HeartBeat
Boulder County Medical Society
6676 Gunpark Drive, Ste B, Boulder, CO 80301 • (303) 527-3215 • bcmedsoc@aol.com • www.BCMS.net • October 2013
Boulder County Medical Society 2013 Executive Committee John Ogle, MD Interim President Clara Raquel Epstein, MD Immediate Past President Melvin Stjernholm, MD Treasurer Gene Bolles, MD Laird Cagan, MD Jennifer Christensen, MD John “Jack” Cletcher, MD Casey Gallagher, MD Cliff Gronseth, MD Scott Replogle, MD Lila Rosenthal, MD
Staff JUDY LADD Executive Director and Editor ANITA ALBRECHT Website Content Manager
In This Issue President’s Message............... 1 New Members ....................... 5 BCMS Annual Dinner.............. 5 A message about the flood.... 6 Annual Meeting report........... 8 Colorado Drug Card...............10 Oct. 12 Advocacy Training......10
From the President: John Ogle, MD, MPH Although the U.S. Government has occasional governance problems, your state and county medical societies remain financially strong and productive! Oct. 1 brought a fiscal year nightmare for some, but autumn remains a great time for the Boulder County Medical Society (BCMS). Our representatives just returned from the state conference in Vail Sept. 20-22, 2013. This year we sent our largest delegation ever. Twenty-six doctors joined 400+ Colorado physicians ensuring a successful 143rd CMS Annual Meeting. Interacting with an audience of hundreds of your peer professionals is sometimes scary but always memorable. Discussions with physician-leaders and lawmakers spanned wide-ranging topics including the recent floods, the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare), physician unionization, prescription drug databases, and gun control. If you have an issue, your concern can be added to the agenda. Where else can you directly confront your favorite (or least favorite) congressman amidst hundreds of your professional colleagues? Back here in Boulder County, we invite all of our physician colleagues to join us for our Annual Dinner at the Greenbriar
Restaurant on Oct 19. BCMS sponsors this yearly event for member physicians and guests. Come to share ideas, relax and learn more about your society’s activities. At all BCMS events, doctors have an opportunity to remove their clinical hats. Here you enter a collegial public health arena outside of your workplace. Discuss topics with fellow physician-citizens of all specialties – disagreement and discourse are encouraged. Thank you for your support of the Colorado Medical Society – the largest physician organization in the state. Through BCMS you are part of 7,500+ physicians, physicians-in-training and medical students. Collective problem-solving can be surprisingly innovative and group ideas are generally more influential. When physicians speak in groups, our consensus and minority opinions are eagerly sought and published for press, legislature and public consumption. Medical societies are powerful means to contribute to contentious and complex health care debates. The Oct. 19 dinner is primarily a social gathering, but this annual open membership meeting includes a brief (5-10 minute) overview of the BCMS mission, approval of revisions to our constitution and bylaws and formal installation of new BCMS officers by vote or acclamation. Are you ready for the challenge? This year we are permitting real-time self-nominations from the floor for our expanded officer positions. We look forward to seeing you at the Greenbriar Restaurant. +
Welcome to our new members CHRISTINE ABAIR, MD OB-GYN Boulder Medical Center 80 Health Park Dr., Ste. 100 Louisville, CO 80027 (303) 665-1045
LAURA BUTLER, MD OB-GYN Full Circle Health 2030 Mountain View, Ste. 400 Longmont, CO 80501 (303) 682-1112
PATRICK GRATHWOHL, MD PEDIATRICS Centennial Valley Pediatrics 400 S. McCaslin Blvd., Ste. 103 Louisville, CO 80027 (303) 666-7337
DANIEL MASTER, MD ORTHOPEDICS Mapleton Hill Orthopedics 975 North St., Ste. 201 Boulder, CO 80304 (303) 440-7941
NICK ABERLE, MD ORTHOPEDICS Boulder Orthopedics 933 Alpine Ave. Boulder, CO 80304 (303) 449-2730
ERIC CHRISTIANSEN, MD FAMILY MEDICINE Colorado Permanente Medical Group 280 Exempla Cir. Lafayette, CO 80026 (303) 338-3545
ARIANA GREENWOOD, MD GASTROENTEROLOGY NW Gastro Specialists 80 Health Park Dr., Ste. 280 Louisville, CO 80027 (303) 269-2085
MARK MENICH, MD ASTHMA & ALLERGY Boulder Valley Asthma & Allergy 3950 Broadway Boulder, CO 80304 (303) 444-5995
KRISTINA ANTONSCHNELL, MD INTERNAL MEDICINE Frontier Internal Medicine 2101 Ken Pratt Blvd., Ste. 104 Longmont, CO 80501 (303) 776-1532
CRISTINA CONKLIN, MD INTERNAL MEDICINE Colorado Permanente Medical Group 200 Exempla Cir. Lafayette, CO 80026 (303) 338-4545
STEPHEN HUANG, MD DERMATOLOGY Accent Dermatology and Laser Institute 400 Indiana St., Ste. 390 Golden, CO 80401 (303) 463-9600
ANDREA MERTZ, MD PEDIATRICS Boulder Medical Center 80 Health Park Dr., Ste. 100 Louisville, CO 80027 (303) 666-2701
JOSHUA DI CARLO, MD DERMATOLOGIST Kaiser Permanente 5555 East Arapahoe Rd. Centennial, CO 80122 (303) 850-2182
JOHN KANG, MD UROLOGY Colorado Permanente Medical Group 280 Exempla Cir. Lafayette, CO 80026 (303) 861-3406
HEATHER OGLE, MD Emergency Medicine Longmont, CO 80501
MURRY DRESCHER, MD CARDIOVASCULAR SURGEON Milestone Medical Group 2030 Mountain View, Ste. 310 Longmont, CO 80501 (720) 652-8400
NANCY KELLEY, MD PEDIATRICS The Pediatric Center 4745 Arapahoe Rd., Ste. 310 Boulder, CO 80303 (303) 442-2913
MELISSA DUNN, MD OB-GYN Kaiser Permanente 280 Exempla Cir. Lafayette, CO 80026 (720) 536-7800
MICHAEL LAHM, MD RADIOLOGY Rocky Mountain Medical Imaging 1551 Professional Ln., Ste. 155 Longmont, CO 80501 (720) 494-4777
DARLENE EYSTER, MD CARDIOLOGY Exempla Rocky Mountain Cardiovascular Associates 300 Exempla Cir., Ste. 310 Lafayette, CO 80026 (303) 689-6420
KHOSHAL LATIFZAI, MD EMERGENCY MEDICINE Apex Emergency Group 550 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Ste. 410 Lakewood, CO 80226 (303) 202-1283
SHERRIE BALLANTINETALMADGE, DO SPORTS MEDICINE Boulder Center for Sports Medicine 1000 W. South Boulder Rd., Ste. 220 Lafayette, CO 80026 (303) 926-2665 EILEEN BICKFORD, MD FAMILY MEDICINE Colorado Permanente Medical Group 580 Mohawk Dr. Boulder, CO 80303 (303) 338-4545 WALTER BIFFL, MD SURGERY BCH-Surgery-Trauma 1100 Balsam Boulder, CO 80304 (303) 449-3566 BRIAN BLACKWOOD, MD ORTHOPEDICS Mapleton Hill Orthopedics 975 North St., Ste. 201 Boulder, CO 80304 (303) 440-7941 JENNIFER BLATTNER, MD OB-GYN Boulder Medical Center 4745 Arapahoe, Ste. 200 Boulder, CO 80303 (303) 938-4710 STEPHEN BROWN, MD GENERAL SURGERY Colorado Permanente Medical Group 280 Exempla Cir. Lafayette, CO 80026 (720) 536-6800
DAVID GERDING, MD GENERAL SURGERY Kaiser Permanente 280 Exempla Cir. Lafayette, CO 80026 (720) 536-6819 JACQUELYNN GOULD, MD HOSPITAL MEDICINE Longmont Hospitalist Group 2030 Mountain View, Ste. 540 Longmont, CO 80501 (303) 651-5302
LAURA LINDHOLM, MD OB-GYN Woman to Woman Healthcare 90 Health Park Dr., Ste. 190 Louisville, CO 80027 (303) 673-0224 ALISON MALL, MD OB-GYN Avista Women’s Health 611 Mitchell Way, Ste. 103 Erie, CO 80516 (303) 649-3180
RICARDO PENA, MD SURGERY Colorado Permanente Medical Group 280 Exempla Cir. Lafayette, CO 80026 (303) 338-3545 LUKE PERRY, MD ANESTHESIOLOGY Longmont Anesthesia Associates 1950 W. Mountain View Longmont, CO 80503 (303) 564-1215 JENNIFER PULLIAM, MD PEDIATRICS Centennial Valley Pediatrics 400 S. McCaslin Blvd., Ste. 103 Louisville, CO 80027 (303) 666-7337 SARAH SMITH, MD NEUROLOGY Helios Health Center 2525 4th St., Ste. 205 Boulder, CO 80304 (303) 499-9224 JASON SPERBERG, DO INTERNAL MEDICINE Colorado Permanente Medical Group 200 Exempla Cir. Lafayette, CO 80026 (720) 536-6450 JONATHAN SPRAGUE, MD INTERNIST BCH, Hospital Medical Services 1100 Balsam Boulder, CO 80304 (303) 440-2398
Mark your calendars for the BCMS Annual Dinner Greenbriar Inn • Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013 New Members, cont. CHRISTINA STOVALL, MD INTERNAL MEDICINE Colorado Permanente Medical Group 200 Exempla Cir. Lafayette, CO 80026 (303) 338-4545 ANGELA TAYLOR, MD FAMILY MEDICINE Longmont Pulmonary & Critical Care 2030 W. Mountain View, Ste. 540 Longmont, CO 80501 (303) 651-5302 MICHAEL TRACY, DO PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHAB Integrated Sports & Spine Lafayette, CO 80026 (303) 578-7050 JOHN “DREW” UPDIKE, MD INTERNAL MEDICINE CMA of BCH, Hospital Medicine 1100 Balsam Boulder, CO 80304 (303) 440-2398 J. CHRIS WEBSTER, MD UROLOGY Alpine Urology 2030 W. Mountain View, Ste. 420 Longmont, CO 80501 (303) 776-9400 RUTH WEINBERG, MD OB-GYN Boulder Valley Women’s Health Center 2855 Valmont Rd. Boulder, CO 80301 (303) 442-5160 SHARON WETHERALL, MD ANESTHESIOLOGY Colorado Permanente Medical Group 280 Exempla Cir. Lafayette, CO 80026 (303) 338-3545 DIANE WINTERS, MD OB-GYN Kaiser Permanente, Ob-Gyn Dept. 280 Exempla Cir. Lafayette, CO 80026 (720) 536-7812 MICHAEL ZONA, MD PSYCHIATRY 6654 Gunpark Dr., Ste. 101 Boulder, CO 80301 (310) 261-0035
You and your guests are cordially invited to join us for the BCMS Annual Dinner and Election of Officers, Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Greenbriar Inn. Cocktails from the cash bar will be available starting at 6:30 p.m. Dinner and the program will begin at 7 p.m. There is no cost for members to attend; guests are $35 each. Call for nominations Nominate yourself or a colleague for a BCMS leadership position. Nominations are open for the following. • 2013-2014 President-elect (to serve as President in 2014-2015) • 2013-2014 Treasurer • 15 Board of Director seats (with staggered terms of one, two and three years) Nominations can be made from the floor during the annual dinner. You must attend this meeting to vote. Questions? Call BCMS at (303) 527-3215.
† BCMS Annual Dinner & Election of Officers ¢ Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013, 6:30 p.m.
Greenbriar Inn 8735 N. Foothills Hwy Boulder, CO 80302 7.5 miles north of Boulder on Hwy 36 at Left Hand Canyon
A brief word about the flood Dear BCMS Physicians, On behalf of our beleaguered community, I would like to thank everyone that is helping our community and fellow professionals weather the historic flood. The BCMS leadership is very concerned about the effects this is having on your practice, patients, neighbors and community. The BCMS Annual Dinner Meeting and Election of Officers dinner is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Greenbriar Inn in north Boulder. Invitations have been mailed to the home addresses of all BCMS member physicians; please RSVP when you have the opportunity. For the first time, nominations will be taken for all BCMS leadership opportunities at the Greenbriar Inn. You must be present to vote. I appreciate everyone’s professionalism during this disaster. All hospitals have made heroic efforts to keep our services up and running and take care of our Boulder County patients. These events strengthen the medical community. Respectfully, John Ogle BCMS Interim President
Report from the 143rd CMS Annual Meeting
Mardi Gras
in the
Mountains Sept. 20-22, 2013 | Vail, CO
P
hysician leaders traveled to Vail in September to attend the 143rd Colorado Medical Society Annual Meeting, “Mardi Gras in the Mountains,” with 26 Delegates and Alternate Delegates representing Boulder County. The busy weekend featured fun and fellowship, interactive programming and education, and policy-making and elections.
The CMS Board of Directors met Friday afternoon and held discussions led by special guests Jack Westfall, CMO of Colorado HealthOP; Dick Thompson, CEO of Quality Health Network; Larry Wolk, MD, past CEO of CORHIO; Kelly Joines, CORHIO Interim CEO; and Jeff Messner, CORHIO director of products and strategy. The board also had an in-depth conversation about the drivers of health care costs and how the debate has changed from a question of “who pays?” to a question of “why does it cost so much?” The board will continue the discussion at their meeting in November. Friday night, members gathered for a Mardi-Grasthemed reception hosted by the 2013 Exhibitors. Attendees enjoyed Cajun-inspired food and drinks, live music, a photo booth and giveaways. Saturday morning, the Boulder County Medical Society caucus met to discuss the 19 resolutions before the
House of Delegates, and the HOD convened for the final deliberation. Go to www.cms.org/annual-meeting to view the final disposition of resolutions and reports. Next on the agenda was the sold-out COMPAC-AMPAC lunch moderated by Christopher Unrein, MD, and featuring Todd Askew, AMA director of congressional affairs, and Colorado U.S. Representative Cory Gardner. They updated attendees on the SGR repeal effort, the Affordable Care Act, the debt ceiling and other issues important to physicians. U.S. Rep. Gardner answered questions from the audience. Attendees reconvened in the afternoon for interactive programming, starting with a panel discussion on prescription drug abuse. Gov. John Hickenlooper introduced the session with a special video welcome and announcement of his newly released strategy document on prescription drug abuse, which came out of his work with the National Governors Association and a multistate collaborative of stakeholders. On the panel were distinguished guests Cynthia Coffman, chief deputy attorney general in the Colorado Department of Law; Chris Gassen, RPh, PharmD, program director for the Colorado State Board of Pharmacy; Zach Pierce, drug policy coordinator for Gov. John Hickenlooper; and Joel Dickerman, DO, CMS board
Kate Alfano
Delegates and Alternate Delegates from Boulder County
member. It was moderated by John Hughes, MD, chair of the CMS Workers Comp and Personal Injury Committee. The highlight of the meeting was the Presidential Gala on Saturday, Sept. 21, when Fort Collins family physician John L. Bender, MD, FAAFP, was installed as the 20132014 CMS president. In his address, Dr. Bender spoke about his three families: His CMS family, his practice family at Miramont Family Medicine and his nuclear family, with special presentations for each. For CMS, he promises to work to unite the house of medicine and advance common interests. He also presented outgoing CMS President Jan Kief, MD, with a certificate of appreciation for her year of service. Also at the gala, Dr. Bender kept true to a promise he made through his COMPAC challenge. He challenged his colleagues to raise $10,000 for the Colorado Medicine Political Action Committee over the course of the weekend and, in return, promised to cut his hair at the gala to a corresponding length; the more funds raised, the more hair cut! With the generous pledges of physicians, staff and friends, Dr. Bender surpassed his fundraising goal and had a professional cut his “hippie hair� (as one CMS leader called it) to a Marine-style buzz cut. Sunday morning, attendees heard an educational lecture by David Wahl, MD, associate clinical professor
Jennifer Christensen, MD, of Boulder speaks during the House of Delegates on Saturday.
Kate Alfano and judy ladd
TOP: Members discuss resolutions during the Boulder County caucus meeting Saturday morning. Bottom: Members enjoy the masquerade-themed Presidential Gala Saturday night. From left to right: Melvin Stjernholm, MD, and Christopher Unrein, DO; F. Brent Keeler, MD, and Marianne Keeler; and Heather Ogle, MD, and John Ogle, MD.
of psychiatry at UCHSC on embracing personality traits, recognizing signs of distress and maintaining wholebody health and wellness. The House of Delegates also convened to finish the business of the weekend. Gretchen Hammer, executive director for the Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved and chair of the Connect for Health Colorado board, received CMS’ inaugural Breakthrough Award for her work to advance the state’s health insurance marketplace. Delegates heard a presentation by Ted Clarke, MD, of COPIC, and voted to elect the 2013-2014 CMS leadership. Delegates selected Tamaan Osbourne-Roberts, MD, a Denver family physician, to be CMS president-elect.
The final session was on the liability climate, featuring Oregon Medical Society general counsel Gwen Dayton JD and a panelist of elected officials: Sen. Ellen Roberts, Sen. Cheri Jahn, Rep. Clarice Navarro, Rep. Joann Ginal, and Rep. Mike Foote. Dayton outlined the medical liability reform law passed this year by the Oregon legislature and the panelists spoke about the importance of preserving Colorado’s stable tort environment and how Colorado’s General Assembly can propose legislation to assure patient safety. Thanks to the 26 Delegates and Alternate Delegates who represented the Boulder County Medical Society at the 2013 Annual Meeting. Be sure to mark your calendars for next year’s meeting, Sept. 19-21, 2014, at the Vail Cascade. +
COPIC is dedicated to supporting health care professionals and their organizations so they can deliver the best care possible. It’s at the heart of what we do as a leading medical liability insurance provider and extends into the educational resources we offer. From practice quality assessments to risk management seminars, COPIC invests in opportunities that help to improve patient safety. And for health care professionals, having a proven partner and strong advocate means that they can focus on what matters most—better medicine and better lives.
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(720) 858-6000 • (800) 421-1834 COPIC is exclusively endorsed as the medical liability carrier of choice by the Colorado Medical Society for its members and by the Colorado Hospital Association for hospitals and facilities in Colorado.
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Colorado Drug Card Free Statewide Prescription Assistance Program (PAP) The Colorado Medical Society has partnered with Colorado Drug Card to provide savings to your patients of up to 75 percent on prescription drugs at over 56,000 retail pharmacies. Program highlights: • Free to all patients. • Cards are pre-activated, no sign-up forms needed. • Discounts on brand and generic medications. • Helps patients that have high-deductible plans or are uninsured. • Reduces patient callbacks. • Enhances physicians’ ability to treat patients with drugs that may not otherwise be affordable.
You can help by encouraging your patients to print a free Colorado Drug Card at www.coloradodrugcard.com. The cards are even customizable to your practice. For more information or to order your free personalized Colorado Drug Card please contact Milton Perkins, program director, at mperkins@coloradodrugcard.com or (720) 539-1424.
Register today for Oct. 12 advocacy training
Presented by the political action committees of the AMA, CMS and CAFP Brush up on your advocacy skills at the Regional Campaign and Grassroots Seminar on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013, in Denver. Presented by the American Medical Association PAC, the Colorado Medical Society PAC and the Colorado Academy of Family Physicians Political Committee, attendees will learn about the top issues and how to increase your political effectiveness with featured speaker Stephanie Vance.
Vance is a 25-year veteran of the Washington, D.C. political scene and has held positions as a lobbyist, grassroots consultant and Congressional aide. Her experiences as a legislative director and Chief of Staff on Capitol Hill led her to found Advocacy Associates, a firm dedicated to helping individuals and organizations be both heard and agreed with in the legislative environment. She is the author of five books including the recently released “The Influence Game.” The event is free but space is limited. Go to www. cms.org to register and view a full agenda and list of speakers. Act quickly; the first 100 registrants will receive a copy of Vance’s “The Influence Game.”