems while delivering short-term medical care.

GHO is teaming with a surgical mission project, Operation New Life of Little Rock, Arkansas, to continue and grow their current relationship with Hospitals Escuela and San Felipe, the two teaching hospitals for the University Nacional Autonom de Honduras in the capital city, Tegucigalpa. Hospital Escuela, an 1,800-bed teaching hospital, and its smaller partner, Hospital San Felipe, offer all medical and surgical specialties including residency training. Operation New Life has developed a relationship with several surgical departments in these hospitals, and has been providing one-week surgical brigades in general and burn

Disaster Relief and Humanitarian Assistance Recent natural disasters such as the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan, and the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti have demonstrated the need for a surge of medical resources and the opening of doors to which these natural disasters can lead. Several non-traditional partners who might not otherwise be welcome in these countries, such as the military and faithbased organizations, have been able to work with the usual international disaster response agencies, providing needed care while building relationships that last beyond the crisis. GHO is exploring mechanisms and partnerships that might allow CMDA members to contribute their skills in these settings.

GHO FOCUS AREAS Enhance spiritual growth of team members Provide culturally-appropriate medical, dental, and surgical care to relieve physical suffering Proclaim the love of our Lord in word and deed to meet spiritual needs Enhance disciple-making capabilities of our national partners

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT GHO OPPORTUNITIES, VISIT: participates at university expense to precept students during the trips.

Capacity Building

A physician talks and prays with a young lady in a brothel in Managua, Nicaragua.

Two days later she came to the GHO clinic at the House of Hope and turned her life and future over to the Great Physician! She has started discipleship classes and will join the vocational rehabilitation programs that are offered.

Student Outreach GHO teams often have medical, dental, pharmacy, and nursing students, and can provide international health rotation credit for many of these students each year. We have restored offering Continuing Medical Education and Continuing Dental Education credit to those who request it, allowing many to work with their tax advisors to write off trip costs as a business expense. We serve as one of several international health rotation sites for the East Tennessee State University School of Pharmacy, where a faculty member

In order to build capacity in the countries where we work, we actively seek to partner with local government and medical professionals, providing education and training while we are present. We are identifying areas where local needs might call for a more concentrated effort where we could lend a hand, such as partnering with groups working with victims of sexual trafficking. We are already providing medical and dental care to young women who are caught in prostitution, and are building a multidisciplinary strategy that may meet longer-term psychological, cancer screening, and alternative vocational needs. This strategy may involve a shift from our usual larger medical-dental team to a small, threeor four-member team that goes repeatedly to the same location for a week each month. Please pray for wisdom and guidance as we explore these options and develop a strategy. External funding sources will likely be required to develop and pilot-test a strategy, and then to fund the medical professionals who will implement this strategy with repeated visits.

WWW. CMDA . ORG /GHO

are too many stories of unethical practices in medical missions — unsupervised medical and dental students; medical personnel performing procedures for which they are not trained; and, the use of expired medications.

All disciplines of medicine have strict professional guidelines in the United States that protect patients from such dishonorable actions, and we must apply the same principles in our international work. We have put in place professional standards for our shortterm team leaders that address team unity, spiritual unity, and professional medical standards. We follow Phillip Melanchthon’s profound, but brief, philosophy: “In essentials, unity. In nonessentials, liberty. In all things, charity.”

We have many testimonies of team members who praise how GHO facilitates such well-organized teams. We attribute this organization to our partnership with our servant-leader team leaders. Serving each of you is the reason we get out of bed each morning!

Please let me know how we may serve you more! ✝

Raising the Ethical Bar GHO has a solid reputation for providing excellent short-term medical and dental missions trips in the Americas, Africa, and Asia, and is working with like-minded groups to raise the standard for such short-term trips. There

Afghan father and daughter waiting to receive medical care from a GHO team

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by Cara Brown, MD, FAAFP, CAQ Adolescent Medicine

a stry i n i lM a i c Cru f CMDA o

W

hy would the women physicians of CMDA need WIMD? The same reason that people joke about women going to the bathroom in groups — relationships. It is often said by WIMDers that WIMD is the only place where all aspects of their lives are understood. “My church friends understand my faith, my colleagues understand the challenges of medicine, and my girlfriends understand my womanhood, but only my sisters in WIMD understand and love all of who God called me to be — a Christian woman physician.” This concept is incorporated in the vision statement of WIMD: To be the key resource for Christian women physicians and dentists in integrating their personal, professional, and spiritual lives.

In the early 1990s when the CMDS board created an ad-hoc committee for Women in Medicine and Dentistry (WIMD), 40 percent of medical students were women, and CMDS had 1,300 women doctors. Last year, 48.3 percent of the medical doctorates awarded were to women. These 8,133 female graduates represent the largest number of women earning a doctorate in medicine of any national graduating class to date. Now CMDA has over 4,000 graduate women physician members, comprising 38 percent of the membership. Thus, since CMDA’s vision is “Changing Hearts in Healthcare,” the WIMD commission believes that reaching the hearts of women physicians is essential.

Each woman in medicine or dentistry faces unique challenges in her multiple roles — whether doctor, wife, mother, board member, caregiver of elderly parents, department head, or supporter of struggling family members. The recent CMDA membership survey revealed that the ranking of some of life’s challenges were significantly different for women than the total CMDA membership.

WIMD Commission singing The three challenges the song they created to promote with an 8 percent or the 2010 Conference

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WIMD encourages and supports Christian women doctors

greater difference from the overall membership were stress/burnout (26 vs. 16 percent), time management (31 vs. 23 percent) and finding a life mate (19 vs. 9 perSusan Weinman, MD (l) cent). All other chaland Karen Glover, MD (r) lenges such as finding enjoy a WIMD breakfast buffet God’s will, parenting, finances, and pride were within a 3 percent difference. WIMD strives to encourage and support the CMDA membership through these increased challenges.

The WIMD National Conference has been key to building relationships among women that encourage and support one another. The first WIMD director, Rev. Marti Ensign, recently told me, “These ladies just need to be put in a room together.” The conference evaluation comments below reflect the need to connect with like-minded women: “I just really appreciated being around other women who understood my life, my calling — being accepted for who I am.”

“The best features of the program is the openness and the willingness of everyone to discuss their faith and struggles. I realize that I am not alone.”

“Fabulous! The best features of the program are the community and the feeling like I belong.”

“It is great to be with other Christian women who are serving in similar ways that I am — to be inspired by each other — their love for the Lord.”

Our conferences provide more than CME. We strive to offer opportunities for connectedness, authenticity and transparency, and intentional relationships — WIMD’s core values.

From bonfires to boat rides to a “Heart and Soul” spa, women engage their hearts with one another in the safety of the “sisterhood.” I must admit that I joined the commission partly because I wanted to spend more time with these like-minded sisters.

While the annual conference has been key to many individuals and vital to the growth of WIMD over the last two decades, we realize that not every woman can travel to attend the conference every year, thus we are striving to connect in other ways.

Mission trips — In January 2011, WIMD partnered with GHO for the second GHO/WIMD trip. This year’s week-long trip was to serve the medical needs and share the gospel with women of the House of Hope in Nicaragua. The House of Hope has a vocational training center for women and girls caught in prostitution and sexual slavery, offering a perfect fit for WIMDers to pour out their love and skills for the glory of our Lord — women helping women.

Electronic — Years ago, a monthly e-mailed devotional written by women physicians for women physicians began. It currently comes every other month through the Progress Notes, and on alternate months comes only to those who have signed up with WIMD (e-mail: amber.smith@cmda.org, to join). Last year a Facebook page was launched, and soon we’ll be on Twitter. This fall we revived our prayer partner program, calling it 3P (Prayer Partner Program) with monthly encouraging emails. Choosing to have a prayer partner allows women to connect one-on-one, focusing on our spiritual growth while building a relationship with a like-minded doctor.

Each of these WIMD efforts are consistent with the mission statement of our strategic plan:

Small groups — There are several local Women in Medicine groups around the country providing local support and encouragement to WIMDers.

Most meet in homes of graduate physicians who have a heart for mentoring. In addition, last spring WIMD launched the GPS (Grasping Power through Surrender) retreats. These are spiritual growth weekends for women doctors to engage in an intense small group. The pilot was a huge success; three are planned for 2011. Realizing that marriages of women physicians have complex challenges, this spring WIMD is partnering with the marriage commission to provide the first Marriage Enrichment Retreat for women physicians only.

If you or someone you know wishes to get involved in any aspect of WIMD, go to www.CMDA.org/WIMD or contact the WIMD Executive Assistant, Amber Smith at: 423-8441022, or e-mail: amber.smith@cmda.org. ✝

To encourage and support Christian women physicians and dentists as we share the unique challenges of our multiple roles: Through authentic relationships (Acts 2:42) Through personal growth (Ps. 119:10) Through discipleship and mentoring (Tit. 2:3-4) Through professional development (Col. 3:23-24)

Cara Brown, MD, FAAFP, CAQ, is a Family Physician in private practice in Johnstown, Colorado.

She joined CMDA in 1990 and has volunteered on the WIMD commission since 2005, serving as the Chair since 2010.

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Women in Medicine and Dentistry’s Annual Conference 2011 www.cmda.org/wimd

It’s All About

We need each other, and CMDA makes it possible to find each other.

Relationships

by Julie Griffin, MD

I

t had been a busy week. Admissions and consultations filled up Monday. Administrative appointments and paperwork filled Tuesday. I left before the sun rose on Wednesday for a meeting in St. Louis. Thursday morning I awoke and proceeded to stand perfunctorily in the checkin, security, and seating lines at the airport. I was home for a brief hour before I was due at the local community outreach clinic. I grabbed my stethoscope and headed off to my next engagement.

That’s when I met Angie. She was the last patient of the day, the one with the most difficult situation. After a brief conversation, her shy eyes looked into mine as I handed her the prescription for an antidepressant. She was grateful for the prescription, and I was glad to finally have the day’s work done. As she turned to leave, the Lord asked me, “Is that piece of paper all you have to offer?” A simple, yet salient question. “No, Lord,” I responded.

I jumped up to catch her. “Angie, you are dealing with so much. Can I pray with you before you go?” I asked. She looked up at me with inquisition on her face, hardly believing my question. Then, she placed her hands in my outstretched palms, and I started our prayer, “Dear Lord, you know Angie’s heart and her situation . . . ” Why do we do what we do? The answer is simple. The Christian physician’s scriptural mandate in Luke 10:9 is clear: to preach the Gospel of Jesus and be the vector of His

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healing power in the hearts and minds of all those he or she encounters. Beyond the meetings, appointments, and medical journals, we do what we do because Jesus has commanded us to share His saving grace with the world.

That’s why CMDA exists. CMDA’s vision statement is “transformed doctors, transforming the world.” CMDA gives me the opportunities and the support I need to fulfill my life’s purpose as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Even more than programs, events, or services, CMDA provides the friendships I need to accomplish this purpose.

The Roles of Friendships There are three types of friendships in which we engage throughout our lives. Knowing our roles in these relationships and the influence, both given and received, helps us minister to others as Jesus commands us to do.

Mutual friendships are perhaps the most numerous and the ones in which we are most comfortable engaging. We laugh and cry with our mutual friends. They have seen us through the good and the bad times. Likewise, we have steadied them through their difficult situations and rejoiced in their weddings, promotions, and awards. In all, our influence on each other is reciprocal. In fact, the power of mutual friends in our lives cannot be over-emphasized, so much so that Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians 6 not to part-

communities. For a more personal and in-depth relationship, CMDA offers life coaches, who assist busy or “stagnated” physicians through weekly phone conversations, in centering their lives on the things they value most.

Jesus placed a high priority on teaching His disciples how to live and minister when He returned to heaven, and CMDA is continuing His priority of mentoring through these alternatives today.

Ministry friendships are those in which we influence others and hold them to accountability. These friends may be colleagues who are not yet saved, patients with whom we are sharing the Gospel one visit at a time, or the neighborhood teenager who confides in us about his dreams for the future. In ministry friendships, we challenge others to higher goals, offer encouragement, and, most importantly, point them to a relationship with our Savior. Timothy was a ministry friend for Paul.

Likewise, Angie is a ministry friend for me during this time in our lives.

It’s All About Relationships

ner with or allow those who are not yet saved to influence our daily decisions. CMDA is filled with opportunities for meeting mutual friends.

A student from our local CMDA chapter invited me to their weekly meetings in my first year of medical school.

A friendship with another first-year student founded through these meetings led to a weekly prayer time during our second year. Those friendships provided me the spiritual encouragement to not only endure, but grow as I was being introduced to death and suffering in a very real and personal way. We shared victories of patients coming out of the ICU and tears when our patients passed away, and we watched the families, to whom we had grown close, wracked with grief at Christmastime.

CMDA is still providing these friendships through various programs. Campus ministries, such as the one at my medical school, are vital in capturing the hearts of medical students for Jesus during medically and spiritually formative years. CMDA provides resources during residency, commissions for medical specialties, and even friendships for spouses of medical students, residents, and fellows. Whatever your season in your career or spiritual journey, CMDA has mutual friends waiting to welcome you, just as they welcomed me a few years ago.

Mentoring friendships are also very important. These are people whom we revere and whose wisdom we seek to gain. We want them to actively pour into our lives from their lessons learned and inject insight into our situations. Sometimes these are formal meetings for counsel; other times they are a relaxed visit to a coffeehouse, where good advice is shared over a latte. For example, Joshua sat at the feet of Moses for years learning about leadership. He followed Moses as he journeyed up Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. He did reconnaissance missions to explore the land of Canaan and reported back to Moses. In turn, it was a natural sequence for Moses to appoint Joshua as leader of the Israelites upon his death. Mentoring friends may come as career mentors from the workplace, former professors, or someone strong in the faith who challenges us to a closer walk with the Lord. Whether prodding us on earthly or spiritual matters, mentoring friends are essential to our personal growth.

CMDA has many avenues through which to pursue biblical mentoring relationships. One of the best places I’ve met powerful mentors in my life is through CMDA’s conferences. Through Global Missions Health Conference, I’ve been able to meet and speak with amazing missionaries who not only inspire me in my own calling, but are available for me to call for advice in my daily walk with the Lord. CMDA also offers a Media Training Course for physicians and medical professionals who want to speak publicly on the critical issues facing our

CMDA is ready with many possibilities to help you make ministry friends. Global Health Outreach is always looking for physicians and dentists interested in international short-term medical or dental mission trips. CMDA is also willing to assist you in exploring domestic mission opportunities through becoming a doctor who commits a portion of his or her time, talent, or treasure to the care of the underserved living among us. Finally, regardless of the people with whom you interact, always remember the power of prayer. Each of us is surrounded every day by hurting people who need to hear the Gospel. Some need reminders of Christ’s love and compassion. Others need to hear of His saving grace and forgiveness for the first time. From books to CDs to conferences, CMDA can help the Christian physician grow in his or her ability to share the love of Jesus.

Each of these forms of friendships is vital to our purpose and legacy on earth. It is important to “hang out” and relax with our mutual friends. Nevertheless, we must

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also recognize the need for mentoring friends as well as ministry friends in our lives. These friendships help keep us balanced and vibrant in our daily walks with the Lord and with those around us.

Friends into Eternity

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“ . . . Thank you for this moment, Lord. Go with us as we leave this clinic tonight.” I closed the prayer and patted Angie’s hand. She looked up, her shy eyes a bit brighter.

“I’ve been looking for a church,” she said. So I invited her to our next Sunday service.

Three days later, I was overjoyed to see her walk in with her fiancé and teenage daughter. Our pastor greeted them, and we sat together during the service. Our youth director took Angie’s daughter to meet some of the teenagers in the youth group. On our way out, Jessie said

she wanted to come to youth group that night and might bring a friend. I bid them farewell until the next Sunday, and there was a song in my heart all the way home.

Why do you do what you do? Our days may be busy with patient visits, meetings, and paperwork, but we must never lose sight of our true purpose here on earth — to preach and heal as Jesus commanded in Luke 10:9.

CMDA encourages us to take a stand, and when we do, God opens doors for us to minister to the whole person while also receiving ministry ourselves. Let CMDA help you in this journey to become a transformed doctor transforming the world. ✝

Julie Griffin, MD, is board-certified in internal medicine and pediatrics and currently practices at Labette Health in rural southeast Kansas. She graduated from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and completed her postgraduate education at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center.

She worked with Global Health Outreach in Honduras prior to entering medical school and now volunteers at a local clinic for the underserved in Parsons, Kansas.

CLASSIFIEDS Miscellaneous Clinical Tropical Medicine and Traveler’s Health – ASTMH accredited. June 14-August 5, 2011. Sponsored by West Virginia University School of Medicine Office of CE and the Global Health Program. Contact Nancy Sanders at: 304-293-5916, or nsanders@hsc.wvu.edu.

Dental Dental – Associate for a general and pediatric dental practice located in Concord, New Hampshire. Well-established practice in a newer facility, associate will replace retiring dentist(s). Located in central NH within 90 minutes drive to the ocean, mountains, and Boston. Group strives to make their practice of dentistry an extension of their faith. Contact: grace.family.dentistry@comcast.net. See our online ad on CMDA’s website under Classified Ads for more information.

General Dentist – Excellent opportunity for a highly motivated general dentist to work in a thriving practice in Cambridge, MD. We offer a state-of-the-art facility and exceptional compensation. Please e-mail resume to: rhiersdds@comcast.net.

Orofacial Pain and Dental Sleep Medicine – Woodlands, TX – Seeking full-time associate who has a passion for OFP or DSM. Beautiful community 30 minutes from downtown Houston. Visit us at: www.tmjtexas.com for further information. Contact me at: rprehn@tmjtexas.com.

Medical Family Medicine/Obstetrics – Seeking Family Medicine Obstetrics physician desiring expansion of skills for mission hospital activities. Established fellowship program for development of skills in OB/Gyn ultrasound, office surgery, and Spanish. Modules are available on Cesareans, EMR, digital Xray, and others. Accepting applications for faculty and fellows. Send CV and goals to: wmrodney@aol.com.

Family Practice – needed for a busy private practice in Henderson, NV. Must be adept with EMR, and coding specificity. Work in a beautiful Christ-centered office with a professional staff, living a life of worship by ministering to patients, mind body and spirit. Send your CV to: daraw@mac.com or

call Dr. Welborn at: 702-269-6345. www.Cornerstone-familypractice.com.

Internal Medicine – Retiring physician looking for candidate to step right into busy practice in West Suburban Chicago – Wheaton/Carol Stream. Enjoy comfortable Wheaton area with excellent public and Christian schools. Large assortment of fine churches close by. World class universities in the city of Chicago. A short car or train ride to downtown Chicago and all of its attractions. Attractive compensation and benefit package. Welcoming friendly independent practice with daily office hours and admit to local 400-bed full-service hospital.

We strive to provide quality personalized care according to Jesus’ model of compassionate servant leadership. Fax CV to: 630681-0659.

Orthopedics – “Do right, love mercy, walk humbly.” – Micah 6:8. Do you share this intent? Ours is a 35+ year old practice devoted to these guiding principles. We aim to help people through our professional and compassionate care as well as our outreach to the community and beyond. Find your niche in an environment that is familyfriendly, community-focused and patientcentric. Low malpractice and cost of living, on-site surgery center, mission minded, vibrant community with a university, new physician-managed surgical hospital opening in mid-2011, great schools, low crime rate, and lots of ways to make a difference.

We want to add at least one other general orthopedist as well as a sub-specialist.

Won’t you contact us? Kearney Orthopedic & Sports Medicine, Kearney, NE; Medical Director, Dr. Chris Wilkinson at: 308-6274664 or cwilkinson@kearneyortho.com.

Our Administrator, Vicki Aten, at 308-8652512 or vaten@kearneyortho.com.

Pediatrician – We need a team-minded Christian to join us in Stony Plain, Alberta.

We believe God is calling someone interested in working with children, providing compassionate care, and possibly future buy-in. Fax: 780-963-2904. E-mail: turnerhm@yahoo.com.

prehensive, compassionate medical care to children here and around the world.

Four season community features biking and hiking trails, fishing and hunting. Low cost of living, good private and public schools, low crime rate and many opportunities to make a difference. This would be an employee position with great benefits and opportunities for profit sharing and ownership. One hospital with 1 in 3 to 1 in 5 call coverage. Interest can be directed to our office manager, Lori Ray, via e-mail at: lray@hopepediatrics.com or by calling 814-677-3717.

Pediatrician – Sole pediatric practitioner on Roosevelt Island, New York City looking for an Associate who will take over the practice in the next few years. There are opportunities for growth in this predominantly international community. Please e-mail resume to: snolt@cathedralconsulting.com.

Faith-Based Psychiatry Position – Philhaven is a faith-based behavioral health care system that provides a large continuum of services for all age groups. We are located in south central Pennsylvania. We currently have approximately 1,000 staff and 55 different programs including inpatient, partial, and community-based services. We are seeking mission-minded psychiatrists for both Adult and Child/Adolescent positions. Join our staff of 32 psychiatrists. Philhaven is a missionfocused, values-driven organization committed to providing extraordinary behavioral healthcare. Interested parties should contact: Phil Hess, CEO, Philhaven, PO Box 550, Mt. Gretna, PA 17064 or, e-mail: phess@philhaven.org.

For additional job opportunities go to CMDA’s Website at www.cmda.org and click on advertising

Pediatrician – “. . . My hope is in Him . . .”

– Psalm 62:5. Hope Pediatrics was founded in 1999 based on this scripture and His vision for this practice. We are currently seeking a third physician to join our practice located in rural Western Pennsylvania between Pittsburgh and Erie.

We aim to provide Christ-centered, com-

on our home page or US Medical Opportunities under Placement Services.

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CHRISTIAN MEDICAL & DENTAL ASSoCIATIoNS P.o. Box 7500 Bristol, TN 37621-7500

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