Family Medicine Leaders: Interview with Ken Bertka, MD: OAFP and AAFP Leader, EMR Expert, Family Man

http://blogtalkradio.com/drsynonymous

Dr Synonymous Show November 9, 2010

Introduction: I’m Dr Synonymous, a Family Physician in Beavercreek, OH

Veteran’s Day is 2 days away and we want to salute them and their endeavors.  A Dr Synonymous salute to all veteran’s, (including me, I’m blessed to have had the opportunity to serve in the Army)

Disclaimer:  We’re not practicing medicine here.  That’s best done by your own family physician in the context of an ongoing therapeutic relationship.

Patient Blog:  The Positive Medical blog- when Treatments End by Chrysalis http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThePositiveMedicalBlog/~3/lLuadTPsAFg/when-treatments-end.html

Physician blog:  Medical Students- Future of Family Medicine: Medical Student Burnout and Unprofessional Conduct by mdstudent31 http://futureoffamilymedicine.blogspot.com/2010/11/medical-student-burnout-and.html

Physician blog:  Is it the End of Private Practice? By Brian Vartabedian, MD

http://33charts.com/2010/11/end-of-private-practice.html

Dr Synonymous blog:  Saturday, November 6, 2010  

Family Medicine: Saturday Morning in the Office http://DrSynonymous.blogspot.com

http://drsynonymous.blogspot.com/2010/05/memorial-day-grief-and-vietnam-wall.html

A few comments about “The Wall”, The Vietnam Veterans Memorial 

Interview with Ken Bertka, MD

From Toledo, OH;  just finished service on the Board of Directors of AAFP and is a Past President OAFP, Past Medical Co-Editor, Core Content Review of Family Medicine, etc.

Welcome, Dr. Bertka

Would you describe your current professional activities and positions for our listeners?

Would you point out for our listeners special family doctors in the Toledo, OH area, please, such as your wife, Dr Vickie Bertka, now a hospice physician and the late Les Huffman, MD, who also served as OAFP President and later became AAFP President, (installed in Boston in 1976 at my first AAFP meeting when I was a resident in FM at the Hershey Medical Center).

How was the recent wedding of your son, Brian?  Is your youngest son ready to follow suit?

What were the more interesting situations and issues you dealt with on the AAFP Board?

How does AAFP analyze the difficult decisions like how to relate to health care reform?

What’s going to help with the pipeline of medical students needed to enter family medicine training?

Are there other workforce issues of near and far future that are pressing for family medicine and our patients?

What are your thoughts about the PCMH?  The EMR and “Transformation”? How will it relate to Toledo?  AAFP?

Have you published the process and results of your transformation in the Mercy Hospital System?

Your ran for president elect of AAFP with a platform of 4 R’s, You weren’t  successful with your election campaign, but the four “Rights” sounded pretty good to me.  What are the 4 “rights” that the AAFP members should consider? Let’s discuss these a bit.

How will people in Ohio get good primary care?

What’s going to happen with funding for health care?   What is the future for family physicians?

You’re also into music through your church  what do you do in that area?

Next week on Tuesday at 8-9 PM, November 16,  we’ll  interview Tom Leaman, MD Founder of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the Milton S Hershey Medical Center in Hershey.  The Founders of Family Medicine education were a special group of people.  Tune in next week to hear from a special founder, Dr Leaman who also became President of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. 

I’m Dr Synonymous, Good Night