First Coast Medical News - Fall 2009

DCMS member Barry Steinberg, MD, a maxillofacial surgeon at Shands Jacksonville and also a member of the Army Reserve who has gone to Iraq to operate on injured soldiers, was featured August 16, 2009 in a front page article in The Florida Times-Union (TU). Headlined "Leaving Iraq", the article interviewed five people about whether or not invading Iraq with U.S. forces has been worth the personal cost of the war. Dr. Steinberg told the TU he strongly feels the September 11, 2001 attack required a response. And since U.S. troops are in Iraq getting injured, proper care must be provided because, "They carry the weight of defense that stands between us and disaster." As far as the Iraqi people, Dr. Steinberg says, "We’ve given them the opportunity to have elections, to have freedoms they didn’t have before."

DCMS member Charles Perniciaro, MD, received the Practitioner of the Year award from the Florida Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery (FSDDS) at its 2009 Annual Meeting. Dr. Perniciaro was selected in recognition for his "long-standing commitment to the highest quality of patient care and dedicated leadership in this pursuit." An expert in Dermatopathology, Dr. Perniciaro has led Bernhardt Laboratories’ division in Dermatopathology since 2001. Formerly a consultant for the Mayo Clinic, he has served on the faculties of the University of Florida; Shands Jacksonville Medical Center; The Mayo Medical School in Rochester, MN; Louisiana State University School of Medicine; and Tulane University School of Medicine. Dr. Perniciaro has authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters.

Northeast Florida medical societies were well represented at the American Medical Association (AMA) and Florida Medical Association (FMA) Annual Meetings. AMA Delegates/Alternate Delegates from DCMS to the June 13-17, 2009 meeting in Chicago, IL were W. Alan Harmon, MD (delegate); Thomas G. Peters, MD (delegate); Ashley E. Booth, MD (alternate delegate); and John M. Montgomery, MD, MPH (alternate delegate). Miguel Machado, MD, represented St. Johns County Medical Society as a delegate.

DCMS, Clay County Medical Society (CCMS), Putnam County Medical Society (PCMS), and Nassau County Medical Society (NCMS) had delegates attend the July 23-26, 2009 FMA meeting in Boca Raton, FL. The Chair of the NE Florida Delegation was Daniel Lestage, MD. Other DCMS delegates were Guy I Benrubi, MD; Ashley E. Booth, MD; J. Bracken Burns, DO; Hernan Change, MD; James J. Corcoran, MD; E. Rawson Griffin, MD; Jeffrey M. Harris, MD; Joan Huffman, MD; Sunil N. Joshi,MD; James Joyce, MD; Neel G. Karnani, MD; Sherry King, MD; Glenn W. Knox, MD, JD; Harry Koslowski, MD; R. Stephen Lucie, MD; Charles B. McIntosh, MD; Senthil Meenrajan, MD; John Montgomery, MD, MPH; H. Martin Northup, MD; Thomas G. Peters, MD; Alexander Pogrebniak, MD; Robert A. Ponte, MD; Mobeen Rathore, MD; Todd L. Sack, MD; N.H. Tucker, III, MD; David J. Vukich, MD; and Wendell H. Williams, Jr., MD. CCMS delegates were Omar Garcia, MD; Scott Suhrer, MD; and John Zapp, MD. The PCMS delegate was Jack Matheny, II, MD. The NCMS delegate was Daniel Matricia, DO.

Dr. Harmon was re-elected as FMA Treasurer and chosen as an AMA Delegate. Dr. Harmon and Eli Lerner, MD, (representing FMA District B) serve on the FMA Board of Governors.

The DCMS Board of Directors has made an official statement about the current Health System Reform legislation and efforts. Look for "Patient-Centered Health System Reform Principles" and many other Health System Reform resources at dcmsonline.org.

United Community Outreach Ministry (UCOM/Contact – Brett Foster at 901-5565) assists people in need, especially on the Southside, by providing food, clothing, rent and/or utility money, as well as nursing scholarships for young adults. With the downturn in the economy, UCOM, other food banks and most charitable organizations are having difficulty collecting needed items and funds for people experiencing hard times. Internal Medical Group (IMG) is serving as a wonderful community partner by placing UCOM collection boxes for non-perishable items in an employee area and also one in the lobby for patients. Physicians, staff and patients can all benefit by coming together as a community during these tight financial times. The DCMS salutes IMG for their contributions to our community!