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News and Announcements 2011
2011 BLFM Toy Drive
The numbers are in! Bronx Lebanon Family Medicine donated over 150 toys to families and children throughout the Bronx. Pictures are available in the Archives folder. Thanks to every one for your help and support! |
BLFM Retreat
Maestro’s Caterers was host to the 2011 Fall Retreat for the Department of Family Medicine. On October 12, 2011, all clinic teams, faculty and staff converged to extensively discuss possible avenues and angles to improve patient care as they drew inspiration from special guest lecturer Jeffery Brenner, M.D. Family Medicine Chairman, Doug Reich, M.D. invited Dr. Brenner to inspire his department after learning of his achievements in the January 2011 feature in The New Yorker by journalist and physician Dr. Atul Gawande. The Medical Report, The Hot Spotters asks “Can we lower medical costs by giving the neediest patients better care?” Pursuant to Dr. Brenner’s approach of combating the fragmented, uncoordinated care received by the sickest patients, Family Medicine broke into 15 teams consisting of Registrars, Patient Care Technicians, LPNs, Attendings, Residents, Administrative Staff, and Community Health Workers (CHWs) to discuss hand-picked cases of actual high-utilizer patients seen in the clinic. Each team, equipped with a Presenter and Facilitator, introduced the patient through their demographics and history, and challenged to devise ways to reduce barriers to care and increase compliance by staging interventions. Solutions ranged from assigning a CHW and conducting home visits to using Skype as a method of increased communication and understanding. Other suggestions include offering Vocational Services, networking with Volunteer Companions, and getting patients enrolled in Fitness programs. The highlight of the break-out session was a proposal that out of all the comorbidities listed, the symptom most troubling to the patient—and not the provider, be addressed first. Overall, it was a very productive and exciting day starting with Maestro’s appetizing banquet. In the end, the six clinics under the Department of Family Medicine began to feel and believe, as a team, they can and will make a difference in the lives of our most vulnerable patients living in the South Bronx. For additional information on Dr. Brenner and the Hot Spotters, please see the links below; Watch the PBS/Frontline Video: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/doctor-hotspot/#ixzz1WWmfYXcn Read the January 2011 feature in The New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/01/24/110124fa_fact_gawande?printable=true¤tPage=all |
Preparing the Mustangs
Bronx Lebanon Family Medicine recently joined the Monroe Mustangs in New Rochelle to help them prepare for their coming season. According to NCAA rules each athlete has to pass a physical in order to compete in intercollegiate play. Our department was more than happy to help and on August 11th several Family Medicine Doctors went to Monroe College and saw 150 athletes. |
Family Physicians Inquiries Network (FPIN)
On Wednesday August 17th the Bronx Lebanon Attending Physicians and Residents from the Department of Family Medicine were visited by the Family Physicians Inquiries Network (FPIN). We were introduced to the various writing methods for FPIN which include the following: eMedRef
HDAs (Help Desk Answers)
Clinical Inquiries
PURE (Priority Updates from the Research Literature) · PURLs identify and publish all new research that leads to a recommendation to change primary care practice · The change in practice must be relevant, valid, practice changing, applicable to medical care, and immediately implementable · Published in JFP and EBP Our Attending Physicians and Residents worked as teams and embarked on completing an eMedRef. The half day workshop proved to be quite successful with everyone gaining greater expertise and knowledge regarding research, literary searches and write ups. We will complete our write ups on September 27th. We look forward to continued success in this area. |
BLFM teams with Young Faces of ALS/ALS-TDI
The Department of Family Medicine recently joined Young Faces of ALS/ALS-TDI in the fight against ALS. ALS-TDI is the largest research lab focused soley on finding a cure for ALS. Young Faces of ALS is an organization affiliated with ALS-TDI comprised of young men and women attempting to raise awareness that ALS is not just a "grandparents disease". On June 18th Family Medicine attended the first annual nationwide cornhole challenge. For more information on Young Faces of ALS visit http://www.als.net/youngfacesofals/ or like them on Facebook. For more information on ALS-TDI visit http://www.als.net/Default.aspx. |
Family Medicine Helps "Rocking the Boat"
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2011 Department Meeting
The entire Department of Family Medicine, comprised of 5 outpatient clinical sites, an inpatient floor and an administrative team, gathered for the 2011 Department Meeting on December 7th. Chairman Doug Reich, MD outlined the journey taken by Family Medicine 6 years ago to become one of the best departments. Procedures were reviewed and internal changes were made; the Wellness Clinic was added, patients were discharged earlier and the length of inpatient stays were reduced. In addition, research efforts were launched, new projects were developed and community networking and outreach began. Dr. Reich offered that the next effort of the department is to be recognized as a regional leader in Primary Care. He expressed "We need to deliver patient satisfaction to every patient that walks through the door, everyday, one patient at a time. We need to make patients feel welcome, happy and satisfied." Initiatives like the Chronic Care Model coupled with quality of care, will undoubtedly help us achieve this goal. Staff are internalizing the mantra that Family Medicine's mission is "Quality of Care" and they are now strategizing how they can work better together to reach out to all patients navigating the health care system and provide patients with positive outcomes. |
Clinical Fellowship Winner to Help Underserved HIV/AIDS Patients in New York City's Minority Communities
A growing shortage of medical providers with the knowledge and expertise to care for HIV/AIDS patients, particularly those in hard-hit minority groups, is threatening many of the gains made in the treatment and prevention of this complex disease. A promising young physician, Albert Slezinger, MD, has been awarded a 2011 Minority Clinical Fellowship Award by the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA), part of an effort to address this disparity, and the broader shortage in the HIV medical workforce. Dr. Slezinger will serve his fellowship at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center in New York City. “To end this pandemic, we must do more to ensure that patients in underserved minority communities have access to routine HIV testing and the expert HIV care and treatment services they need,” said Kathleen Squires, MD, HIVMA chair. “One of the best ways to accomplish this is by providing a pathway for talented minority health providers to focus on HIV medicine, which is why HIVMA created the Minority Clinical Fellowship program, now entering its fifth year. Previous fellows are continuing careers in HIV medicine and working with these populations.” The results of a major study (HPTN 052) from the National Institutes of Health, announced in May, showed definitively that early HIV diagnosis, followed by appropriate care and treatment by qualified professionals, can save lives and reduce the spread of HIV disease. “The challenge we face today, here and around the world, is translating our scientific advances into practice for all those who need lifesaving care,” Dr. Squires said. “This impressive young physician, with his commitment and dedication to serving minority communities, will help reduce HIV-related disparities by providing expert HIV care in an underserved community.” Dr. Slezinger will receive funding to support a year of dedicated HIV clinical training, beginning in July, and mentoring and clinical support from an experienced medical professional in a clinic that serves large minority populations. He will complete his fellowship at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center and will receive mentoring and clinical instruction from José Tiburcio, MD, a 2007 recipient of an HIVMA Minority Clinical Fellowship. The fellowship provides a stipend, plus benefits, as well as financial support for the fellow’s mentor for one year. In 2011, HIVMA received support for the fellowship program from the Gilead Foundation, Genentech, and Tibotec. Applications for 2012 are currently being accepted. Information is available at www.hivma.org. |
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