2016 Resident and Fellow Commencement

Beginning Your Story in Family Medicine at the U of M

U of M, Class of 2018

The following message is from University of Minnesota Family Medicine and Community Health department head Macaran Baird, MD, MS, to our incoming class of residents, the class of 2018. 

This July will be the start of my fourteenth year leading this department. It's been an incredible journey.

Every day I have the privilege of working alongside talented, dedicated colleagues, such as yourselves, who truly believe that the specialty of family medicine can transform our nation's healthcare system.
 

And, each year, I am encouraged by the residents that join our ranks. I'm encouraged by your passion, by your dedication, by your talent. 



It's no secret that family medicine is NOT for the faint of heart. You're entering residency at a time when the landscape of healthcare is not only challenging but ever changing—sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad. You chose this field not because it would be easy, but because you care—you care about people, you care about relationships, you care about transformation. 


Some of you may already know this, but we were among the first family medicine departments and residencies in the nation. We believed then, as we believe now, that caring for the whole person, across the lifespan, is preventive medicine at its best.

Each of our eight residency programs—Duluth, Mankato, Methodist, North Memorial, St. Cloud, St. John's, St. Joseph's, University of Minnesota Medical Center—shares in the commitment to full spectrum family medicine training. Each program will prepare you to provide comprehensive, personalized care for the whole person in ANY setting: urban, rural, global. But each program is also distinguished by its community, unique feel, and curricular strengths. 


You are part of your residency program, but you are also part of a greater whole. You are part of this department, part of this University. You’re part of our mission to transform and renew family medicine through education, research, and patient care.  



This is an exciting time to be joining our ranks. Why? Because, we're energized, we're excited. We want to see reform in payment models. We want to see reform in healthcare delivery. We want to knock down barriers to care. We have a vision for family medicine—a vision for change, for transformation. We want to make individuals healthier, families healthier, communities healthier. This fall, we'll be sharing more about that vision, and we couldn't be happier to have you on our team. 


Our desire, though, is that you’re an advocate for family medicine beyond the walls of your clinic, this department, this institution. Family medicine is in the fight of its life. I would encourage you to get involved in professional organizations, both on the local and national level; be part of a national movement for change. Get connected to organizations like Primary Care Progress, Family Medicine for America’s Health, MAFP, AAFP, and STFM.

Stand up for your patients. Stand up for patients who have no one standing up for them. Stand up for your training. Stand up for your future practice. Stand up for our specialty. In doing so, remember you’re a professional and a representative of this department, this University. You’re accountable for your behavior, your words, your actions.

Residency is the start of a new chapter in your lives. These next three years will be challenging, rewarding, and fun. As a University of Minnesota alum, I can tell you that your time here will be a great way to begin your story in family medicine.

I look forward to watching your stories unfold and am so glad that you became part of our story as well.

U of M Family Medicine and Community Health
department head Macaran Baird, MD, MS

MAFP Spring Refresher 2015 Recap

UMMC residents visited our booth space to participate in our
social media "why family medicine" campaign. Their
response: It's the "future of medicine and continuity
 of care."

Last week, we had the privilege of attending the 2015 Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP) Spring Refresher at The Depot in Minneapolis.

The Spring Refresher is an annual family medicine conference for family physicians, family medicine residents, medical students, and allied health professionals. The conference covers updates in medical knowledge, skills workshops, clinical practice improvements and innovations, and more. It's also a great opportunity for Minnesota-based family physicians to connect with colleagues from across the state.

A number of our residents, faculty, and alumni were in attendance at this year's conference. Several gave presentations, including Shailey Prasad, MD, MPH, on global medicine; Nancy Baker, MD, on the use of mobile devices in medicine; Vince LaPorte, MD, on adolescent vaccinations; and Shannon Neale, MD, on developmental and socio-emotional screenings of adolescents in the clinic setting. View their presentations.

Why MN Family Docs Love Family Medicine

We had a great time in the Exhibit Hall visiting with former faculty, resident alumni, community physicians, and even American Academy of Family Physicians President Robert Wergin, MD.

We asked booth visitors to share something they loved about family medicine. Answers ranged from "relationships" to "caring for all ages" to "it's the liberal arts approach to medicine" to "it's the future of medicine." See all the answers in our Storify post.

North Memorial residency faculty Andrew Slattengren, DO,
loves caring for patients of all ages and building relationships.

MAFP Honors and Awards

Several department faculty and residents were also honored at the conference for contributions to family medicine education and research.

The 2015 MAFP Researcher of the Year was C.J. Peek, PhD. Peek has focused his career on leadership development, organizational effectiveness, interprofessional communication, clinical platform development, and integration of medical and mental healthcare. His research has bridged clinical, educational, and operational worlds. He has guided physicians, psychologists, and administrators on effectively evolving healthcare to achieve better, patient-focused results.

Faculty C.J. Peek, PhD, poses with his award,
a plaque with the likeness of Hippocrates Cafe on top.

The 2015 MAFP Teacher of the Year was Michael Wootten, MD, program director at our North Memorial residency. Nominators said Wootten has built an open environment of learning that allows medical residents the ability to individualize their training. One student wrote that residents often look forward to "Wootten weeks" on the hospital service, because they know the teaching rounds will be rich with discussion. Another student said, "He teaches us not just clinical medicine, but how to become change agents of the world."

When Wootten accepted his award, he talked about how
the future of the specialty rests in the development of the
next generation of family physicians.

The 2015 Resident of the Year Award is typically given to one third-year resident for significant contributions to family medicine, including teaching, leadership, and educational activities. This year's award went to two deserving residents, North Memorial's own Betsy Gilbertson, MD, and Cora Walsh, MD. Nominators said both residents have been excellent role models for the discipline. Their focus on integrated care and interprofessional collaborations have really stood out, specifically in their work to create a group prenatal program at Broadway Family Medicine Clinic, the clinical arm of the North Memorial residency. Both residents have also been key players in the community outreach efforts of the residency program, including community health education, mentorship for underserved youth, and homeless outreach.

North Memorial awardees, l-r, Besty Gilbertson, MD,
Michael Wootten, MD, and Cora Walsh, MD.

Looking Ahead

The MAFP Spring Refresher is an annual rite of spring for Minnesota family physicians. Next year's event will be at The Depot in Minneapolis again. Date and schedule information TBA. Visit the website for more information.

University of Minnesota at Family Medicine Midwest 2014

Family Medicine Midwest held its third annual conference last week in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The conference attracted 450 medical students, family medicine residents and faculty, and other health care professionals from across the Midwest.

What is Family Medicine Midwest?

The Family Medicine Midwest Foundation was designed to help identify and support Midwest students interested in family medicine.

Member organizations include Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Minnesota academies of family physicians as well as medical schools and family medicine residences from across the Midwest.

The foundation sponsors an annual conference, with the following aims:

• Showcase Midwest family medicine residencies
• Provide a forum for scholarly work and research presentations
• Highlight community-based practice and best practice sharing
• Promote cooperative and collaborative health care innovation

UMN Family Medicine at the Conference

PLANNING
University of Minnesota family medicine faculty Andrew Slattengren, DO, is vice chair of the Family Medicine Midwest Foundation. He also served as chair of the host/planning committee for the 2014 conference. The host committee included University of Minnesota family medicine faculty Patricia Adam, MD, MSPH, John McCabe, MD, Jacob Prunuske, MD, MSPH, and Angela Smithson, MD, MPH.

Andrew Slattengren, DO, left, addresses conference attendees.

PRE-CONFERENCE
Pre-conference events covered a variety of medical topics, including affordable medications and global health. University of Minnesota family medicine faculty Jody Lounsbery, PharmD, Jean Moon, PharmD, and Shailey Prasad, MD, MPH, were among pre-conference presenters.

OPENING PLENARY
The opening plenary was a Hippocrates Cafe performance, "The Essence of Family Medicine." Hippocrates Cafe productions use professional actors and musicians to explore complex health care topics through story and song. University of Minnesota family medicine faculty and Hippocrates Cafe creator Jon Hallberg, MD, hosts each show, providing context for performances.
(More about Hippocrates Cafe.)

Hippocrates Cafe performer T. Mychael Rambo sings.

AWARDS & HONORS
Awards were presented to faculty and students demonstrating significant achievement or noticeable impact in the field of family medicine.

The Mid-Career Faculty Achievement Award was given to University of Minnesota family medicine faculty Reneé Crichlow, MD, for her innovative teaching methods, community activism, and commitment to research. Of Crichlow's numerous contributions to the field, her unique health career mentorship program, which empowers underserved youth to see a career in health care as an attainable pursuit, is among the most inspiring.

Reneé Crichlow, MD

The Power to Change Our World Award was given to University of Minnesota medical student Melissa McCoy for her global approach to health care. McCoy has spent time locally and abroad caring for underserved communities and learning about international health.

Right, Melissa McCoy

The conference also gave out I3 (Inspiring, Innovative, or Invigorating) awards, which were "pop-up" awards; any conference attendee could nominate another attendee for something inspiring, innovative, and invigorating. Crichlow and University of Minnesota medical student Peter Meyers were among I3 awardees. Meyers is a clinical innovation fellow with the grassroots organization Primary Care Progress.

SPEED DATE THE SPECIALTY
The conference held a speed date the specialty lunch for student attendees to learn more about different aspects of family medicine. Topics included addiction medicine, global health, health policy, motivational interviewing, residency interviewing, transgender health, women's health, and beyond.

University of Minnesota family medicine faculty Jerica Berge, PhD, MPH, Nicole Chaisson, MD, MPH, Reneé Crichlow, MD, Lauren Giammar, MD, Bob Levy, MD, Carrie Link, MD, John McCabe, MD, Shailey Prasad, MD, MPH, and Carolyn Torkelson, MD, MS, were among faculty  speed daters.

John McCabe, MD (in yellow), with student speed daters.

PRESENTATIONS/POSTERS
A number of University of Minnesota family medicine faculty and residents as well as University of Minnesota medical students presented on topics in family medicine and primary care.

Nicole Chaisson, MD, MPH, discusses stigmas in family medicine.

Presenters included faculty Patricia Adam, MD, MSPH, Ben Baechler, MD, Nicole Chaisson, MD, MPH, Reneé Crichlow, MD, Alan Johns, MD, MEd, Bob Levy, MD, Carrie Link, MD, Diane Madlon-Kay, MD, MS, Laura Miller, MD, Tanner Nissly, DO, Jacob Prunuske MD, MPH, Andrew Slattengren, DO, and Ruth Westra, DO, MPH; and residents Naveen Anantha, MBBS, Camille DeLisi, DO, Rachel Franchi-Winters, DO, Betsy Gilbertson, MD, Amanda Hinrichs, DO, Andrew Houghton, MD, Timothy Kufahl, MD, MS, Kevin Manzel, DO, Kristina Schultz, DO, Adalberto Torres, MD, Cora Walsh, MD, Luke Widstrom, DO, and Sufian Zayed, MD.

Topics included childhood vaccinations, collaborative care, community engagement, end-of-life care, global health, mentorship, osteopathic manipulation, patient satisfaction, prenatal care, public health, stigma in family medicine, and beyond.

EXHIBIT HALL
All eight University of Minnesota family medicine residency programs exhibited at the conference.

University of Minnesota family medicine booth space.

PHOTOS
Check out our conference photo album at z.umn.edu/fmmidwestphotos14.

See You Next Year

Next year's conference will be  held October 9-11 in Rosemont, Illinois. Get details at www.iafp.com/fmm.

Family Medicine Midwest Meets Minneapolis

The third annual Family Medicine Midwest conference kicks off next Friday, October 10, in Minneapolis. Join us for three days of family medicine networking, education, and advocacy.

What is Family Medicine Midwest?

The Family Medicine Midwest conference was designed to help identify and support Midwest students interested in family medicine.

Minneapolis at night

Conference aims:

• Showcase Midwest family medicine residencies
• Provide a forum for scholarly work and research presentations
• Highlight community-based practice and best practice sharing
• Promote cooperative and collaborative health care innovation

The third annual conference will be held October 10-12, 2014, at Radisson Blu Hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

What to Expect This Year

This year's theme is Innovate and Invigorate. We are honored to have North Memorial residency faculty Andrew Slattengren, DO, chairing the conference committee. 

Event highlights: 

• 75 peer-reviewed educational sessions and posters
• Topics range from osteopathic manipulation to interprofessional care to underserved medicine to addressing vaccination concerns and beyond 

• Representation from 44 family medicine residency programs
• Opportunities to network during residency speed dating lunch or in the exhibit hall

• Pre-conference sessions on hot topics 
• Topics include global health, maternal care, and population health

• LIVE performance by Hippocrates Cafe, featuring faculty Jon Hallberg, MD

Get more details about the event and schedule.

Meet Minneapolis

Visiting Minneapolis? Meet Minneapolis is an excellent resource for restaurants, cultural events, shopping, and more.

Connect With Us

A number of University of Minnesota medical students, residents, and faculty will be giving presentations, leading workshops, and presenting posters. Representatives from our eight family medicine residencies will also be exhibiting at the conference and meeting with medical students. 

We'll be actively using social media throughout the conference: 

• Follow us on Twitter: @UMNFamilyMed
• Like us on Facebook: z.umn.edu/familymedicinefacebook
• Be sure to follow the event hashtag: #FMMidwest

Get Energized at #AAFPNC

In less than one month, thousands of family medicine educators, residents, and medical students will be leaving the 2014 American Academy of Family Physicians National Conference for Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students (also known as the AAFP National Conference) feeling renewed and energized about their choice or desire to be a family physician.

WHAT IS THE AAFP NATIONAL CONFERENCE? 

The AAFP National Conference is an annual meeting that gives medical students and medical residents from across the country an opportunity to:

• Learn about family medicine through hands-on workshops, lectures, and poster presentations
• Explore residency programs
• Speak to employers
• Network with other students and educators passionate about family medicine 

This year's conference runs August 7 through August 9 in Kansas City, Missouri. (More)

WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND? 

The energy at the conference is palpable. Last year's attendance hit a record number of more than 3,500 people. The conference has also generated a lot of conversation around family medicine education and advocacy. Last year alone, the event hashtag (#aafpnc) saw more than 300 tweets over the course of the three-day conference; attendees were also active on other social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, and Vine. 

Numbers tell only part of the story. Here's why medical student attendees have told us this is a CAN'T MISS event for those thinking about family medicine. 

• The AAFP National Conference is a great way to learn about current events in family medicine, get involved with leadership, and visit with residency programs from across the country. 

• The opportunity to talk to residency programs from all over the country is priceless. 

• The conference presents a tremendous opportunity to network with residencies, attend a variety of workshops, and enjoy a change of scenery from medical school. I gained a new appreciation for the diversity of training programs and types of practices available to family physicians. It was an eye-opening experience; I recommend every student attend.

• The AAFP National Conference is a great opportunity to learn more about the specialty, check out residencies, and meet new people. It's a lot of fun too! 

Better still, watch this video of students sharing feedback from their conference experience: Capture the Vision of Family Medicine -- National Conference -- AAFP.

MEET US THERE

Faculty, staff, and residents from our eight family medicine residencies will be at the conference. Visit us in Booths #914 and #917. 

We'll be actively using social media throughout the conference: 

• Follow us on Twitter at @UMNFamilyMed.
• Like us on Facebook at z.umn.edu/familymedicinefacebook.
• Be sure to follow the event hashtag: #aafpnc.

STFM Annual Spring Conference 2014

The Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) held its annual spring conference May 3-7, 2014, in San Antonio, Texas. The conference focused on leadership and advocacy in early careers and the development of skills to lead institutional and national change.

UMN Family Medicine at the Conference

The University of Minnesota Department of Family Medicine and Community Health was well represented at the conference, with about 25 faculty, residents, and medical students presenting on a variety of family medicine and primary care-related topics.

Faculty Shailey Prasad, MD, MPH, and Kathleen
Brooks, MD, MBA, MPA, with med students Brian
Park, MPH, and Catie Glatz presenting at the
conference.

Presenters included department head Macaran Baird, MD, MS; faculty Nancy Baker, MD, Jerica Berge, PhD, MPH, Joe Brocato, PhD, Kathleen Brooks, MD, MBA, MPA, Reneé Crichlow, MD, Bruce Dahlman, MD, MSc, Roli Dwivedi, MD, Lauren Giammar, MD, Jody Lounsbery, PharmD, Jean Moon, PharmD, C.J. Peek, PhD, Shailey Prasad, MD, MPH, Jacob Prunuske, MD, MSPH, Lisa Prusak, MD, Chris Reif, MD, MPH, Andrew Slattengren, DO, and Michael Wootten, MD; retired faculty Barbara Leone, MD; residents Keri Bergeson, MD, Betsy Gilbertson, MD, and Cora Walsh, MD; and medical students Brian Park, MPH, and Catie Glatz.

Topics included adolescent obesity, community health assessment, clinical pharmacy services, innovative didactics, end-of-life care, faculty development and mentorship, global health, integrated care, interprofessional education, leadership, homeless care, population health, research and scholarship, resident teaching, and rural and urban medicine.

Education director Joe Brocato, PhD, is also a member of the STFM Program Committee, who planned the conference.

UMN Family Medicine Receives AAFP Top 10 Award

The University of Minnesota Medical School was also honored with an American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Top 10 Award for its ongoing contribution to the pipeline of family physicians.

The University of Minnesota ranked sixth in 2014 with 18% of graduates entering family medicine. Even more impressive, AAFP reports that since 1980, the University of Minnesota has graduated more medical students entering family medicine residencies than any other allopathic school in the U.S.

AAFP President Reid Blackwelder, MD, commented, “For the past five years, we have seen growth in student interest in family medicine. Much of the credit goes to the medical schools that have actively supported family medicine as the comprehensive, challenging, and professionally fulfilling specialty that it is.”

UMN Family Medicine representatives receive AAFP Top 10 Award from
AAFP President Reid Blackwelder, MD, at STFM annual spring conference.

Social Media at the Conference: #STFM14

The energy and conversations generated from the conference were not contained to the walls of the Grand Hyatt San Antonio. The conference hashtag, #STFM14, saw more than six million impressions, averaging 35 tweets/hour.

Faculty and medical students joined the online conversation as well. The department’s top contributors were North Memorial residency faculty Reneé Crichlow, MD, (@reneecrichlowMD) and Duluth campus faculty Jacob Prunuske, MD, MSPH (@jprunuske).

Here is a sampling of our favorite #STFM14 tweets:

• @aafpprez: From #stfm14 Dr Jack Westfall: Treat your learners as you would have them treat their patients. #aafp

• @kanfamdoc: Whole people deserve whole health care. #stfm14 #fmrevolution

• @bicmay: MT @reneecrichlowMD: We have to make advocacy training a part of residency. #FMRevolution stories need to be told. #stfm14

• @SingingPenDrJen: #stfm14 Rodgers plenary: "You get the best efforts from others not by lighting a fire beneath them but by building a fire within them."

• @RichmonddDoc: Saultz: Family medicine does not gain by seeking to align w/ a system that promotes high-tech, high-cost gadgets that benefit few.  #stfm14

• @reneecrichlowMD: Why have community health assessment? "Family medicine includes comprehensive continuous care in the context of community." #stfm14 #RPAP

• @MaryTheobald: Purpose of Milestones is not to evaluate residents, it’s to evaluate programs. #stfm14

• @RichmondDoc: Social determinants of health is not a new subject for FM, but it has taken on a new urgency in today's world. #stfm14

• @RichmondDoc: Woolf: I don't think that most Americans realize the chance our children will reach 5 yrs old is the lowest in the developed world. #stfm14

• @jprunuske: Investment in #education may lead to more health benefits than investment in #medicalcare. #stfm14 

• @reneecrichlowMD: Family AND Community Medicine is our specialty and we must work in both to address the Social Determinants of Health #STFM14 #FMRevolution

• @KPDocAdriano: We all have bias. We have to learn to recognize them & leave them at the door to provide excellent care. #stfm14

• @jprunuske: Americans instinct to deal with health problems is medical care. WRONG. #stfm14 Must address community where we live work & play.

• @reneecrichlowMD: #STFM14 Inspiration and Information! Great Meeting! New friends and Old, see you next year! Viva la #FMRevolution

Save the Date: STFM 2015

Next year’s STFM annual spring conference will be held in Orlando, Florida, April 25-29. Yep, we’ll see you in Disney World, #STFM15!