-
In this Issue:
- Governor's Welcome
- Social Media
- Meet the New Chapter Council of Resident and Fellow Members
- Governor's Council Positions
- National ACP Meeting
- Tri-Service Chapter Meeting
- Member Response to COVID-19
COL Cristin A. Mount, MD, FACP, ACP Governor
Governor's Welcome
Hello US Army ACP Chapter Members!
I hope this newsletter finds you well, and masked in all social interactions. I have been keeping occupied with COVID-19 response at Madigan in the Pacific Northwest, and working with our amazing meeting planning committee to change our plans for an in-person Tri-Service meeting to a virtual platform. More on that later.
Social Media
I want to thank CPT Kimberly Fabyan for stepping up to lead our foray into Social Media. She's started a Twitter Account for the Chapter ā find us , and you can follow me . Tag our chapter in your Tweets and Retweets and help us build our professional presence on Twitter.
If you are interested in developing and proliferating social media output to our Chapter members, please contact me and I'll link you with CPT Fabyan.
Meet the New Chapter Council of Resident and Fellow Members
Thank you to all of the amazing residents and fellows who applied to join our new Chapter CRFM. I wanted to use some space in the newsletter to introduce the Council to our Chapter Members. The CRFM Chairs will sit on the Governor's Council and the CRFM will design and direct programming for our resident and fellow members. The CRFM consists of two Co-Chair Elects who will replace two Co-Chairs after a one year term, two IM residents from each Army IM training program and two fellows from each MTF with an IM subspecialty fellowship program. If you don't see two residents from your institution, please consider applying for the next cycle ā look for emails and announcements through ACP Email and from your Program Directors. If you have ideas or suggestions for what you'd like to see from the CRFM, please contact your representative!
CPT Zach Junga: Co-Chair
My name is Zach Junga and I am a graduating GI fellow at WRNNMC and will be headed to Landstuhl to be a staff GI doc in Jul2020. I served for 2 years on the National ACP CRFM (2017-2019) and I am passionate about GME and its many complexities. I look forward to seeing where the Army ACP CRFM will go in the future, Hooah!
CPT Joshua Boster: Co-Chair
Hello everyone! I am originally from the great state of Minnesota, and I completed my undergraduate and medical school training at the University of Minnesota before coming to San Antonio TX to complete my internal medicine residency training. I am currently a graduating PGY-3 and I will be one of the chief residents for the upcoming academic year. I am very excited to have the opportunity to be a founding member of the Army ACP CRFM, and I look forward to representing my colleagues to ensure that our voices and interests are heard and advocated for.
CPT Cyrus Askin: Co-Chair Elect
Cyrus Askin, MD is a current Pulmonary & Critical Care Fellow at Brooke Army Medical Center. He is a prior Chief of Residents and prior ACP Waxman Scholar. He is one of two Chair-Elects for the ACP Army Council for Resident and Fellow Members and a founding member of the chapter. He also serves as a member of the National ACP Clinical Skills Committee and is one of the original Curbsiders clinical leads / correspondents. When he's not at work, Dr. Askin is an avid powerlifter, enjoys travel and spending quality time with his friends and family.
CPT Mary Ford: Co-Chair Elect
I was born and raised in McLean, Virginia, completed my undergraduate education at the University of Virginia (Go Hoos!), and attended medical school at the Uniformed Services University. I completed my Internal Medicine residency at SAUSHEC in San Antonio, TX, after which I had the opportunity to do a year as one of the IM Chief Residents at BAMC. This summer I will begin Infectious Disease Fellowship at SAUSHEC. Medical education is something about which I am passionate, and I am grateful to have been involved in ACP in numerous ways as a resident and Chief. Now more than ever it is important for the military medical community to engage with our civilian counterparts to forge relationships and explore unconventional ways to learn together. I look forward to strengthening the relationship between the Army chapter and National ACP. I am thrilled to be part of the new Army Chapter CRFM and look forward to all we can accomplish together!
CPT Carl Kay: SAUSHEC Representative
I grew up in Goshen, Indiana, completed my undergraduate education at Wheaton College, and attended medical school at Indiana University School of Medicine. I finally made it out of the Midwest, and I am now a rising PGY-3 at SAUSHEC in San Antonio, TX. I am excited to join as a member of the Army ACP CRFM. I am interested in collaborative efforts to advance Army resident physician scholarship, initiatives, and quality of life.
CPT Crystal Forman: SAUSHEC Representative
Dr. Forman grew up around the world as an Army brat but calls Columbus, Georgia home. She is currently a PGY-2 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX, and is interested in pursuing a career in Nephrology. She looks forward to expanding programming for residents and fellows, as well as developing innovative ways to connect with trainees. She also hopes to expand residents' awareness and understanding of health disparities, racial justice, and equity in healthcare. Additionally, she plans to advocate for the Council to assist in the recruitment of medical students and will make a focused effort toward identifying those underrepresented in medicine
CPT Robert Spiller: MAMC Representative
Residency location: Madigan Army Medical Center ā Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA
Hometown: Louisville, KY
Excited to be a part of the newly formed Army ACP Council and help shape its development over the coming years
CPT Michala Lee: WBAMC Representative
I am a rising PGY-3 at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, TX. I am originally from sunny South Florida. I am excited to be a founding member of the Army ACP Council of Resident and Fellow Members to advocate for my residency programs and meet new colleagues.
CPT Ally Owens: WBAMC Representative
My name is Ally Owens. I am a rising 3rd year resident at WBAMC in El Paso, TX and am originally from Chesnee, SC. I look forward to representing and advocating for WBAMC Internal Medicine residency program with my colleague and fostering new relationships with fellow committee members.
CPT Adam Kisling: TAMC Representative
I applied to the Council of Resident and Fellow Members so I could help strengthen the Army ACP community by finding involvement opportunities for the benefit of members. As residents and fellows, we can advocate for the optimal utilization of ACP recourses to support graduate medical education by listening to the needs of our colleagues. Trainee engagement with large professional organizations such as the ACP offers a wide variety of benefits, and I aim to maximize those benefits while serving you on the Council of Resident and Fellow Members.
CPT Lilian Vilar: DDEAMC Representative
I was born in Holguin, Cuba and grew up in Miami, FL. I have always been fascinated by different cultures, languages, food, and the various idiosyncrasies that make humans so interesting and complex. My curiosity and strong sense of adventure have led me to spend much of my time outdoors, learning all that I can about the world around me. I have two young boys, aged 3 and 4. I am in my third year of Internal Medicine residency at Eisenhower Army Medical Center. During my time in residency, I have uncovered a particular love of Rheumatology and plan to pursue a fellowship in this field. As council member, I plan to advocate for the value of building environments within our residency programs that support and encourage physical and mental well-being. I also hope to highlight the power of modeling work-life fit by our GME leaders. I believe in the importance of early mentorship and professional development opportunities for our residents, as it bears incredible relevance to our readiness mission as we develop our next generation of young leaders.
CPT William Moore: DDEAMC Representative
My name is William Moore. I am originally from Lexington, SC. I attended undergrad at Presbyterian College and medical school at University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia, SC. I am currently a PGY-3 at Eisenhower Army Medical Center. I am excited to be a member of the Army CRFM and look forward to being an advocate for my fellow residents at Eisenhower Army Medical Center. I look forward to advocating for more guidance and resources in regards to POCUS education for internal medicine training.
CPT Ayman Bodair: WRNMMC Representative
I am a PGY2 Internal Medicine Resident at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. I am originally from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, however have spent time all over the East Coast. I graduated from Boston College with a BS in biology and completed medical school at Drexel College of Medicine. I specifically am interested in contributing to resident and medical student education and empowerment. I also am an advocate for finding physician-led solutions to solve healthcare and insurance disparities among disadvantaged populations. I am excited to be a part of the ACP Council of Resident and Fellow Members, and I am looking forward to collaborating with my peers throughout the year.
CPT Adam Bumgardner: WRNMMC Representative
Hi everyone! My name is Adam Bumgardner and am from Columbia, SC. I am a new PGY-2 in the Internal Medicine and Psychiatry Program at Walter Reed. As a member of the Council of Resident and Fellow Members, I plan to help facilitate discussions regarding trainee wellness and implement initiatives targeting this.
CPT John Shumar: WRNMMC Fellow Representative
Hello everyone! My name is John Shumar; I just completed my internal medicine residency at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and have the fortunate opportunity to stay another three years to complete a pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowship at Walter Reed as well. I am originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, and am a vociferous supporter of my alma mater, The Ohio State University. I have had enormous support and mentorship throughout my residency which has helped me bolster my professional and academic career, and as I transitioned into fellowship, I really felt strongly that I wanted to help facilitate these same opportunities for other Army ACP members. As such, I will be focused on improving academic collaboration and improving mentorship opportunities throughout the Army ACP community. It is an honor and a privilege to serve as a fellow council member on the Army ACP CFRM!
Governor's Council Positions
In addition to the new Chapter CRFM, we are looking to fill the following positions on the Governor's Council:
Assistant Treasurer: Work with the Henry Jackson Foundation and current Treasurer, COL Jess Edison, to manage Chapter funds with the National ACP, set the Chapter budget and look for opportunities to build our strategic reserves.
Student Representative: We are interested in growing our Student member programming. We are looking for a Medical Student Representative (HPSP or USUHS) to serve a two-year term and work with the conference planning committee on student programming.
Ā鶹ֱ²„app Chair: Recently vacated, the Ā鶹ֱ²„app Chair is an important position on the Governor's Council. Very often, opportunities arise to grow our membership. Growth in membership ensures that we're giving Army Internists and IM Subspecialists the opportunity to remain connected with the Army community and benefit from resources available through ACP membership. The Ā鶹ֱ²„app Chair will work directly with the Governor on outreach and retention efforts and will work with the Credentials Chair on identifying members for FACP, MACP and National ACP Awards.
If you are interested in any of the vacant positions noted above, or THINK you might be interested, please contact me
National ACP Meeting
As you all know, the National ACP Meeting in Anaheim, CA this April was cancelled due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Unfortunately we were not able to bring our Doctors' Dilemma champions from DDEAMC to compete against teams from around the world and the ACP was unable to facilitate a virtual match, although the Army Champs were more than willing to give it a try.
The National ACP did sponsor a virtual abstract competition and for the first time, the Army Chapter sponsored 4 medical student members (who are now Army IM Interns!) in the competition:
CPT Ryan Liberg: āUsing Geographic Information Systems in Rural EMS: Reducing Response Times by Reallocating Resourcesā (High-Value Care)
CPT Veronica Wright: āāThat Drug That Starts with a Dā: Examining How Medical Specialty and Provider Attitudes Influence Treatment of Acute Sickle Cell Painā (Research)
CPT Joscelyn Hodge: āAn Atypical Case of Complex Regional Pain Syndromeā (Clinical Vignette)
CPT Peter Wikoff: āRadiation Exposure of Conventional Thoracic CT vs. Dual Energy CTā (QIPS)
We are sponsoring a Medical Student Abstract Competition for this year's Virtual Tri-Service meeting. Army Chapter Winners will be offered an opportunity to present their work in the National forum (virtual or in-person) in spring 2021.
The Medical Students weren't the only group representing the Chapter in the National Abstract Competition. Our Resident, Fellow and ECP abstract winners from the fall meeting competed, in addition to several members who were selected from the open call for abstracts.
I am very pleased to share with you our winners:
CPT Dacia Boyce (TAMC): Resident/Fellow ePoster Competition Winner for her work: āIncreasing Scholarly Activity: A Residency-Wide Improvement Initiativeā
MAJ Caleb Anderson (WRNMMC): Early Career Physician ePoster Competition Winner for his work: āNaming is Everything! The Cost of Inappropriate āLupus Panelā Testingā. Pictured here ā demonstrating good masking practices with fellow Rheumatologist, Program Director and Chapter Treasurer, COL Jess Edison
As usual, I am always proud and amazed of the great clinical investigation and scholarly work our Chapter Members produce!
Tri-Service Chapter Meeting
After much deliberation with Air Force Governor Dr. Matt Carroll and Navy Governor CDR Mark Tschanz we came to the conclusion that we would be unable to host a face-to-face Tri-Service Chapter Meeting in San Antonio this September due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not wanting to kick off a COVID-19 sentinel event that took down/quarantined hundreds of front-line military physicians right when their skills are needed most was a motivating factor in our decision.
Thanks to quick thinking from our planning committee members and some help from National ACP, we are going to host a virtual meeting that will still offer plenty of content for our members!
Meeting dates are 9 ā 11 September, from 1300-1800 (EDT). We are investigating using Zoom as a platform, although we understand that will make the meeting inaccessible from government computers. The plan is to have plenary sessions with concurrently running specialty break-out sessions and to keep some of our special programming including: abstract competitions, Governor/Consultant Townhalls and our very own Thieves' Market, hosted by one of the creators of Thieves' Market, Dr. Alex Schafir. Doctors' Dilemma will be held virtually, at a later date, with the help and skill of Dr. Bill Kelly from USU.
The meeting will be a combination of pre-recorded talks with live-time chat and Q&A, with a goal of hosting recorded content in a central location on the Chapter Website so members can access it and earn CME and MOC after the live virtual meeting.
I am very excited to give this format a try ā with the full intent that we will return to face-to-face Annual Chapter meetings once it is safe, from a public health/pandemic standpoint, to do so. In fact, we have already reserved a block of hotel rooms and the Gateway Club on Lackland AFB for September of 2021. That being said, our experience with this meeting and your very critical feedback will help inform how we offer content to members who can't travel to the annual meeting in the future.
I am also planning some ongoing programming that includes networking and mentorship opportunities, an educational program āVisiting Professor Roundsā that I hope will be fun and informative for medical student, resident and even attending-level Chapter Members, and more frequent communication for the Governor's Council and CRFM using virtual platforms.
Please keep an eye out for more information and announcements about the Virtual Meeting.
Member Response to COVID-19
Finally, there is nothing quite like an infectious disease pandemic to pull Internal Medicine and Internal Medicine Subspecialties into the national spotlight. And as usual, the military rises to the occasion. I wanted to highlight two chapter members who deployed in support of COVID operations:
MAJ R David Anderson, DO, deployed to Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst in NJ providing medical support to the 13 Reserve UAMTF units throughout the region. He spent some time at the JAVITS Center with his team, before they dispersed to fall in on medical support activities in Philadelphia and Boston
āProviders from the 501st MCAS: MAJ Lauren Raby (OBGYN), MAJ David Anderson, MAJ Michell Griffith (Clinical Psychologist), MAJ Vincent Casiano (Family Medicine)ā
LTC (Ret) Michael Siclari, MD, MACP harkened back to his days at FOB Salerno in 2012 when he volunteered to fall in and provide care to patients in the Emergency Department at the Providence VA. He is pictured with Dr. Wilfredo Curioso, MD, FACP and a member of the Providence Police and Fire Department on horseback during a recognition drive-through.
Please send me your pictures, stories, anecdotes (no PII!) of what you are doing or how you've adapted your practice, your education, your processes and programs in response to COVID-19!