Rochester Academy of Medicine
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Rochester Academy of Medicine
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Archive of Past News and Activities
Estate Planning Revisited At Retired MD/Life Members’ Luncheon Eugene Parrs, Esq., of Parrs & Perotto, LLP, a law firm specializing in estate planning and tax law, gave an informative and entertaining presentation describing recent changes in tax laws as they impact estate planning. Mr. Parrs emphasized then need to simplify wills in order to save probate costs and taxes. He also discussed at length the TOD (transfer on death) laws, recently approved in New York State, and indicated that TODs are useful tools to consider in estate planning.
********** New Officers and Board of Trustees Members Installed John S. McIntyre, M.D. was installed as the new president of the Rochester Academy of Medicine's Board of Trustees at the May 8, 2007 Annual Meeting. The new president-elect is Donald Y. Goldman, M.D. with Ruth E. Hetland, M.D., and Janine L. Fogarty, M.D. continuing on as secretary and treasurer. New members of the Board of Trustees are Bilal Ahmed, M.D., Diego Cahn-Hidalgo, M.D. and Jacques M. Lipson, M.D. For a full listing of the Board and Committee Chairpersons click here. ********** Albert David Kaiser Medal and Awards of Merit Presented The Albert David Kaiser Medal and Awards of Merits were presented at the Rochester Academy of Medicine's Annual Meeting May 8, 2007. Recipient of the Albert David Kaiser Medal was William L. Morgan, M.D. Recipients of the Awards of Merit were A. Leonard Block, M.D., Michael M. Finigan, M.D., Robert E. Heinig, M.D., Arthur S. Hengerer, M.D. and Moira Szilagyi, M.D. For the complete text of the citations for the Medal and Awards click here. **********
Deputy Mayor Pays Us A Visit Patricia Malgieri, Deputy Mayor of the City of Rochester, gave the monthly talk at the Retired MD/Lifetime MD luncheon on May 15 at the Academy. Ms. Malgieri, in a forward-looking and animated presentation, outlined what’s in store in the areas of public safety, economic development, education, customer service and volunteer engagement for the City of Rochester. Ms. Maglieri pointed to the increasing cooperation between city and county governments in areas of public safety and the use of volunteers in several areas to help ease the economic burden. She also outlined some of the problems dealing with the City School District. Several questions followed Malgieri’s informative talk.
********** Executive Director Honored At Annual Meeting Hechmat Tabechian, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Director of the Rochester Academy of Medicine, was honored with a special plaque at the Annual Meeting of the Academy on May 8, 2007 recognizing Dr. Tabechian's many contributions to the Academy. The plaque was presented by outgoing president James M. Haley, M.D., and the inscription reads: Presented
to
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Lyon
Daughters Lecture On Cochlear Implants The 2007 Annual Lyon Daughters Lecture dealt with the controversies surrounding cochlear implants--ethical, social, cultural and technical. The lecture was delivered by Gallaudet University professors Drs. Irene Leigh, professor of Psychology, and John Christiansen, professor of Sociology, and was presented to a full house in the Academy’s auditorium. The talk was signed, voice interpreted and real-time captioned. A large screen closed circuit TV image of the speakers aided in the lecture as well. Dr. Christiansen dealt with some of the technical issues of implants, including problems such as if the person needs an MRI or would like to scuba dive. He also discussed recent advances and future developments, such as brain stem implants for the deaf. Later in the lecture he shared his own personal experiences with his implant and the individuality found in the way implant recipients respond to various sounds. He emphasized the need for training to maximize the impact of the implant. Dr. Leigh, in a very animated and passionate manner, described much of the turmoil created in the deaf community by the introduction of cochlear implants: how some of those getting implants may be rejected by some of the deaf and how the recipient may feel abandoned. She reminded the audience that implant recipients are still deaf, retain their sign language skills and need to maintain a bridge to the deaf community. Both presenters agreed that much research needs to be done on the psychological and social aspects of implants and discussed the difficulty deaf people have in obtaining reliable information from persons with implants and their families and friends, who often experience anger, rejection and abandonment. An extended Q&A session followed the lecture.
********** Surgeon Reviews Robotic Surgery John R. Valvo, M.D., F.A.C.S., Chief of Urology, Via Health Systems, Executive Director, Polisseni Center for Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery, and Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery, gave an informative talk about the past, present and future of robotic surgery. Beginning with reference to drawings of Leonardo da Vinci, allegedly showing a primitive robotic surgical device, and ending with the anticipated fully-automated surgical suites of the future, Dr. Valvo painted an exciting picture of techniques using the only FDA-approved surgical robotic device, the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System. Improvements over manual/endoscopic techniques include greater range of motion because of double articulating "wrists," improved precision of incisions and suture placements, full 3-D vision, and damping of hand shake. These improvements result in better bleeding control, reduction in positive margins in cancer surgery, reduced operating time, shorter patient recovery time, among others. Dr. Valvo said that the earliest use of robotic surgery has been in prostatic cancer, but increasingly robotic surgery is used for other types of surgery such as GU, cardiac bypass and valvular, GYN and more recently, orthopedic. He also pointed out the increasing national acceptance of robotic surgery and described some of the training techniques in use.
********** Final Concert of the Season a Success The final Salon Concert of the season played to a sold-out audience at the Academy of Medicine Sunday, February 25. The performances this season featured the Beethoven piano trios and was considered a resounding success by organizer Sidney Sobel, M.D. "I’m thrilled to see the enthusiasm of the audiences, with patrons coming from as far as Buffalo to hear our concerts" said Dr. Sobel.
********** 2007 Life Members/Retired Physicians Luncheon Program Set This marks the twenty-first year of these programs. Click here for more information and the 2007 program. ********** Academy Holiday Parties The Annual Holiday Party and Photo Contest was held December 17 at the Academy. Fellowship, food and drink were enjoyed by all, with the culinary highlight being Dr. Tebechian’s "famous" meatballs. The Photo Contest winners were announced. There were 32 entries, and the Grand Prize went to Robert Poe, M.D. for his Dancing Loon photo; First Place Winner was Marcia Birken for Sun-Star formed in Aspen Grove photo and Second place winners were Suzanne Olson for her Rocks and Mist photo and Joan Stormont for Untitled (trees reflected in water) photo. The Breakfast with Santa Party was held December 9, with 12 children and eight adults attending. Santa was there to hear special requests from the children. All enjoyed muffins, bagels, donut holes and fruit and made snowman thank you cards and stand-up Christmas trees.
********** Salon Concert Season Opens to Full House The opening concert of the 2006-2007 Salon Concert series was played before a full house in the parlor of the Academy on Sunday, December 10. The selections for the opening concert of the series were the early Beethoven works: Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 1 no. 1 and Trio in G Major, Op. 1 no. 2. Both pieces were enthusiastically acclaimed by the audience. This season’s four concerts will feature eight of Beethoven’s Piano Trios in its all-Beethoven program.
********** Prize Award Contest Deadline Set The 2007 Rochester Academy of Medicine Prize Awards Contest deadline for paper submission has been set for March 1, 2007. For details click here ********** Disparities in Health Care Topic of Talk Disparities in Health Secondary to Ethnic and Cultural Factors was the topic of the talk at the Life Members/Retired Physicians Luncheon on November 14, 2006 at the Academy. The presenter was Philip P. Bonnani, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Nursing and Medical Humanities, University of Rochester Medical Center and Vice-Chairman of Medicine, Unity Health Systems. Dr. Bonnani discussed the ways some diseases may affect various cultural and ethnic groups differently in addition to cultural and ethnic misunderstandings between patient and health care provider and that not understanding these differences may jeopardize proper care and impact outcome. He also noted that these disparities can result in more costly health care. He urged that health care training be moved away from the traditional problem/disease focus to a more human/contextual perspective.
********** Panel Discusses Regional Emergency Preparedness At the October 10, 2006 Life Members/Retired Physicians luncheon, a panel of key individuals discussed how the various organizations are prepared to deal with disasters and terrorism in this region. Panel members presented information on how the agencies interact, what the roles of each are, how they are trained and the roles of physicians. The panel was moderated by David Kluge, M.D. and consisted of Mary Louise Meisenzahl, Administrator, Monroe County Office of Emergency Preparedness, Retired Brigadier General John Perrone, Director of the Homeland Security Management Institute at MCC, Mark Cavanaugh, Chairman, Hospital Emergency Planning Committee and James Maxwell, Monroe County Health Department Medical Reserve Corps Coordinator.
********** 2006-2007 Salon Concert Series Dates and Programs Set The 2006-07 Salon Concert Series dates will be December 10, 2006, January 21, 2007, February 11, 2007 and February 25, 2007. The series will present the complete Beethoven Piano Trios and be performed by Rebecca Penneys, piano, Mikhail Kopelman, violin and Stefan Reuss, cello. Individual concert price is $28 and a four concert season price is $95. Call the Academy office for reservations or more information. (585) 271-1313. ********** Rosemary Disney Captivates With Talk At Luncheon Rosemary Disney Sherman, an internationally recognized artist, thoroughly engaged the attendees at the September 12 Retirees/Lifetime Members luncheon at the Rochester Academy of Medicine by taking them on an informal tour of her artistic career. She sprinkled her talk with anecdotes and personal observations and experiences as she showed many of her works and the changes that have evolved over time. To the delight of the audience, Ms. Disney passed around her artistic works and encouraged the audience members to touch, examine and otherwise enjoy them. The works ranged from her earliest decorated eggs to tissue paper creations to tea dolls and her latest fantasy creations. Many of the tissue paper creations, which are actually three-dimensional pictures, have been reproduced as greeting cards and/or wrapping papers. Ms. Disney said she best enjoys painting Victorian faces. The audience’s favorites were the one-of-a-kind beaded handbags, hand-sewn dolls, silhouette-box tissue paper dolls and the jewel-encrusted jaguar shoulder pin. Rosemary Disney’s creations are featured at Cartier, Chanel, and other designer stores in the United States and in Paris. She is also an author and consultant and has appeared on several television programs.
********** University of Rochester's New President Addresses Academy Joel Seligman, J.D., President, University of Rochester, gave an informal presentation at a special meeting of the Rochester Academy of Medicine on Wednesday, September 6, 2006. Mr. Seligman outlined the current status of the University, including the Medical Center, and acknowledged the decline in the number of students, teaching and research staff and the decrease in funding, including a fall in the relative value of the University’s endowment. Mr. Seligman indicated that he has already taken an aggressive approach to strategic planning to address these issues. These plans include drawing together the development efforts of the various schools of the University, including the Medical Center, under a unified Development Department for which he has already hired a chairman. Underlining the need for better communication, he has hired a new communications chair to fulfill this goal. In terms of efforts to increase size, Mr. Seligman announced the acquisition of 62 acres of land and an 84,000 square foot building on Bailey Road to house the Cardiovascular Research Center, creation of the Biomedical Engineering Optic Division, the opening of the new Nursing School wing and the Wilmont Cancer Center. He also noted the award of a five-year, six million dollar grant given by the National Institutes of Health. This grant was given to only five out of more than one hundred institutions that applied. Mr. Seligman also discussed the need for increasing cooperation between community medicine and the University and the foray into clinical "transitional" research with an inter-disciplinarian approach to education, research and clinical practice.
********** Naming of America talk given at retired MDs luncheon Seymour Schwartz, M.D., Distinguished Alumni Professor and Chair (Emeritus), Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center and serious student of cartography, gave an engrossing and fact-filled talk titled America’s Baptism: The Naming of America for the life members/retired physicians group luncheon on July 11. The talk centered on the 1507 Map of the Known World drawn by Count Waldseemiller of Germany. The map contained the first known reference showing the name "America" applied to the continents of the New World. An accompanying book on cosmology referenced the four discovery voyages of Americo Vespucci. In that book, "America" was also the name applied to the New World continents discovered by Vespucci, being named in his honor. The map and book were part of a larger endeavor attempting to create an Atlas of the Known World. Dr. Schwartz explained that only one known copy of the original map existed in Germany, and this map was purchased by the Library of Congress for $10 million dollars, which represents the most expensive purchase to date made by the Library of Congress. The map will be on display in Spring 2007 at the Library of Congress Jefferson Building. The talk was lavishly illustrated by Dr. Schwartz, who used pictures of original maps and documents and pictures of people involved in the works. In addition, he provided many anecdotal references for the appreciative audience.
********** Avian Flu Topic of Retiree Luncheon John J. Treanor, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, gave the Retiree Luncheon talk on June 13, 2006. Dr. Treanor’s topic was Avian Flu Pandemic? How Great the Threat? How Prepared are We? He compared the potential risk for avian flu deaths in the U.S. (estimated to be between 200,000 and 1.9 million) to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic that resulted in 500,000 deaths, the Asian flu pandemic, 70,000 deaths and the Hong Kong flu, with 34,000 deaths. The avian flu virus is asymptomatic in birds and in its usual form cannot infect humans. Dr. Treanor said that occasionally, due to either antigenic evolution or shift, the virus is able to survive in human hosts. The spread of these mutated virus can be directly from birds or through an intermediate animal vector. There have been 218 confirmed human cases of avian flu, with a 56% fatality rate, he reported. Once mutated, the virus can spread from human to human. Since the birds create a reservoir for the virus, there is the threat of worldwide spread of the virus due to the birds’ migratory patterns. Immune response to flu vaccine has been disappointing, requiring at least two doses given 28 days apart, for even modest protection, with older adults showing the poorest production of antibodies. This has lead public health thinking to conclude that older adults should not be offered the vaccine, but rather saving the very limited supply (estimated to be only 15 million doses) for children who, because of their social patterns, run the greatest risk of spreading the virus in the population. Dr. Treanor told the audience about a tri-institutional cooperative effort between University of Rochester Medical Center, Cornell University and Tennesee (called NYICE) that is studing various aspects of avian flu, including better production methods for producing vaccine and increasing its immune response. Dr. Traenor ended the talk and question session by saying that he thought the likelihood of a pandemic is low.
********** Full Citations For Award Recipients Now Available The full citations for the Honorary Award Recipients given at the Annual Meeting May 9, 2006 are now available. Click Here ********** State of Medicine Today Topic at Retirees Luncheon William Dolan, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics, University of Rochester Medical Center, gave a talk entitled The Challenges Facing Medical Practice in America Today for the Life Members/Retired Physicians luncheon, on Tuesday May 16, 2006 at the Academy. Dr. Dolan outlined the sorry state of affairs that political wrangling and special interest groups have created in the confusing and sometimes contradictory legislation controlling the practice of medicine and especially reimbursement. Lost in the sea of alphabet soup groups, organizations, governmental committees and more, the practicing physician finds him or herself at the bottom of an inverted triangle, with costs going up and reimbursement going down. "It's no wonder," Dr. Dolan said, "that upwards of 30% of physicians will be leaving practice in the next few years." He indicated the system is broken and among other issues, the formulas used to calculate costs and reimbursements need to be changed to more realistically reflect what is happening in medicine today. In answer to a question from the audience about what can we do to help, Dr. Dolan said, "Contact your Congress people as consumers and voice your concern about the availability of medical care in the very near future."
********** Annual Meeting and Award Ceremony 2006 Annual Meeting and Award Ceremony 2006 The 2006 Annual Meeting and Award ceremony of the Rochester Academy of Medicine was held May 9, 2006 at the Academy. Following a cocktail and hors d'oeuvres reception in the dining room, the formal program was called to order at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium by out-going president of the Board of Trustees, Janine Fogarty, M.D. who gave a brief review of the past year at the Academy. She then introduced Drs. Black and Satran who announced the Prize Awards. The awards were: Academy
of Medicine Award in Honor of George H. Whipple, M.D.: Academy
of Medicine Library Award: Academy
of Medicine Nursing Award: Academy
of Medicine Geriatrics Award in Honor of Carter & T. Franklin Williams: Sidney
Hillman Health Center Award in Honor of Robert Burton, M.H. Academy
of Medicine Kluge Trauma & Emergency Medical Services Award: Academy
of Medicine Primary Care Award In Honor of Milton N Luria, M.D. Academy
of Medicine Community and Preventative Medicine Award High
School Health Science Award:
Certificate
of Appreciation:
Dr. Fogarty then introduced Dr. Rabinowitz who announced the Honorary Awards. Awards
of Merit were given to: The
Albert David Kaiser Medal was
awarded to:
Following the award presentations Dr Hechmat Tabechian announced the election results for the 2006-2007 fiscal year: Officers: New
Board Members: The final events of the meeting were the official transfer of the presidency symbolized by the Gold-Headed Cane to James M. Haley, M.D. and presenting of flowers to the out going president Janine Fogarty, M.D. The meeting was followed by desert and refreshments in the dining room.
For the full citations given for the Honorary Award Recipients click here. **********
Pulsifer Lecture Held The annual Pulsifer Lecture was given by Jules Cohen, M.D. May 9, 2006 at the Class of ‘62 Auditorium in the Kornberg Atrium at Strong Memorial Hospital, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY 14642. The title was Medical Education in Practice-Based Settings and addresses the history and issues involved in practice-based teaching. In addition, Dr. Cohen familiarized the audience with the contributions of community practitioners to medical education. ********** Final Salon Concert of the Season The final Salon Concert of the 2005-2006 season was held April 30 in the parlor at the Academy. Piano Quartets by Mozart and Brahms were featured and the artists were Rebecca Penneys, piano; Shannon Nance, Violin; Marc Anderson, viola; and Kathleen Murphy Kemp, cello. ********** 2006 Lyon Daughters Lecture Held The 2006 Annual Lyon Daughters Lecture was held Thursday April 27, 7:30 p.m. Jerome P. Kassirer, M.D., Distinguished Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine was the lecturer and the title of his presentation was: On the Take: Commercial Influences on Medical Practice. In his talk Dr. Kassirer addressed factors that may influence physicians' drug prescribing habits. These included gifts and favors given to physicians by drug companies. He called for restriction of these gifts and a separation of drug company sponsored research from the drug approval process.
For more info about the Lyon Daughters Lecture Series, click here ********** Life Members/Retired Physicians Luncheon: Memory The second Life members/Retired Physicians luncheon for the 2006/2007 series was held April 11, 2006 and featured William J. Hall, M.D., Paul Fine Professor of Medicine, Director, Center for Healthy Aging, University of Rochester Medical Center, presenting aspects of healthy memory in the aging population. He sited various research showing that contrary to previous opinion, new nerve cells in the brain do appear in the older population and more important, the cells develop many more interconnections with other cells than in younger brains especially in response to various forms of stimulation. He outlined five areas that will stimulate this development: physical exercise, mental exercise, social interaction, intense focus on single areas of interest and learning new disciplines. Top on the list is of activities is learning a new language. Others on the list include dancing, learning to play a musical instrument, reading, playing board games or doing puzzles.
********** Third Salon Concert of Season Plays to Full House The third Salon Concert of the 2005/2006 season again played to a full house. Stephan Reuss was not able to play due to illness but Arie Lipsky, principal cellist of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, played cello in his stead. Rebecca Penneys, piano and Mikhal Kopelman, violin filled out the trio. On the program were piano trios by Mozart and Beethoven.
Life Members/Retired Physicians Group Program Set The 2006 program for the Life Members/Retired Physicians luncheon meetings is set and available for viewing. This is the twentieth year for these interesting and timely events. Click here for the schedule. ********** Salon Concert Played To Full House The February 12, 2006 Salon Concert, featuring a lively piano trio by Mozart and a pensive but pretty piano trio by Arensky, played to a full house. The performances by Rebecca Penneys, piano, Mikhail Kopelman, violin and Stefan Reuss, 'cello were warmly received by the appreciative audience.
Artists take a well deserved bow at the Salon Concert ********** Prize Award Contest Deadline Set The 2006 Rochester Academy of Medicine Prize Awards Contest deadline for paper submission has been set for March 15, 2006. For details click here ********** Full Text of 2005 Annual Award Citations Available The full text of the citations given at the Annual Meeting of the Academy, May 10, 2005, for the Awards of Merit and the Albert David Kaiser Medal are now available. Click Here ********** Holiday Events at the Academy Santa's visit delighted the children who attended the Academy's Breakfast With Santa party on Saturday morning, December 10. Games and gifts made the party fun for all. The 2005 Holiday Party and Photography Contest was held Sunday, December 11, at the Academy. Festive food and companionship were enjoyed by all. The results of the Annual Photo Contest were announced, and prizes of gift certificates at Scott’s Photo were handed out to the lucky winners. Of the 27 entrants the winners were: First Place: Robert Poe for "Marbled Godwits at Toakland." Two Second Places: Robert Schwartz for "Friendly Squirrel - Mt. Howard, OR" and Carol Lee for"Sunset." Two Third Places: Victor Poleschuck for "Boys in Sugar Cane, Burmat, Myanmar" and Tony Leone for "Canale Porto, Terracina, Italy."
********** Academy Home Decorated for the Holidays
A small but determined crew gathered at the Academy on December 2 to decorate the home for the holidays. Drs. and Mmes. Tabechian, Leone and Stewart, Alyce Babigian and Susan Walker hung ornaments, lights, wreaths and other trimmings to create a festive look for the Academy home for the holidays.
********** Landmark Society Highlights Academy Building The Landmark Society of Western New York held their annual meeting at the Rochester Academy of Medicine November 20, 2005. A report of the meeting along with highlights of the Academy building and a photo appeared on the cover of the November/December Landmarks, newsletter of the Society. ********** Obesity is Topic of Talk at Academy Robert E. Heinig, M.D., Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center and Chief of the Metabolism and Endocrine Unit, Rochester General Hospital, spoke on Obesity: Insights and Certainly Controversies at the Life Members/Retired Physicians luncheon on October 11, 2005. Dr. Heinig traced the origins of diabetes mellitus and what is now known to be its precursor, metabolic syndrome. He reported on studies that show patients with metabolic syndrome develop cardiovascular disease before the typical symptoms of diabetes surface, and often many years before. Dr. Heinig reported that increasing incidence of metabolic syndrome and diabetes has been traced to the cultural trends of obesity, blamed mainly on the increase of fat in typical diets, decrease in exercise and the general inactivity of the populace. He extended this to children and how they, for example, ride school buses even for short distances. Dr. Heinig noted this lack of activity and exercise as being especially dangerous, since lipid metabolism in children may develop a "memory" for abnormal triglycerides that can not be reversed as they grow older. The result is that the children of today are likely to have a shorter life expectancy then their grandparents.
********** Neurologist Addresses Retired Physicians Group Marvin Goldstein, M.D., professor emeritus, University of Rochester Medical Center, presented the luncheon talk for the Retired MD/Lifetime Physician's group on September 13, 2005, at the Rochester Academy of Medicine. Dr. Goldstein noted that the most dramatic changes in neurology since the 60's have been in neuroimaging, namely CT and MRI. He reviewed current trends in the treatment of various neurological diseases such as acute cerebral vascular occlusions, Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, dementia (including Alzheimer's disease) and migraines.
********** Salon Concert Dates for 2005-2006 Season Set Be sure to mark your calendar for the 2005-2006 Salon Concert season. The concerts will all be held on Sundays at 2:00p.m. at the Academy. Announcements detailing the programs and artists will be sent prior to each concert. Concert dates are: October 16, 2005 February 12, 2006 March 26, 2006 April 30, 2006 ********** The "Oldest Old" is Topic of Retired Physicians' Luncheon Christopher Hodgman, M.D., Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Rochester Medical Center, introduced the audience at the recent Life Members/Retired MDs luncheon to the fastest-growing age group, the "Oldest Old." Dr. Hodgman divided our aging population into three groups of "Old:" the Youngest Old (ages 65-75), the Middle Old (ages 75-85) and the Oldest Old (ages 85 and up). Dr. Hodgman reported on studies characterizing the Oldest Old group as being relatively healthy, fairly active and somewhat affluent--all contrary to popular misconceptions of the group. He also expanded on the various reasons for these characteristics.
********** "Preventing Heart Attacks" Topic of Retired MDs Luncheon Talk Thomas A. Pearson, M.D., Professor/Chair of the Department of Community/Preventive Medicine and Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Research at the University of Rochester spoke at the recent monthly Lifetime/Retired Physician’s luncheon. He reviewed the current status of heart disease, with emphasis on the changes in mortality and morbidity over the past 100 years. These changes include the more recent plateauing of the previous decline. Dr. Pearson attributes this plateau largely to controllable factors such as obesity, smoking and the sedentary lifestyles so prevalent in our culture today. Dr. Pearson discussed the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and heart disease and outlined the ABCs of risk profiles: Aspirin, Blood Count, Cigarettes, Diabetes, Exercise, Food, Girth, High Blood Pressure and Irregular Pulse.
********** Dr. Evarts Awarded the Albert David Kaiser Medal C. McCollister Evarts, M.D. was awarded the Albert David Kaiser Medal in recognition of his long and distinguished career and pioneering work as a surgeon, mentor, educator and strategic leader. The Award was presented on May 10, 2005, at the Annual Meeting of the Rochester Academy of Medicine. The Kaiser Medal is awarded annually by the Rochester Academy of Medicine and is given to a physician for distinguished lifetime service in the field of medicine, public health or community welfare. ********** Awards of Merit Presented at Academy Annual Meeting Awards of Merit were presented to Marilyn R. Brown, M.D., Francis E. Browning, M.D., Rochester Mayor William A. Johnson, Earl S. Lipman, M.D. and Henry A. Thiede, M.D. at the Annual Meeting of the Rochester Academy of Medicine on May 10, 2005. These awards are given in recognition of the recipient's outstanding service to the medical profession. ********** New Officers and Members of Board of Trustees Installed The results of elections for the new officers and three new members of the Board of Trustees were announced at the the May 10, 2005 Annual Meeting of the Rochester Academy of Medicine. The new officers are President, Janine L. Fogarty, M.D.; President-Elect, James M. Haley, M.D.; Secretary, Anthony J. Leone, Jr. M.D.; Treasurer, Ruth E. Hetland, M.D. Three new members were elected to the Board of Trustees to serve a three-year term: Roger J. Boulay, M.D., Stephen Meloni, M.D., and Richard Satran, M.D.
********** Archive of past news and activities
Eastman House Director Speaks at Retired Physician's Luncheon Anthony Bannon, Ph.D., Director, George Eastman House, the International Museum of Photography, spoke at the May 3 Life Members/Retired Physician's luncheon. Dr. Bannon briefly described the history of the George Eastman House, the International Museum of Photography and Film, its mission, current activities and future ventures. He also enlightened and entertained the group with many pictures from various collections of the Museum.
********** Salon Concert Finale for Season The Salon concert held on Sunday, May 1, was the final one of the season. The concert featured Rebecca Penneys, piano, Corinne Stillwell and Shannon Nance, violins, George Taylor, viola, Stefan Reuss, 'cello, playing the Piano Quintet in G minor, Op.57 by Shostakovich and the Piano Quintet in A Major, Op.81 by Dvorak. ********** 2005 Lyon Daughters Lecture The Fourteenth Annual Lyon Daughters Lecture was held on Friday, April 15, 2005. The talk, titled Maternal-State Conflicts: Judging Drug-Using Pregnant Women, was presented by Lynn M. Paltrow, J.D., Executive Director and Founder of National Advocates for Pregnant Women. Ms. Paltrow gave an enlightening talk on the issues of drug-addicted, abused and disadvantaged pregnant women and mothers and how they are treated by the legal system. She also offered her views on why and how the system can be improved.
********** Genesee Museum Tour at the Retired Physicians Luncheon Betsy W. Harrison, President and CEO of the Genesee Country Village & Museum, spoke at the March 9 Life Members/Retired Physicians luncheon at the Academy of Medicine. During her talk, "Taking Us on a Tour of the Genesee Country Village and Museum," Ms. Harrison took the audience on a tour of the third largest country museum in the United States, Genesee Country Village and Museum. Slides showed before and after views of the restored houses, stores and even an opera house on the grounds of the village. Programs of civil war re-enactments, vintage 1800s baseball games, parades and many upcoming events were showcased as well. For more information on the Genesee Country Village & Museum, go to their Web site. www.GCV.org
********** Life Members/Retired Physicians 2005 Program Announced The 2005 season for the Life Members/Retired Physicians Speakers program will begin Wednesday, March 9, 2005. (please note change of date from original schedule) The first program will feature Betsy W. Harrison, President and CEO of the Genesee Country Village & Museum, in a program titled "Taking Us on a Tour of the Genesee Country Village and Museum." The talk will begin at 11 a.m. Lunch will follow the talk. For more information and for the complete schedule, click here. ********** Salon Concert Features Penneys and Kopelman The fourth concert in the 2004-2005 series was held on Sunday, February 20, 2005, in the parlor at the Academy of Medicine. The concert featured works by Brahms and Franck, performed by Rebecca Pennys, piano, and Mikhail Kopelman, violin. The appreciative audience gave the artists a standing ovation at the conclusion of their performance. The final concert of the season will be held on Sunday, May1, 2005, at 2:00 pm and will feature the mighty and famous Dvorak Quintet in An Afternoon of Quintets for Piano and Strings.
********** Annual Prize Awards Contest For 2005 Announced The 2005 Annual Prize Awards Contest of the Rochester Academy of Medicine has been announced. Eight monetary prizes will be awarded in various categories, with awards varying from $300 to $750. Submission deadline is March 1, 2005. Details. ********** Holiday Events at the Academy Santa's visit delighted the children who attended the Academy's Breakfast With Santa party on Saturday morning, December 4.
The Academy's annual Holiday Party and Photography Contest was held on Sunday evening, December 12, and was enjoyed by all. The photography contest boasted a first: the only award ever won by a youngster, Matt Haley, the 11-year-old son of Dr. and Mrs. James Haley. His photo, Butterfly's Flight, won third place in the Creatures category. First place and Best of Show prize was won by Susan Dantoni for her photo of a sleeping child, Afghan Child-Kabul Afghanistan. Two second place prizes were awarded in the Nature category: one to Mark Poe for Spider's Revenge, Inlet, NY and the other to Gerald Honch for Chapel in the Hills-Rapid City, SD. The other third place award in the Nature category went to Mark Poe for Blue Mountain Lake, NY.
********** Academy Home is Decorated for the Holidays A small but enthusiastic group decorated the Academy home on Thursday, December 2, putting 1,200 lights and many, many hand-made ornaments on the tree in the parlor. Garlands were strung on the fireplace mantels and stair banisters, and poinsettias were placed in the solarium, all bringing a festive cheer to the home. Do come see it.
********** Vocal Chamber Music Highlights Salon Concert The second Salon Concert of the 2004-2005 season was held on November 21 and featured vocal chamber music from Vienna for solo voices and piano. The artists were Linda Nourie Foster, soprano, Allyn Van Dusen, mezzo-soprano, Pablo Bustos, tenor, Thomas Paul, basso and Rebecca Penneys, piano. The audience was treated to songs of nature, faith, hope, love and eternity such as Hymn to the Day, Prayer and God in the Storm by Franz Schubert and lighter selections from Joseph Haydn, To My Cousin and Harmony in Marriage as well as the more serious Evensong to God and Eloquence among others.
The artists take a bow **********
Panel Discusses Physician Issues Wyoma Best, Vice President of Communications, Marketing and Affiliate Relations of the Rochester Business Alliance, and Nancy Adams, Executive Director of the Monroe County Medical Society, presided at a panel discussion about the state of and the problems surrounding the physician workforce in Monroe and the surrounding counties. The discussion took place at the Retired Physicians/Life Members luncheon on Tuesday, November 9, at the Academy. Ms. Adams described the Physician Task Force, created to explore the problems of a doubling of the number of physicians leaving practice currently, as compared to the number leaving 20 years ago. The study commissioned by the Task Force found that, compared to national benchmarks, Rochester is understaffed with physicians, has an aging physician population soon to retire, 44% of physicians are not taking new patients and fewer new physicians are coming to Rochester to practice medicine. As a solution, Ms. Adams indicated the need to rekindle congeniality rather than competition among physicians, to celebrate physician's role in medicine in the community and to restudy the reimbursement problem. Ms. Best outlined the efforts of the Rochester Business Alliance to help attract new physicians by working with financial institutions to arrange loans to start practice and the creation of a special group to show spouses the desirability of Rochester as a community to live and grow in. Pointed questions from the audience addressed the low reimbursement and administrative overhead indicated by physicians in the study. The Rochester Business Alliance felt that the sampling in the questionnaire upon which the report was based was not enough to see these concerns as significant.
********** Celiac Disease Topic of "Cutting Edge" CME Alessio Fasano, M.D., Director, Center for Celiac Research, Professor of Pediatrics, Medicine and Physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, presented a CME seminar on Saturday, October 16, at the Academy. The seminar topic was Celiac Disease: The Great Impersonator. Dr. Fasano briefly reviewed the history of celiac disease and highlighted the complex pathophysiology of this auto-immune condition. He dispelled the myth that celiac disease is uncommon by reporting his extensive research studies showing that the world wide prevalence of the disease is 1 in 133 people, mostly mis- or undiagnosed because of the many forms of presentation such as osteoporosis, anemia, neurological disorders and others. Dr. Fasano also presented evidence that in the group of undiagnosed and untreated celiac disease there is an increased incidence of other auto-immune diseases, such as type I diabetes, suggesting some commonality of their pathophysiology.
********** Plastic Surgery Reviewed For Retired Physicians/Life Members Elethea H. Caldwell, M.D., clinical professor of surgery/Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, gave an informative overview of the current state of plastic surgery. Dr. Caldwell's talk was presented at the Retired Physicians/Life Members luncheon October 12, where she outlined some of the advances in surgical techniques and commented on her own personal experiences. Dr. Caldwell said that some of her most satisfying cases were repair of congenital defects. such as cleft palette, because of the long term relation she developed with the patient and family. She also reported that her most gratifying cases involved breast reconstruction following mastectomy for breast cancer.
********** Annual Pulsifer Lecture Given By William J. Hall, M.D. The annual Pulsifer Lecture and Dinner was held on Thursday, September 23, 2004. The lecture was held from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. at Rochester General Hospital Twig Auditorium, and the dinner was that evening at the Rochester Academy of Medicine. The guest speaker, William J. Hall, M.D., Director for Healthy Aging, University of Rochester School of Medicine, spoke on Successful Aging: Does Medical Care Matter? This annual event is held in memory of Libby Pulsifer, M.D. As part of the event, an award is given to a senior resident in medicine who best exemplifies the ideals of medical practice that were so evident in Dr. Pulsifer's life. This year's award recipient is Alice Wolpiuk, M.D., from the RGH Internal Medicine Residency Program. ********** Timothy McCormick Shares His Views On Hospital Care
Timothy McCormick, President and CEO of Unity Health Systems, spoke about hospitals and hospital care at the Life Members/Retired Physicians program September 14, 2004, at the Academy of Medicine. After defining the position of Park Ridge Hospital, its associated Genesee Street Campus and its retirement complexes in relation to the other Rochester area hospitals, he outlined the rather gloomy status of ever-decreasing reimbursement for increasing costs of technological medical advances, employee salaries and benefits and increasing expectations of care. These problems are further aggravated by the redistribution of hospital populations and patterns of care following closure of Genesee Hospital and the shortage of staffing and diminishing surplus hospital bed capacity. McCormick emphasized the need for meaningful discussion between health care providers, politicians and insurance companies to determine what level of care and reimbursement policies best fits the current constraints. Many questions punctuated his talk, and a vigorous discussion followed. **********
Salon Concert Series Schedule Announced The schedule for the 2004 - 2005 Sunday Salon Concert series has been announced. The first concert was held on Sunday, October 3. The next concert, Sunday November 21 will feature Songs of Nature, Faith, Hope, Love and Eternity performed by Linda Nourie Foster, soprano, Allyn Van Dusen, mezzo-soprano, Robert Swensen, tenor, Thomas Paul, basso and Rebecca Pennys, piano. Click here for complete schedule ********** Academy of Medicine to Feature Historical Interviews The Library Committee of the Academy of Medicine has produced a series of videotaped interviews of retired Rochester physicians. These interesting historical interviews are available for review or loan at the Academy library. Several of these interviews have been transcribed, and are available to read by clicking here. ********** History of UR Department of Pediatrics Presented at Retired Physicians/Life Members Luncheon Elizabeth R. McAnarney, M.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center, presented an informative talk on the past, present and future of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center. During her talk on Tuesday, July 13, Dr. McAnarney reviewed the Department's past history, which she sprinkled with anecdotal tales, and traced the previous department's chairs and their interaction with the hospital administration, residents, medical students and community pediatricians. Dr. McAnarney stressed that throughout her time as department chair and despite administrative and financial pressures to the contrary, she maintains a strong commitment to community pediatricians to keep them as part of a comprehensive teaching program. Dr. McAnarney said the future of the Department holds promise, with the building of the Golisano Children's Hospital (within the Strong hospital) and the addition of a Ronald McDonald House within the Children's Hospital as part of the plan. Questions and comments from the audience completed the well-received session.
********** AIDS
Impact In Third World Countries Discussed At On Tuesday, June 8, Sidney S. Weinstein, M.D., Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center, gave an emotional and sobering presentation at the Academy's Retired Physicians/Life Members Luncheon on the effect the AIDS epidemic is having on social and economic life in Africa and southeast Asia. The observations were gleaned from Dr. Weinstein and his wife's first-hand observations while acting as volunteers in these regions. Infant deaths, loss of family's income, lowered life span, decreased productivity, abject poverty, family breakdown, abandoned children, lack of treatment, politics and more all play into the mix of the AIDS problems. Dr. Weinstein was deluged with questions and comments from the attendees.
********** Salon Concert Season Finale Held The season finale Salon Concert, Works for String Quartet by Hayden and Schubert, was held on Sunday, May 23, 2004, at 2:00 p.m. in the parlor at the Rochester Academy of Medicine. The artists were Corinne Stillwell, violin; Shannon Nance, violin; George Taylor, viola; Stefan Reuss, 'cello. The program included Quartet Op. 64, No. 5 in D Major, "The Lark," by Joseph Hayden, and Quartet No. 15 in G Major, by Franz Schubert. The concert was followed by a Tea Reception with the artists.
********** Awards
Presented and New Officers Announced at The annual meeting of the board of the Rochester Academy of
Medicine was held on The following Prize Awards were given:
The following received Academy of Medicine Awards of Merit: Nancy
J. Adams The Albert David Kaiser Medal was awarded to: William J. Hall, M.D.
New
officers for the 2004-2005 fiscal year were announced:
********** Cornell Veterinary College Topic of Retired Physicians Talk A fascinating look at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine was provided, May 4, 2004 at the Academy, by N. Sydney Moise, D.V.M., M.S., Professor of Medicine and Chief of Cardiology, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, and Bonita Voiland, Hospital Director and Assistant Dean of Hospital Operations of Cornell University Hospital for Animals. Dr. Moise discussed many facets of animal care and clinical research and outlined some strong correlations with human medicine, especially in her subspecialty of cardiology. Ms. Voiland gave the audience a photo tour of the hospital facility and told many tales (pun intended) of the problems involved in animal care. More than 50 people attended the talk and enthusiastically participated in a lively round of questions for the speakers at the end of the session.
********** Chronic Kidney Disease Symposium Well Attended More than 50 people attended the May 1, 2004 Saturday CME "Cutting Edge Educational Series" dealing with chronic kidney disease. The event, sponsored jointly by the Rochester Academy of Medicine and the National Kidney Foundation, featured lecturers from the University of Rochester, Rochester General Hospital and Unity Health Systems. ********** Lyon Daughters Lecturer Discuses Brain Injury Joseph J. Fins, M.D., Director of Medical Ethics at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, spoke at the thirteenth annual Lyon Daughters lecture on Friday, April 23, 2004. His talk was titled More Than a State of Mind: Ethics and Severe Brain Injury. Dr. Fins spoke about the medical, legal and ethical issues surrounding brain injury and the comatose patient. He described the different types of brain injury, which require modern methods of diagnosis to distinguish. Each type has implications relative to the expected clinical outcome, given modern methods of treatment. Dr. Fins stressed the importance of making this information available to the patient's family and caregivers so they are able to make the best informed choice of treatment or the withholding treatment.
Friends Event A Success The talk, Music in Medicine: Is Music Really Therapy?, given by Robert S. Bakos, M.D., Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center and sponsored by the Friends of the Academy was well received by the audience that filled the parlor and spilled out into the hallway. In his multimedia presentation, Dr. Bakos used music and pictures to demonstrate the history and current thinking related to music therapy. A barrage of questions followed the fascinating talk. The talk was followed by light refreshments and tours of the Academy's historic home.
********** Academy Wine Tasting & Dinner Event A small but enthusiastic group braved the cold and rainy night on Saturday, March 20, to enjoy the warmth and congeniality of the wine tasting and dinner event. Wines and food were selected by wine connoisseur Tim O'Connor M.D., who used his typical wit and panache to patiently explain the finer points of the more than 10 wines presented.
********** Third Salon Concert of the Season another Sell-out The third Salon Concert of the season was held on March 7 and played to a sell-out audience at the Academy. Shannon Nance, violin, Rebecca Penneys, piano, and Stefan Reuss, 'cello, performed piano trios by Schumann and Ravel for a |
