Category Archives: Family Medicine

Submitted photoPictured, from left to right, are Dr. Caleb Glawe, Dr. Nikki Ehn, Dr. Elise Duwe, PhD, Dr. Subhash Sahai (all of the Webster City Clinic); Dr. Alan Nguyen and Dr. John Birkett (in the Fort Dodge Clinic).

Experience counts, especially when considering who to select as your primary care physician.

With more than 125 years of family medicine experience, the physicians of Van Diest Family Health Clinics bring a wealth of knowledge, skill, and care to their patients.

Dr. Subhash Sahai is celebrating 47 years in practice this year, including six years with Van Diest Family Health Clinic (VDFHC). His wife, Dr. Sushma Sahai, will mark 45 years in pediatrics practice this year.

Subhash Sahai has cared for hundreds, and likely thousands of patients through the years. Often, there are multiple generations of families seeing him for their medical needs.

And in one family, there were five generations. There have been a lot of three-generation families and a few four generation families, he said.

Working in a rural setting has proven to be the ideal situation for Sahai.

Its just perfect. I wouldnt want to be anywhere else, he commented. In a rural setting, its much more personal, and the breadth of care that can be provided for patients is just amazing.

Sahai said not only are the clinic physicians top-notch, the nurses, aides and technicians all provide exceptional care.

The support staff here at the clinic and the hospital is superb. We are blessed to have such a fine staff, he said. The personal care, that continuity of care, really makes such a difference.

A love of science is what drew Dr. Nikki Ehn to pursue a career in medicine.

I decided to get into medicine because I loved the opportunity to work with people and to really apply the science to problems people face, Ehn said.

The Hamilton County native has been in practice for 10 years, the last six at VDFHC. The best part of her practice, according to Ehn, is building relationships with her patients and their families.

I love getting to know patients and their families, she said. Understanding generational relationships can help a lot with understanding individual patient stories.

Often, patients will refer family members or friends to Ehn when they need medical care.

I consider that to be the highest compliment, she commented.

The VDFHC doctors have a solid core of support from the clinic team, according to Ehn.

The staff is great. I feel like Im really supported by the crew that we have, she said.

From an early age, Dr. Elise Duwe knew she wanted to be a doctor.

When I was five, I knew I wanted to be a physician, she shared. I tried other things. I got a PhD in sociology. I studied religious studies. I did a lot of bench research. But the vocation that continued to call to me was medicine and family medicine is the best.

Duwe completed a three-year residency in Waterloo and in August 2021, she joined the staff of Van Diest Family Health Clinic. She is committed to providing quality care for patients in multiple contexts including seeing patients in the hospital and in the clinic.

That really provides the most continuity of care if I see you while you are an inpatient and then follow your care when you are well and at home, she explained.

She continues to build her practice at the Webster City Clinic. In January, Duwe and Ehn started a collaboration with three physicians at Boone County Family Medicine North to provide shared-care for obstetrical patients.

I think the greatest excitement for me is certainly meeting the moms and building that practice, but also getting to see more babies, Duwe said. The collaboration will also mean there will be a good relationship with a trusted provider offering support and care in labor and delivery.

Dr. Caleb Glawe has been practicing family medicine since 2009 and is beginning his third year at Van Diest Family Health Clinic.

Like Ehn, Glawe decided to pursue a career in medicine because of his love of science and a desire to help people.

Giving back and providing care to people who have taken care of me gives me great satisfaction, he commented.

The physician said he has enjoyed building trusted long-term patient-physician relationships.

I appreciate how over time, I am able to learn more about a patient, their family, what makes them who they are, and this often extends to other family members, he shared. The trust created through repeat visits, and the sharing of experiences with these families, makes family medicine very rewarding personally.

Glawe also gives credit to the support of his VDFHC team members.

I enjoy the team effort and atmosphere of Van Diest Family Health Clinic, he said. The staff members are very caring, both to the patients, and to their colleagues.

In addition to his patients at the Webster City clinic, Glawe also sees patients at the Stratford satellite clinic.

Two physicians provide care to patients at the VDFHC in Fort Dodge. Dr. John Birkett and Dr. Alan Nguyen joined the Van Diest team when the clinic opened in July 2020.

Both have had extensive careers in family medicine.

Birkett received his medical degree from the University of Iowa College of Medicine.

He has been practicing since 1975. He said he decided on a career in family medicine as it was a field that always interested him.

Nguyen has been practicing family medicine for 27 years.

He is board certified in family medicine and received his education at Des Moines University, Youngstown Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the University of Nebraska College of Medicine.

Nguyen said he enjoys the family atmosphere at the VDFHC.

The staff is very easy to work with. They are very supportive and always address questions and needs promptly, he said.

Developing and maintaining long-term relationships with his patients is another rewarding aspect of his practice.

Its amazing to provide care for kids and then seeing how they have developed, and now they are bringing their children into the practice, he said. There is an unspoken trust, and oftentimes, they see me as part of their family.

Working alongside the physicians at the Webster City clinic are Darin Eklund, PA-C, Madeline Keane, PA-C, Giselle Allred, FNP-BC, and Amanda Langford, ARNP-C.

Tonia Odden, PA-C, practices at the Jewell Clinic and Tricia Widlund, ARNP, is on staff at the Fort Dodge Clinic.

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Years of experience combine for outstanding patient care - The Freeman Journal

Family Medicine

WCHC names new family medicine doctor – Southeast Iowa Union

March 31, 2023 medical

WASHINGTON Washington County Hospital and Clinics is pleased to announce that Dr. Jamie Greiner has joined the medical team at the WCHC Family Medicine Clinic. Greiner will begin to see patients on April 10.

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Greiner to our team of primary care providers, said WCHC Chief Executive Officer Todd Patterson. She brings high quality patient care, significant experience and an exceptional bedside manner to our medical staff.

Dr. Greiner received her medical degree from University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City, and completed her residency at Genesis Quad Cities Family Medicine Residency Program in Davenport. Her experience includes working as a Family Medicine Physician at Mercy Family Medicine of Coralville for the past 12 years. Dr. Greiner is certified through the American Board of Family Medicine and is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Dr. Greiner will diagnose and treat patients through the entire life span. She will practice at WCHC Family Medicine, located at 1230 South Iowa Avenue. Patients can call (319) 653-7291 or go to http://www.wchc.org/onlinescheduling to schedule an appointment.

Washington County Hospital and Clinics strives to deliver on the promise to provide quality health care that puts people first. The addition of Dr. Jamie Greiner emphasizes WCHCs commitment to develop and sustain a strong primary care base for residents of Washington County.

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WCHC names new family medicine doctor - Southeast Iowa Union

Family Medicine

More than 53000 Hamilton area residents have no family doctor – Hamilton Spectator

March 31, 2023 medical

More than 53,000 people in the Hamilton area dont have a family doctor, with research showing the crisis is getting worse.

Data from Ontario research group INSPIRE Primary Health Care shows the number of residents without a family doctor has increased to 53,288 in 2022 from 49,338 in 2020 in the Greater Hamilton Health Network, which includes Hamilton, Haldimand and Niagara North West.

The message is a really clear one that all Hamiltonians deserve a family doctor its essential to their own health and the health of the system overall, said Dr. Cathy Risdon, a Hamilton family doctor and a professor of family medicine at McMaster University. The situation in Hamilton is worsening. Weve seen an increase in the number of patients without access to a family doctor ... and, of course, its the people who really need care that are disproportionately impacted by the family physician shortage. Im just worried about whats going to happen to those people if we cant get them a family doctor.

Premier Doug Ford was at McMaster on Thursday to highlight the $33 million over three years that has been earmarked to expand Ontario medical schools. He was joined by Health Minister Sylvia Jones and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy.

The provincial cash that was set out in the budget tabled on March 23 adds another 100 undergraduate medical school seats and 154 postgraduate medical training seats beginning in 2024. The spots are prioritized for Ontario residents.

When it comes to health care, we know the status quo is no longer acceptable, said Ford. Too many people are waiting too long for surgeries, having to travel too far to see a doctor or spending too much time navigating our health-care system.

But educating more doctors doesnt guarantee they will go into primary care. For the second year in a row, McMaster has an unusually high number of family doctor training spots left empty after the first round of matching.

As of March 22, McMaster had 11 unfilled spots for family medicine residencies compared to 18 after the first round last year.

In the past, the university has generally had five or fewer unmatched spots for its roughly 87 family-medicine residencies for medical school graduates and 14 more for foreign-trained physicians.

Its a national concern, said Risdon. The government has recognized the need to replenish the family-medicine workforce and its investing in new training spots. But without the changes to the practice environment, learners are voting with their feet and are not making a family medicine career choice. I really strongly believe we offer an absolutely fantastic training experience. What we need is for the practice environment to be equally enticing and attractive.

Last year, McMaster was able to ultimately fill all of the unfilled primary-care residencies during the second round of matching. However, 12 of them were in Hamilton compared to none left unfilled in the city this year.

The current open spots include six in Kitchener-Waterloo, two in Brampton, two in rural Mount Forest and one in Six Nations.

Risdon says there are straightforward solutions to making family medicine an attractive specialty again.

The first is to invest more in team-based care that consists of a number of health-care professionals working together instead of solo family doctor practices.

Training as a family doctor in a team-based environment definitely adds to the career satisfaction, said Risdon. The majority of Ontarians do not have access to team-based care, and family docs running a solo practice without that kind of support are getting extremely burned out.

Next is to relieve some of the administrative burden on family practices, which Risdon says has increased sharply particularly third-party forms.

The joyous part of being a physician is caring for patients, said Risdon. But the amount of time we get to spend doing that has shrunken considerably.

Last, Risdon says there needs to be better co-ordination in the health-care system so family doctors dont spend excessive amounts of time advocating on behalf of their patients.

Risdon gives the example of a patient who needs to see an orthopedic surgeon. Family doctors may have to contact seven different doctors before one agrees to take on the patient with little or no explanation of why the others turned them down.

The lack of co-ordination in the health-care system is really an enormous burden on family docs, said Risdon. I want my patient to get care, but in the absence of a centralized referral theres almost no way for me to know how to connect that person. So me and my staff deal with endless numbers of phone calls, frustrated patients and just a lack of clear access to other services.

The issue is significant because family physicians play a key role in knowing their patients full history and helping them navigate the system.

I can detect diseases early, I can co-ordinate care, I can understand when a person might need a specialist or if theyre coming in with something that weve dealt with before, said Risdon. The family doctor is just so core to the persons life and, in the absence of that, theres nothing else in the system that can replace it.

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More than 53000 Hamilton area residents have no family doctor - Hamilton Spectator

Family Medicine

Fisher-Titus hosts ribbon-cutting at Family Medicine and Cardiology in Bellevue – The Morning Journal

March 31, 2023 medical

Fisher-Titus Family Medicine and Cardiology Bellevue, 521 N. Sandusky St. in Bellevue, opened March 15 with a ribbon-cutting. (Submitted)

Fisher-Titus Family Medicine and Cardiology Bellevue, 521 N. Sandusky St., opened March 15.

On hand at the ribbon-cutting were Janice Watson, Nicole Waugh and Linda Pocock of the Bellevue Chamber along with Ward 1 City Councilman Duane Baker, the release said.

Among the attendees were Dr. Brent Burkey, CEO and president of Fisher-Titus, and Fisher-Titus administration.

Fisher-Titus opens Family Medicine and Cardiology office in Bellevue

Lack of family doctors leads to pain, frustration for patients in Steinbach area – CBC.ca

March 31, 2023 medical

Manitoba

Posted: March 29, 2023

Samantha Farrell says the emergency department in Steinbachhas effectively become her doctor's office.

Without a family doctor orthe means totravel to Winnipeg, she only gets medical care when she cannot wait any longer.

Since losing her family doctor in 2020, Farrell has gone to the ER in the southeastern Manitoba citythree times to cope with ovarian cyst pain, including last month, when a cystruptured.

"It really shouldn't be that way," she said. "I mean, Steinbach's considered a city why don't we have a doctor, or many?"

There are about10 physician vacancies in the Steinbach area, and3,500 people arelooking for adoctor through the province's family doctor finder program, according toSouthern Health, the regional health authority that covers the area.

People in the Steinbach region who register for that program are being informedthat there are no physicians accepting patients in their area, Southern Health confirmed in a statement.

Steinbach's populationis nearly 18,000 people, according to 2021 census data up by1,800 people from the 2016 census. Thousandsmorelive in surroundingcommunities.

Farrell said it's frustrating theemergency department at Steinbach's Bethesda Hospital has become her only choice.

"I shouldn't have had to go to the ER for a ruptured cyst. It never should have happened. And hereI'm a stress on the ER department that has a waiting room full of people," she said.

"All they can do for me is book me for an ultrasound later,get me some painkillers and send me home with a list of, 'If this happens, come back.'"

Farrell saidhaving a doctor who could provide her with routine preventative medical treatment, like Pap smears or blood work, might help her avoid future medical problems.But she's been told family physicians in Steinbach cannot accept any more patients.

Same-day appointments at a clinic, if you can get them, aren't sufficient because doctors will try to book herfor routine testsin Winnipeg, Farrell said a roughly 60-kilometre drive.

She doesn't have a vehicle and there's no bus option.Taxi fare would be around $150, she said.

"That's money a single mom like me doesn't necessarily have,"said Farrell.

More people are scrambling to find a family doctor afterClearspring Medical Clinic closed its doors in the city earlier in March.

In a letter to his patients, Dr. Gordon Dyck, who practised for 35 years, said "vigorous recruitment efforts have failed to bring more doctors to the clinic."

He had only been performing administrative duties since October of last year, but is nowtaking anindefinite leave of absence.

"It is challenging to say goodbye to you, my valued patient," he wrote.

Dyck declined an interview while he remains onmedical leave.

Steinbach Family Medical lists 22 family physicians on its website. The clinic did not respond to a request for comment by deadline. There's also a provincialquick care clinic and a clinic at the Walmart in Steinbach.

Dr. Candace Bradshaw, president of Doctors Manitoba, said it'stelling a growing city ofSteinbach's sizecannot recruit enough family physicians.

"Steinbach [a]beautiful community, short commuting distance to and from Winnipeg. I can't think ofa nicer spot if you're looking for a quieter place" to practise, she said.

Two family medicine residencies in Steinbach went unfilled last week after the first round of matching graduating medical students with residency spaces across the country. Those vacancies could still be filled by internationalmedical graduates, however.

The inabilityto attract doctors to such communities is "showing that this is a problem everywhere, not just Winnipeg and not just the more urban-centred locations," said Bradshaw.

The ripple effect of physician vacancies in Steinbach is being felt in Winnipeg, she said. She's heardclinics in Winnipeg's south endhavelonger wait lists than normal.

The Manitoba government is being "out-manoeuvred" by other provinces in recruiting and retainingphysicians, Bradshaw said. Earlier this month, Saskatchewanannounced a rural and northern incentive of $200,000 over five yearsfor doctors more than four times what that province previously offered.

"You never know when another province is going to come up with a new attractive offer that depletes more of our physicians," Bradshaw said.

Aspokesperson for the Progressive Conservative government said Manitobahas added 80 physician training seats, 40 of which are set asidefor internationally educated medical students.

The spokesperson said45 physicians, along with17 physician assistants and clinical assistants, have been hired under a $200-million health-care staffing planannounced in November, which also includes financial incentives for longer clinic hours.

Those doctors are badly needed in rural areas, say patients like Ashleigh Desaulniers.

Desaulnierslives in Mitchell and travels to see a doctor in Winnipeg, but would prefer to have a physician in Steinbach just a five-minute drive to the east from her community.

She's been diagnosed withLyme disease and hasstruggled to find a doctor who can treat the range ofmedical issues she's experiencing.

She previously "did have that rapport with my doctor, but she just didn't have the time," said Desaulniers.

A couple of years ago, it reached the pointwhere she couldn't get access to her doctor anymore, she said. She had to wait six weeks to book an appointment, asher medical issues kept getting worse. Shetried withoutsuccess to book walk-in appointments.

"I would love to have a doctor out here that I can actually access, who might actually listen to me and have time for me and know who I am,"saidDesaulniers.

Meanwhile, Farrell waits for a doctor herself, but she isn't getting her hopes up. Every month, she gets an email from the province's family doctor finder service that says no progress has been made.

She's starting to treat these messageslikejunk mail, she said.

Ian Froese Provincial Affairs Reporter

Ian Froese is a reporter for CBC Manitoba. You can reach him at ian.froese@cbc.ca.

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Lack of family doctors leads to pain, frustration for patients in Steinbach area - CBC.ca

Family Medicine

AHN St. Vincent honors two of their own on Doctors Day – YourErie

March 31, 2023 medical

A local hospital is honoring employees in its 2023 Doctors Day ceremony to acknowledge their accomplishments.

March 30 is Doctors Day and AHN Saint Vincent Hospital took the time to acknowledge two of its physicians and highlight their careers. Dr. Matthew McCarthy has been the developer and former program director of the Emergency Medicine Program for 16 years.

Right now, Ive got probably over 100 residents across the country practicing that trained right here at Saint Vincents, said Dr. Matthew T. McCarthy, emergency medicine attending at AHN Saint Vincent.

McCarthy added statistics show that his trainees are making significant strides.

Dr. Carlson, whos the program director now, when he actually did the statistics, its something like over a million lives touched when you start thinking about the number of patients we treat every year, Dr. McCarthy explained.

Dr. Caitlin Clark said she has been at Saint Vincent since 2001. She said her career involves serving as faculty of the Saint Vincent Family Medicine residency then becoming the associate program director and then program director for five years.

Its great to be recognized because were the ones helping to create the new generation of physicians, said Dr. Caitlin Clark, medical director for Saint Vincent Family Medicine.

Dr. Clark said it was an honor to share this moment with Dr. McCarthy and the doctors that came before her.

I think its changed from just how long youve been here to kind of how active youve been in the medical staff and other roles that youve played. To have those roles recognized, I mean again, you kind of just get to come in every day and do what you love to do, and I feel honored to be able to do that and so, so grateful, Dr. Clark went on to say.

Dr. McCarthy said although he is the one being honored, there were many helping hands along the way.

I kind of feel like the quarterback of the football team, though I might get the award, but its a team approach. I cant do my job without all of the ancillary people who do their jobs and help me to, you know, pursue my career, Dr. McCarthy said gratefully.

AHN St. Vincent honors two of their own on Doctors Day - YourErie

Family Medicine

Perspectives of family medicine residents in Riyadh on leadership … – BMC Medical Education

March 31, 2023 medical

In our study, we found that FM residents associate family physicians with leadership, desire more personal and system-level leadership training, and think that leadership training may be increased in the current curriculum and established in new areas.

The significant difference (p<0.001) between the Likert scale scores for the highest-ranked leadership ideal ('Family physicians should take on leadership roles in their clinical settings') and the lowest-ranked ('I am a leader') implies that there is room for growth regarding residents' development as leaders. The results are generally higher than those of other studies that used the same scale [5, 7].

In resident education, current leadership curriculum guidelines emphasize the development of lower-level leadership skills and knowledge [3]. The current curriculum has undoubtedly been significantly developed from the previous curriculum, but according to the study results, trainees still desire to learn more comprehensive leadership skills [4]. These results show that trainees' need to improve their leadership skills was greater than in the previous study in Canada [5] and similar previous studies conducted in many countries. This confirms trainees' need for more training in several leadership skills, giving the impression that a curriculum focusing more on leadership skills must be developed [7,8,9].

Conflict resolution (69%), teaching (67%), feedback, and system transformation (67%) are among the more advanced concepts that residents want to learn more about, which was higher than the need for training in Canada [5]. To account for statistical differences across domains, there was no curriculum focused specifically on leadership available at the time of this study.

There was a preference for both experiential and didactic learning opportunities. Curriculum components requiring some deliverable documents, such as leadership portfolios, were considered less desirable. This may be due to the nature and complexity of the current portfolio, which caused the trainees not to prefer it as a means of developing their leadership skills. This calls for studies to evaluate its effectiveness and ways to develop it, considering trainees' experience, opinion of development, and satisfaction.

Residents' level of agreement with several leadership ideals was unaffected by age, gender, or year of training. The desire for more training among third- and fourth-year residents is comparable to that of first- and second-year residents, which could be explained by a lack of substantial exposure to leadership domain training throughout their residency. Regarding leadership ideals, little variation existed between first- and fourth-year residents. A need may exist to provide residents with proper leadership training and competency, as there was no formal leadership training available when this poll was conducted.

Most residents (76%) indicated that leadership electives could be incorporated into the curriculum to foster leadership skills, which was higher than the percentage in Canada [5]. This may also be an opportunity to conduct studies to determine the importance of adding some new electives or rotations to the curriculum, the extent of the feasibility of some of the existing rotations and evaluate the possibility of modifying the rotations to be less lengthy and more numerous, especially after reducing the years of training in the new curriculum to three years.

Also, most residents (65%) indicated that WADAs are a part of developing their leadership skills and a good indicator for confirming the trainees' belief in the importance of this day in developing their academic skills, allowing them to evaluate the possibility of developing this day to include other skills, including leadership skills. Teaching junior learners (with training) has been suggested by most of the trainees (59%) to develop their skills, which may be a chance to consider adopting it as part of the curriculum. Overall, the percentage of residents desiring more leadership training in Saudi Arabia is higher than in Canada in all leadership domains [5].

A quantitative cross-sectional survey is the best way to get a wide range of views. In addition, only a modest number of people answered the survey. Only 30% of Riyadh's 900 residents responded to the questionnaire, which was sent to all the training centers in the city. Furthermore, due to the quantitative nature of this study, we were only able to collect a limited amount of information. One of the most pressing needs is to learn how residents view leadership and whether or not they believe family physicians should adopt a particular leadership style. Finally, there are no other local or regional studies to compare our findings to.

Reducing the Appeal of Smoking: Study Confirms Tobacco … – UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine

March 31, 2023 medical

Leah Ranney, PhD, MA, associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the UNC School of Medicine, and Adam Goldstein, MD, MPH, professor and director of Departmental Advancement at the UNC Department of Family Medicine, led a first-in-kind study showing how tobacco warnings can improve considerably to follow proposed WHO FCTC guidelines.

CHAPEL HILL, NC Smoking has been glamorized to consumers for decades, but the packaging of combustible tobacco products have been the central target in a global effort to get more people to not smoke. From colorful pictures to specific wording, what is seen on the surface packaging of these products has long served as the main component in advertising for tobacco companies. In an effort to implement warning labels to help communicate health risks to both current and potential consumers, one study confirms that effective warnings can increase knowledge of the grim realities of tobacco use and awareness of its risks.

Research has been underway to assess adoption of warning labels for combustible tobacco products worldwide. Led by Leah Ranney, PhD, MA, associate professor in the UNC Department of Family Medicine and Adam Goldstein, MD, MPH, professor and director of Departmental Advancement at the UNC Department of Family Medicine, UNC School of Medicine researchers conducted a study published in the BMJ Open titled, How do current tobacco warnings compare to the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) guidelines: a content analysis of combustible tobacco warnings worldwide. After identifying a total of 316 warnings from 26 English-speaking countries or jurisdictions results showed only 53 warnings or just 17% included three key characteristics recommended by the WHO FCTC on a single warning: a marker word such as WARNING prior to the warning statement, cessation resources (i.e., quitline phone number or website) and a pictorial that was not a smoking cue (like a burning cigarette.)

Our systematic evaluation of combustible tobacco warnings was important to understand the current landscape of warnings worldwide and to assess at what level evidence-based research was being implemented into these warnings, said Ranney, first author of the study and director of UNCs Tobacco Prevention and Evaluation Program. Our research is the first to compile existing English language combustible tobacco warnings, and our findings confirm that tobacco warnings can improve considerably to follow proposed WHO FCTC guidelines.

These guidelines from the WHO explicitly recommend removing advertising and promotion on tobacco product packaging, including all design features that make tobacco products attractive. Research supporting this recommendation concludes that plain packaging with health warning pictures increases visual attention to warnings, increases harm perceptions,and reduces pack appeal, but may not increase the effectiveness of the health warning labels.As of October 2020, 17 countries have adopted plain packaging.

According to the study, 182 Parties/countries and jurisdictions, which is 90% of the world population, have signed the WHO FCTC treaty in agreement that they will strive to support and ratify these measures. Warnings included in this study were from countries that have signed and ratified the treaty with the exception of the USA, which signed the FCTC on May 10, 2004 but has yet to ratified the treaty (formally entered into the force of the FCTC).

Unfortunately, the US is the only country we reviewed with text only tobacco warnings and recent tobacco industry litigation in US courts for incorporating images to strengthen US tobacco warnings has been delayed for over a decade, said Goldstein, a co-author on the study and director of the Tobacco Intervention Programs at the UNC School of Medicine.

Current research suggests that larger warnings with pictures/images are more likely to be noticed and more effective in communicating the health risks of smoking. Warnings with pictures identified in the study were primarily from the UK, Canada and Jamaica.Compared with text-only warnings, warnings with images are rated as more personally relevant,more likely to draw attention and be remembered, promote cessation attempts and decrease consumption. Key recommendations from the FCTC include having a variety of warning labels that clearly communicate health risks as well as different issues related to tobacco use; such as, advice on quitting, the addictive nature of tobacco and adverse economic outcomes. The WHO guidelines also recommend several design elements for tobacco warnings, including: location, size, use of pictures, color, rotation, message content, language and source attribution.

These recommendations are a key component for implementing a comprehensive integrative approach to tobacco control, said Ranney.An abundance of research shows that well-designed warnings on tobacco products can increase public awareness of the health effects of tobacco use and be effective in reducing tobacco product use.

Goldstein said, A person who smokes a pack a day will see a tobacco warning on their pack over 7,000 times a year, proving an incredibly potent stimulus to help them quit smoking.

Of these warnings, the study shows, 94% included warning text and an image. Warning text statements most often described health effects to the respiratory (26%), circulatory (19%) and reproductive systems (19%). Cancer was the most frequently mentioned health topic (28%). Fewer than half of warnings included a Quitline resource (41%). Few warnings included messages about secondhand smoke (11%), addiction (6%) or cost (1%). Of warnings with images, most were in color and showed people (88%), mostly adults (40%). More than 1 in 5 warnings with images included a smoking cue.

Ranney said its important for readers to understand that this study, while it includes a great deal of combustible (i.e., cigarette, cigars, hookah, pipes, bidis) tobacco warnings from many countries, is not inclusive of all tobacco warnings globally. Also, there were some limitations: researchers collected only English-language warnings, all the warnings were identified through electronic database searches, and some of the warning images were poor making it difficult to identify and code all warning characteristics.

While theres still more research that needs to be done, this systematic study identified the key characteristics of existing combustible tobacco warnings to better understand how these warnings compare to current warning guidelines based on research.

Population-based tobacco control interventions like effective tobacco product warnings working synergistically with other tobacco control interventions (media campaigns, cessation programs, anti-tobacco policies, etc.) is the strategy for moving towards tobacco free environments and reduce tobacco product consumption, said Ranney.

Media Contact: Brittany Phillips, Communications Specialist, UNC Health, UNC School of Medicine

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Reducing the Appeal of Smoking: Study Confirms Tobacco ... - UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine

Family Medicine

6 recognized in Bedford County Hall of Excellence – WTAJ – www.wtaj.com

March 31, 2023 medical

BEDFORD COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) The Bedford Area School District is giving back to six people who have had a positive impact on the community.

Six people were inducted into the Hall of excellence in Bedford County on Thursday. They traveled from all over the country to be recognized for their contributions to the community. From family doctors to athletic coaches to cancer researchers, they each have positively impacted those around them.

According to the events organizers, The Hall of Excellence honors individuals who have made significant life-long contributions as either graduates of the Bedford Area School District, former educators who served with distinction, or those who have made significant contributions of time and effort to the District.

Here are this years inductees for the Hall of Excellence:

Dr. David Baer (Class of 1971): David graduated from Juniata College in 1975 and then attended Thomas Jefferson Medical School in the Physician Shortage Area Program (PSAP) with early admission. This program encouraged and trained rural students to return to underserved areas.Dr. Baer graduated from PSAP in 1979. He then trained in residency and fellowship in family medicine at St. Margaret Memorial Hospital in Pittsburgh. After graduating, he served as an ER Physician in Indiana, PA for two years from 1983 to 1985, before returning to Bedford to start a private practice as a family doctor.

William Bill Creps (Class of 1956): Bill attended Frostburg University and received a degree in education. He then taught at Everett for half a year before he began teaching and coaching at Bedford High School in 1966. He taught math for 33 years. During that time he coached track, wrestling, and football during and after teaching at Bedford High School. He was the first Jr. High Wrestling Coach. He then coached varsity wrestling for 25 years.

Douglas Kuhns Ph.D. (Class of 1972): Doug graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1985. He has over 100 published works in cancer research. He currently works at Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research and has been in his current position for 35 years. Doug has discovered and developed new tools to help diagnose and understand Chronic Granulomatous Disease better.

William Bill Masterson: Bill Masterson was born in New York City on November 25, 1914. His parents were actors in New York City, he was raised in Lock Haven by his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Gahagan. Bill was the first male teacher ever at the Bedford Elementary School. He was a sixth-grade teacher for 30 years from 1946-1976. He started the Parks and Recreation Program in 1949. He officiated basketball and football for 25 years.

Norma L. (Gloor) Pyle (Class of 1953): After graduating high school, Norma attended Penn State University to major in music education. She was hired by the Everett School District as the elementary school music teacher. She then furthered her education at PSU Altoona and obtained her Early Childhood Education Degree. Norma then became employed by the Bedford Area School District as a third grade teacher and introduced the Gifted Education Program.

Mark Tennant (Class of 1979): He went on to attend Oral Roberts University, graduating in 1983. In 1992 he founded The Arrow Child & Family Ministries, which is a Christian-based foster care and adoption organization. After founding and serving Arrow Child and Family Ministries, Mark became the vice president of ministry advancement for East-West Ministries International.

This is a great event, Eric Zembower, President of the Bedford Area School District said. To hear these stories of these folks who have given to the community is truly unbelievable.

Organizers also say theyre glad to be back on track since they had to double up on inductees last year because of the covid-19 pandemic.

The event took place on Thursday, March 30 at 6:30 p.m. in the Bedford High School auditorium.

See the article here:

6 recognized in Bedford County Hall of Excellence - WTAJ - http://www.wtaj.com

Family Medicine

Community Health Centers in Riverton and Lander are thankful for … – County 10 News

March 31, 2023 medical

March 30 is National Doctors Day, and we appreciate all the work they do for our patients and community.

Dr. Daniel Bender, DO provides care in Riverton with our Family Medicine team.

My patients are given the opportunity to express their values and preferences and to strongly participate in decisions about their care.

Dr. Benders goal in his practice is to design an individual treatment plan to help each one of his patients achieve the best outcome possible.

Dr. Maggie Bonilla, DO provides care in Lander Pediatrics.

I am passionate about evidence-based medicine and shared decision-making.

Dr. Bonilla offers support in breastfeeding and lactation, nutrition medicine, BMI/lifestyle counseling and advocates for pediatric mental health.

Dr. Cheryl Fallin, MD provides care in Lander Pediatrics.

Kids never cease to amaze me with their insights and resilience.

Her greatest joy in practice is watching the children she cares for become amazing adults. She has been in Lander for over 18 years and is invested in the care our youth and their families receive.

Dr. Ken Holt, DO provides care in Riverton for Womens Health.

Dr. Holt is an OB/GYN and has alsoreceived extensive training in both minimally invasive surgery and the treatment of urologic disorders in women.

Community Health Centers in Riverton, Lander and Dubois are accepting new patients. Financial services include Wyoming Medicaid/Medicare, most insurances, and a sliding fee scale to help qualifying patients. Visitchccw.orgto request an appointment and learn more about our caring providers!

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