Committee Reports

Program Committee Report

Planning to attend the 2006 Annual Spring Conference (April 26-30) in San Francisco? We hope so! The conference promises to be the best yet for stimulating presentations, outstanding plenary speakers, forming/strengthening collegial networks, talking with close personal friends and colleagues, and enjoying San Francisco’s unique culture and cuisine!  

About this Year’s Spring Conference
The theme for this year’s conference is "Searching for Solutions: Realizing Our Vision, Renewing Ourselves, and Supporting It All." In this theme, Bill Mygdal, EdD, our president, acknowledges the challenges and opportunities that face family medicine. To encourage STFM members to submit proposals to support his theme, Bill specified these five priority areas:
• The New Model: Elements of the New Model (eg, open access, group visits, electronic health record) that you have implemented and the outcomes those elements have achieved.
• Funding Beyond HRSA: Strategies for funding educational innovations or research from other than government sources.
• The ACGME Core Competencies: Best practices for teaching and assessing our residents.
• Faculty Development: Strategies for continuing the development of senior leaders.
• Clinical Topics: Best practices for caring for our patients.
You will have the opportunity to attend many presentations that address one or more of these topics.

The Program Committee proudly announces the plenary speakers for the 2006 Conference. Each speaker will talk on a subject linked to the conference theme.

Thursday, April 27: “The Hero's Journey-Crossing the Digital Divide,” John Bachman, MD, Mayo Medical School
Friday, April 28: “The Challenging Face of Primary Care,” Barbara Starfield, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins University
Saturday, April 29: “Has the Family Medicine Scholar Ship Arrived?” Bernard Ewigman, MD, MSPH, University of Chicago
Sunday, April 30: “Of New Models and Friends,” Roland Goertz, MD, MBA, The Heart of Texas Community Health Center, Waco, Tex

Please plan to attend one or more of the special sessions scheduled for the conference. These include:
SS1. Making Electronic Medical Records Work in the Office (John Bachman, MD)
SS2: The Academic Fund-raising Project: Funding Your Academic Dreams/Projects (Laurence Bauer, MSW, MEd; Alan David, MD; Stephen Bogdewic, PhD)
SS3: Discussion Forum on Academic Fundraising (William Mygdal, EdD; Roger Sherwood, CAE; Laurence Bauer, MSW, MEd; Mike Rosenthal, MD; Stephen Bogdewic, PhD; Susan Kaye, MD; Evelyn Lewis & Clark, MD)
SS4: Getting Your Proposal Accepted: Tips From the Reviewers. (STFM Program and Research committees)
SS5: Future of Family Medicine Implementation: STFM Priority Programs and How You Can Be Involved (STFM Special Task Force on the Future of Family Medicine)
SS6: From Toys to Tools: PDAs in Education and Clinical Care (Harry Strothers, MD, MMM)
SS7: Leveraging Resources for Medical Education and Research With an Electronic Health Record (John Gill, MD; Sally Weaver, PhD, MD; Roland Goertz, MD, MBA)
SS8: Advanced Power Point Presentations: The Cure for Boring, Babbling Presenters (Aaron Michelfelder, MD)

New at the 2006 Spring Conference
Here are three new things you’ll see at the conference:

• Continuing Education credits: Beginning for the first time at the 2006 meeting, STFM will offer CE credits approved/accredited through PsychoEducational Resources, Inc, for psychologists, social workers, professional and addiction counselors, and marriage and family therapists.
• A “Networking” Bulletin Board: The photos and brief bios of STFM staff, Board of Directors, and committee members will be posted on a bulletin board located adjacent to the registration area. Use this board to recognize your leaders and integrate yourself into one of many STFM networks.
• Karaoke at the annual evening dance: You can’t miss seeing your STFM colleagues sing their hearts out at this new addition to our evening dance/social event. Karaoke was such a big hit at the Predoctoral Education Conference in Charleston that we decided to include it in San Francisco!

Preconference Workshops
Members may attend one of six preconference workshops before the meeting convenes (requires a registration fee). Please see http://www.stfm.org/AnnualConf/AN06/preconference.htm for more information. Each workshop title is listed below.

• How Leaders Turn Dreams Into Reality: Successful Fundraising in a Changing World. This workshop is jointly sponsored by STFM and the Family Medicine Education Consortium (Tuesday, April 25: 1–5 pm; April 26, all day)
• Faculty Development Series Workshop II: Research Skills, Getting Started With the Basics (Wednesday, April 26, 8 am-4:30 pm)
• Faculty Development Series Workshop VI: Executive Leadership Development for Academic Family Medicine (Wednesday, April 26, 8 am–4:30 pm)
• Group on Women in Family Medicine Network: Celebrating Women in Family Medicine (Wednesday, April 26, 8 am–5 pm)
• Health Literacy: American Medical Association Train-the-Trainer Program (Wednesday, April 26, 12:30-5:30 pm)
• Procedural Training in Family Medicine Residency (Wednesday, April 26, 12:30-5:30 pm)

Special Thanks
The committee gratefully acknowledges the support of STFM staff members Ray Rosetta, CMP, and Bruce Phillips in the proposal submission, review, and selection process. Ray did his usual outstanding job of overseeing everything, motivating the reviewers, and having everything prepared when the Program Committee met in September to select the papers. Bruce also was instrumental in refining the on-line review process, troubleshooting submission and review problems, and preparing the materials for the committee’s discussion.

Special thanks also go to the 2006 Conference Program Committee: Peter Catinella, MD; Karen Connell, MS; Sam Cullison, MD; Alison Dobbie, MD; Susan Hadley, MD; Lisa Nash, DO; and Steven Wilson, MD, for their reviewing a near-record number of submissions and selecting excellent presentations. Special thanks to other key people who also spent hours reviewing proposals: Craig Gjerde, PhD; Harry Strothers, MD, MMM; and David Quillen, MD, along with the members of the STFM Research and Membership committees.

Hear the Theme and Priority Areas for the 2007 Annual Spring Conference
Caryl Heaton, DO, the Society’s president-elect, will announce her theme and priority areas for the 2007 Annual Spring Conference. This information will later be shared with all STFM members on the STFM Web site. Please address one or more of these priority areas in your proposals for the 40th Annual Spring Conference in Chicago.

In summary, I hope to see you at the 2006 Annual Spring Conference (April 26–30) in San Francisco. The meeting will be filled with stimulating presentations and outstanding plenary speakers, along with the opportunities for forming/strengthening collegial networks and enjoying San Francisco’s unique culture and cuisine with your STFM colleagues! See you there!

James Tysinger, PhD, Chair

Program Committee

James Tysinger, PhD, Chair
University of Texas-HSC, San Antonio

Peter Catinella, MD
University of Utah

Karen Connell, MS
University of Illinois at Chicago

Sam Cullison, MD
Swedish/Providence Family Medicine Residency Program
Seattle, Wash

Alison Dobbie, MD
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Susan Hadley, MD
Wherever You Are: Healthcare for the Homeless
New Britain, Conn

Lisa Nash, DO
University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston

Stephen Wilson, MD
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
St. Margaret Family Practice Residency

AFMRD Liaison:
Patrick McManus Jr, MD
Thomas Jefferson University

STFM Staff Liaison:
Ray Rosetta, CMP