ACPE news.

Meet ACPE's New President & Board Members

Martin Hickey, MD, MS, CPE, FACPE 

ACPE's new president, Martin E. Hickey is president and chief executive officer of Lovelace Health Systems, Inc. in Albuquerque, N.M.

Prior to moving to that position, he was the chief medical officer for the organization. Lovelace is a fully integrated health system that includes a 270-physician multispecialty group, a 250,000-member health plan with 3,000 IPA physicians, and a large medical center in Albuquerque. Hickey is general manager of Lovelace-CIGNA Health Plan of New Mexico.

Hickey is also an associate clinical professor of medicine at the University of New Mexico and lectures nationally on managed care, disease management, physician leadership and health care administration.

Before joining Lovelace, Hickey was executive director of managed care services at the University of New Mexico Medical Center and medical director of University Physician Associates. Before his appointments at the university, he developed and directed a rural health system in New Mexico for the Veterans Administration.

Hickey began his clinical and administrative career in the U.S. Indian Health Service, serving for seven years on the Navajo reservation. He received his medical degree from Rush Medical College and his master's degree in administrative medicine from the. University of Wisconsin.

Susan Freeman, MD, MS, CPE, FACPE

"The ACPE of the future will provide strategies, knowledge and networking for physician executives to actively lead change in the business of medicine," predicts new board member Susan Freeman. At the same time "preserving the physician-patient relationship, but realigning the financial model and incentives."

As senior medical director and vice president of Minneapolis-based Definity Health, Freeman is at the forefront of a next-generation consumer-focused health plan. With an impressive track record in governance, policy, and quality of care issues, she has also served in such leadership roles as chief of endocrinology and vice president of medical affairs for Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minn.

"We must strengthen our collective voice," Freeman says of ACPE. She also feels the College should, "bring academic, corporate and community physician executives together, extend the reach of our publications, and continue to expand educational opportunities."

After earning her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Freeman completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in endocrinology and metabolism at Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, Rochester, Minn. She also holds a master's degree in health care administration from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.

An ACPE member since 1994, Freeman earned her CPE in 1999, and serves on the credentials committee for the Certifying Commission in Medical Management. She became an ACPE Fellow in 2000.

Donald E. Melnick, MD, FACPE

Active in ACPE since 1979, Donald Melnick presides over the National Board of Medical Examiners as its president and chief executive officer. An academic internist and clinical pharmacologist, his experience includes: teaching medical students, primary care practice, quality assurance consulting, managing a faculty group practice, hospital board membership, and management of large, institutional operational and research projects.

In looking to the future, Melnick feels ACPE should focus on its core competencies. "ACPE's educational offerings must couple superb teachers and content selection with emerging technologies," he says, noting this would allow "convenient, efficient, targeted access to learning." He thinks College initiatives, such as the new leading Beyond the Bottom Line program, are keys to future success and "must be the first of many visions to marry solid business with medicine's traditional ethos focusing on the well being of patients."

Melnick earned his medical degree from Loma Linda University in California. He is a Fellow of ACPE, the American College of Physicians, and the American College of Medical Informatics.

Barry Silbaugh, MD, MS, FACPE

"I see ACPE emerging as a wellspring of innovative ideas and visionary leaders for health care," says Barry Silbaugh. "Building on a heritage of patient-centered service, we should imagine a leadership philosophy that couples financial discipline with reverence for the clinician's artistry in improving health care."

The vice president of medical operations for Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives, a system of 70 hospitals employing nearly 800 physicians nationwide, Silbaugh brings expertise in private group practice to ACPE's board.

Former medical director of New Mexico Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Silbaugh earned his medical degree from the University of Iowa College of Medicine. He also earned a master's degree in administrative medicine from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Also a proponent of ACPE's new initiatives, Silbaugh says, "We must develop measurements that show the value of Leading Beyond the Bottom Line, assume leadership in patient safety, and encourage advanced certificate and degree programs for physicians."

An ACPE member since 1991, Silbaugh also serves on the Catholic Health Association Physician Special Committee, and the council of the New Mexico American College of Physicians/American Society of. Internal Medicine. He is a diplomat in ABMM and advanced to ACPE Fellow in 2000.

ACPE Takes The Initiative

New programs debut in 2001

ACPE's dedication to fulfilling member needs continues to drive programming in 2001 and the new initiatives debuted at the Spring Institute reflect that commitment. Taking direction from ideas that members shared in the College's strategic planning sessions, ACPE designed its new programs to take the concept of customization to a new level.

ACPE Member Communities

Blending the latest Internet technology with ACPE's expertise in medical management, the College is creating online member communities:

* Positional Forums put members in touch with other physicians nationwide who share similar responsibilities in health care leadership. Chief medical officers, vice presidents of medical affairs, and other physician executives will soon be able to log on to ACPE's website to enjoy exclusive discussions with their counterparts.

* Health care leaders who live and work in the same geographic areas will also find professional networking opportunities at their fingertips with ACPE's new Regional Forums.

* Another online feature, Topical Resource Centers will open doorways to new worlds of information about the health care leadership issues ACPE members face each day. The resource centers will be hosted by experts offering advice and up-to-the-minute resources on specific subjects.

These online communities will be accessible soon through ACPE's Web site at www.acpe.org.

The Emerging Leaders Program

Experienced physician executives, prospective health care leaders, and their organizations will be able to tackle specific projects and identify leadership talents with the College's new Emerging Leaders Program.

The Emerging Leaders Program:

* Helps senior leaders identify and nurture rising stars in medical management

* Provides emerging leaders with educational experiences tailored to their leadership development needs

* Creates unique value for organizations by linking emerging leaders' educational programming to projects designed to meet their sponsoring organizations' needs.

How does it work? Senior health care leaders interested in nurturing the professional growth of emerging leaders in their organizations agree to sponsor candidates for the Emerging Leaders Program. The senior health care leaders and the candidates decide on growth areas and identify a project that will benefit their organization. Then, ACPE steps in to create custom educational programming. The emerging leader learns new skills, then applies them to design a business plan to carry out the organization's project.

Leading Beyond the Bottom Line

Strategies and techniques for uncovering and mobilizing health care organizations' hidden assets are the focus of the new management philosophy, Leading Beyond the Bottom Line (LBBL). An ACPE exclusive, the program was developed in concert with Arthur Andersen to forge leadership techniques that reconcile the ethics of medicine with the hard realities of the business world.

ACPE will offer the program for the first time at its Summer Institute in Boston, July 21 - 26. LBBL will be presented in a four-day format, addressing such key issues as:

* Reconciling the ethics of medicine and the business of health care

* Value Dynamics[TM]: case studies in success

* How to identify and leverage your underused assets

* Intangibles: your hidden wealth

* Optimizing your new asset portfolio

Plans also call for LBBL to be part of the curriculum for November's Fall Institute in Tucson.

The Practice Management Institute

Programming designed specifically to meet the needs of smaller group practices and solo practitioners is the focus of ACPE's Practice Management Institute. With continued growth in both small group and solo practice sectors, physicians are facing new management challenges every day.

Already, ACPE is responding by tailoring existing educational course content to small group and solo applications. Additionally, plans are under development to expand the College's existing practice management efforts to include new educational courses, a full range of practice management resources, the latest relevant books and articles, and opportunities for peer support and interaction. New online forums for small group and solo practitioners are expected to be up and running soon.

ACPE's new programs offer wide-ranging opportunities to enhance professional knowledge and network with colleagues. The College welcomes members' ideas and participation as we continue to develop programming that supports the physician executives leading in all areas of health care today.

Members On The Move

Vincent DeRisio, DO, MBA, FACP, is the new vice president/medical director of Alliance Laboratory Services serving the Health Alliance in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Health Alliance is a six hospital system. The consolidated laboratory has an extensive outreach business and is one of the largest not-for-profit laboratories in the country. DeRisio was also named chairman of the medical advisory board for Hoxworth Blood Center in Cincinnati.

Richard Gayes, MD, MBA, is medical director, network management for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. Formerly, Gayes served on the management team for CBA Services, Inc., a startup company that provides complete Internet-based outsource options for physician billing. Previously, Gayes practiced internal medicine for 10 years at Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, Ill. He earned his medical degree from Northwestern University Medical school and an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management in Illinois.

Cynthia Henderson MD, MPH, is the recipient of the 2001 University of Illinois at Chicago City Partner Award for her commitment to the community and the medical field. The award is given to University of Illinois alumni who contribute to the vitality of the Chicago metropolitan area in a special way. Henderson is chief operating officer of Oak Forest Hospital in Oak Forest, Ill. The award honors Henderson for hospital programs promoting healthy communities, quality health care services and violence awareness and prevention.

Michael Lachina, MD, MMM, is vice president of medical affairs for FirstHealth of the Carolinas. Lachina previously served as medical director and senior vice president for the Baptist Health Care system of East Tennessee in Knoxville. Lachina earned his medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham and a master's degree in medical management from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, La. FirstHealth of the Carolinas is based in Pinehurst, N.C. and is the region's first integrated, not-for-profit health care system. It includes three hospitals, 18 primary care clinics, seven health and fitness centers and several other services.

Steve Lowenthal, MD, MPH, received his master's degree in health services administration from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and is senior vice president of clinical systems and academic affairs at St. Agnes Healthcare in Baltimore, Md.

Greg McKinney, MD, MBA, is associate medical director of Cahaba Government Benefit Administrators, a division of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. McKinney formerly served as associate director at Medical Center East in Birmingham, Ala. Cahaba GBA processes Medicare Part A and Part B claims in Alabama and home health and hospice claims for numerous states. McKinney earned his medical degree from Medical College of Georgia and also holds a master's in business from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Harry K. Moon, MD, is chief executive officer of Cleveland Clinic Florida in Miami that recently opened a new 170,000-square-foot hospital in Naples, Fla. The hospital is designed to create a warm, pleasant atmosphere that makes patients feel comfortable and helps promote their recovery. It is viewed as the prototype of the hospital of the future. The facility is expected to have more than 70 physicians on staff covering about 25 specialties and sub-specialties. Each room in the hospital is private and includes amenities found in fine hotels such as wood paneling, wooden furniture, reclining chairs, soft lighting, tiled baths and fine linens. The rooms also include built-in refrigerators and desks with data ports.

David Nash, MD, MBA, FACPE, is editor-in-chief of Disease Management, the official journal of the National Managed Health Care Congress's annual disease management congress for 2001 and 2002. Disease Management is a quarterly, peer-reviewed publication covering the clinical and business aspects of the field of disease management. Nash is founding director of the Office of Health Policy and Clinical Outcomes at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pa.

David Perrott, MD, in Salinas, Calif., practices in the first office-based surgery practice to be accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) under a new, quality evaluation program. Perrott's practice, the Monterey Bay Medical Surgery Center, provides services for patients requiring surgical intervention and care for oral and maxillofacial/cosmetic conditions. JCAHO's new office-based surgery standards emphasize attention to issues that directly affect patients and their care, covering essential areas including medication, anesthesia, safety, practitioner credentials, staff competency and customer service. The accreditation program was created to address the increasing number of complex and high-risk procedures being performed in doctors' offices.

Jay Pomerantz, MD, MMM, is senior vice president and chief medical officer at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Formerly, Pomerantz served as vice president of medical management at ViaHealth in Rochester, N.Y., an integrated delivery system of four acute care facilities. Pomerantz is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville and earned his master's in medical management from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Leonard Randolph, Jr., MC, MS, FACS, CPE, FACPE, USAF was recently promoted from deputy surgeon general, Headquarters United States Air Force at Bolling AFB, in Washington, D.C. to deputy executive director/chief operating officer, TRICARE Management Activity in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Randolph is past president of ACPE.

Dan Westphal, MD, is chief medical officer at North Broward Medical Center in Pompano Beach, Fla. Westphal will work with physicians and provide administrative direction and oversight to the medical staff office, cancer center, neurological institute, diabetes center, cardiac diagnostics, wellness, risk management, quality management and case management. Westphal is a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Medicine and served as clinical and research fellow in pulmonary medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University.

Josie Williams, MD, MMM, CPE, was guest editor for the Texas Medicine Quality Symposium in October 2000, was named to the National Patient Safety Foundation Board in November 2000 and was chosen as a 2001 distinguished alumnus for Texas A&M University. Williams is medical director of Texas Health Quality Alliance. in Austin, Texas.

Latest InterAct Courses Chart New Territory

ACPE's flagship distance learning program--InterAct CD/Web Education--takes the informational content of the College's live educational courses and transforms it for convenient delivery on CD ROM.

Typically, InterAct programs also offer interaction with faculty and course participants in a time-limited online component. Enthusiastic reception by physicians across the country has made InterAct the leading choice in flexible format continuing medical education. ACPE recently added two new titles to its line-up of InterAct CD/Web Education courses.

* Diversity: Achieving Effectiveness in the Changing World of Health Care was created in direct response to the needs of physician executives who must effectively manage a workforce that grows more diverse every day. A collaborative effort of Barry Dorn, MD, and Velvet Miller, RN, PhD, the course debuted in June. Participants focus on developing multicultural management skills, enhancing their communication abilities, and learning to identify and break down the barriers complicating multicultural interactions. The 12-CME credit course still has openings available for the two remaining presentations scheduled this year: August 6-24 and October 1-19.

* A very different InterAct course--Understanding the Business Side of Medicine--was developed for use by medical school educators. The program offers a comprehensive CD ROM course for residents and is designed to plug directly into a medical school's curriculum, saving educators the extensive time required to design new coursework. Built around the work of Ronald Kaufman, MD, FACPE; of the University of South Florida College of Medicine, the program features online support for instructors, along with the full text of Kaufman's definitive book, The Business Side of Medicine: A Survival Primer for Medical Students and Residents.