Vermont Medicine Magazine
DEPARTMENT OF Family Medicine ~ 2012 Annual Report
Selected Highlights
- Several Family Medicine faculty members garnered awards and honors over the past year. Dr. McVeigh received a Frymoyer Scholarship; Clara Keegan, M.D., received the Faculty Teacher of the Year Award, and the Continuing Medical Education Educator of the Year Award from the UVM Medical Education Group went to Allyson Bolduc, M.D. Emeritus faculty member John Saia, M.D., received the Vermont Family Physician of the Year.
- Department scholarship includes projects in breast and ovarian cancer screening, collaborative care for chronic conditions, office asthma care, shared medical decision-making and prevention of professional fatigue and burnout. Faculty members are involved in a comprehensive Vermont Children’s Health Improvement Project focusing on teen topics such as reproductive health, suicide prevention, prescription drug abuse, and patientcentered medical home usage.
- The Office of Health Promotion Research formally merged with the department. This productive research unit will add to the department mission and advance the health of Vermonters. The department and the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) are searching for additional tenure track faculty in health services research.
Thomas C. Peterson, M.D., Chair
Over the past year the Department of Family Medicine has welcomed new faculty, celebrated retiring faculty and seen success in clinical practice and research. New faculty members include Diana Barnard, M.D., Sahmon Fallahian, M.D., and Aaron Reiter, M.D., who bring expertise in palliative care, office procedures, and wilderness medicine. Faculty with new roles includes Ursula McVeigh, M.D., as Director of Palliative Care, Tim Lishnak, M.D., as the Director of Milton Family Practice, and Thomas Peterson, M.D., as the institutional leader for Transforming Primary Care, a program of the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Faculty retirements include Allan Ramsay, M.D., as Professor Emeritus, Berta Geller, Ed.D., as Research Professor Emeritus, Brian Flynn, Sc.D., as Research Professor Emeritus, and John Ferguson, M.D., as Associate Professor Emeritus. The department appreciates that all four continue to provide professional expertise post-retirement. Four newly promoted faculty members include David Little, M.D., to Professor, Martha Seagrave, PA-C, to Assistant Professor, Charlotte Reback, M.D., to Associate Professor, and Alicia Jacobs, M.D., to Associate Professor.
With approximately 114,000 patient care visits in the past year, in addition to our inpatient and palliative care services, the department has had a successful year in clinical practice. All five continuity practices — Milton, Berlin, Hinesburg, South Burlington, and Colchester — have achieved National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Level III recognition as patient-centered medical homes. The practices are participating in a Transforming Primary Care effort aligning and optimizing all family medicine, pediatrics and general internal medicine clinics to ensure patient satisfaction and reliability. A new building planned for Hinesburg Family Health promises to be both environmentally responsible and good for patients.
In medical education, the expanded clerkship in association with our TOPMEd grant has been well-received and has led to an enhanced primary care learning experience. The department is excited that 14 Class of 2012 medical students went on to Family Medicine residency last year.
Our residency program has record applicant numbers and an outstanding class of new residents. Residents continue to be attracted to Vermont because of our educational programs and the environment for health care reform. Five of our six graduating residents elected to work in Vermont.
Continuing medical education efforts include the 36th annual Family Medicine Review Course, the 11th annual Cultural Awareness Workshop, our biannual Sports Medicine Conference, regional CME and academic detailing presentations, and participation in the annual Bridging the Divide collaborative care conference.
Last modified January 24 2013 09:39 AM
