This year the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Annual Conference, scheduled for September 20–24, 2003, in Atlanta, has a wide variety of research presentations available, whether you are a fledgling researcher or a savvy old pro. Even before the meeting formally begins, we have the STFM Resident and Student Research Forum on Saturday afternoon, September 20. Throughout the meeting, we will call your attention to the Research Forums, with presentations of original research papers in just about every available time slot, and the Research Poster Fair. There also will be quite a few research sessions scattered among the workshops, seminars, lecture-discussions, and PEER Paper sessions.
STFM is excited to have a group of top researchers and academicians from the University of Western Ontario collaborating for a plenary session on September 23. They will describe the theoretical development and research of the patient-centered clinical method and the subsequent integration of their findings into all aspects of their educational programs. This session provides a great model for the involvement of all family medicine academicians in the research process.
This plenary address sets the tone for a full day of interesting research presentations on Tuesday, September 23. After the plenary session there will be the Research Award Winners session, with presentations by the winners of the Curtis Hames Research Award and the STFM Best Research Paper Award. More information regarding the award winners is included on the next page. After lunch, the STFM Distinguished Paper session will contain the presentations of the 2 highest rated research proposals for this year. Other presentations planned by the STFM Research Committee include 2 research capacity building sessions, both scheduled for Sunday, September 21. The first will be an overview of federal research grant opportunities and the grant-review process. The second is a session focusing on the key questions for primary care research on disparities in health and health care, which is coupled with a special session discussing the findings of the recent Institute of Medicine report on disparities.
Complete information about the program, including other research offerings, is posted on the STFM Web site at http://www.stfm.org/cal_an.htm.
PLENARY SESSIONS AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The plenary sessions should set the tone for an outstanding meeting. On the opening day of the conference, Sandra Steingraber, PhD, Cornell University, will examine the intimate ecology of pregnancy, breastfeeding, and early childhood during her presentation, “First Environment: The Ecology of Prenatal Life, Infancy, and Early Childhood.” An accomplished scientist, ecologist, speaker, and published poet, Dr. Steingraber is an internationally recognized expert on the environmental links to cancer, reproductive health, and fetal development.
On September 22, David Satcher, MD, will present the Blanchard Memorial Lecture, “Family Medicine and the Surgeon General Who Listened.” He will discuss the influence of family medicine on his tenure as US Surgeon General and Assistant Secretary for Health. Dr. Satcher is director of the National Center for Primary Care at the Morehouse School of Medicine.
The plenary session on September 23, “Research and Development of Patient-centered Medicine,” will be presented by a panel of speakers from the University of Western Ontario, including Moira Stewart, PhD; Judith Belle Brown, PhD; Thomas Freeman, MD, MCISc; and W. Wayne Weston, MD. These leaders will describe their program of research, conceptual development, and education on patient-centered medicine.
Marc Rivo, MD, MPH, AvMed Health Plan, Miami, will present the final plenary session, “Family Medicine, Zen, and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.” Dr. Rivo will describe a model of a relevant, effective, and independent family practice and what it might take to build it and make it work. Dr. Rivo is regional medical director and medical advisor for disease management with AvMed Health Plan, Florida’s oldest and largest nonprofit health system.
HOTEL AND REGISTRATION INFORMATION
The STFM Annual Conference hotel is the Hilton Atlanta, 255 Courtland Street, NE, Atlanta, GA 30303. Conference rates are $155 single; $175 double (plus tax). Make your hotel reservations directly with the Hilton Atlanta by calling 404-659-2000. Be sure to request the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine group rate when making your reservations. The reservations deadline for the conference is August 20. Please make your reservations as soon as possible to ensure your preferred accommodations.
Visit www.stfm.org/cal_an.html to register online, or contact Marce Alnajar for more information at 800-274-2237, ext 5415.
We’re gearing up for a superb Atlanta meeting on September 20–24 and looking forward to seeing you there!
RESEARCH AWARDS FOR 2003
STFM is pleased to announce the winners of our 2 major research awards for 2003. Paul Nutting, MD, MSPH, from Denver, Colo, is the winner of the 2003 Curtis Hames Research Award. The next issue will contain an interview with Dr. Nutting about his illustrious career. The winner of the STFM 2003 Best Research Paper Award is a paper by David R. Mehr, MD, MS, Ellen F. Binder, MD, Robin L. Kruse, PhD, Steven C. Zweig, MD, MSPH, Richard Madsen, PhD, Lori Popejoy, MSN, RN, and Ralph B. D’Agostino, PhD, published in the November 21, 2001, issue of JAMA, entitled “Predicting Mortality in Nursing Home Residents With Lower Respiratory Tract Infection: The Missouri LRI Study.” Three additional papers were chosen for honorable mention, as listed below in alphabetical order of the first author:
Paul A. Nutting, Kathryn Rost, Miriam Dickinson, James J. Werner, Perry Dickinson, Jeffrey Smith, Beth Gallovic. Barriers to initiating depression treatment in primary care practice. OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
Michael L. Parchman, Jacqueline A. Pugh, Polly Hitchcock Noel, Anne C. Larme. Continuity of care, self-management behaviors, and glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes. OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
Howard K. Rabinowitz, James J. Diamond, Fred W. Markham, Nina P. Paynter. Critical factors for designing programs to increase the supply and retention of rural primary care physicians. OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
Congratulations to all the award winners! The STFM Research Committee is looking for nominations for these 2 awards for next year – read on to find out how to nominate yourself or a colleague for the awards.
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR RESEARCH AWARDS
Submit Your Nomination for 2004 Curtis Hames Research Award
The Society of Teachers of Family Medicine is accepting nominations for the 2004 Curtis G. Hames Research Award in Family Medicine to be presented at the 2004 Annual Spring Conference on May 12-16, in Toronto, Ontario. The award, supported by the Hames Endowment of the Medical College of Georgia, is intended to honor those individuals whose careers over the years exemplify dedication to research in family medicine.
The award recipient is selected by a committee representing STFM, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the North American Primary Care Research Group. Previous Hames Award recipients are listed at www.stfm.org/awards/awardhub.html on the STFM Web site.
Nomination letters and CVs must be postmarked by November 14, 2003. They should be addressed to STFM, 11400 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Leawood, KS 66211. Contact Kay Frank, STFM, with questions at 800-274-2237, ext. 5402, society{at}stfm.org.
Could Your Last Study Win the STFM Research Paper Award?
The Research Committee of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine is now accepting nominations for the 2004 STFM Research Paper Award, to be presented at the 2004 Annual Spring Conference on May 12-16 in Toronto, Ontario.
The award is intended to recognize the best research paper published by an STFM member in a peer-reviewed journal between July 1, 2002, and June 30, 2003. The STFM Research Committee bases the award selection on the quality of the research and its potential impact.
Ten copies of the paper should accompany each nomination letter that documents the potential effect of the paper and its importance to patients’ health and well-being.
November 14, 2003, is the postmark deadline for nominations. Send nominations to STFM, 11400 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Leawood, KS 66211. Contact Kay Frank, STFM, with questions at 800-274-2237, ext. 5402, society{at}stfm.org.
Traci Nolte, STFM Communications Director
Perry Dickinson, MD, University of Colorado
Michael Rosenthal, MD, STFM Communications Committee Chair
- © 2003 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.