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Painting by Dr.Dryer
Right Brain Released - 2011 - Members Art Show An old anecdote is told about the famous Canadian writer, Margaret Lawrence. While attending a cocktail party, she is introduced to a surgeon. During conversation, the surgeon tells Lawrence that upon retirement, he hopes to write. She retorts similarly, and shares that upon retirement, she intends to practice surgery. Today’s modern physicians and surgeons no longer pine away their medical practice years waiting to unleash their inner artist at retirement. Our generation of medical practitioners has learned that medical careers are enhanced by participation in the arts. Medical schools now recognize this, and favour candidates who possess a broad range of interests and hobbies outside of science and medicine. Active participation in the visual or performance arts, music, or writing can be a relaxing break from the heavy demands and daily toil of our work. In the words of the late American writer, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., “'The arts are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow.” PEI boasts a large number of highly-talented and creative doctors, many of whom who have already had gallery exposure of their works. The second annual Medical Society of PEI, Art Exhibit by Island Docs, “'Right Brain, Released,” was initiated to showcase local medical artistic talent. The purpose of the event is multifold: first, it is intended to be a non-judgmental, friendly environment for all artistic talents and styles. Secondly, we hope to share this creative output with each other - and with our larger community, including our patients. We wish to show the artistic side behind the doctors in PEI. We also want this event to start a dialogue about art itself, and its role in creative living. Participating in art engages the senses in a way that broadens one’s mind and imagination. Lastly, and most importantly, the plan is to have fun! The opening night gala event on March 31, 2010, at the Art's Guild in Charlottetown. The show will be open from March 29 until April 12.
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Time to get ready for the MSPEI art show, Right Brain, Released 2011. Many of you have showed interest and may we offer some responses to your FAQs:
Q. Can poetry/prose be submitted? A: This is primarily a visual arts show and is intended for paintings, drawings, pottery, crafts, and other forms of visual media. As much as we love all forms of creativity, we would prefer to focus on the visual arts for this show and welcome any and all interest in forming another venue for other forms of member creativity. Having said that, if you are able to present poetic art forms in a visual manner, such as in a frame suitable for hanging, please discuss this with one of our committee organizers.
Q. Can my spouse/child enter the show? A: We do not doubt that our members have highly creative and talented family members, but we do ask that submissions be limited to MSPEI members only.
Bring your Family to the Gala Opening March 29. Dr. Amanullah, Artist in 2010 show with his family.
Q. How many pieces may I enter in the show? A: There is no limit on submissions by members. Please discuss your submissions with a committee organizer.
Q. May I submit a piece that was entered in l ast year's show? A: Yes, but of course, new works are encouraged - we would love to have a truly original show every year.
Q. When are submissions due? A: The show is to run from Tuesday March 29 until Sunday April 10, 2011. We need all submissions by 9:00am MONDAY MARCH 21, 2011 - this date is earlier than you think!
Q. Where is the show to be held? A: The fabulous Guild gallery in the heart of downtown Charlottetown!
Dr. Ashby and grandson Sebastien Nguyen examine Dr. Wong’s exhibit at the 2010 opening Gala.
Q. Who is on this Committee? A: The committee is Dr. Jenn Ashby, Heather Mullen and Dr. Jenni Zelin (see photo below). Any questions can be sent to heather@mspei.org.
Dr. Dryer with one of her paintings at our 2010 Gala. Her artwork is displayed on the cover of the newsletter.
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Mark your Calenders!!! FEBRUARY
February 2, 2011: CAEP Roadshow, Westin Nova Scotian Hotel, Halifax, NS. Infectious Disease Management in Emergency Medicine. See: www.caep.ca Wednesday, February 23 - 9am-4pm: Clinical Day - Don't Have a STROKE: Miss Daisy's Still Driving? Best Western Charlottetown - Stanhope Room • Dr. Gregg MacLean, Neurologist, Saint John Regional Hospital - Embolic Stroke, Q & A - MS, Q & A • Dr. Tim Stultz, Geriatrician - The Elderly and Driving with Dementia • Trevor Lynch, Speech Pathologist, QEH - Aphasia • Graham Miner, Registrar of Motor Vehicles - Medical Fitness & Age-related Driving • Dr. Heather Morrison, Chief Health Officer - 2011 Flu Update (to be confirmed) Saturday, February 19, 2011 Family Sleigh Ride, 2:00 p.m. at: Great Northern Adventures located at 924 Fort Augustus Road in Mount Herbert. Enjoy a 40 minute sleigh ride through the trails. After your ride a nice cup of hot chocolate and a cookie will be waiting for you by the woodstove in the cabin. Also included is a visit in their petting zoo where the kids can feed a horse, cow, or play in the goat pen. RSVP to robin@mspei.org or call 368-7303.
MARCH
March 29 - April 9, 2011 Medical Society Members’ Art Show: RIGHT BRAIN, RELEASED The Guild Gallery, Grafton Street, Charlottetown Submissions due: 9:00 a.m., Monday, March 21, 2011 Gala opening: Evening - Thursday, March 31th
APRIL
April (date TBA- look for Fax Alert, E-Mail Alert and posters): Clinical Day - Everything You Need to Know about Organ Transplants: The Transplant Team from Halifax has been invited to present a whole day on Transplants. We are in communication with them and the date is dependent on their availability.
JUNE
June 18, 2011: Medical Student Bursary Golf Tournament at Fox Meadows, Stratford: 1:00pm Shotgun start CME breakfast: Topic TBA - Awarding of prizes and Fun night to follow at the Culinary Institute, Charlottetown
JULY
Friday July 15, 2011 - Noon- Annual Medical Student, Residents, & Members BBQ Location: Medical Society Gardens, 2 Myrtle Street, Stratford
SEPTEMBER
September 10, 2011:AGM, Shaw’s Hotel, Brackley Beach CME Sessions: TBA Reminder to submit CME Supplementary Funding Requests A friendly reminder to submit your CME Supplementary Funding for 2010. Funding applications and invoices must be received by Monday, February 28, 2011, to the Medical Society office, in order to be eligible for 2010 funding.
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Health literacy targeted in new CME course by Patrick Sullivan, January 4, 2011 "You talk to your patients, but do they understand?" That is the blunt premise behind a new online CME course on health literacy that was launched in November by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the CMA and several other groups. The goal is to teach physicians to recognize that the literacy levels of their patients affect the effectiveness of the care doctors provide, and to provide ways to ease this burden. According to the course outline, 20% of Canadians lack the basic literacy skills needed simply to "participate in daily activities." "Overall, six in 10 patients who come to see us will not play a meaningful role in their care because they cannot understand what we tell them," says Dr. Sam Shortt, the CMA's director of knowledge transfer and practice policy. "That's the message we're trying to deliver - patient health literacy is a problem, so let's recognize it and do something about it. If you give patients handouts about a disease, are you sure they can read it? Is it at a writing level they can understand? When you point them to a website, are you sure they know how visit it?" Shortt, who practises in Ottawa, compares the problem to an iceberg that remains well hidden because many patients do not want their doctor to know the extent of their problem. "They develop coping mechanisms," he says. "They cannot read the instruction sheet you gave them because they 'forgot their glasses' or they'll 'read it at home.'" The course, which takes 1.5 hours to complete and is eligible for CME credits, uses both video and case studies to discuss the literacy issue. The goals are: * to outline the evidence that patient literacy affects the effectiveness of health care * to show why literacy affects the effectiveness of the work physicians do * to provide tools and strategies for dealing with the problem The course stresses the need for clear written and verbal communication, and tools such as the "teach-back" technique are taught. With that method, the physician is able to determine how well a concept has been explained. For example, the doctor can ask: "Can you show me how you're going to do this when you get home? I want to make sure I did a good job explaining this to you." Shortt, who served on the course organizing committee, says many physicians are simply unaware of the extent of the literacy problems facing their patients. "The impact on patients can be huge, especially when it comes to management of chronic diseases such as diabetes," said Shortt. "We know that active and informed patient participation in treating chronic illness will produce better outcomes. Doctors need to be aware of this and they should know how to screen for the problem." Physicians can sign up for the free course at www.cma.ca/healthliteracy. The CME initiative ties in well with two 2010 resolutions passed by General Council. One called on the CMA to conduct an "intensive awareness campaign" to make physicians aware of the impact of health literacy on the care they provide, and the other called M e for d idevelopment c a l S o cofi aenational t y o strategy f P r to i ntarget c e the E dproblem. w a r dBoth I projects s l a n dwould - be P completed u l s e Nine concert w s l ewith t t provincial/territorial e r - W i n t e r 2 0 1 1 medical associations.
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(to be confirmed)
What’s our Role?? Submitted by PEI Physician Spokesperson, Smokers Helpline, Family Physician, Dr. Ed White
Physicians’ involvement in smoking cessation counselling is KEY. As PEI’s physician spokesperson for Smokers Helpline, I applaud those of you who understand the importance of that quick office visit intervention. Research continues to show that physician intervention increases smokers’ quit success rates. Unfortunately only a small percentage of physicians are making this important ‘ask’. Perhaps we do not fully appreciate how integral we are to patients’ decisions to attempt quitting. The following is an edited for privacy version of an email I received from a staff member of the Medical Society. With permission, I would like to share it with you. Recently, I was pleased to learn that you had suggested the use of the Smokers Helpline as a resource to my husband to help with his struggle to remain smoke-free. Thank you! I write to share my personal experience as it was rather humorous/incredible to have him come home and tell me about his “doctor’s suggestion.” You may know that a large part of my job is acting as MSPEI’s liaison on various health-related committees with government and NGOs. A large amount of time is designated to tobacco related issues. I sit on PETRA, Council for a Smoke-Free PEI, Smokers Helpline Advisory Committee, and the Cancer Screening Initiative Steering Committee. Although my husband would argue otherwise, despite my knowledge and involvement, I have not been a nag about him quitting his 40 year + addiction (realizing it had to be HIS decision) but I certainly shared everything I possibly could about available cessation programs in PEI. If you could see his work area, garage and other places around our home, you would know how many prompts he has received about Smokers Helpline (posters, magnets, business cards etc. etc.). All I could do was be stunned at his perception of this being a “new idea.” I just smiled, bit my tongue and supported the idea. All this to say, thanks! At the time of this submission, this MSPEI staff member is happy to report that her husband has been smoke-free for over 4 months.
SMOKERS HELPLINE, is a free service the Canadian Cancer Society provides to help people quit smoking. Smokers Helpline is a confidential, non-judgmental program that provides practical information, coping techniques, inspirational comments and stories about others who are trying to quit smoking. Individual can register on-line at or call toll-free 1-877-513-5333 for the one-on-one telephone counseling service. Doctors are urged to use the FAX REFERRAL system. Have patients sign the form, fax it to the program and Smokers Helpline will contact the person directly. This provides the incentive many people need to get started. Fax Referral forms are available at . Click on HEALTH PROFESSIONAL, then on the SMOKERS HELPLINE box, then click the words FAX REFERRAL. Your patients listen to your advice. Giving them information and connecting them directly to SMOKERS HELPLINE will get them on the road to a healthier life.
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Read up on Radon Read up on Radon - CMA advises Canadians to get their house tested The Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Lung Association have joined forces with Health Canada to raise awareness among Canadians of the effect radon exposure can have on their health. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odourless and tasteless and present in all homes. Did you know? o Eight to 15 percent of lung cancers are attributable to long term radon exposure. o Radon exposure causes approximately 2,000 lung cancer deaths in Canada every year. o Exposure to radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, and the second leading cause (behind tobacco) for smokers. o The combined effects of radon exposure and smoking create a risk greater than the two separately. o Lung cancer risk due to radon exposure depends on a combination of the level of radon, the length of exposure to it, and an individual’s smoking habits. Fact sheets for physicians and their patients about the health risks of radon have been distributed to physician offices and clinics across the county. Additional resources and a video on how to test for radon in the home can be found on the Health Canada website.
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Changes @ 2 Myrtle Street:
Photo: Jude Wood
Welcome Robert (Bob) Burke, MD Management’s newest Financial Consultant!
You are invited to extend a warm welcome to Bob on Tuesday, January 25th, here at the Medical Society building, 2 Myrtle Street, Stratford, from 4:00-8:00 p.m. You will also have the opportunity to say your good-byes to Doug Lefurgey, who will be returning to MD’s Edmonton office. We thank Doug for his professionalism and camaraderie, and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.
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A well attended Clinical Day entitled “Head2Toe” was held November 8th at Credit Union Place, Summerside. Left photo: Dr. Huy Nguyen, Dr. Derek Chaudhary, who spoke on “Renal Failure”, and Dr. Chris MacNearney. Right photo: Dr, Rachel Kassner, Dr. Dianne Theriault, guest speaker on “Osteoporisis”, and Dr. Chris MacNearney, Clinical Day host. December 17, 2010 CBC Lobby - Dr. Charlie Trainor delivered a safe driving message and announced the final tally from MSPEI member donations to the 2010 CBC Turkey Drive. This year, Island physicians and MSPEI staff collectively donated $9,545. The money provided 270 families with an Island-grown turkey, assorted vegetables and cranberry sauce. Gratitude is extended to Dr. Trainor for his tireless efforts and ever-improving success collecting donations - and of course to all who gave so generously.
Dr. Scott Cameron’s daughter - Emily Cameron is on the 2012 Olympic Rowing Team. (we ask ourselves what these Summerside Doc’s do to raise Oplympians!). Dr. Cameron has inspirational team calenders available. Help support the Olympic Dream locally! All the best in the Summer of 2012, Emily!!!
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Important Urine Drug Test We recently discovered that the urine drug testing done at the QEH is not very sensitive for picking up hydromorphone on the opiate screen. In an effort to find a more sensitive method, Dr. Amy Lou is running a clinical trial of other available methodologies. In order to do so, she needs to gather as many samples as possible. If you order urine drug screening, and are looking for hydromorphone specifically, could you please put "Attention, Dr. Lou" on the requisition and include patient age, sex, list of medications used and dosing, and opiate used with daily amount and time of last dosing. hopefully we will then get a screen result which is sensitive for hydromorphone. - Dr. Colohan
Notices: The second joint Canadian Conference on Physician Leadership will be co-hosted by the CMA and the Canadian Society of Physician Executives on May 11–14, 2011, in Vancouver. The conference theme is “Effecting Change Through Influence.” The aim of the conference is to engage physicians at all levels of leadership, from physician executives to students and residents. The conference will feature a combination of interactive, practical workshops and engaging keynote speakers, including David Maxfield, co-author of Influencer: The Power to Change Anything. For further details and registration, visit www.2011leadership.ca. The new 2010 Canadian Best Practice Recommendations for S t r o k e C a r e a r e r e l e a s e d :
www.strokebestpractices.ca The Alzheimer Society of PEI is hosting FREE informational and educational events from Jan 4th-31st. Join us for our spotlight on research evening! Thursday January 20th, 2011 6:00 pm “Alzheimer Research: Where are we now” – Dr. Jackalina VanKampen, “Neurodegenerative Disease: Presymptomatic Biomarkers” - Dr. Andrew Tasker, “Living the Journey: We need Research Now” - Linda Boyle. Pre-registration required – 628-2257 or 1-866-629-2257. Location confirmed upon registration. View a complete list of events at www.alzpei.ca
The 12th Annual Canadian Collaborative Mental Health Care Conference is being held in Halifax, NS on June 23, 24, 25, 2011. More information is available at
www.shared-
care.ca.
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Dr. Charles Dewar has been awarded the 2010 Family Physician of the Year for Prince Edward Island. The Family Physician of the Year award is awarded to the doctor who is recognized for his or her outstanding qualities, including exceptional care of patients, combined with a significant contribution to the health and well being of communities and/or societies. Dr. Charles Dewar has practiced the entirety of his 56 year career in O'Leary, Prince Edward Island. Dr. Dewarís dedication to his family practice is witnessed on a daily basis in the loyalty his patients have shown to him. This same loyalty is clearly matched by that which he has given back to his large ongoing full time practice. “Dr. Dewar is an extremely dedicated and talented family physician,” said Minister Bertram. “He has helped to shape the careers of many Island physicians and has touched the lives of many Islanders in West Prince throughout his 56 year practice. On behalf of the Government of Prince Edward Island, I want to thank Dr. Dewar for his contributions and congratulate him on this outstanding award.”
Family Physician of the Year - 2010
Health and Wellness Minister Carolyn Bertram (left) was joined by President of the PEI College of Family Physicians, Dr. Andrew Wohlgemut (right) to congratulate Dr. Charles Dewar (centre) on his accomplishment.
Award of Excellence & Fond Farewell
In addition to the Family Physician of the Year award, the CFPC has recognized two Islanders with their Award of Excellence: Dr. George Carruthers and Dr. Mona Reck. The Award of Excellence recognizes CFPC members who in the last 12 -24 months have made an outstanding contribution to family medicine. Dr. Carruthers has demonstrated tremendous initiative and commitment to the Island's medical community and is being commended for a very successful first year as program director of the Prince Edward Island Residency Program. Dr. Reck is dedicated to her work with oncology, palliative care and geriatrics. She has written the CFPC exams via practice eligible route. She is a very skilled clinician who serves her practice well, and is a resource to her community.
Dr. Jill Cunniffe gives Dr. Mona Reck a gift at her informal retirement party.
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