Volume 49 No. 3• Fall 2018
Today’s
Christian Doctor The Journal of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations
SPIRITUAL FORMATION for Healthcare Professionals
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FROM THE CMDA PRESIDENT AL WEIR, MD
TRANSFORMATION IN PRACTICE
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went in to work early one day this week to catch up on charts. In the folder with my lab results sat three cards for me to inscribe, cards of sympathy for those who had died last week. One card for one who died after 15 years of a lung cancer; another card for another with the same illness, who lasted three years. The third succumbed to breast cancer. All were my patients over those years. All were friends. I loved each of them. As I look back over such patients whom I may never see again, I ask myself, “How well did I serve them?” Three questions came to me in those remembrances: 1. “Did I give them the best possible medical care?” 2. “ Was I always kind and loving?” 3. “Did I share the truth of Jesus Christ with them?” Someday I will hear from my Lord, or from them, the answer to these questions. I pray I am not disappointed. But, probably more important than asking these questions over those who have fallen, is to ask them over the patients I am about to see in the examining room today. Each of us who love Christ and love our patients want to provide kind and competent care, and we also want our patients and colleagues to know Christ. How do we get there from here? The truth is that this full package of Christian service can only be delivered if we ourselves are deeply committed to abiding and serving our Christ. And unfortunately, most of you are like me in that I am so overwhelmed with the complexities of life and practice that I forget who I am called to be. I look back on so many days—and I wonder whether I have truly served my patients and my King that day. How do I get to where I want to be? How do I get to the place that Christ “may come into my life and so inebriate me” with His Spirit (as Augustine wrote in Confessions)
that I am the person who God desires me to be and I serve my patients in the way Jesus would serve them if He were in my place? Certainly not on my own. Christ has ordained that we come to Him together as the Church. We become who He wishes us to be through each other’s prayers, each other’s encouragement and each other’s resources. We certainly do this best through our local churches. But we also do this through the resources and pathways of CMDA. CMDA understands the specific opportunities and challenges of healthcare professionals in ways that local churches cannot understand. This edition of Today’s Christian Doctor describes some of these resources and pathways. There are so many more, in missions, student ministry, healthcare for the poor, conferences, devotionals, magazines and podcasts, all devoted to transforming us into the people God designed us to be. And this is not for ourselves. Our reformation into Christ-likeness is for our families, our friends, our colleagues and especially for those we serve in healthcare, that they might be healed with kindness and love and that they might know the magnificent Lord who is transforming us. Transformed Doctors ➤ Transforming the World www.cmda.org 3
TO DAY ’ S C H R I S T I A N D O C TO R
contents
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10 12 Cover Story
Transformed Doctors, Transforming the World featuring Hendrix and Victoria Lafontant
Spiritual Formation for Healthcare Professionals by Kenneth Lim, MD, PhD, MPhil, FASN
How to sustain a lifetime of emotionally healthy spirituality in medicine
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VIE Poster Sessions: Supporting Academic Medicine through Good Craftsmanship
by Amanda Lucashu, DO, with the National Resident & Fellow Council
Encouraging engagement with CMDA through academic research
22
Sued or Fired: Riding the Emotional Rollercoaster
by Wendy B. Kang, MD, JD
CMDA’s Medical Malpractice Ministry offers help during malpractice lawsuits
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Side By Side: Changing Lives for 30 Years
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26
FA L L 2 0 1 8
The Christian Medical & Dental Associations ®— Changing Hearts in Healthcare . . . since 1931.
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VO LU M E 4 9, N O. 3
by Robin Morgenthaler with Mandi Mooney
Encouraging and ministering to women in medical and dental marriages 4 TODAY'S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR Fall 2018
30 34
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How Big Are Your Rocks?
by David Stevens, MD, MA (Ethics)
Facing the Goliath in California
Classifieds
EDITOR Mandi Mooney EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Gregg Albers, MD; John Crouch, MD; Autumn Dawn Galbreath, MD; Curtis E. Harris, MD, JD; Van Haywood, DMD; Rebecca Klint-Townsend, MD; Robert D. Orr, MD; Debby Read, RN AD SALES Margie Shealy 423-8441000 DESIGN Ahaa! Design + Production PRINTING Pulp CMDA is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). Today’s Christian Doctor®, registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. ISSN 0009-546X, Fall 2018, Volume XLIX, No. 3. 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© 2018, Christian Medical & Dental Associations®. All Rights Reserved. Distributed free to CMDA members. Nondoctors (US) are welcome to subscribe at a rate of $35 per year ($40 per year, international). Standard presort postage paid at Bristol, Tennessee. Undesignated Scripture references are taken from the Holy Bible, New In-
ternational Version®, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Other versions are noted in the text. Christian Medical & Dental Associations P.O. Box 7500, Bristol, TN 37621 888-230-2637 main@cmda.org • www.cmda.org If you are interested in submitting articles to be considered for publication, visit www.cmda.org/publications for submission guidelines and details. 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.
TRANSFORMATIONS
Regional Ministries
CMDA Welcomes New Northeast Regional Director
Connecting you with other Christ-followers to help better motivate, equip, disciple and serve within your community Western Region Michael J. McLaughlin, MDiv P.O. Box 2169 Clackamas, OR 97015-2169 503-522-1950 west@cmda.org Midwest Region Allan J. Harmer, ThM, DMin 951 East 86th Street, Suite 200A Indianapolis, IN 46240 317-257-5885 cmdamw@cmda.org Northeast Region Akeem Z. Walker, DMin P.O. Box 1216 Suffolk, VA 23439 609-502-2078 northeast@cmda.org
Akeem is an ordained pastor, having just recently received a Doctor of Ministry degree with a focus on preaching and social concern from the School of Theology at Virginia Union University. Akeem also holds a master’s of arts in Christian education, a master’s of divinity from the School of Theology at Virginia Union University and a master’s degree in preaching from Richmond Virginia Seminary.
We are excited to welcome Akeem to CMDA. To contact him, please email northeast@cmda.org. GET INVOLVED
Campus & Community Ministries is a network of 78 local graduate ministries and over 280 campus chapters providing opportunities for members to connect and live out their Christian faith in their practices, on campus and in their communities. To find a CMDA chapter near you or learn more about your regional ministry opportunities, visit www.cmda.org/ccm.
YOUR COMPLETE SOURCE FOR MEDICAL MISSION TRIPS
WE PROVIDE: • PRODUCTS FOR OVERSEA S & US MEDIC AL MISSIONS • THE ABILIT Y TO CUSTOMIZE ORDERS
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A native of Suffolk, Virginia, Akeem committed his life to Christ at the age of 12 years old. He has served in various ministry positions for the last 12 years. It is his work and experience with youth and pastoring churches, his counseling and mental health work, his experience in teaching and his doctoral dissertation on wholistic self care that gives Akeem a set of unique skills, experiences and knowledge for this position.
MEDICINES FOR MISSIONS
Akeem Walker, DMin, joined CMDA as the new Northeast Regional Director in July 2018. He serves as a connection point for CMDA members living in Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont and West Virginia.
Southern Region Grant Hewitt, MDiv P.O. Box 7500 Bristol, TN 37621 402-677-3252 south@cmda.org
• 30 YE ARS OF E XPERIENCE
For more information or to place an order go to:
www.blessing.org email: info@blessing.org or call: 918-250-8101
HEALING THE HURTING, BUILDING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES AND TRANSFORMING LIVES SINCE 1981
Transformed Doctors ➤ Transforming the World www.cmda.org 5
TRANSFORMATIONS
Today’s Christian Doctor Wins Award CMDA is excited to announce that Today’s Christian Doctor received a 2018 Award of Merit from the Evangelical Press Association. The award recognized the magazine’s recent redesign, honoring it in the “Most Improved—Print” category. The judges commended the improvement of the overall design of the magazine, as well as the cleaner and more solid professional writing of the articles. Presented each year during the Evangelical Press Association’s spring convention, the Awards of Excellence honor the best work done in the association’s publications during the 2017 calendar year. As one of CMDA’s resources, Today’s Christian Doctor is devoted to today’s issues in healthcare, including inspirational testimonies from fellow Christian healthcare professionals, public policy updates, glimpses into the future of healthcare and examples of how to integrate your faith into your practice.
EVENTS For more information, visit www.cmda.org/events.
Women Physicians in Christ Annual Conference September 20-23, 2018 • Essex, Vermont Marriage Enrichment Weekend October 12-14, 2018 • Bristol, Tennessee Midwest Fall Conference October 12-14, 2018 • Norton Shores, Michigan Global Missions Health Conference November 8-10, 2018 • Louisville, Kentucky Northeast Winter Conference January 18-20, 2019 • North East, Maryland Marriage Enrichment Weekend February 1-3, 2019 • Miramar Beach, Florida Remedy 2019 March 28-30, 2019 • Orlando, Florida 2019 CMDA National Convention May 2-5, 2019 • Ridgecrest, North Carolina Voice of Christian Doctor’s Media Training May 17-18, 2019 • Bristol, Tennessee
MEMORIAM & GIFTS Gifts received April through June 2018
Honor Ms. Martha Bass in honor of Dr. Thomas C. Bohmfalk John and Arlene Hickey in honor of Dr. Frank Imbarrato Ms. Dianne Stillman-Greene in honor of Dr. Rebekah Kim Tim and Mary Maxam in honor of Dr. John and Mrs. Jerrie McFadyen Dr. Richard and Mrs. Elizabeth Zimmerman in honor of Janys Zimmerman Dr. John T. Ramey in honor of Dr. David Stevens M. Rebecca Haak in honor of Dr. Audrey Banya
Memory Ms. Jean Oldham in memory of Donald F. Westra, Sr. David and Angel Warner in memory of Donald F. Westra, Sr. Tom and Dora Heath in memory of Markaye Cooper Taylor Tom and Dora Heath in memory of Caleb Wood Tom and Dora Heath in memory of Elizabeth Thomason Harwell Tom and Dora Heath in memory of Gloria Pitman Pardue Tom and Dora Heath in memory of Reita Lynn Lamb Tom and Dora Heath in memory of William David Thompson Tom and Dora Heath in memory of Phyllis L. Jones Tom and Dora Heath in memory of Melton “Mel” F. Doughty, Jr. Stacy M. Schuessler in memory of Mr. Ralph Sharp Ellen, Roy III and Neal Hendee in memory of Chief Mrs. Olukemi Odetoyinbo Nee Ogundiya Danny and Susan Woodson in memory of Wayne Butts Dr. and Mrs. Don Hill in memory of J.Robert and Morrell Swart For more information about honorarium and memoriam gifts, please contact stewardship@cmda.org.
6 TODAY'S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR Fall 2018
Plenary Speakers
Rev. Stan Key
Nancy Pearcey
David Stevens, MD, MA (Ethics)
John Stonestreet
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May 2-5, 2019
Ridgecrest Conference Center Ridgecrest, North Carolina Register online at www.cmda.org/nationalconvention
TRANSFORMATIONS
CMDA Releases New Website This August, CMDA launched its brand new, easy-to-use website, complete with a beautiful, stylish new look and fresh content-flow so you can quickly navigate and access news, information, resources and so much more.
NEW WEBSITE ENHANCEMENTS STREAMLINED NAVIGATION Mega Menus to help users better search the website and more quickly find what they are looking for.
MINISTRY PAGE LAYOUTS Entirely redesigned ministry and missions pages for enhanced readability and improved user interaction.
If you have been considering becoming a member of CMDA or whether to renew your membership, now is an amazing time to get on board. Not only is our website getting an overhaul, but we are beginning to add multiple member-only resources to our existing lineup of member assets. For more information, visit www.joincmda.org.
MOBILE RESPONSIVE Accessible on any tablet or mobile device with a design that responds to your screen size and screen orientation.
ENHANCED MEDIA
MORE RELATED MATERIAL Clearly defined related content throughout the site including items such as products, events, publications and articles.
CHECKOUT EXPERIENCE Improved shopping and purchase interfaces, making it easier to sort, find and select products and services.
8 TODAY'S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR Fall 2018
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Premier layouts with improved accessibility to videos, audio files and downloadable media—including continuing education sessions.
My
CMD A
Story
Bill Sasser, DMD, while serving on a Global Health Outreach trip to Nicaragua.
“It’s a privilege to share my life with the CMDA family. In a secular society such as ours, it’s a privilege to walk alongside men and women who seek to follow the great commandment of Christ, to love God and love our neighbors. Scripture calls us to live examined lives before the Lord. Who’s really on the throne of my life? How am I using my time? Dental disease is a great need throughout the world, and I’ve learned how dentistry can be portable up to a point. As such, it’s a great vehicle for loving, serving and sharing the good news of the gospel. The call to serve is ongoing. We just have to respond to the call and say “yes” to participation in a Christian organization like CMDA. Then get ready to mentor young people, donate your time and services at home and follow Christ’s order to support the Great Commission efforts around the world.” —Bill Sasser, DMD
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P.O. Box 7500 Bristol, TN 37621 888-230-2637 www.joincmda.org memberservices@cmda.org
JOIN CMDA TODAY You can join Dr. Sasser and more than 19,000 healthcare professionals across the country who are part of this growing movement of “Transformed Doctors, Transforming the World.” Visit www.joincmda.org or call 888-230-2637 to join us today.
TRANSFORMED TRANSFORMED Doctors
Featuring HENDRIX & VICTORIA LAFONTANT CMDA: To get us started, tell us a little bit about your background (school, training, personal life, etc.). HENDRIX AND VICTORIA: We are both from Tampa, Florida, and we met and began dating in high school. We then attended University of Florida together, graduating in 2015. Hendrix double majored in biology and Spanish, and Victoria majored in biology and minored in non-profit leadership. We got married in June 2016, right before moving to Auburn, Alabama and beginning medical school at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. We are both about to transition into our third year of medical school. CMDA: When did you first get involved with CMDA? HENDRIX AND VICTORIA: We heard of CMDA through our school’s chapter and attended their welcome dinner for incoming first years. We began attending men’s and women’s Bible studies, as well as a Bible study for married couples hosted by our faculty advisor. CMDA: And how have you been involved since then? HENDRIX AND VICTORIA: Hendrix served as President of our school’s chapter, and Victoria served as Vice President. In these roles, we led small group Bible studies and planned monthly events for our classmates with local healthcare professionals. CMDA: Has faith always impacted your life and/or career? HENDRIX: I grew up in a Catholic family and attended church regularly, but never truly developed a relationship with the Lord until college. Freshman year, I was invited to a campus ministry and began developing my relationship with the Lord. I served with that ministry throughout 10 TODAY'S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR Fall 2018
college and continued to dig deeper in what it means to be a Christian. In college, I may not have fully matured as a Christian, but at that time I definitely knew that wherever I would go and whatever I would do, I would like to bring God with me. VICTORIA: I did not grow up in a religious home, and never thought much about it, but I also began attending the college ministry along with Hendrix. This opened the door for many questions and allowed me to slowly understand my need for the Lord in my life. During the last two years of college, I was part of a Christian sorority, Sigma Phi Lambda, and this community helped me to learn and grow in my faith even more. HENDRIX AND VICTORIA: Now, as medical students, our faith pushes us to find ways to serve our classmates and shapes the way we see our future career and how we can best treat our patients—not only physically, but also addressing their spiritual needs. CMDA: What would you say is the biggest way CMDA has impacted your life so far in your healthcare training? HENDRIX AND VICTORIA: CMDA has provided a starting point to find community, something so vital to success in the chaos of medical school. It also gave us a platform to represent what it means to be a follower of Christ to our classmates. CMDA also keeps us rooted in the things that matter most, reminding us of priorities outside of just school.
TRANSFORMING TRANSFORMING
the World
CMDA: What’s one of your favorite memories from being involved with the ministries of CMDA? HENDRIX: My favorite memories are of my weekly men’s small group meetings where we would just do life together, whether that meant digging into the Word, talking about family, praying with one another or just hanging out and playing sports. It seemed like the burdens of the world ceased to exist during those times. In my small group, we have a place where we can go to find an open ear and a place to find a brother ready to walk alongside you in this Christian walk. VICTORIA: My favorite memories are of our times with local doctors who would share their personal experiences, their struggles and their advice with us. It is always so encouraging to hear from people who are further down the road and see the realities of living out faith within a career in medicine. CMDA: CMDA’s vision is “Transformed Doctors, Transforming the World.” What does that mean to you? HENDRIX AND VICTORIA: As believers, we are transformed by the sacrifices of Jesus and we are called to live our lives according to the Word of God. Our mission is to go and create disciples of all nations, and our mission field is currently Auburn, Alabama. During medical school, our desire is to bring the love of Christ to all we come in contact with, especially our fellow classmates. As we transition into the hospital, we will bring that same kingdom mindset to each one of our patients and coworkers. The transforming of our minds gives us a unique perspective on the world and changes the lens of how we see ourselves and our patients. I think this continual transformation protects us from the competitive and prideful environment that the medical field can be and reminds us that as physicians we are truly the hands and feet of Jesus—that we are just His humble servants allowing Him to work through us and nothing more. CMDA: What’s the best advice you can give to others about how to get involved transforming the world for Christ?
HENDRIX AND VICTORIA: I think sometimes we can become paralyzed by the many needs of the world, and we don’t know where to possibly begin. So I think that the best advice is just to do something, anything, and take it one step at a time. Whether it’s taking the time to help a classmate when it means sacrificing your own study time, or greeting a professor with a smile, or taking a day out of your schedule to volunteer somewhere. It can be big or small, but simply let the Lord shine in all that you do by showing patience and grace and compassion. That will open doors and guide you on your way to how you are called to make an impact in this world. But don’t let your big hopes and dreams stop you from doing the little things, because for most people it’s the little things you don’t even realize you are doing that can really mean the world to them. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23, ESV). CMDA: Is there anything else you’d like to share? HENDRIX: Many people ask if it is hard for us to be married and for us both to be in medical school, but we believe being married has only made medical school easier. I could not imagine doing medical school without Victoria by my side, because she makes everything so much more enjoyable. We have built-in study partners, so studying endless hours is infinitely more enjoyable when it’s full of quirky jokes and delirious laughter. Sure, we get annoyed with each other sometimes, which is inevitable, but the important thing is that we know a fight will never actually come between us and working through the stress of school together makes us so much stronger. At the end of the day, our relationship is more important than medical school, so in terms of priority, spending quality time with my wife beats out school any day. This has been a ministry in itself, as many students struggle to find a balance between work and family. We have been able to use our relationship as an example to them and also as a way to connect with other married couples. I say it time and time again, but having the opportunity to go through medical school with my wife as a fellow classmate is an absolute blessing and I couldn’t imagine it any other way. Transformed Doctors ➤ Transforming the World www.cmda.org 11
“
But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
”
we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.
—Isaiah 64:8, ESV
SPIRITUAL FORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS by Kenneth Lim, MD, PhD, MPhil, FASN
God cares about our heart.
T
his intensely personal, though simple, truth can at times be immensely difficult to grasp, particularly when it comes to the demands and culture of practicing healthcare in today’s society. Stress, long hours and the demands that students, residents and healthcare professionals endure can drastically affect the soul. We must speak of the pervasive problem of physician burnout1 as a movement of our healthcare sector in need of urgent change. The accumulative exposure to suffering, illness, abuse and neglect among our patients 12 TODAY'S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR Fall 2018
can easily tear the fragile reality of the human heart, if it is not concretely grounded with an ethic of refusal and a maturity of intent to the renewing power of Christ. Limitations in time and the nature of medicine can tie the soul-searching healthcare professional behind the walls of an institution, foster feelings of isolation and steal away from Christian community. This can leave the necessary condition for continued life-giving relationships largely unmet. The chief of a successful internal medicine program once shared with me during a casual conversation how a lifelong career in hospital medicine can be often unsustainable, and
cologist once wrote me a simple email that radically shifted the trajectory of my spiritual journey. It said,
“
The decisions you make now about how you choose to live your life will form the foundations and shape and inform your spiritual walk with Jesus for the rest of your career as a doctor.
”
The wisdom of these words set me on a wild journey to discover the secrets behind crafting a rule of life that will help sustain a lifetime of emotionally healthy spirituality in medicine.
THE ERA OF SPIRITUAL FORMATION
I love Rembrandt van Rijn’s 17th century painting of The Return of the Prodigal Son that hangs in the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia. I can stare at this painting for hours, gradually identifying with each figure—the rebellious son, the dutiful older brother and the compassionfilled father. However, something extremely comforting draws me to the father’s loving embrace of his son in this painting. The transformative love he displays looks beyond all the sins and disappointments of his son, and it shows a love like the love spoken of in 1 Corinthians 13 that could actually come to occupy the human heart. If only there was a way to constantly draw from an unending stream of this healing and restorative love, countercurrent from the oftendestructive waves of secularism and the demands of modern healthcare.
his plans for a major career shift and quick escape. Intertwined within the tangled depths of my heart, something just did not feel right about that conversation. I have always felt that there has to be something more than this for those of us who are called to be God’s hands and feet through our work in healthcare. In an institution overflowing with the sick and in need of a higher power, our response to these needs must not be solely a contented action that ignores the soul and our spiritual health. When I was a medical student making that exciting transition into the clinical years of my training, the leader of my young adult fellowship who happened to be a clinical on-
Tapping into such a heavenly reality wrapped in the true, loving embrace of our Heavenly Father takes more than just discipleship or a thorough exegesis of Scripture. A search for this transformative power took me on a journey across many oceans. In my journey, I found that humanity cannot be separated from the continued healing and transformative power of God if we are to live a life that cultivates intimacy with Him. Dallas Willard wrote, “The hunger of the human heart that is unfed by what is authentic will go for what is inauthentic.” 2 The demands and exposure of modern healthcare in the Western world threaten to dramatically affect our relationship with God and move us away from coming to Him in intimacy and prayer, if we are not consciously doing something about it. Thankfully, God wants to meet us wherever we are in life and in the depths of our struggles. We need to be continually formed, or really transformed, into the likeness of Jesus Christ.3 This is spiritual formation, a practice forged in response to the urgent need to attend to spiritual growth in modern day Christianity. Spiritual formation is Transformed Doctors ➤ Transforming the World www.cmda.org 13
about our continuing response to God’s grace and the Holy Spirit’s conforming power into Christ’s likeness. Spiritual formation helps transform the natural expression of our hearts to become that of Christ’s deeds and God’s redemptive purposes. While intellect and reason may illuminate profound theological insights, it is the engaged heart that discovers and experiences the things of God. Paul wrote, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love may have power...may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:16-19). Spiritual formation should be a culture of our hearts. Seminaries and churches throughout the nation are launching a trend of programs and movements in spiritual formation. The need for spiritual formation for ministry leaders is such a growing area that degree programs are now being offered in it. However, the intersection between spiritual formation and healthcare is a field that is still largely in its embryonic stage of development. Regardless, what can we learn from core disciplines in spiritual formation that can speak into the specific needs of healthcare professionals today? As a preface to spiritual formation, I have highlighted three essential spiritual disciplines and their applications for the healthcare professional.
14 TODAY'S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR Fall 2018
DISCIPLINE 1: POWER THROUGH SCRIPTURE AND MEDITATION
Perhaps one of the most challenging seasons in my life was when I first started my residency training. A new city, a different environment and the demands of internship brought a radical shift to life. In an attempt to escape the pressures of the hospital for the first six months of residency, I used to drive out of the city deep into the mountains and read Scripture beneath the beautiful expanse of the starry hosts. It can be tough for the busy clinician to dive into Scripture with limited time, but it is an absolutely vital discipline that keeps us grounded and aligned with God’s truths. Knowledge of Scripture cultivates a foundation for all other spiritual disciplines. It forms the authority of our declaration to be a hand of mercy to the sick, as well as our response to the humanitarian need for the opposition of silence in situations of human crisis. It is a potent power to bring restoration, healing and comfort. Scripture directs our path to repentance, a practice that not only begins our relationship with God but also deepens it. To meditate over Scripture is to allow the possibility of a God-inspired movement in our lives illuminated by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to better serve Him through some of the most perplexing challenges we face in healthcare and life, for that matter. To know Scripture is to forge a new friendship for the healthcare professional.
DISCIPLINE 2: DEVOTED TO PRAYER AND PRACTICING SOLITUDE
I remember a particularly busy season during my residency training while working long hours on call on the medical floors and ICUs. One such evening while on call, I prayed that God would validate His Father’s love for me, for which Jesus paid such a high price. I had learned that such a prayer could bring a wave of encouragement during the demands of caring for the sick.4, 5 So on my way down to the hospital cafeteria, a gentleman I never met before came up to me and asked if he could share something. “Sure,” I responded, with an air of skepticism. He introduced himself and said, “I feel that God wants to say to you that He knows where you are in this season of your life, and where you are is where He wants you to be and He loves you!” I was blown away! Something in me lifted, and a renewed strength poured over me in a wave of the Holy Spirit. Prayer often begins in the flesh, but it ends with the Holy Spirit that can intervene in any life circumstance or condition of the human heart. God can invade our circumstances in every situation when we devote time in communion with Him through prayer and solitude.6 Our constant interaction around people, death and dying in healthcare can accrue corrosion to our souls if we are not constantly rejuvenated by Christ.7, 8 In a place of prayer and solitude with Jesus, we find that inner sanctuary and experience the hands of God, stitching us up where we are wounded, restoring and redeeming that which was once lost. When we spend time with Jesus, courage and boldness grow in us. Jesus Himself responded to service, hardship and oppression away from people and being alone with God (Matthew 26:36-44). And sometimes, in the midst of our greatest pains with no one but Christ to accompany us in the wilderness, He can bring about the deepest transformation in our lives. Perhaps one of the greatest paradoxical tragedies we can inflict upon ourselves is to allow our Christ-oriented service to our patients steal away our time from Christ Himself.9 This would be a sweeping failure in our personal soul care. I believe God wants us to let His love have authority in our hearts so we can be empowered to reach His people. Our Christ-ordained service in healthcare is not a charity, nor is it solely a humanitarian responsibility as members of a civil society. It is an authority and the divine power of Christ flowing through us so we can help connect people to a God who loves them. For some of us, the biggest problem stunting our growth and connectedness with Christ is
another authority other than Jesus, such as entertainment or even our careers itself. Communion with God, to ponder His Word and to welcome the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, allows us to rid ourselves from these other authorities. Only then can we fully translate the culture of heaven and the heart of the Father to those who are sick that we care for, and these are people who really need to understand His goodness.10
DISCIPLINE 3: GOD-APPOINTED MENTORS AND FRIENDSHIPS
To have God-appointed Christian mentors at each stage of our careers in healthcare is to be a recipient of blessing on a pathway of wisdom. My PhD advisor played a significant influence in my walk with Jesus. He was a prominent academic nephrologist in England who deeply loves God. The first question he ever asked me during our first advisory meeting was who I thought Jesus was to me. Our subsequent meetings for the next few years were filled with a mixture of encouraging and exciting talks about Jesus, the Bible, science and medicine, plus, and most importantly, times of prayer together. As our extended collaborative team grew, others in our research group came to know Jesus as well. The brotherhood forged in our research team has been an incredible blessing, and while the Lord has taken us on different paths, we continue to meet up and pray for each other to this very day. Having God-appointed Christian mentors who are walking the path of trusting Jesus and who can remind us of our original design in Christ when times get challenging is a priceless, life-giving treasure. And there is no tradeoff to the blessing that comes from a teachable heart in a mentoring relationship. In every new chapter of my life, I have found myself praying for God-appointed mentors as well as God-appointed friendships. God loves to play the guide in our relationships, and He brings to us the people we need in any particular season of life. Anointed mentors and anointed friendships are people who will dig a hole in a roof for you just so you can be near to Jesus (Mark 2:1-12). They help us protect our relationship with God and intercede for us in prayer when we find it difficult too. They are an integral part of our spiritual formation, as a significant part of our identity is belonging to the body of Christ. Authentic community always leads to Jesus.
OTHER SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES
I love to sing songs of worship. After a busy day on call, I find worship to be rejuvenating and restoring. At its core, when we worship we tell God how good He is, and His presence never fails to inhabit a place of worship (Psalm 22:3).11 Worship becomes a powerful force, allowing the Transformed Doctors ➤ Transforming the World www.cmda.org 15
ministerial work of the Holy Spirit to move when it becomes the constant undertone in our lives.12 A discussion of other spiritual disciplines, such as fasting and attending to our emotions, in the context of the healthcare profession is beyond the scope of this article, though they are pivotal to include in our prescription for spiritual formation. I shall leave you with these final words: God is the author of your story. We are called to be faithful to the calling God has for us, whether that is in doctoring, dentistry, nursing or any other type of healthcare profession. But in order to live out the full calling He has for us, we must examine our hearts and walk a path of spiritual growth and wholeness in Christ that is by no means passive.13 Conforming to Christ’s likeness requires the same intensity and devotion, if not more, to the devotion and huge sacrifices many of us have placed to a career in healthcare. The opposition of grace is not effort, it is earning. And neither is a spiritual discipline a restriction, rather it is a weapon in the fight against spiritual slavery and emotional paralysis. God wants to transform you from one glory to another, and He wants to meet you more than you could ever want to meet Him. In fact, He broke through the heavens to meet us just where we are. In the process of our spiritual formation, God rescues us from many of our bankrupt philosophies of life so that our ultimate treasure becomes Jesus Christ. Our identity and singular legacy in Christ then becomes evident. What discipline in your spiritual formation is God calling you to develop in this season? Wherever you are in life, 16 TODAY'S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR Fall 2018
whether you are walking through a dark season, battling through the woes of medical school, residency or fellowship, engaging in the political strife as an attending or facing the uphill struggle for academic grant funding, remember this—God has never once forgotten you! He is intimately acquainted with every one of your needs. Jesus left us the Holy Spirit, and conviction from the Holy Spirit always leads us back to the Father’s arms of embrace. So often we are waiting on God, but God is actually waiting on us. CONTRIBUTORS AND REVIEWERS • Rev. Dr. Raymond Pendleton, PhD, MA, is Senior Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling and Director of the Clinical Counseling Program at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, Massachusetts. • Rev. Nicholas Fatato is Executive Director of Minister Development at Southern New England Ministry Network of the Assemblies of God and Member of the Executive Board of Trustees at Northpoint Bible College, Massachusetts. • Rev. Dr. Thomas Pfizenmaier is Dean of the Hamilton Campus, Director of the Center for Formation and Leadership Development and Associate Professor of Formation and Leadership Development at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, Massachusetts. • Rev. Peter Mehlrose was previously Director of Global Impact and Member of the Board of Trusteess at Anchor Church, Boston, Massachusetts. Together with Dr. Lim, he co-founded a new church plant in Nashville, Tennessee where he serves as Lead Pastor. • Rev. Dr. Randal Quackenbush is Lead Pastor of Anchor Church, Boston, Massachusetts, Adjunct Faculty at GordonConwell Theological Seminary, and Music and Worship Divisional Chair at Northpoint Bible College, Massachusetts.
BIBLIOGRAPHY 1 Sifferlin, A. (2014, July 21). Burnout in the Hospital: Why Doctors Are Set Up for Stress. Retrieved May 22, 2018, from http://time.com/3004782/ burnout-in-the-hospital-why-doctors-are-set-up-for-stress/. 2 Willard, D. Spiritual Formation: What it is, and How it is Done. Retrieved May 22, 2018, from http://www.dwillard.org/articles/individual/spiritualformation-what-it-is-and-how-it-is-done. 3 Gangel, K. O., & Wilhoit, J. C. (Eds.). (1997). The Christian Educator’s Handbook on Spiritual Formation. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books. 4 Chan, F., & Yankoski, D. (2015). Crazy Love: Overwhelmed By a Relentless God. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook. 5 Lynch, J., McNicol, B., & Thrall, B. (2011). The Cure: What if God isn’t who you think He is and neither are you? Phoenix, AZ: Trueface. 6 Batterson, M. (2011). The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 7 Willard, D. (1998). Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation, and the Restoration of the Soul. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 26(1), 101-109. doi:10.1177/009164719802600108. 8 Ortberg, J. (2014). Soul Keeping: Caring for the Most Important Part of You. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 9 Wiseman, N., Willimon, W., et al. (2002). The Pastor’s Guide to Effective Ministry. Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City. 10 Bolz, S. (2015). Translating God: Hearing God’s Voice For Yourself And The World Around You. Glendale, CA: ICreate Productions. 11 Piper, J. (2011). Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist. CO Springs, CO: Multnomah Books. 12 Wiseman, N., Willimon, W., et al. (2002). The Pastor’s Guide to Effective Ministry. Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City. 13 W illard, D. (2001, April 14) Live Life to the Full. Christian Herald (UK).
KENNETH LIM, MD, PHD, MPhil, FASN, is a physician-scientist, strategist and entrepreneur. He is Attending Physician at the Division of Nephrology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Faculty Member at Harvard Medical School. He is affiliated with the Division of Experimental Medicine and Immunotherapeutics (EMIT) at the University of Cambridge, England. He is CEO of Kairos Vision Group, a private investment firm, and CEO of Sygnm North America, a digital currency assest management corporation. He serves on the board of directors of several Christian non-profit organizations and has been a strategist for companies, churches and nonprofits in diverse areas from healthcare and international humanitarian projects to television and film production. He has published extensively and has been contributing author for Oxford University Press, Springer Publishers and Elesevier Publishing Company. He is the recipient of many awards including an NIH Career Development Award, an NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, the Medical Research Foundation Early Clinical Investigator Award and the distinguished Genzyme-Sanofi Fellowship Award at Harvard University. He was previously the CMDA Massachusetts State Representative.
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Serving Christ since 1837
VIE POSTER SESSIONS
Supporting Academic Medicine through Good Craftsmanship by Amanda Lucashu, DO, with the National Resident & Fellow Council
18 TODAY'S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR Fall 2018
T
hroughout history, Christian academics were renowned for their scientific excellence. For a variety of reasons, “Christian” and “scientist” now seem like contradictory terms to many people. And that’s one of the main reasons CMDA’s National Resident & Fellow Council (NRFC) established the VIE Poster Session, to help break down the secular-religious dichotomy and to prove Christians can excel in academia as we seek to use our knowledge and our skills for God’s glory. It is also important to have a Christian venue in which to discuss research that may be contrary to popular medical opinion.
“
The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship. —Martin Luther
For the last two years, those goals were accomplished at the VIE Poster Session at TRANSFORM: CMDA’s National Convention, as evidenced by the outstanding research presented during the sessions. The extent of the breadth and depth of these posters was truly outstanding. Like Martin Luther said, God was surely glorified by the craftsmanship that was exhibited at these two poster sessions, and it is our aim that this will continue. The idea for the VIE Poster Session originated two years ago during a brainstorming session of the NRFC. We were charged with the task of improving student and resident membership in CMDA, and we were specifically considering ways to encourage involvement in the National Convention. The thought was that if CMDA offered a poster session with prizes for the posters that score highest on visual and oral presentation, similar to other academic conferences, then students and residents would more easily be able to request time off to attend the convention, plus their programs might even contribute funding in order for them to present. And with that, VIE was born. The name itself means “life” in French, as well as being an acronym for Vignettes, Initiatives, Innovations and Education. It also shows our recognition of and commitment to stirring godly passions and life throughout CMDA and His kingdom through the presentation of scholarly work. The inaugural VIE Poster Session was held at the 2017 National Convention, with a total of 12 Transformed Doctors ➤ Transforming the World www.cmda.org 19
INTRODUCING THE PETERSON & GIESER STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP For several years, CMDA’s Campus & Community Ministries has sponsored a scholarship fund to provide a small stipend to help students and residents attend the CMDA National Convention. This has been a tremendous blessing, but, for many, the amount needed for lodging, food and travel still makes attending the convention cost prohibitive. That is why we’re excited to announce the Peterson & Gieser Student Scholarship. CMDA had its beginning when George Peterson and Kenneth Gieser met at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, Illinois in 1931. Both men had been experiencing a sense of loneliness in their Christian walk, so they began meeting regularly for prayer and Scripture reading. Soon other medical students joined them, and CMDA was born. The Peterson & Gieser Student Scholarship honors these two men and shows how much we still value healthcare students, more than 80 years later. This new scholarship will cover National Convention registration fees, conference housing, food and travel expenses (up to $500). A total of eight scholarships will be available per year, two from each of the four CMDA regions. This scholarship is intended for student CMDA members who are attending the National Convention for the first time. The application involves a 500-word essay and is due January 31, 2019. Recipients must also be willing to be interviewed for further student promotional material. For more information about this new scholarship, please visit www.cmda.org/pgscholarship.
posters presented by students, residents, fellows and attendings. The topics varied widely, including human trafficking, international missions, anaphylaxis and neuropathy. The event was a success in multiple ways. First, it satisfied its mission as most of the 12 presenters said they were only able to come to the convention because of the poster session. Secondly, presenters received a total of more than $3,000 from their programs in order to attend. This was an excellent return on the investment of $1,000 that was generously donated for the prize money. Moreover, the VIE Poster Session encouraged interaction between students, residents and attendings, as well as strengthened CMDA’s academic reputation. One conference attendee even described it as the “best new thing at the National Convention!” 20 TODAY'S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR Fall 2018
With that success under our belt, we set off to recreate the magic in preparation for the second annual VIE Poster Session at the 2018 National Convention. Improvements were made in the format, including a larger venue and the addition of a judging rubric specific for vignette-style research. It all culminated in a total of 26 submissions: two from attendings, five from residents and the remaining from students. On Saturday, April 28, 2018, the second annual VIE Poster Session commenced. A total of 18 posters were judged by 11 judges in our new location in Pritchell Hall, directly across from Spilman Auditorium where everyone had previously been enjoying the morning devotions. Once people arrived, students and residents met them and were ready to answer questions about their research in areas such as ACL repair, STD diagnosis, stress in medical education, ovarian cancer, lupus and more. Other posters featured case reports about myxedema coma, back pain, Moyamoya Disease and opioid addiction. Judges completed the scoring forms for each poster presentation and then met together to determine the winners. Later that evening, leaders of the NRFC and National Student Community (NSC) were joined by two CMDA trustees on stage to announce the winners. First announced were the three winners of the newly created Vignette Category. In first place was Caleb BaMendoza, a student at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, for his poster “When You Hear Hooves, Do Not Ignore the Zebra: Malignancy Disguised as Recurrent Pneumonia.” Next was a case report by Christina Grimsley from East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine titled “Tension Pneumothorax Complicated by Massive Subcutaneous Emphysema.” In third place was Nicole Baldwin who was enthusiastically supported by the University of Minnesota Medical School for her work “Reclaiming Identity and Wholeness: A Case of Body Integrity Identity Disorder and Gender Dysphoria.” In the Research Category, Harman Sawhney from St. George’s University took first place with her poster “Correlation of Lyme Disease with Immune Dysfunction.” The competition was fierce, and University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine student Josh Ellis was close behind with his work on “Clinical and Ultrasonographic Factors Associated with Cerclage Success for the Treatment of Cervical Insufficiency.” In third place were Hendrix and Victoria Lafontant from Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine for their project “Human Trafficking Education in Medicine.” The third and final category was for residents. The winner was Sarah Hall, DO, a third year resident at University of
Illinois College of Medicine Peoria for her vignette, “An Unusual Case of Cryptococcal Meningoencephalitis with Brainstem Strokes in a Patient with Myasthenia Gravis.”
“If it wasn’t for the poster session, I wouldn’t have been able to take the time off from my clinical clerkship to attend the National Convention.” —Andrew Hanna The other aim of the poster session was to create an avenue that would allow more students and residents to attend the convention. This year, again, was an outstanding success. One student received $688 from her school; another was allotted $1,000 toward conference costs. Without the poster session, many of the students expressed that they wouldn’t have been able to attend the convention where they were able to see how valuable CMDA, and especially the convention, is for students and healthcare professionals. The participants also found the poster session to be a highly beneficial experience personally and professionally. Harman Sawhney said, “The communication skills, presentation skills, knowledge base about my particular topic, as well as just the process of making, printing, and transporting my poster to the conference (more difficult than I realized), were all incredibly invaluable lessons I learned through this poster session at the convention. Not to mention, the incredible friends I made at the conference and poster session itself were a huge blessing on their own.”
Student Nicole Baldwin elegantly summed up the sentiments of almost all of the participants by saying, “Now that I have attended the convention once, I would be more likely though to advocate for myself and others to attend, because I realize how valuable it is to connect with the Christian medical community and gain a clearer vision for my walk with the Lord in medicine.” Another student said, “You never know what you’re missing until you try it—and I was definitely missing out! Wish I had started attending in my first year of medical school… but it’s never too late. I hope and pray that I can have the time and financial resources to attend the CMDA Convention every year from now on if possible.” The VIE Poster Session is already making an impact on students and residents, and we encourage you to start preparing now for the 2019 VIE Poster Session. Abstracts will be accepted until November 30, 2018, and we are looking for research or vignettes on a variety of topics including spirituality, ethics, education, biology, medicine, surgery, dentistry and medical humanities. Even if you do not have research to share yourself, please share this information with others, especially students and residents, and encourage them to apply and request funding from their programs. For those presenting a poster at CMDA’s National Convention, the convention registration fees are waived for students and reduced for residents and fellows. Also, as we anticipate even more posters this coming year, we are searching for additional judges who have experience in research and academics. We plan to assign judges to posters within the same field of expertise. For more information about presenting or judging, please visit www.cmda.org/vie.
AMANDA LUCASHU, DO, recently graduated from In His Image Family Medicine Residency in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Houghton College and then completed medical school at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York City. While there she served as the CMDA chapter president and also became involved in National Student Council leadership, serving as Secretary followed by two terms as President. Amanda then went on to serve as Resident Representative on CMDA’s House of Representatives and then Resident Trustee to CMDA’s Board of Trustees. She is continuing to assist the NRFC while she prepares for serving in the mission field of Japan.
Transformed Doctors ➤ Transforming the World www.cmda.org 21
W
ould you prefer to endure a medical malpractice lawsuit, or would you rather be terminated from your employment? Is there much difference in your emotional rollercoaster ride with either option? Would you want somebody who has ridden that rollercoaster before to assure you that the hellish ride will eventually finish? Each person who has faced a medical malpractice lawsuit has asked themselves questions just like this before. Have you? Most physicians are ethical, holding to the belief that we do not harm our patients. More than that, we advocate for the best interests of our patients. As Christian physicians, we also believe in the Great Physician and uphold the sanctity of human life. We see the image of God in our patients. We strive to maintain the physical, emotional and spiritual health of our patients. As a result, we give our utmost to God and to our patients.
And yet, two out of four physicians are sued for malpractice.1 Even Christian physicians and non-physicians are sued. How can that happen? As we open that summons and citation document to read those maddening allegations of negligent and reckless care, our inner souls scream in anguish. The rollercoaster is pulling out of the station. On the same rollercoaster is another rider: the one with the pink slip of impending termination as an employed physician.2 Perhaps patients have complained of not being treated promptly and properly, or perhaps they claimed they were abandoned to wander aimlessly among consultants. Conversely, when you advocated strenuously on behalf of your patient to get prompt lab work or CAT studies done, you got reported to the health entity administration as being a “difficult” physician. When you needed to meet time constraints to get into the operating room and the check-in nurse had no such sense of deadlines, you got written up for “disrespecting” the nurse for honing in on the patient. Perhaps you tried to educate your patient that Plan B, e.g. losing weight, was safer and had more scientific evidence
SUED OR FIRED RIDING THE EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER by Wendy B. Kang, MD, JD
22 TODAY'S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR Fall 2018
for efficacy than the patient’s desired Plan A of continued growing obesity, but the patient gave you an “unsatisfactory” customer rating. You scream in denial, “This can’t be! How could my patient accuse me of that?” Where is the justice in all this? Incompetent and uncaring healthcare professionals should not be working in this field, but they do. We see them. They are not improving care, but they are simply laying low and getting by. They are not being sued for medical malpractice. Nobody is hauling them into the employer’s office to be warned of their growing dossier of complaints, which is the needed paper trail to justify termination.
On the other hand, ethical and competent physicians feel their professional and personal sense of honor in doing the right things for their patients is being shredded. “Don’t take it personally, Doc!” is common lawyerly advice. Inside your soul you seethe with anger because, “It IS personal!” Thoughts careen through your mind like the cart flies along the coaster track: “What must my patients and my colleagues think of me?” or “I must be a bad doctor.” As your rollercoaster begins the downward descent into the valley of living death, your emotional turmoil spills into your physical health. Your appetite is off. You can’t sleep well. You can’t focus on your work at the office. You find yourself wondering which patient is going to hit you with a malpractice lawsuit or an unsatisfactory rating. Should you order extra tests to practice defensively? Should you placate patient demands by offering treatment which you still feel would not help by using the “well, it won’t hurt” rationalization? You feel as if you are walking on eggshells. Who is going to feel disrespected even when you are not trying to hurt their feelings? As uncertainty, self-doubt and self-loathing crush you in your downward spiraling ride, you are gripping to hold on to the end. But is the end in sight? This emotional malpractice rollercoaster might last a year, an average of four years or even longer. Termination for an employed physician might come within a year. Young physicians fresh out of residency discover that what sounded like a really good job comes with hidden costs, such as meeting patient quotas or productivity metrics, lack of physician autonomy and bottom line business before real healthcare for patients. If they have the guts to do the right thing by speaking up, they may pay the ultimate price of being fired, under the allegations of being a difficult or incompetent physician.3,4 Termination clauses in employment contracts may spell out reasons for firing. Some may specify possibility to remedy whatever shortcomings the physician may have demonstrated. When the company employee’s file is being filled with complaints, the physician should start a personal record to document the other side of the story. Documentation is always better than a faulty memory. Seeking advice of an attorney with expertise in Transformed Doctors ➤ Transforming the World www.cmda.org 23
LEARN MORE
To learn more about the support and services offered through CMDA’s Medical Malpractice Ministry, please visit www.cmda.org/mmm.
healthcare employment contracts costs money, but a good name is worth the cost. Medical malpractice lawsuits mandate more defined criteria, which the plaintiff-patient must satisfy to succeed in court. The sued physician must understand that lawyers are also professionals who hate to lose. The plaintiff ’s attorney will besmirch the physician’s actions and reputation to prove: (a) the physician had a duty to care for the patient; (b) the physician breached the standard of care; and (c) the patient suffered harm as a direct result of that negligence. Damages usually means money paid to the plaintiff ’s attorney for professional fees and legal expenses such as depositions and expert witnesses, while a percentage goes to the patient who has usually not paid a single cent. The medical malpractice insurance company usually pays the attorney defending the physician for as long as the case winds tortuously through the legal tracks. The defense attorney tries to break the criteria by claiming: (a) the physician did not have a duty to the patient; (b) the physician did meet standard of care; or (c) if the patient sustained any harm, it was not the proximate or direct result of the physician’s actions and the patient does not deserve any compensation.
tation, summons or pink slip? Do not jump off the rollercoaster and harm yourself ! Do not go off the deep end. There are ways to cope with these adverse events.5 First, pray to your Almighty God. God promised to never forsake you. You must trust that your loving and awesome God will carry you through the valley of depression. If He gave His only begotten Son to die for your sins and you accepted that gift of eternal life, you are loved and will be cared for throughout this trial. You live in a fallen, sinful world. Life here is unfair. How often does the Bible remind you not to be anxious, but to cast your anxieties upon our Lord? King David faced many tribulations in his time. Open the Bible to Psalms to read his cries to God. Let go of the anger and the denial. Admit this stage of your life as a grieving process. Let your lawyer do the bargaining, but stay actively involved. Move on with your life by accepting what sinful humans are doing to you. More importantly, accept the plan God has for you. God chastises His children because all things work for the good of those who love the Lord. Be transformed. Accept the peace of God. Try to forgive. Remember, “And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do’” (Luke 23:34a, ESV).
Sounds harsh, doesn’t it? It can leave a pretty bad taste in your mouth too, if you’re forced to endure the involuntary ride, especially when you tried to do everything you thought was right for your patient. Unfortunately, your patient disagrees.
Do not isolate yourself. Even though your attorney may advise you not to speak about the situation with others, you can and should reach out to family and friends for emotional support. Asking for moral comfort does not equate to divulging facts about your quagmire. Attend church. Sing. Eat. Rest.
So what should you do if you find yourself holding a ci-
Use your brain. How have you tackled other obstacles in
24 TODAY'S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR Fall 2018
the past? Study the legal processes of discovery, jury trials, mediation, settlements, summary judgments and appeals. If you survived organic chemistry or could memorize the Kreb cycle, you can learn the basics of Law 101. Physicians of CMDA’s Medical Malpractice Ministry (MMM) are ready and willing to join you on that rollercoaster and ride it with you throughout the process—but only if you let us know. All the physicians who volunteer and serve with the MMM have previously been summoned, cited and accused of being reckless, negligent and breaching the standard of care for our patients. We can empathize with your pains about being squeezed out of your employment. We cannot give you legal advice, but we understand your emotional state. We have experienced that fearful ride through the valley of despair. The awful rollercoaster ride does end. We have survived, as will you. We believe in SonShine! We believe in the awesome power of prayer to our Heavenly Father. We are your brothers and sisters in Christ. Where two or more are gathered, there is God. Call us. We want to help. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1 Jena AB, Seabury S, Lakdawalla D, Chandra A. Malpractice Risk According to Physician Specialty. N Engl J Med 2011; 365;7:629-636. Downloaded from NEJM.org. Accessed May 31, 2018.
2 Singleton T, Miller P. The Physician Employment Trend: What You Need to Know. Downloaded from the Family Practice Management website at www.aafp.org/fpm. Copyright 2015. American Academy of Family Physicians. Accessed April 6, 2018. 3 Berlin J. The Risk of Speaking Up. https://www.texmed.org/TexasMedicineDetail.aspx?id=47199. Accessed April 6, 2018. 4 Berlin, J. Fair Evaluations, No Witch Hunts. https://www.texmed.org/TexasMedicineDetail.aspx?Pageid=46106&id=34118. Accessed April 6, 2018. 5 Charles SC. Coping with a medical malpractice suit. West J Med 2001;174:55-58.
WENDY B. KANG, MD, JD, is Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She is board certified in anesthesiology with additional certification in pain medicine, both of which she uses in reducing surgical and postoperative pain in patients while teaching residents and medical students. She obtained her law degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law while practicing full-time as a physician. She passed her Texas State Bar in 1993 and promptly put herself on inactive status as attorney, preferring to nurture the patient-physician relationship as influenced by law, medicine and ethics, rather than engage in an adversarial legal system.
Medical Malpractice Ministry
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Jesus Christ is always at our side as we walk through times of trouble. And we’re here to walk with you as well. Members of the CMDA Medical Malpractice Ministry have gone through medico-legal turbulence just like yours, and we want to help support you through your medical malpractice trial or crisis. We are here to serve you, because we care. As your Christian colleagues, we provide spiritual comfort, a listening ear, prayers and experience to walk with you through this new and dark path. We don’t provide actual legal advice, but we do walk alongside our hurting colleagues. P.O. Box 7500 Bristol, TN 37621 888-230-2637 www.cmda.org/mmm mmm@cmda.org
GET INVOLVED
To find a Side By Side chapter in your area, visit www.cmda.org/sidebyside.
{ by } SIDE SIDE Changing Lives for 30 Years by Robin Morgenthaler with Mandi Mooney
26 TODAY'S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR Fall 2018
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fter an interviewing trip in 1987, my husband announced he wanted to complete his residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. To this day, I still remember hearing myself say, “That’s fine, honey. We could go there and have a ministry to internationals because many people from all parts of the world come there for training and then return to their homeland. It would be a great reverse mission field!” Now I would be lying if I told you I acted on that vision God laid on my heart as soon as I got to Rochester. I did not; instead, I was fearful. I believed myself inadequate for the task. So I tried my local church’s women’s Bible study. It was fine, but I didn’t really feel like I fit in. They were nice women, but they did not understand my world. While being in a medical marriage often eventually brings financial security, many do not know that the path there is fraught with sacrifices and that even the eventual arrival has many financial and non-financial burdens. It is a good and promising life, but it is far from what non-medical wives think. There is an unseen conflict between a vision of life being perfect for a doctor’s wife and the actual reality of the demands of the medical life. They could not comprehend my life with a doctor on call, holiday hours, long hours, the feeling of solo parenting, financial burdens, going to church alone—all the issues that come with being married to a doctor.
I was frustrated—frustrated that I couldn’t find anyone at my church who connected with me, my life and my needs. Those frustrations led me to finally follow God’s call and start Side By Side in 1988. So, I asked six women who were married to physicians and new to the community. All six said, “YES.” And it all began, with six women and eight children meeting in our big red farmhouse for a 12-week Bible study. That was the early beginnings of a ministry that is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Today, Side By Side encourages and ministers to women in medical and dental marriages through fellowship and Bible study. We come from a vast variety of backgrounds and denominations, but what we have most in common is our shared desire to reach out to others, just like us, with the love of Christ. From its humble beginnings in my kitchen to a vibrant ministry in Rochester, God had even bigger plans. In 2005, God gave our leadership team a vision of expanding across the country, while at the same time CMDA wanted to develop a ministry to wives. While CMDA CEO Dr. David Stevens was speaking at Mayo, our team joined him for breakfast and the rest is history. Since then we have grown to more than 80 chapters across the United States, plus three chapters across our world. Today, thousands of medical wives are being impacted by Side By Side and lives are being changed. And we keep growing. Why? Because women are hungry for God’s Word. They may not know that, but they’re hungry for truth. In our chapters, we have women who are all at different steps of their walks with God. And they are encountering the power of God’s Word every time they meet together. When you influence the woman, she influences her husband and her children and their neighbors. God’s Word changes all, and we continually see how the love we show each other in our chapters has eternal significance. Also, in the medical life, people move. From medical school to residency to fellowship to practice, women seek out other women who understand the medical life: women who experience the same struggles, disappointments, frustrations and victories. If they happen to move to a new town with an established Side By Side, they find a readymade support system, instant friendships and an automatic belonging place in the middle of a time of transition. It’s “instant friends who get their life.”
Transformed Doctors ➤ Transforming the World www.cmda.org 27
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MEDICAL WEDDING VOWS by Bethany Kelley
s I reflect on the last decade of medical training, that perspective has made a lasting impression on me. In fact, medical training has played a crucial role in my life, even though it’s not actually been me who has been going through the training. What do I mean? Well, to demonstrate, let’s pretend the pastor had said something like this 10 years ago while I was saying my wedding vows: “And do you, Bethany, vow to follow Ben as he pursues his dream? Will you pack and move to Washington D.C., then Chicago, then Palm Springs and then to a land frozen half the year where you will wrestle children into winter gear and spend your mornings searching for the other boot while begging kids to keep their clothes on and stay out of the toilet? Do you vow to spend half of those years pregnant, breastfeeding and raising children with no extended family around while worrying about the gap between paychecks and bills? Do you vow to undergo a unique and crushing identity crisis with each move as you figure out your career path, then balancing life as a working mother and then confronting latent views of self-worth as a stay-athome-mom? Do you promise to exhaust yourself to the point of tears again and again but continue to show up for everyone anyway? Do you vow to do all this while your husband dutifully focuses on his clear goal of becoming a physician, putting patients first, passing tests, preparing presentations and studying every night and weekend while you handle just about everything else?” That’s all pretty relatable, right? We can sum up portions of our lives like this and it would be accurate. But it’s also out of focus. If this is the main story we tell others, and our-
When women move away to a new town without a Side By Side chapter, they miss the camaraderie, their network and the women in their Side By Side chapter. And oftentimes their local community misunderstands them, causing a disconnect at the same time they’re searching for a new support system. So, we see that these women are now starting new chapters in their new towns to fill that space in their lives. The absence of a chapter when moving causes people to say, “I really liked what I had, and I want to have it again.” Now to start a Side By Side chapter, you don’t have to have theological training, you just have to love women and love Jesus. And it sure helps to have one friend to pray with. 28 TODAY'S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR Fall 2018
selves, we are likely missing opportunities right and left to use our gifts and to grow. What we think about expands, and I choose to dwell in the positive. So here is another version of a wedding vow. This one focuses on the bigger, God-centered picture, and this is the one I try to filter life through: “Do you, Bethany, vow to adventure with this man? Do you promise to spend the rest of your life practicing being a better giver of love and a better receiver? Will you spend your life letting love soak into your being and into your bones so you can be a reflection of Jesus? Do you vow to remember that wherever Ben goes God has chosen for you to be there too? Do you promise to never think of yourself as an accessory? God has plans for you, and no moment is wasted if it is a moment spent in relationship with Him. Do you vow to keep a spirit of childlike wonder and focus on the provision God provides each day? Will you look up to see the beauty? Will you see lessons in the mess? No matter where you live in this world, God is with you. No matter who is at home, God is there. No matter the chaos that surrounds you, God never abandons His daughter. Do you vow to welcome God to do works upon your heart, to grow your abilities, to mature you? Do you vow to take your relationship with God beyond what you can even comprehend today? God wants to walk with you and use this journey to show you your gifts and refine you. Refinement can be difficult, but press on. He will take you away from the known and into the unknown, and there you will learn to hear Him clearer and trust Him deeper. Will you remember to keep open hands and an open mind so you can take hold of the blessings that pour down every day?” And to that, I say I do.
I hear women who say, “Oh yeah, Side By Side was my lifeline.” And men have whispered to me, “Side By Side was truly a lifesaver for my wife.” And I’ve heard both say, “We chose our residency where there was a Side By Side chapter.” My favorite line, probably because it makes me chuckle, is, “I’m not going anywhere where there’s NOT a Side By Side chapter.” The support Side By Side gives, especially during these training years, is desperately needed. What do we actually do in Side By Side? Simply, we do everything women do in a church Bible study. We study God’s Word together, we pray together, we love one anoth-
er. But since we are also living the medical life side by side, we understand and encourage one another, and we connect deeply. And God’s Word bonds us and changes us. As more lives are changed, God willing, Side By Side is going to keep growing. How do I know how to grow this ministry? Well, I don’t. I simply know what He has taught me, so I use that and then ask for the Holy Spirit’s leading. But I know He created me for this. I was raised in a medical family, as my father and grandfather were dentists. I experienced the long hours, and I watched my mother cope with the long hours. She never complained about the hours, the patients, all the inconveniences that come with being in a medical family. I have also learned that God made each of us capable of doing His work without us knowing we were capable of doing it. We have to lean on Him. And that’s the message we give to the women in our Side By Side chapters. In the life you are leading now, God is molding and creating you to do exactly what God wants you to do for His kingdom. Look to Him for everything. Now it’s certainly not just my efforts that have contributed to the growth. This ministry continues to grow through the guidance and leadership of our team of women who have a heart for reaching other women with the love of Christ. He has been doing that for Side By Side in such a mighty way, and it’s a privilege to watch as He takes it to the next level. And what is the next level as we look to our next 30 years of ministry? Well, I certainly don’t know that either! When we joined CMDA in 2005, Dr. Al Weir said to me, “Let’s set your first goal for seven chapters.” I quickly responded, “Oh no, we can’t do that. Let’s just say one or two.” But my prediction wasn’t correct. God has created 80+ chapters in 13 years. In 30 more years, it could be 200 chapters for all I know. I do know it will continue to grow. I hope lives continue to be changed, and I pray women realize the significance of God’s Word for their medical and dental marriages. The medical world is changing so much, and the people involved in it need God more and more. It’s a “we” thing when we
talk about this crazy medical journey. The medical married life is a “we” thing. So is Side By Side. We as a ministry are still committed to medical and dental wives. And we are also committed to standing side by side our husbands, side by side our sisters in Christ and side by side our Lord.
ROBIN MORGENTHALER was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of a dentist and a professional volunteer. She was the middle of five children and still wants credit for being the only one who worked in the dental office when the receptionist and the dental assistant took their vacations. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Keuka College. One day, while working as a nurse, a cute male medical student came down the hallway talking and drinking a cup of coffee. Their first interactions were not so good, as he did not promptly answer the night page. He did get her attention, but she really was not interested in him until she realized he could dance. A total 34 years, eight moves, five children and two grandchildren later, these two are still dancing. They currently live in Rochester, Minnesota where he practices pulmonary and sleep medicine at Mayo Clinic and she is the Executive Director of Side By Side, all from her kitchen.
Side By Side's executive team gathers regularly for strategy and planning sessions.
Transformed Doctors ➤ Transforming the World www.cmda.org 29
HOW BIG ARE YOUR ROCKS? by David Stevens, MD, MA (Ethics)
GET INVOLVED
CMDA is a leading voice in the battle against the legalization of physician-assisted suicide. For resources and the latest information about the dangers of physician-assisted suicide to healthcare and your right of conscience, visit www.cmda.org/pas. If you want to get involved in your local state’s grassroots efforts, contact communications@cmda.org.
30 TODAY'S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR Fall 2018
D
id you have a sling shot when you were a kid? I did, and I used to pick up rocks and pebbles from our driveway to use as ammunition when I plinked tree trunks, scared birds away from eating our garden and knocked cans off a stone wall. Somehow I imagined that the sling shot of David the shepherd boy (two strips of leather and a pocket) propelled the same sort of missile, until I recently visited the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., a must see if you visit the area. The museum had real stones used by slingers in warfare back in biblical times. They were chiseled rocks of heavy stone the size of baseballs. After seeing them, there was no doubt in my mind that hitting a giant in the head with one would fracture his skull and kill him. Of course, Saul’s army still had little faith David would kill Goliath. I confess I had no more faith than one of Saul’s soldiers when the Life Legal Defense Foundation, a faith-based pro-life legal group in California, contacted CMDA more than two years ago to ask if we would be willing to work with them to sue the state of California to reverse its legalization of physician-assisted suicide. My first thought was we had as much chance of success as finding a snowball in the Sahara Desert. After all, suing the government was relatively new territory for us.
OUR FIRST FORAYS INTO THE LAWSUIT BATTLE
Until 2016, CMDA had never sued a state or the federal government. That all changed when the state of Vermont tried to force doctors to refer patients to other physicians who would aid them with physician-assisted suicide. We contacted Alliance Defending Freedom and worked with them to sue the state. Ultimately, the state backed down and settled the case. We filed our second lawsuit when the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services asserted that the word “sex” in the non-discrimination clause of the Affordable Care Act was interpreted to mean “gender.” That led to a new Transgender Mandate stating that if a physician provided a procedure or medication to any patient for any reason, that same service had to be provided on demand to transgender patients if they wanted to “transition.” In other words, if
you performed mastectomies for breast cancer, you were required to then perform a mastectomy on a woman who wanted to appear like a man. If you prescribed a pubertyblocking drug for precocious puberty, you had to provide it to children struggling with their gender identity if their parents asked for it. This was inappropriate interference in the doctor-patient relationship, not to mention bad science. Studies show that up to 94 percent of children who have delusions about their gender naturally grow out of it before adulthood.1 “Transitioning” does not solve the mental distress for those struggling with their gender identity. In fact, they have almost a 20-fold increase in suicide rate even in countries where the practice is widely accepted.2 And what was the penalty for not complying with this regulation? The physician would be stripped of all Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement. Certainly ironic, given that both of those programs do not pay for medicines and surgery for “transitioning” since their expert committees concluded there was not adequate science to support the practice.3 Transformed Doctors ➤ Transforming the World www.cmda.org 31
In addition, a healthcare professional could be sued for using a non-preferred pronoun when dealing with a transgender patient. In fact, at that time, there was already a suit against a physician in California for their pronoun usage. Working with the Becket Fund, CMDA brought suit and, by God’s grace, received an injunction banning enforcement of the regulation. The federal judge who made the ruling was based in Texas, but because CMDA has members in every state, the ruling affected the entire country. HHS was granted the opportunity to rewrite the regulation. Two years later, we are still waiting for that rewrite.
FACING THE GOLIATH OF CALIFORNIA
Despite our successes in these cases, California seemed like a much bigger deal. I thought their extremely progressive courts were unlikely to rule in our favor no matter what evidence we presented. All the same, I felt prompted by God to take on the Goliath of California. We needed to risk it. Our lawsuit alleged that the legalization of physicianassisted suicide didn’t provide equal protection under the law. It treated Californian citizens differently based on whether a physician thought they would die in the next six months. They could assist them in “self-murder,” the definition of suicide, in one instance, but were obligated by law to protect them from their suicidal ideation in all other circumstances. We also alleged that the legislature passed the law unconstitutionally. The California constitution states that
only the governor can call an extraordinary session, and the governor must state clearly the reason for which it is called. The End of Life Option Act was passed during an extraordinary legislative session convened to address California’s Medicaid funding shortfall, as well as services to the disabled and home health support. This act had nothing to do with that stated purpose. With the Life Legal Defense Foundation, we filed our suit the day after assisted suicide became legal in June 2016. It was motioned and countermotioned in the courts in the days that followed. The state claimed the American Academy of Medical Ethics (AAME), CMDA’s state policy arm, didn’t have standing to sue, even though we have more than 1,000 members in California. We won that battle, but the court dates were few and far between and dealt with mainly procedural matters until February 2018. That was when our lawyers informed me that California’s Attorney General’s office wanted to depose me. I had testified in court for assault and murder cases while serving as a missionary in Kenya, but I had never given testimony nor been deposed in the U.S. Fortunately, I have been fighting the legalization of physician-assisted suicide in the public square since 1994, but I still had lots of preparation to do. I arrived in California a day early to complete a mock deposition with our legal team. The next day the state’s Deputy Attorney General deposed me for five hours. During the deposition, there were two interesting moments. The first was when I opened my computer to confirm a reference I had jotted down on a summary document of the points I wanted to make. The Deputy Attorney General accused me of communicating with my lawyers, though I hadn’t even touched the keyboard. I explained what I was doing and he demanded to see my computer and took it with him as his team “recessed” to look at it. It was a God thing, because when he returned he had printed off my summary and used it as outline for his questions, giving me the opportunity to make each of my arguments. The second moment was later on in the deposition. When he asked
32 TODAY'S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR Fall 2018
why I thought the law was passed unconstitutionally, I asked a rhetorical question, “The extraordinary session was called to deal with healthcare funding. Is the state asserting that by letting physicians assist terminal patients in killing themselves they will save on the high cost of end-of-life care?” He didn’t answer my question so I added, “Even if they are, the state won’t save much. Under 200 people exercised this new ‘right’ last year out of the more than 250,000 who died in the state.” In March 2018, the Life Legal Defense Foundation team filed a motion for a “judgment on the pleadings,” seeking to have the law “enjoined” and voided as unconstitutional. That is a request for summary judgment based on the written materials provided by both sides without a further court hearing. In May, Judge Daniel Ottolia ruled in our favor. He stated that the End of Life Options Act “does not fall within the scope of access to healthcare services” and “is not a matter of healthcare funding.” This was not a preliminary ruling but a final order that invalidated the law. The state immediately appealed and arguments are scheduled to be heard in summer 2018, but a panel of judges denied the Attorney General’s request to allow physicianassisted suicide to continue in the meantime. (The results of those hearings were not available at publication print date.) Compassion & Choices (an organization actively seeking to legalize physician-assisted suicide across the U.S.) sent out a press release stating the law was still in effect, but they later backed up and stated it was “suspended.” The truth was it was invalidated. Frankly, I was amazed. So amazed that when someone texted me and asked, “Did you see the news that the judge ruled the California physician-assisted suicide law in constitutional?” I wrote back and said, “I did not. Not surprised.” I was so ambivalent in my response because I thought he meant to say it was constitutional. An hour later I found out we had won! Wow! I thought we were hurdling pebbles at a giant, but when God intervenes, your pebbles turn into baseball-sized rocks that can kill a dangerous law!
WHAT’S NEXT IN THE COURTS
Just after I initially wrote this article, the 4th District Court of Appeals reinstated the law, allowing physician-assisted suicide while the ruling is appealed. The rulings will continue to be appealed in the coming months, and I suspect it will be appealed to the California Supreme Court. That
is going to take time. If the state’s Supreme Court concurs it was passed unconstitutionally, the legislature will take it up again. It didn’t get through the full legislature last time because it was stalled in the health committee. The extraordinary session gave proponents the chance to hand select a health committee of supporters of physician-assisted suicide. It is not a sure thing it will pass the legislature if it goes back there. My faith has been strengthened by what God did. I hope yours has as well. I don’t know what “giants” you are facing, but as you give each situation you face to the Lord, He will guide your hand and enlarge your “rocks.” No matter how big your Goliath, he can still fall. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1 Summary of Studies Regarding Risks Associated With Transgender Medical Interventions. (n.d.). Retrieved June 25, 2018, from http://www.transgendermandate.org/research 2 Dhejne, C., Lichtenstein, P., Boman, M., Johansson, A. L., Långström, N., & Landén, M. (2011). Long-Term Follow-Up of Transsexual Persons Undergoing Sex Reassignment Surgery: Cohort Study in Sweden. PLoS ONE, 6(2). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0016885 3 Proposed Decision Memo for Gender Dysphoria and Gender Reassignment Surgery (CAG-00446N). (2016, June 2). Retrieved June 25, 2018, from https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/details/nca-proposed-decision-memo.aspx?NCAId=282
DAVID STEVENS, MD, MA (ETHICS), serves as the Chief Executive Officer for CMDA. From 1981 to 1991, he served as a missionary doctor in Kenya helping to transform Tenwek Hospital into one of the premier mission healthcare facilities in the world. Subsequently, he served as the Director of World Medical Mission, the medical arm of Samaritan’s Purse. As a leading spokesman for Christian healthcare professionals, Dr. Stevens has conducted hundreds of television, radio and print media interviews. He holds degrees from Asbury University, is an AOA graduate of University of Louisville School of Medicine and is board certified in family practice.
CMDA’S THE POINT A weekly blog keeping you updated on emerging topics relevant to today’s issues in healthcare. Comment and join the discussion on a wide variety of issues. Plus, you’ll get a monthly recap email covering all the topics from the last month. Subscribe today at www.cmda.org/thepoint.
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Affiliate Needed — Protect life and bring joy into the lives of couples unable to carry a pregnancy to full term. The National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC) has reached maximum capacity and needs an affiliate who shares the same Christian worldview and can provide the full range of services currently offered at the NEDC. More than 745 children have been born through embryo adoption at the NEDC since it was founded in 2003, and the program has garnered an outstanding reputation with a success rate above the national norm. Affiliate physician must be a reproductive endocrinologist (REI) who is board certified/ board eligible. Contact Dr. Jeff Keenan at 865-777-0088 or email jkeenan@baby4me. net. Go to www.embryodonation.org.
Direct Primary Care — Practice medicine the way you have always desired. Are you ready to be your own boss as a physician, without the challenges of hospital obligations and insurance hassles? Would you like to learn more about direct primary care as a viable alternative to the mainstream insurance-driven practice model? If so, we’d like to invite you for a confidential conversation. I am an independent physician seeking a successor for a successful direct primary care practice near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. My team and I have built the foundation for an entrepreneurial physician to thrive and grow, independent of hospital politics and insurance domination, in a beautiful Northwest setting. We can guide you through a supported transition including options for interim employment and flexible pricing. Email us at off ice@richardsamuelmd.com or call 208-772-5204 for more information.
DENTAL Dentist — Seeking a solo dentist in New Iberretia, Louisiana. Dental practice seeking a full-time general dentist with buy-in option. Current hours of operation are Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Serious inquiries, please send resume to chris@johntmahoneydds.com. General Dentist — General dentist opportunity in beautiful Northern Michigan near Traverse City. A modern facility with up to date technology, our established practice boasts a stable patient base and a staff that provides top-notch customer service in a pleasant working environment! Partnership is the goal but not required. Excellent earning potential. A residency is preferred, but all candidates will be considered. Contact us with any further questions. Submit CV to terri@ mesickdentalcenter.com. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associate — Southwest suburban Chicago oral and maxillofacial surgery practice seeking an associate to replace a retiring partner. Join an exciting established practice performing a diverse scope of surgery with an exceptional hardworking staff. Located 18 miles from downtown Chicago in a community offering an amazing quality of life. Partnership opportunity available. Benefits include salary, paid vacation, malpractice insurance, hospital affiliation, board review and family health insurance. Contact nickcudney@gmail.com.
34 TODAY'S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR Fall 2018
Multiple Positions — Heartland Health Center is a community health center in Grand Island, Nebraska. Now hiring physician/medical director, and family practice physician or APRN. Send resume to lsalber@heartlandhealthcenter.org or call 308-383-5055. OB/Gyn — Seeking an exceptional OB/ Gyn candidate who is interested in practicing in a faith-based group and a more natural approach to women’s healthcare for a growing group in San Antonio, Texas. If you are compassionate, energetic and possess great communication skills we would like to talk with you. Candidate will receive an income guarantee. Robotics available. To learn more, please contact Gina Coliano today at Gina.Coliano@ HCAhealthcare.com or 210-219-2568. Pediatrician — Seeking a pediatrician for a group practice in Montgomery, Alabama. A busy general pediatrics group of four doctors looking for a full-time pediatrician to replace a retiring physician in Montgomery, Alabama. Four-day work week, attractive call, three hours from the beaches and solid patient base. Practice was established 37 years ago. All pediatricians are believers and are seeking a likeminded partner. Contact Den Trumbull at TrumbullD3@gmail.com or 334-273-9700.
Physician Medical Director — Large, faith-based clinic seeking physician for medical director position in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Job description and application at https://crossings.church/jobs. Contact Steve Turner at Crossings Community Clinic, Oklahoma City, OK, 405242-5570, sturner@crossings.church. Psychiatrist — Washington, D.C. suburbs. Multi-specialty private practice -outpatient - fee for service. Full-time or part-time. Partnership opportunities available. Email donhallmd@aol.com. Plastic Surgeon/Hand Surgeon — Plastic surgeon/hand surgeon opportunity in Northern Colorado. Faith-based plastic surgeon seeking an experienced candidate (5+ years) with shared values, broad skills and genial disposition. I prefer a BC, hand fellowship trained surgeon. The practice is multispecialty group in community hospitals with a university system affiliation. Mid-sized, family-oriented, salubrious university town with great public education and low crime in beautiful Colorado. Excellent opportunity for career transition. CV to PS.Opp.CO@gmail.com. Reproductive Endocrinologist — Southeastern Center for Fertility and Reproductive Surgery (SCFRS) in Knoxville, Tennessee has an opportunity for a reproductive endocrinologist to join our dynamic practice. We also share a building and coordinate some operations with the National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC). The NEDC is a non-profit organization whose mission is to protect the lives and dignity of human embryos by promoting, facilitating and educating about embryo donation and adoption. It is critical that the physician who joins the practice be philosophically aligned with the NEDC mission and values. We are offering a very competitive salary and benefits, which will be negotiable and commensurate with experience. SCFRS is located at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The area’s natural beauty, recreational opportunities, high-quality schools, low cost of living and low crime rate make Knoxville a very desirable place to live, raise a family and work. Interested? Contact Dr. Jeff Keenan at 865-777-0088 or email jkeenan@baby4me.net. Paid Advertisement
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BRINGING TOGETHER HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS TO FURTHER GOD’S KINGDOM We exist to glorify God by placing healthcare professionals and assisting them in finding God’s will for their careers. Our goal is to place healthcare professionals in an environment that will encourage ministry and also be pleasing to God. We make connections across the U.S. for physicians, dentists, other providers and practices. We have an established network consisting of hundreds of opportunities in various specialties. You will benefit from our experience and guidance. Every placement carries its own set of challenges. We want to get to know you on a personal basis to help find the perfect fit for you and your practice. P.O. Box 7500 •Bristol, TN 37621 888-690-9054 www.cmda.org/placement placement@cmda.org
EVERY STEP OF THE WAY “CMDA Placement Services was with me every step of the way—for prayer, communication, whatever the need may be. I am overwhelmingly impressed by CMDA and their commitment to the Lord, first, and their diligence in seeking the Lord’s will for each medical professional they meet. God led me to CMDA to ultimately direct me to the career that will develop me professionally, spiritually and use me to glorify His kingdom. For this, I am boundlessly grateful!” —Alyssa Allwardt, PA-C Paid Advertisement
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Shawnee Christian Healthcare Center seeks to transform our community by sharing the love of Christ in word and deed, to facilitate community development and holistic healthcare through the empowerment of the residents in our community. We are looking for a physician/medical director to join our team. For a full position description, please visit shawneechristianhealthcare.org/employment. Please send resumes to susan.maguire@shawneehealthcare.org.
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