Michigan Physician Becomes AAFP Family Physician of the Year

Samuel R. Dismond, Jr., M.D., Flint, Mich., was named 1999 Family Physician of the Year by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) at the annual scientific assembly in San Francisco. Dr. Dismond earned his medical degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C. Currently, he is the chief of staff for Hurley Medical Center in Flint and serves as volunteer teaching staff for the Department of Family Practice at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, where he was recognized for his contributions to founding and establishing the specialty of family practice in the state of Michigan. Dr. Dismond also serves as the medical director and president for Health Plus of Michigan. He is a member of the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians, the AAFP and Michigan State Medical Society.

Dr. Dismond's wife, Janice Dismond, R.N., works with her husband as office manager for the practice. They have seven children and nine grandchildren. In support of his nomination for Family Physician of the Year, one of Dr. Dismond's patients wrote, “Dr. Dismond works hard at changing the world and making it a better place. He does this first by having created a wonderful family, which serves as an example of how to do that right.”

American Board of Family Practice Elects New Officers

The American Board of Family Practice (ABFP) has elected new officers for the 1998-1999 term. These officers include: Warren A. Heffron, M.D., Albuquerque, president; Lonnie E. Fuller, Sr., M.D., Atlanta, vice-president; Cynda Ann Johnson, M.D., Kansas City, Kan., treasurer; and J. Lewis Sigmon, Jr., M.D., Charlotte, N.C., member-at-large to the executive committee. Robert F. Avant, M.D., Lexington, Ky., ABFP executive director, will serve as secretary. The ABFP has also announced the election of three new directors who will serve five-year terms. The new directors are Jack M. Colwill, M.D., Columbia, Mo.; Richard F. LeBlond, M.D., Iowa City; and L. Thomas Wolff, M.D., Syracuse, N.Y.

Pisacano Memorial Foundation Announces Scholarship Recipients

The board of directors of the Nicholas J. Pisacano, M.D., Memorial Foundation, Inc., has announced the recipients of the 1998 Pisacano Scholarships. The scholarships are awarded to outstanding medical students who have made a commitment to enter family practice. The scholarships, valued at $50,000 each, are awarded to students who have achieved superior academic excellence, have exhibited strong communication and interpersonal skills, have shown character and integrity, and have demonstrated a commitment to community service. The scholarships are intended to assist in the development of future leaders in family medicine.

The recipients of the 1998 scholarships are: Jennifer DeVoe, Harvard Medical School, Boston; Marguerite Duane, State University of New York at Stony Brook; English Hairrell, University of Alabama, Birmingham; Nerissa Koehn, Harvard Medical School, Boston; Jennifer Lochner, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison; and James Toombs, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia.

Applications are now being accepted for the 1999 Pisacano scholarships. Up to 10 scholarships will be awarded to upcoming third- and fourth-year medical students. Applicants must receive endorsements from their medical school. Each applicant is required to substantiate his or her commitment to family practice with a 500-word written statement. The application deadline for the 1999 awards is March 1, 1999. For more information on the program, contact the foundation at 606-269-5626 or 888-995-5700, or visit the foundation's Web site at http://www.njpmf.org.

Federal Government Issues Second Annual Report on the Well-Being of Children

The second annual report on the welfare of the country's children has been issued by the federal government. “America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being” is an in-depth report providing information on the critical aspects of children's lives, including their health, economic security, education, behavior and social environment. Twenty-three indicators were used to measure children's well-being. Two special indicators included in this year's report are blood lead levels and children in child care. While the report shows some overall positive trends in the health of young children, there has been no significant change in the number of children living in poverty. The report notes that children living in poverty are more likely to experience hunger and are less likely to be immunized. For more information on the report, contact the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at 301-496-5133. Free copies can be obtained from the National Maternal and Child Health Clearinghouse by calling 703-356-1964. Copies of the report are also on the Internet at http://childstats.gov, or can be purchased for $7 through the Government Printing Office at 202-512-1800, publication no. 065-000-01162-0.

National Survey Finds Most Physicians Dissatisfied with Managed Care in General

Nearly seven of 10 physicians consider themselves “anti-managed care,” according to a national survey conducted by The Medstat Group, J.D. Power and Associates, and the New England Medical Center. Nearly 30,000 physicians were surveyed about 150 health plans in 22 markets. While most physicians expressed dissatisfaction with managed care in general, health maintenance organizations in several markets ranked higher than nonmanaged care plans. Results of the study suggest that there is a strong relationship between physicians' satisfaction, or dissatisfaction, with a health plan and their intention to continue working with that plan. More than 75 percent of responding physicians indicated that “having to justify my clinical decision to others is annoying.” In addition, one half of the physicians reported “being profiled on utilization and satisfaction makes me mad” and 42 percent indicated that they feel “costs of care should never be considered in making clinical decisions.” According to the report, the push to integrate cost consciousness with quality is taking its toll on physicians. The study reveals that not only do 36 percent of physicians indicate their morale is low, 53 percent indicate it has worsened over the past year. For more information, contact Andrée Joyaux, The Medstat Group, 734-913-3295.