2009 FMA Alliance STAT - Spring Summer Issue

S TATY o u r F l o r i d a M e d i c a l A s s o c i a t i o n A l l i a n c e N e w s :

2 0 0 9 S p r i n g / S u m m e r

Always learning, always prepared 6Boca Raton is waiting 9Easing the pain during a disaster 12

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PLANhave a

2 FMAA STAT 2009 Spr ing/Summer


2 0 0 9 S p r i n g / S u m m e r

3 President Seven steps to FMAA success

4 Executive Director Preparing for the future

5 FMAA Nominations 2009-2010 Nominated Slate

16 The Core Local county alliances showcase health projects, legislative advocacy, and community involvement.

18 Granted Alliance members head to the Capitol, working to promote physician friendly legislature.

20 AMAA: Develop A Plan Tips on how to prepare your children, home, and business for disaster

Copyright © 2009

STAT is published bi-annually by the Florida Medical Association Alliance, Inc. 123 South Adams Street, Tallahassee, Florida, 32301. This publication is copyrighted by the Florida Medical Association Alliance, Inc. Views expressed in this issue represent those of the individual authors and may not necessarily represent the views of the Florida Medical Association Alliance, Inc.

The Florida Medical Association Alliance, Inc. does not necessarily represent the accuracy or reliability of any of the advertisements displayed in this publication or endorse any of the advertisers in this publication.

p 12

“we were the f irst to arrive at ground zero

“9 FMA Alliance & FMA Annual Meeting

12 Reaching Out

Join us in Boca Raton, Florida, for infl uential meetings, exciting guest speakers, and unforgettable evenings.

Discovering the needs of others and doing something about it is just one of the many faucets of an Alliance member.

6 Lessons Learned

Liz Kagan is always learning through her entrepreneurial ventures and prepping them for what lies ahead.

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3FMAA STAT 2009 Spr ing/Summer

This issue of STAT is all about planning. Recognizing its

importance, I would like to take this space to share with

you a plan which will guide the actions of FMA Alliance.

This is an effort that your leadership has worked to

develop, with your input, over the last several years. It

relies on shared vision and commitment to mission. It

is the FMA Alliance Strategic Plan.

This plan outlines the steps the FMA Alliance Board of

Directors believes it must take to ensure the viability

and future of the Alliance. Seven broad goals have been

adopted. They are:

1. Increase membership annually through integrated

recruitment, retrieval and retention strategies.

2. Provide opportunities for both the membership

and those in leadership positions to engage in

activities which enhance their ability to address

the mission and vision of the FMA Alliance.

3. Promote the distribution of programs, information

and resources which support health related

initiatives.

4. Partner with the FMA to promote legislative issues

as identified by the FMA and FMA Alliance.

5. Raise funds to support the activities of the FMA

Alliance Entrusted Fund.

6. Increase non-dues revenue to support the

activities and programs of the FMA Alliance.

7. Ensure that assets and liabilities of the FMA

Alliance are effectively monitored and managed.

Each statement is accompanied by specific strategies

and actions which will guide the work of the

Board of Directors and FMA Alliance committees.

Responsibilities for action have been delegated,

timelines established and desired outcomes identified.

By adopting this plan and committing itself to the

identified actions, the leadership of the FMA Alliance

affirms its commitment to you, the members. You have

placed your trust in us to lead this organization on your

behalf. This plan will help us do that and allow you to

hold us accountable for the goals we have put forth. I

invite you to visit our web site and view the document

when it is available in the month of May.

There are many to acknowledge for their efforts in

crafting this document. Those responsible for leading

this organization have carefully reviewed and analyzed

all aspects of our operations. We spent time speaking

with you as we traveled around the state. We specified,

clarified and prioritized those strategies we believe

necessary to build an organization grounded in the

present and focused on the future. Finally we agreed

upon those actions which would direct our efforts. Ann

Anderson, FMA Alliance President-Elect championed

the final push to bring all of this hard work together.

This document will assist our future leaders in directing

the work of this organization. Ann Anderson was joined

by Rita Seymore, Liza Battaglia, Shar Donovan, Anne

Grenitz, Elaine Hale, Joan Harmon, Kathy Johns and

Joni Routman. These individuals have been involved

in this project since its inception. I encourage you to

seek them out and thank them for their hard work and

dedication.

{ Diane Andrews, President }

strategy to succeed


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We are in a constant s ta te o f prepar ing for the

future - f rom put t ing our c lo thes on in the morning

ant ic ipat ing the work that lays ahead to s tock ing

our homes wi th suppl ies expect ing , and fear ing ,

the wors t o f d i sas ters . Take a look a t each moment

in your day and you ’ l l f ind over 50 percent i s

spent ge t t ing ready for the next pro jec t , emai l ,

conversat ion , meal , event - the l i s t i s endless .

A l l o f th is preparat ion serves a greater purpose .

Confuc ius sa id i t bes t , “Success depends upon

prev ious preparat ion , and wi thout such preparat ion

there i s sure to be fa i lure . ” I t i s to our benef i t that

we p lan for the next th ing , whatever i t may be .

The FMA Al l iance has been d i l igent in i t s

preparat ion for the future . Our great organizat ion

has researched to d iscover what i s necessary to

mainta in an opt imum leve l o f member serv ices . One

o f our d iscover ies was the need to make a change

in branding and market ing . The or ig ina l FMA

Al l iance sea l and logo have been g iven new l i fe .

We have a l so rev i ta l i zed two long-s tanding hea l th

promot ions pro jec ts : HandsCAN and Medi-F i le

cards .

Once the re juv inated and wel l prepared programs

are completed we wi l l prov ide them to you and

he lp you incorporate them in your communit ies . I t

i s these smal l but s igni f i cant changes that make a

d i f ference in our organizat ion .

The FMA Al l iance ant ic ipates success , as we

cont inuous ly work to improve our serv ices and

member benef i t s . Great th ings are wai t ing for us -

we bet ter be prepared .

{All ison Finley, Executive Director}

prepwor k


President-Elect - Shar Donovan

First Vice President - Joni Routman

Treasurer - Lissette Gorman

Secretary - Joan Harmon

North West District Vice President - Kathy Johns

North East District Vice President - Betsy Ponte

Central District Vice President - Nimisha Chheda

South District Vice President - Janice Justiz

Nimisha Chheda

Karen Chouinard

Karen Dehgan

Lauren DeIorio

Susan Flaten

Joan Harmon

Nancy Jablonski

Kathy Johns

Mary Macchiaroli

Rosemary Xavier

Nominating CommitteeFinance Committee

Maureen Soliman

Dena Pulley

The Alliance Nominating Committee met February 3, 2009, at the Hillsborough County

Medical Association office in Tampa. The Committee is proud to present the following

proposed slate of officers for 2009-2010:

Finance Committee nominations may be given by Alliance members, who are not seated on the Board of Directors, from the House of Delegates floor during the 2009 FMA Alliance Annual Meeting. All other nominations are open to all Alliance members.

2009-2010 FMAA

nominated s late

N o m i n a t e d f o r E l e c t i o n

L e a d e r s h i p


l e ssonsLearnedWhen starting a new business, there are many important decisions to make. One of the most

valuable is to create a disaster preparedness plan. As Floridians we should be accustomed

to the onslought of natural disasters. Hurricanes and tropical storms are so common to our

state that one would be wise to be prepared for the unexpected.

Liz Kagan is always prepared.


Liz and her husband have started multiple businesses

which include an aviation company, restaurant,

surgery centers, residential developments, orange

groves, medical equipment business, and insurance

company. Each business offered growth and

sustainabil i ty for the next generated enterprise. Liz

has kept each entreprenuerial venture successful and

running through her business savvy and abil i ty to be

prepared in al l s ituations - even disasters.

Most small business owners are unprepared for

emergencies. As a result , 25 percent of small

businesses that close because of f ires, f loods, or other

disasters never reopen, according to the Institute for

Business & Home Safety in Tampa, Florida.

Liz has made sure her businesses have a disaster

plan that caters to each individual need. The

aviation business has, of course, airplanes and

major equipment stationed in hangers. “We have to

physical ly move the equipment depending on the

emergency,” Liz states. “The restaurant’s preparedness

is different in that we make sure we don’t have

lots of perishables during a disaster. If a storm is

approaching we l imit the order of food.” With the

residential development, vigi lance is necessary with

contractors to make certain sites are cleaned and

won’t damage neighboring homes.

Much is required for her husband’s medical practice

to be adequately prepared. There’s more loss at stake

than equipment or perishables. Losing power may

knock an off ice out for a few days, but losing patient

history, f inancial records, or system software can do

more lasting damage. The most crit ical part of a plan

is determining how to back-up data and where to store

i t .

An entreprenuer at heart,


“We rely heavily on computers

and I can’t emphasize enough the

need for routine and daily back-

up of systems” states Liz. It is

also imperative that software can

be replaced i f not revived. In the

event of an approaching storm

several back-ups are required.

“Personally, i f my computer is

down for three to four hours I

feel lost . Compound that with

physician practices now relying on

electronic medical records (EMR).”

If a physician’s off ice is destroyed,

feel ing helpless would be an

understatement.

It is crucial to protect your

spouse’s practice. “You’re talking

about losing data for al l of your

patients.” Even i f paper records

have been converted to EMRs

remember, i t ’s not a matter of

paper versus electronic, i t ’s a

matter of preservation. An obvious

problem is storing data in one

location. If that location is wiped

out you’ve not real ly protected it .

Off-site storage in another area

of the state or another state al l

together is necessary. “You’re

taking personal health information

and making sure it ’s secure and

won’t be compromised.”

Office staff arrangements are

also a concern. Her husband’s

practice has a phone tree system

in place to notify employees. It ’s

designed to alert staff when the

off ice wil l reopen, offer alternative

means of completing work, and

to provide general concern to

those who experienced damage.

Hurricanes and tropical storms can

create power outages. However,

i f phone l ines are st i l l operating,

a means of communication, aside

from cel l phones, is to use phones

powered through a jack and not an

electronic base.

Even the best plan isn’t going to

rebuild your off ice or rent a new

location. Adequate insurance

coverage wil l be the only way to

start anew. There are three types

of insurance coverages al l small

business owners should have,

according to the Small Business

Administration: property insurance

to protect against losses from

fire and theft , l iabil i ty insurance

to protect against lawsuits, and

business-interruption insurance

to cover revenue loss. Whatever

best suits your business needs,

insurance is a small price to pay

to keep a temporary crisis from

becoming a true catastrophe.

“I ’d never been through a

hurricane, even though I ’m a

native Floridian. I ’m not sure

what I thought, but I didn’t know

Hurrican Charlie [ in 2004] would

last so long. We had no power

for f ive days. One of the things

I did learn with Charlie is you

could have a whole room fi l led

with batteries and sti l l never have

enough.” Liz has since researched

other means of l ighting, l ike

generators and l ight st icks. Secure

measures for personal belongings

are necessary as well . Water and

f ire proof safes are perfect to hold

important documents such as birth

certi f icates, l i fe insurance, and

f lash drives.

Valuable lessons were learned

during the 2004 and 2005

hurricane seasons. People look at

hurricanes a l i tt le differently now.

When June 1st comes around make

sure you have a plan in place for

both business and home.

Liz Kagan currently l ives with

her husband, John Kagan, MD, in

Fort Myers, Florida. They have

twin sons and one daughter. Liz

received her Bachelors in Nursing

degree at the University of Florida

and law degree at Samford

University in Birmingham,

Alabama. She is also a Licensed

Healthcare Risk Manager.

if a physician’s office is

destroyed, feeling helpless

would be an understatement


Florida Medical Association & FMA Alliance

&Florida Medical Expo

July 24 & 25, 2009 Boca Raton Resort & Club www.fmaonline.org

Annual Meeting


ALL attendees must register for the 2009 FMAA & FMA Annual Meeting using the Registration Form (facing page).

For more information about this year’s Annual Meeting visit the web site at www.fmaalliance.org or call the FMAA at 800.762.0233.

Boca Raton Resort & Club • 501 East Camino Real • Boca Raton, Florida 33432Reservations: 888.491.2622

Use the adjacent form

to register for the 2009

FMAA & FMA Annual

Meeting. You must fill out

a registration form if you

plan to attend. If you do

not register by July 11,

2009 a registration packet

will not be available for

you on-site.

Friday, July 24

Saturday, July 25

Sunday, July 26

FMA/FMA Alliance CME : 10:30 am - 12:00 pmFMA Alliance Board of Directors Meeting : 12:00 - 2:30 pmFMA Alliance House of Delegates Meeting : 3:00 - 5:30 pmFMA & FMA Alliance President’s Reception, complimentary : 5:30 - 7:30 pm

FMA Alliance Board of Directors Meeting : 8:30 - 10:30 am

FMA Alliance Members Breakfast : 7:30 - 8:30 amFMA Alliance Gavel Club Breakfast : 7:30 - 8:30 amFMA Alliance House of Delegates Meeting : 8:30 - 11:30 am and Installation & Awards CeremonyFMA Chef ’s Sampler, complimentary : 11:30 am - 2:00 pmFMA & FMA Alliance President’s Installation : 5:30 - 10:00 pm & FMA Foundation Dinner

The 2009 FMAA & FMA Annual Meeting will be held at the Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton, Florida. Make your hotel reservations by calling 888.491.2622 and ask for the Florida Medical Association room block. The FMA room block deadline is June 21, 2009. You MUST make your hotel reservation by this deadline to receive the FMA group rates, which star t at $130.00 per night.

July 24 - 26, 2009Annual Meeting

Tentative Agenda Registration

Reservations

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Registration2009 FMAA Annual MeetingJuly 24 - 26 • Boca Raton Resort & Club, Boca Raton, FL

For reservations call 888.491.2622

Please fill out the registration form below and return to: FMAA - ATTN: ANNUAL MEETING, P.O. Box 10269, Tallahassee, FL 32302 • Fax: 850.513.9477

Contact Information

Registration Fees

Last Name _______________________________________ First Name ________________________________ M.I. ____

Check all that apply:

State Officer/Board/Chair State Past President County Delegate for House of Delegates

County Alternate Delegate for House of Delegates Special Needs _____________________________________

Invited Guest of Above ___________________________________ Other _____________________________________

Enclosed is a check made payable to FMA

Charge my credit card: American Express MasterCard Visa

Name on card: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Authorized signature: ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Credit Card Number

FMAA - ATTN: Annual Meeting, PO Box 10269, Tallahassee, FL 32302 • Fax 850.513.9477 For more information go to www.fmaonline.org or cal l 800.762.0233

Exp Date

Spouse/Guest Name ___________________________________________________ Badge requested? Yes No

FMAA Annual Meeting, includes FMAA Awards Breakfast Ticket: $100 per personAwards Breakfast Guest Ticket: $50 per guest, Number attending _______

FMA Special Event TicketsFriday, July 24FMA/FMAA CME, 10:30 am -12:00 pm Complimentary, Number attending _______Are You Prepared? : Know the Plan, Do Your Part • Prepare your family and your practice for natural disasters, bio-terrorism, and other public health threats • Engage effectively with state-wide and national disaster planning efforts Saturday, July 25 FMA & FMAA Presidents’ Installation Ceremony & FMA Foundation Dinner, 5:30-10:00 pm $110 per person, Number attending _______

ADA - In accordance with ADA requirements, if you are disabled and require special services, please check here. The FMAA staff willl contact you after we have completed your registration

Address _________________________________________________________________________________________________

City ____________________________________________________________ State ____________ Zip Code _______________

Phone ____________________________ Fax __________________________ Email ___________________________________

Address Change? Yes No

Payment: Please send me confirmation of my registration. (check one) Yes No

TOTAL REGISTRATION FEES: $


Reaching Out


On Aug 13, 2004, Hurricane Charlie made landfall in Southwest Florida on Captiva

Island in Lee County. As the hurricane made its way through the intracoastal waters

it landed at Port Charlotte in Charlotte County. The hurricane’s compact eye caused

severe damage to the community with 80 percent of buildings devastated. All three

hospitals in the area were considered a loss. The Charlotte County Medical Society

(CCMS) building was impaired and the medical community lost many of its patient

care offices.

Community hardships have a tendency to bring out the best in us. When disaster strikes we find joy and purpose in helping those that need it more than ourselves.


Ann Anderson, FMA All iance

President-Elect and Lee County

Medical Society All iance Past

President, contacted Noelle Lipkin,

then CCMS All iance President,

to address the needs of her

community. “It took me a number

of weeks to locate her due to

downed phone towers and a state

of emergency in the county,” stated

Ann. Once connected, Noelle

expressed the tremendous need of a

non-profit organization directed by

Dr. Mark Asperi l la.

St . Vincent de Paul Pharmacy,

located in Port Charlotte, Florida,

provides prescription medication

to qualif ied patients for as long

as they need them free of charge,

regardless of rel igion, race, color,

or creed. Uti l izing approximately

200 volunteers - who contribute

over 15,000 hours per year with

a value of contributed t ime close

to $600,000 - St . Vincent has

been instrumental in helping

county residents in need to receive

prescription medication with a

value averaged over $630,000

per year. Since opening in 1999,

St . Vincent has expanded to f ive

locations in Florida: Punta Gorda,

Port Charlotte, Sarasota, Arcadia,

and Angelwood.

“After Hurricane Charlie hit , we

were the f irst to arrive at ground

zero as medical rel ief to local

residents,” states Dr. Asperi l la. “It

was the f irst t ime FEMA allowed

a cl inic in a declared disaster

area.” St . Vincent set-up a mobile

pharmacy and cl inic, which al lowed

residents to receive medical care

and prescriptions without the

expense of attending an emergency

room. Charlotte CMS provided

the bulk of volunteers, with 15-

20 specialty physicains taking

rotations in the area for over a

year.

Ann saw this as an opportunity for

the FMA All iance to assist in a way

it never had before. She and other

FMA All iance leaders, along with

the Health Promotions Committee,

developed the Disaster Relief Fund.

This fund was established for

As F lor ida res idents we exper ience natura l

d isasters mult ip le t imes throughout the year.

Having d isaster preparedness p lans for both

your home and spouse’s of f ice are necessar y.

“My husband is in a large mult i -spec ia l ty

group with Anchor Health Centers . They

have a d isaster preparat ion p lan in p lace

for the whole organizat ion that covers

many sate l l i tes and out-pat ient urgent

care ,” states Ann, “and h is group uses EMRs

that have back-up s i los out of the state of

F lor ida .” In addit ion they col laborate with

the loca l hospita l systems to ensure that the

community fac i l i t ies have adequate sta f f a f ter

a d isaster event .

Ann a lso has a preparedness p lan in p lace

for her home and fami ly. “Our p lan helped

us stay in our home dur ing Hurr icane Wilma

on October 24, 2005,” Ann boasts . “ I t a lso

a l lowed us to provide volunteer ass istance in

the community.”

Ann Ander son l i ves w i th her husband , Char les

Ander son , MD, in Naples , F lor ida . Together they

ra i sed two daughter s . She rece ived her RN

degree f rom Massachuset ts Genera l Hosp i ta l

Schoo l o f Nur s ing . Her more recent occupat ions

inc lude Deve lopment Di rec tor Ch i ldren ’s

Advocac y Center o f Co l l i e r County, vo lunteer for

Co l l i e r County Pub l i c Schoo ls , Catho l i c Char i t ies ,

Co l l i e r County Medica l Soc ie ty A l l iance Board of

Di rec tor s and FMAA BOD, FMA PAC .


THE PREP

PLAN• Donatecannedgoodsthat mayexpire

over the next s ix months

• Replenishnon-per ishable food,paper

products , tarp ing , duct tape ,

f lash l ights and batter ies , etc .

• Haveat least threedaysof non-per ish

ab le food suppl ies for a fami ly of four

• Stockyour freezerwithbagsof ice

• Makesureyourgasgenerator is

working and has enough gas to operate

for three days

• Haveenoughbott ledwater forat least

one ga l lon a day per person

• Keepanextratankof propane forthe

gr i l l

• Checkwithyourcountygovernment for

i ts evacuat ion and re-entr y regulat ions

• Havea fr iend,re lat iveorhote l in

another par t of the state that you can

depend on for hous ing in case of

evacuat ion

THE MONTH OF MAY

THE MONTH OF JUNE

community-based programs that address the

health needs of their respecitve communities

after a disaster. All iance District Vice

Presidents are to contact medical societies

and medical society al l iances in their district

to help determine the needs in the affected

communities. Funds awarded are determined

by a committee of the FMA All iance.

The Disaster Relief Fund was widely accepted

by All iance membership, raising over

$120,000 in its f irst year. The Fund provided

St. Vincent de Paul Pharmacy monies

specif ical ly for their Emergency Prescription

Program. As a result of the damage Hurricane

Charlie caused to medical faci l i t ies and

pharmacies, emergency sample medications

were not readily available to the St. Vincent

mobile cl inic. Their Emergency Prescription

Program would order such prescriptions

from physician off ices and pharmacies in the

surrounding areas. Couriers were used to

retrieve the medications. “Many people in the

FEMA trai ler camp were thankful for what we

did there,” remembers Dr. Asperi l la.

The Disaster Relief Fund has also provided

assistance to the Alabama State Medical

Association, Louisiana State Medical

Association and Mississippi State Medical

Association.

The FMA All iance is more than a membership

organziation. It ’s more than an association

with faceless actions. It is an extention of

ourselves, in that the FMA All iance reaches

out to our communities. We see a need and we

act swift ly to f i l l that need. The FMA All iance

Disaster Relief Fund is just one of the many

ways we show compassion for those in our

great State.

16 FMAA STAT 2009 Spr ing/SummerFMAA STAT 2009 Spr ing/SummerFMAA STAT 2009 Spr ing/SummerFMAA STAT 2009 Spr ing/Summer

the core{the soul of the FMA All iance}

Dade CMAA

The past six months have been

exciting for the Dade County

Medical Association Alliance

(DCMAA). Under the direction of

new President, Sandi Chamyan,

the Alliance has entered an era of

renewal, growth and rebuilding.

Beginning in November, we held a

soup & salad luncheon meeting at

the Riviera Country Club in Coral

Gables with several of our Past

Presidents, our Immediate Past

President, our Current President

and our Treasurer to discuss the

state of our affairs and to create

a path for our future. We decided

our focus would be on membership

retention, new members at the

County level and recognizing our

current members for the all of their

volunteer accomplishments.

Our theme became “Baby Steps”

where recruitment efforts focus first

at the County level – the First Step.

Then as we achieve active County

participation, we will encourage

Florida Medical Association Alliance

(FMAA) membership – the Next

Step. Hopefully, we will then have a

member so excited to be an Alliance

participant that we will have an

American Medical Association

Alliance (AMAA) member – the

Final Step. Of course, if a potential

new member is ready to join at all

three levels from the start – all the

more exciting!

Following this model we added five

new County level members during

the first three months of 2009. One

of those new members also joined at

the FMAA level.

In December we held our Annual

Holiday Luncheon at the La Palma

Ristorante in the heart of Coral

Gables. A brief business meeting

with Alliance updates were given

from Immediate Past President

Johan Askowitz, President Sandi

Chamyan and District Vice President

Lissette M. Gordon. We also had

two special guests. The first was

Patricia C. Handler, the Executive

Vice President of the Dade County

Medical Association (DCMA).

Ms. Handler and Mrs. Chamyan

announced the DCMA and DCMAA

have entered a new era of bridge

building and working together

for the medical professionals of

Miami-Dade County. Our second

guest was a representative from

Creative Beginnings: A Fresh Hope

for Tomorrow. Creative Beginnings’

mission is to serve homeless women

and their children and to help them

transition out of homelessness. For

these women and children, items

such as underwear, socks and shoes

were needed the most. We presented

Creative Beginnings with several

hundred dollars in gift cards to

Target, Wal-Mart and Kmart. We

also brought new, unwrapped toys

that were donated to the Voices for

Children Toy Drive.

In January 2009, Mrs. Chamyan

was welcomed by the DCMA Board

of Directors and has since been

attending the every-other-month

Board Meetings. In addition, the

DCMA sent out an email to all of

their members encouraging their

spouses to join the Alliance with

a membership form attached. The

DCMA will print a 600-word article

in their monthly magazine, Miami

Medicine. They are also going to

build an Alliance section on their

website. We are pleased to report

these exciting opportunities to build

our relationship between the DCMA

and the DCMAA!


t h e c o r e

Rather than “recreating the wheel”

we have encouraged our existing

members to pick one or more

nonprofit organization that is near

and dear to them and as we recruit

new members we will pair up an

“old” and a “new” member together.

We would like to recognize the

volunteer efforts of our county

members. As of this writing, we can

report that our members have spent

countless hours volunteering for the

following organizations:

• The Guardian Ad Litem

Program

• Neat Stuff: New Clothing for

Foster Children

• Liga Contra el Cancer (League

Against Cancer): Free Medical

Care for Needy Cancer Patients

• Church of the Little Flower

• 1st Presbyterian Church

• The US Naval Sea Cadet Corps

• Miami Children’s Hospital

Foundation

• Healthy Start of Miami-Dade

• Creative Beginnings: A Fresh

Hope for Tomorrow

• Voices for Children

One member who volunteers with

the Miami Children’s Hospital

Foundation raised over $46,000.00

to help refurbish the Emergency

Department waiting room to make

it more comfortable and family

friendly.

In March, we met with two medical

students from the University

of Miami (UM) and we are now

exploring opportunities to add

medical student spouses to our

membership roles. We hope to have

the chance to make a presentation

at the UM Medical School in

the near future. Additionally,

we are seeking a contact at the

new medical school at Florida

International University (FIU).

Mrs. Chamyan also serves on the

FMAA Communications Committee

and looks forward to a continued

partnership with the FMAA.

- Respectfully submitted by

President Sandi Chamyan

This year has been full of events such as meetings, donations to the Brehon Maternity Home, and facilitating Faux Paws workshops. In January, Dr. Caulley Soto gave an excellent presentation on pediatric obesity. It was a great meeting made successful by hostesses Katrina Rolle and Jennifer Rackley.

Our February meeting was “heart healthy” for sure. We gathered at Premier Fitness center and trainer/teacher Portia Kershaw, talked about heart disease prevention and the importance of diet and exercise as it relates to the heart and preventable health problems. Hostesses Kathleen Smith and Mara Rumana made delicious arrangements for a healthy lunch.

The month of March brought Doctor’s Day festivities. Carol Fisher worked closely with CMS to organize a successful event honoring our physicians.

Now comes the month of April and the final meeting of this year. We are going to gather at Goodwood for coffee and have a springtime talk about “Landscape Gardening with Native Plants”. We will be joined by members of the Florida Medical Association Alliance executive committee to help facilitate installation of officers for the 2009-2010 year.

Our ongoing community outreach project is with Brehon Maternity Home. We provide them with diapers, wipes, household cleaning items, and gently used baby items.

I am grateful to everyone who has helped make this year a success. A bridge is only as strong as its supports and I have had a lot of support! While it is not possible for each and every member to be involved in the day to day business of the Alliance, just maintaining membership helps us to serve our physician community and the Tallahassee community at large. This is such a unique and important network of people, I have been honored serve. - Cay Ford, Capital MSA President

Capital MSA


Anne Grenitz, Broward County, Ann Anderson, Coll ier County, and Ann

Angelastro and Bonnie Si lverman, Sarasota County, took advantage of

the Mission: Tallahassee Grant offered by the FMA All iance.

Arriving Tuesday, March 24th, the group took a tour of the Capitol

and later met with Michelle Jacquis, FMA Associate Director of

Governmental Affairs, at the FMA building in downtown Tallahassee.

Ms. Jacquis gave a detai led briefing of the most pressing issues this

legislative session, and armed the group with a schedule of Senate and

House Committee meetings for the fol lowing day.

Wednesday morning they met with Rep. Ari Porth from Broward

County. Representative Porth’s father is a physician practicing in

Broward and he has been a staunch al ly of the medical community.

They were then treated to a summary of the House bi l ls coming up in

committee discussions that afternoon. They also attended the Senate

Judiciary Committee meeting to hear testimony regarding SB 0462,

Prescription Drug Validation Program, sponsored by Senator Fasano.

SB 0462 Requires the Dept. of Health to establish a comprehensive

electronic system to validate the prescribing and dispensing of certain

controlled substances. This bi l l directly combats the “pil l mil ls” and

pain cl inics in Florida. The bi l l passed this committee and moved on to

Governmental Oversight and Accountabil i ty.

They were able to speak with several Health Regulation Committee

members including Sen. Eleanor Sobel , an All iance member from

Broward County, and Sen. Don Gaetz.

The group attended the House Health and Family Services Policy

Council to witness testimony and a vote on HB 0433, Prescribed Drugs,

an FMA identif ied bi l l to support. At the conclusion of this Council

meeting, they spoke with Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, from Sarasota County,

regarding a few bil ls expected to pass through this council .

The Mission: Tallahassee Grant afforded these four FMA All iance

members the chance to not only see the Florida Legislature at work,

but to also be an influence to i ts processes.

M i s s i o n : T a l l a h a s s e e , M i s s i o n : A c c o m p l i s h e d

F M A A l l i a n c e G r a n t s A w a r d e d

G R A N T E D

There are many dif ferent grants the

FMAA currently has avai lable for Al-

l iance members.

Such grants include:

Ariel Goldman Memorial Fund •Disaster Relief Fund •Health Policy Promotions •Mission: Tal lahassee Grant•

I f your county al l iance is in need of

start-up, support or survival for

local health programs then apply!

Health Promotions Grant appl ica-

t ions can be found on the FMAA

web site at www.fmaal l iance .org. You

can also contact the FMA All iance at

800.762.0233 or email

al l [email protected].

a c t i v e l ypply


Become involved with local and state members who • understand your needs better than any other organization

Strengthen the relationship between physicians & • legislators

Influence motion picture companies to remove • tobacco products from youth-related films

And much more!•

Visit www.fmaalliance.org

or call 800.762.0233 to

learn how you can do more

Renew your membership with the

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FMAFMAAlliance


The AMA All iance aff irms that being prepared for

a disaster is the next best thing to preventing one.

Preparing for disasters can not only save l ives,

but also lessen the impact of these disasters. The

fol lowing information on disaster preparedness

f irst appeared in the May/June and July/August

issues of All iance Today magazine. Dr. Russel l T.

Jones, professor of Psychology at Virginia Tech

and researcher at the Child Study Center at Yale

University states, “Disaster preparedness means

being equipped to appropriately function both

physical ly and psychological ly prior to and during

a technological or natural emergency.”

According to Dr. James, the process of developing

a crisis plan for a private practice or business

is generally the same as school preparedness.

One additional aspect, learned from the Katrina

experience, is the importance of the need to back-

up sensit ive medical records to maintain the

viabil i ty of a practice in case of a disaster.

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Ar t icu late the needs to be addressed in the

p lan based on the school ’s vu lner ab i l i t ies . In-

depth explanat ions are needed to supplement

the pr act ice , which Dr. Jones ’ s tud ies ca l l

“e laborat ive rehear sa l .” Chi ldren are not on ly

taught the procedure and sk i l l s , but a l so the

r at iona le beh ind the s tep.

Pr act ice , Pr act ice , Pr act ice ! “Pr act ice makes

per fect ,” sa id Dr. Jones , repeat ing the fami l i a r

express ion . He has been tr y ing for year s to

get a Nat iona l Preparedness Day or Week

des ignated as pr act ice days across the

county.

Eva luate the resu l t s o f pr act ice dr i l l s . Af ter a

pr act ice , feedback should be prov ided on a l l

the d i f ferent aspects as a way of improv ing

the p lan of act ion .

Update the p lan based on lessons learned

dur ing pr act ice r uns , prev ious inc idents and

new technolog ies and sc ience ava i lable .

steps to ensure children and schools are ready for disaster :4


This organization defines a disaster as any event

that disrupts daily l i fe for any individual, family or

community, and is often the f irst on the scene when

a disaster strikes. The Red Cross has an “All-Hazard

Approach” to help people prepare for a disaster. They

recommend the taking fol lowing actions:

Preparing an emergency

supply kit : Get a kit of emergency supplies for the

home and a portable kit in case your family needs

to evacuate. Items to include in your kit are non-

perishable food and water to sustain you and your

family for three days, as well as the basic essentials ,

including a battery powered radio, f lashlight and

f irst-aid kit . For a checklist of i tems to include in

your emergency supply kit , visit www.ready.gov.

Making a family emergency plan:

• It is important to plan in advance how your family

will contact one another; how you wil l get back

together; what you wil l do in different situations.

• Finding a place to meet: If a family is separated

during the day with a designated meeting place, al l

family members wil l know where to go. Recommended

places are within and outside of immediate

neighborhood. It ’s best to identify several places, l ike

a motel , public shelter or a fr iend’s house.

• Establishing emergency contacts: All family

members should have a l ist of people to contact,

including but not l imited to family members, doctors

or veterinarians. It is also best to establish an out-of-

state emergency contact person.

Being informed : Be aware of the disasters to which

your geographical area may be predisposed and know

your local area to map out safe havens, shelters etc.

Also, identify local off icials who may help you connect

with local responders and who can educate you about

their views on the potential r isk and how you can

prepare and plan.

For more informaiton, visit www.amaall iance.org

The organization that is the most proactive in the face of disasters is the American Red Cross.

22 FMAA STAT 2009 Spr ing/SummerFMAA STAT 2009 Spr ing/Summer

23FMAA STAT 2009 Spr ing/Summer 23FMAA STAT 2009 Spr ing/SummerFMAA STAT 2009 Spr ing/Summer

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FMAA STAT 2009 Spr ing/Summer

June 13 - 15, 2009

AMAA Annual Meeting

Chicago Marriott Downtown

Chicago, IL

July 24 - 26, 2009

FMA & FMAA Annual Meeting

Boca Raton Resort & Club

Boca Raton, FL

October 23, 2009

Fal l FMA Board of Directors

and Membership Meeting

Location TBA

E V E N T SFMAA Calendar

November 7 - 10, 2009

AMAA Interim Meeting

George R. Brown Convention Center

Houston, TX

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P . O . B o x 1 0 2 6 9T a l l a h a s s e e , F L 3 2 3 0 2

P R S R T S T DU S P o s t a g e

P a i dP a n a m a C i t y , F L P e r m i t N o . 2 3 0

AT THIS YEAR’S EVENT, FMA MEMBERS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO:

Documents

2009 FMA Alliance STAT - Spring Summer Issue