rx for excellence special section2010

8/8/2019 rx for excellence special section2010

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RxforExcellenceAwards Ceremony and BreakfastFriday, September , 010 TheWestin Copley Place 7 30- 9 30AM

Celebrating Massachusetts topprofessionals in promoting safety;ualityand risk management

in health care


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Please Join Us Awards Ceremony and Breakfast

September 24, 20107:30 - 9:30 AM

The Westin Copley Place10 Huntington Avenue, Boston

Tickets: $75 each, $1000 for a Table Sponsorship

To purchase tickets or sponsor a table, please contactMelissa Mitchell at [email protected]

or 617-218-8213.

For more information or to register online,go to www.mamedicallaw.com.

A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will go to

Gold Sponsors

Platinum Sponsor

Silver Sponsors

MASSACHUSETTS

In Partnership with:Presented by:


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KathyBerry, RNDirectorof PerformanceImprovementMarlboroughHospital

I have seen thedifference whenthe whole teamcomes togetherto improvequality andsafetyfor patients.

Outside/CommunityActivities: Co-chair,Marlborough Hospital HeartWalk,

AmericanHeart Association Marlborough and Northborough

food drives Coordinated toy/clothing drive to benefit

Marlborough Families. Safe SummerFun Day,to give free helmetsto

children and other tipsfor summer safety

Tellus aboutwhatyoudo.I bring together all members of thehealth

care team to work together to use the mostsuccessful methods to improve patient careand safety at Marlborough Hospital.

As a result of these efforts,we haveachieved zero centralline infections in 17

months.Also we exceed state average on themajorityof required hospital quality measuresas reported by Hospital Comparefor thefourth quarter of 2009.

Whydoyoudowhatyoudo?I developed a passionfor patients and their

families through my experiencesas a nurseand personally withmy family.I have seen thedifference when the whole teamcomes to-gether to improve quality and safety for pa-tients.

Whatis yourproudest achievement?In 2009I received the Betsy Lehman Award

for Patient Safety.Im especially proud to bringthishonor to our small community hospital.Itisgoodfor the communityto knowthatgreatcare is right in their backyard.

Im an instructor for trauma/pediatricemer-gency department nursing courses.As an in-structorI was able to bring free courses to staffsothey would havethe knowledge and skilltogive the bestcare to these patients.We wereable to hold classes at MarlboroughHospitaland achieved education for over 90 percentofourstaff.

Whatis thebiggestobstacleyouhavehadto overcome?It ischallenging for all hospitalsto meet the

administrative burden of reporting so muchdata in different formats to so many organiza-tions.

Whoisyour role modeland why?My parents,whocameto this country as

immigrants fromIreland so that theycouldgive their children better opportunities.Theyfaced much adversity but persevered throughhard workand ingenuity.

Giventhe recentpassageof thenewhealthcarereformlaw, whatdo youconsider the biggestchallengefacingdoctorsand the healthcare industrytoday?

Reimbursement for hospitals and doctorsto providenecessary care.There are notenough doctors so that every patient can havepreventivecare and follow-up appointmentsas needed for health concerns.

Whatwouldbe yourdreamjob (otherthanyourcurrentone)?

IfI could not dothis job,I would wantto bea starter on thegolf coursein Myrtle Beach.

My dream job would be less paperworkandto spend more time with patients to makesure theyhave the informationthey needtobe dischargedhome.

CoreyE.Collins,DO,FAADirectorof PediatricAnesthesiologyMassachusettsEyeandEarInfirmary

Each day thatI work as aphysician remindsme oftheimportanceof my decision toenter medicine.

Outside/CommunityActivities: MedicalVolunteer,Interplast MassachusettsMedicalSociety Fellow,AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics AmericanSociety of Anesthesiologists MassachusettsSociety of AnesthesiologistsWilderness MedicalSociety

Tellus about what youdo.I participatein a complex,challenging,but

very rewarding pediatric airway reconstruc-tionserviceand ophthalmic practice at a ter-tiaryreferral center in Boston.

Using an intense team-based and patient-focusedmodel for care delivery,we deliver thehighestquality of medical care to children ofallages.

The Heroes from the Fieldare the unsung heroesof theirprofessions, thosewholead byexampleand

demonstrate thehighest qualityofwork in their field, oftenwithout fanfare.

MMLR / SEPTEMBER 2010 M ASSACHUSETTSMEDICALL AW R EPORT/ Page B-3

The Honorees of the

2010 Rx for Excellence

Medical Awards Event

M A S S A C H U S E T T S G E N E R A L H O S P I TA L

WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE

massgeneral.org | 617-726-2000

www.mamedicallaw.com


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PageB-4 / M ASSACHUSETTSMEDICALL AW R EPORT SEPTEMBER 2010 / MMLR

In addition,I am focusedon systemic im-provement initiativesat our institution direct-ed at increasing the qualityof ourpediatriccarewhileimprovingefficiency and optimiz-ing patient and family satisfaction.

Whydoyoudowhatyoudo?Theinherent personal and professional re-

wardsthat come from themedical care ofchildren pale next to the satisfaction of serv-ing on such an excellent teamof nurses,sur-geons,staff and administrators.

From the top down,MEEI is committed tomeet everypatients needsand this isno moreevidentthat in our approach to children.Asweall dedicate ourselves eachday to this mis-sion,thetruest reward isknowing that I ampart of something so unique and important.

Whatis yourproudest achievement?Eachday that I work as a physician re-

mindsme of the importance of mydecisionto enter medicine.

As proudas I may be with certain honorsor positions,nothing compares to the austereand sober responsibility I assume witheachchild entrustedto my care especiallyattimes of criticalillness or vulnerability.As aparent of three,I am most proud of theskillsand trust I haveearned asa pediatric anesthe-siologist.

What isthe biggestobstacleyouhavehadto overcome?Entrance intomedical schoolwas hard for

me.I wasalways close but for three applica-tion cycles,I received the same responsesfrom admission deans and the samerejectionletters.

Withperseverance and mentorship,Igained admission to a fantastic education andafter many years of work and family support,achieved allmy goals.

Whois your rolemodeland why?My role model has alwaysbeen my father,a

Irish immigrant whonever completed thefourth grade,but a man imbued withself-re-spect,dignity,honor and courage that hasin-spired me to trust in myself,value my family,re-spect alland never forget the importance oflife and joy.

Giventherecentpassageofthenewhealthcarereformlaw, whatdo youconsider thebiggest challengefacingdoctorsand thehealth careindustry today?

Electronic medical datasystemsmustquickly meet theneeds of theAmericanpa-tient.Only with technology that eliminatesun-necessary communication errors,improvesdissemination of critical information betweenproviders and protects theprivacyof the pa-tient,while decreasing barriers to timely re-sponseto patient needs canour systemma-ture into a dynamic,effective andefficient one.

What wouldbe your dream job(otherthanyour currentone)?

I would loveto workat theBrookings Insti-tuteor the Institute for Healthcare Improve-ment after completion of a doctorate in SocialPolicyat Brandeis University.

As an academic prepared to drivethe so-cialscience of innovationand improvementtoward better,saferand more effective healthcaredelivery,I would commit myself as an ad-vocate for political and social solutions toworldwidehealth improvement.

What isone thing peopledontknowabout you?I have climbed MountWashington10 times

in winter.

RushikaFernandopulle,MDCo-FounderRenaissanceHealth

I believe we needto innovate ourmodels of caredelivery if we wantto help bothourselves, asphysicians, and ourpatients.

Outsideand CommunityActivities: Premedical Advisor,Harvard College Fidelity Biosciences Fellow Albert Schweitzer Fellowship

Tellus about what youdo.For the past six years,we have beenbuild-

ing new models of primary care,aimed at rad-ically improving the patient and physician ex-perience,clinicaloutcomes and affordabilityof care.

Whydoyoudowhatyoudo?I believewe need to innovate our models

of care delivery if wewantto help both our-selves,as physicians,and our patients.

Whatis yourproudest achievement?Other thanmy three fabulous daughters,

my proudest achievement is startingmy ownpracticebased ona new modelof care,andprovingit can work.

Whatis thebiggestobstacleyou have hadtoovercome?Resistance to changehas been thebiggest

obstacle.We gota lotof oppositionherefor ourfirst practicein Arlington accused ofraising expectationsandupsetting the sta-tusquo which was exactly what weweretrying to do.

Whoisyourrolemodelandwhy?I havemanyrolemodels one isDon

Berwick,who has beena voice for improvingcare for over 20 years.

Another role model is Dr.Paul Farmer fromPartners Health whodared to break somerules to radicallyimprove care for some of thepoorest patients on the planet.

Giventhe recentpassageof thenewhealthcare reformlaw, whatdo youconsider thebiggest challengefacingdoctorsand the healthcare industrytoday?

Figuring out howto deliverbetter,more per-sonalcare ata lower cost.

Whatwouldbe yourdreamjob (otherthanyourcurrentone)?

Running the newInnovationCenterat theCente rs for Medicare& Medicaid Services.

Its a job that has real promise to substan-tially change care (if they have the guts andskill to actually innovate).

What isone thing peopledontknowabout you?I lovetraveling,and havebeen to all 50

states,50different countries,andsix out of sev-en continents (just Antarctica left!).

Michele M.Garvin, Esq.PartnerRopes&Gray

Being a healthcare lawyer isspecial in thathealth care toucheseveryones life ina personal manner.

Joel AbramsCEODorchesterHouse Multi-ServiceCenter

The leadershipof a communityhealth center thatbegan as asettlement house,and that maintainsmany of itssettlement houseroots, is the ideal job for me.

Tellus aboutwhatyoudo.G

ar

vi

n: I am a health care generalist,

which is the legal equivalent of a primarycare provider. I provide general legal andregulatory compliance advice, affiliationand transaction counsel, network andphysician integration, managed care andaccountable care organization counsel for a variety of health care clients.

My clients include academic medical cen-ters,community hospitals,physician grouppractices,health plans and pharmaceuticalmanufacturers.

A

br

a

m

s

: I am the President and CEO ofDorchester House Multi-Service Center.DotHouseas it known in our community is locat-ed in the Fields Corner neighborhood ofDorchester.

Dot House houses a community healthcenter that serves over 20,000 patients andgenerates over 115,000 visits per year in pri-mary care as well as in oral health,eye care,behavioral health and a variety of supportservices.

We also provide case management to our many families and offer a range of publichealth and non-clinical services though our gym,swimming pool and teen center.Manyservices such as the legal clinic use the clini-cal setting to connect patients to other need-ed care.

Through DotWell,our partnership with theCodman Square Health Center,we have beenable to add and expand services,including fi-nancial literacy and earned income tax clin-ics,to a wider geographical area.

During my 23 years in this position,I havebeen able to lead a significant growth in our consumer base and to oversee the expansionof our services while maintaining a healthybottom line.

Why do you do what you do?G

a

r

vin

: I love being a lawyer and helpingclients solve problems of strategic or businesscritical importance to them.It is fun,challeng-ing and always an opportunity to learn newskills.

Being a health care lawyer is special in thathealth care touches everyones life in a per-sonal manner.

Ab

ra

ms

: The leadership of a communityhealth center that began as a settlementhouse, and that maintains many of its settle-

ment house roo ts, is the ideal job for me. Itcombines my skills in creative businessmanagement with my education and thevalues that were instilled in me by my par-ents.

What is your proudest achievement?G

a

r

vi

: Earning the respect of my peers andmy clients.

Ab

r

ams

: My proudest achievement hasbeen the increased access to high qualitycare that we have provided to our communityover the years that I have been with DotHouse.This has been achieved throughhealthy financial performance and consistentcash growth that has fed our financial re-serves.

All this has occurred during some to themost trying economic times.Healthy bottomlines and reserves have enabled us to attractor contribute our own capital for facilitiesand services expansion,to subsidize unprof-itable services and to attract and retain tal-ented personnel,including highly skilledmedical providers.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?G

a

r

vi

n: Finding enough time to do every-thing well.

A

b

r

ams

: We operate in a highly competitiveenvironment.Our health center is one of 56 inthe state and 26 in Boston.

One of our biggest challenges is getting theword out about how extraordinary we are.Once people get to know us they see us asone of the best kept secrets.

That may be a compliment but it is anobstacle as well. The better known we arethe easier it will be for us to attract donors,foundation grants and other sources of rev-enue, thereby complementing the revenueswe receive through health care reimburse-ment.

Our DotWell partnership has been a greathelp in these areas and is also highly regard-ed.However,it has engendered a lot of workto bring the cultures of our two organizationstogether in a true partnership and this has af-fected all levels within Dorchester House andCodman Square Health Center.

Who is your role model and why?G

a

r

vi

n: I have had many role models dur-ing different stages of my life but it all startswith my parents,who believed in education,hard work and never walking away from achallenge out of fear of failure.

Ab

rams: My mom and dad are undoubt-edly my role models.My father was able to at-tend law school without going to college andeventually became a New York State Su-preme Court Judge.He was one of the mosthighly regarded judges on the bench and in-deed one of the most highly regarded publicservants in Brooklyn.

My mom will be 93 in November.She liveson her own and continues to be active in her local Democratic club as well as other socialsettings.Along with my dad,she demonstrated

that life can and should be lived with graceand compassion for others.

She stood for civil rights long before thatbecame a common term and taught mybrothers and me valuable lessons about toler-ance for and celebration of differences.Un-doubtedly my progressive politics and the pro-fession I chose for my life was influenced bymy parents who also taught me to be theparent I became.

Given the recent passage of the new health care reformlaw, what do you consider the biggest challenge facingdoctors and the health care industry today?

G

a

r

vi

n: It is hard to keep the human experi-ence in the forefront of decision-making whilemanaging the complexity of rules,regulationsand administrative requirements in a time of

Heroes from the Field

Earn CME credits.To find more CME activities,

go to mamedicallaw.com/cme


5/24


extremely constrained health care dollars.

Ab

r

ams

: The biggest challenge will be toovercome the political posturing that has ac-companied the new law.This has fed a diffuseanger and misperception that big governmentwill take over peoples health care.So accep-tance will be the first challenge.

The real challenge is how coverage will befinanced and how care will be organized toallow for whatever dollars are in the system tobe used effectively and efficiently.Simple fixescan damage the system,whether such dam-age hits providers,patients,businesses or tax-payers.

Likewise,inadequate financing will pro-duce more of what we have today,includinginadequate coverage.Overly-complex systemscan also be damaging and the closer we canmove toward single payer principles,the moremoney can be saved in costly and onerousadministrative processes and the more can bespent on vital services.

What would be your dream job (other than your currentone)?

G

a

r

vi

n: I think it would be really fun beinga reviewer for the Michelin Guide.

A

b

r

ams

: I love music and would love to bea musician.Ideally,I would be a (famous andadored) folk song writer and performer.

What is one thing people dont know about you?G

a

r

vi

n: I was a military brat growing upand lived all over.

Ab

r

a

ms: Most people dont know that I lovescuba diving.

Bethany M. GilboardDirector of Health TechnologiesMassachusetts Technology Collaborative

I love knowingthat what I docan improvelives, and thequality and safety

of health caredelivery.

Outside/Community Activities: Active Alumni interviewer,University of

Rochester Temple Emanuel Programs

Give a description of your practice and what you haveaccomplished.

Four years ago I was given the opportunityto project manage a research project thatwould study the impact of ComputerizedPhysician Order Entry (CPOE) in communityhospitals.

The study and its outcome demonstrated

that one of every 10 admissions to a commu-nity hospital in MA resulted in a preventableadverse drug event.The study included a fi-nancial analysis along with the clinical find-ings and the outcome resulted in two major policy announcements.

Why do you do what you do?I love knowing that what I do can improve

lives,and the quality and safety of health caredelivery.

I learned several years ago that clinicaltechnology with robust clinical decision sup-port would transform the way health care isprovided.Whether it is the adoption of elec-tronic health records or CPOE or some other cool technology,I knew that I wanted to b e inthe epicenter of transforming the way healthcare is delivered.

I am very fortunate to be working in the or-ganization that is the recipient of federal fund-ing to help support technology adoption.

What is your proudest achievement?My proudest achievement is creating CPOE

University.I saw a lack of physician leadership in com-

munity hospitals and wanted to create a pro-gram that would benefit and attract communi-ty based physicians.I understood how criticalphysician engagement was for CPOE to besuccessful.I created a program to engagephysicians and their peers so that they couldhave a more effective working relationshipwith hospital executives.

The program was extremely successful andhas been recognized as a model.What I havedone for CPOE can be transferred to electronichealth records or any other clinical IT initiative.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?One of the biggest obstacles was convinc-

ing physicians that they should attend theCPOE University,and more importantly con-vincing hospital executives that they need toidentify a physician champion and not solelyrely on the hospital CIO to lead a clinicaltransformation initiative.

Finding physicians in community hospitalswho have the time and interest to devote tothis project was exceptionally challenging.This was particularly true for hospitals that didnot employ hospitalists.

Who is your role model and why?I dont know if I have any one role model.

Each position that I have held has taught me alittle bit more about myself.


I think that reengineering a practice andchanging the culture and attitude of an office-based physician is challenging.

I also dont believe that physicians fully un-derstand the long term benefits to their prac-tice in terms of efficiency,patient satisfactionand improved quality of care.The financial in-centives are only a teaser and should not bethe sole reason for adopting technology.


Congratulations to2010 Rx for Excellence Honorees

2010 Ropes & Gray LLP

Your work in providing legal guidance to those who need it most is inspiring.

The future of Medical-Legal Partnership | Boston is in good hands.

&Michele M. Garvin, Esq.Ropes & Gray Joel AbramsDorchester House


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Page B-6 / M ASSACHUSETTSMEDICALL AW R EPORT SEPTEMBER 2010 / MMLR

Ellen Hafer, MBA, MTSExecutive Vice President and COOMassachusetts League of Community Health Centers

I am personallymotivated by a

wonderful communityof colleagues whoshare a common

vision and trust ineach other.

Outside/Community Activities: Treasurer,Maria Droste Counseling Services Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative Massachusetts Coalition of School-Based

Health Centers

Tell us about whatyou do.I have served as a board member and man-

ager working with community health centersfor 38 years to expand access to communitybased health care.I have always worked andbeen a part of community-based boards of di-rectors trying to bring a community- and pa-tient-focused design to health care services.

I have been fortunate to serve as a volunteer and in work that has allowed me to work with oth-ers to pursue social equity in the delivery and de-sign of health care systems.In my current role,I amable to combine my interests in technology and fi-nancial management with a commitment to pur-sue the best resources for community health cen-ters to provide high quality patient and communi-ty responsive care using improved access to dataand information management systems.

Why do you do what you do?I developed a strong commitment to com-

munity organizing,empowerment and devel-opment in the mid 1960s.

On a daily basis I am motivated by my mem-ories and current work with colleagues andboards that are driven to empower the lives ofothers through providing care with respect.I amalso committed to do what we do efficientlyand effectively so we can support the other needs for housing and educational access.

I am personally motivated by a wonderfulcommunity of colleagues who share a com-mon vision and trust in each other.I have also

seen exploitive industries and inadequatehealth care systems impact on the life ex-pectancy of a family member.

I believe that a care system that integrates be-havioral health and primary care and technologyto use information across providers is essential toadd value to the lives of all of us and keep fami-lies and friends together for as long as possible.

What is your proudest achievement?Working with the board and staff of the com-

munity health center I managed for 17 years to ex-pand from two sites to five sites,to expand toserve a diverse population and to grow from pro-viding just over 10,000 visits to 50,000 visits,fromserving 3,000 patients to 13,000,while enablingpeople to collaborate to achieve these goals.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?Growing a community health center without

adequate financial resources and having to takefinancial risk to achieve needed growth.

Who is your role model and why?I really have two people.One is a woman I

worked for in college who ran a sandwich shopwith her husband.They worked very hard everyday,were fair to employees and used the talentspeople brought to the team.They gave people abreak,a chance and an opportunity to work.

When the husband died unexpectedly,thewife couldnt keep up the business and in-stead worked for five years in a factory to payoff a loan they had previously used to cover the summer salaries.

For the bigger picture of managing,I most ad-

mire and follow Joe Paterno in his role as head

coach at Penn State for 44 years.He is a hands-on manager who sets high performance stan-dards and puts his heart into his work and com-mitment to excellence toward reaching thegoals of the organization and in how they treatpeople and staff.He is loyal to his organizationand the people with whom he works.


To meet the challenge to manage care anddeploy resources while developing increasedaccess to information about effectiveness of in-dividual care and systems of care,and to in-crease our understanding of how to impact andachieve healthier lifestyles for patients and max-imize preventive health care information.

What would be your dream job (other than your currentone)?I would love to run an organization that

would support healthier individual and com-munity lifestyles by enhancing the sharing ofknowledge and tools for improving life strate-gies and quality of life goals.

What is one thing people dont know about you?My familys roots on both my mother and

fathers sides go back to the 1600s,to two vil-lages on a small island in the Caribbeancalled Saba.I am Saban.On October 10,2010,my fathers birth date,Saba will become a mu-nicipality within the Netherlands empire.

Soheil A. Hanjani, MDSupervising Obstetrician-GynecologistBrockton Neighborhood Health CenterChair, Department of Obstetrics & GynecologyCaritas Good Samaritan Medical Center

Knowing that youhave helped anotherhuman being, andmade a difference in[his or her] life especiallyin theirmoment of greatest

weaknessand vulnerability is incredibly satisfying.

Tell us about what you do.I have provided OB-GYN care to the indigent

population of Brockton and surrounding com-munities for 15 years.I am a general obstetri-cian-gynecologist,with a special interest in la-paroscopy and hysteroscopy,including robot-ics,and routine and high-risk obstetrics.

Why do you do what you do?Its the only thing I have always wanted to

do.In a field with a lot of stress and difficulty Istill manage to enjoy the craft and make pa-tients happier and healthier.

Theres an obvious pleasure and appreciationfrom patients,who clearly feel that I have helpedthem.Knowing that you have helped another hu-man being,and made a difference in [his or her]life especially in their moment of greatest weak-ness and vulnerability is incredibly satisfying.

It leads some physicians to get a God-like com-plex,while to some of us it is just very humbling.

What is your proudest achievement?It may be rather boring,but its a combina-

tion of achieving proficiency and some de-gree of excellence at work,while managing afamily life,and having a great relationship withmy wife and four children.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?Care of my autistic son,who also is my role

model.

Given the recent passage of the new health care reform

law, what do you consider the biggest challenge facing

doctors and the health care industry today?Doctors are going to have to do more and

get paid less.It is very much the shape ofthings to come.It is an obstacle that has to beaccepted,and managed as much as possible.

For busier physicians like myself,the hit is some-what less as we have a large pool of patients to see.My concern is that quantity will replace quality.


To have the money and independence tobe a one-on-one teacher for my son.

David Harlow, Esq.PrincipalThe Harlow Group

My blog has givenme a platform toexplain, and expoundupon, health care lawand policy matters ina way that makesthese issues morereadily accessible toa broad audience.

Outside/Community Activities: Board of the Metropolitan Boston Emer-

gency Medical Services Council Board of the New England School of

Acupuncture Faculty Editorial Committee Co-Chair,Massachusetts

Bar Association Wiki Project American Health Lawyers Association

Tell us about what you do.I help health care providers and other orga-

nizations of all shapes and sizes navigate themaze of regulatory and business issues facingthem on a daily basis.

I like to say that I practice preventive law;that approach to law complements my con-sulting practice,which focuses on assistinghealth care provider organizations with their internal strategies and in developing new par-adigms for collaboration with other providers,with payer organizations or with theultimate payers for their services: patients.

I have been an early adopter and activeuser of social media blogging and tweetingat HealthBlawg and am recognized as an ex-pert in the use of social media in the legal,health care and pharmaceutical markets.

I draw on over 20 years of public and privatesector experience including a stint as DeputyGeneral Counsel at the Massachusetts Departmentof Public Health in my law and policy practice.

Why do you do what you do?Health care is a vital service,and wrestling

with the issues it raises be they legal,ethical,organizational,strategic,financial or others isboth intellectually stimulating and emotional-ly gratifying.

Achieving a successful resolution of a poli-cy,legal or business issue can have a positiveimpact on the quality and cost-effectiveness ofhealth care delivered to individuals and onthe health status of populations.

What is your proudest achievement?On a personal level,I am enormously

proud of my three children,and of my wife,anaccomplished professional and my partner inraising our family.

On a professional level,I am proud of theimpact I have made with my blog.Health-Blawg is widely known both as a leadinghealth care blog,and as a leading law blog.Ithas given me a platform to explain,and ex-

pound upon,health care law and policy mat-

ters in a way that makes these issues morereadily accessible to a broad audience.

Thanks in part to the blog as my platform,Iam recognized as an expert source by main-stream and niche media locally and national-ly,and speak regularly at conferences onhealth care law and policy issues.

I also regularly host blog carnivals,or an-thologies of blogs,in the legal,medical andhealth policy fields,digesting the wisdom ofthe blogosphere and presenting it in an enter-taining and usable manner.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?Some would say that being a New Yorker in the

midst of Red Sox Nation is a special challenge.Iwould say that the biggest obstacle is being a lawyer,or rather,of encountering people who have alimited perspective on the role of a lawyer.

Im a New Yorker,but was never a Yankeesfan; Im a lawyer,but I strive to avoid thestereotype of conservative,obstructionistnaysayer.My most successful client relation-ships are based on an understanding of myrole as counselor and partner.


The trick is figuring out how to do morewith less; this may require significant,andspeedy,reorganization of the status quo.

The polarization of the health care reform de-bate has led to an understanding of the realloca-tion of health care resources as being a zerosum game.The biggest challenge before us is toredirect that discussion to an examination andimplementation of incentives at the payor,provider and patient levels that can yield mean-ingful improvements to quality of care andhealth status and reductions of overall costs.

Ellen L. Janos, Esq.AttorneyMintz Levin

I get tremendoussatisfaction fromhelping clients deal

with problems, bigand small.

Outside/Community Activities: Board Member,Wediko Childrens Services

Tell us about what you do.I have a general health law practice with a

focus on regulatory compliance.My clientsrange from traditional health care providers,such as hospitals,nursing homes and pharma-cies,to companies that offer alternative ap-proaches to the delivery of care.

Why do you do what you do?

I get tremendous satisfaction from helpingclients deal with problems,big and small.I es-pecially enjoy helping clients work though thecomplex state and federal regulatory issuesthat have become as much a part of our health care system as care itself.

What is your proudest achievement?Professionally my two cases before the

U.S.Supreme Court.My proudest personal achievement is rais-

ing my two daughters,who have become re-markable young women.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?I have met many challenges throughout my 33

year career but,fortunately,no obstacles.

Who is your role model and why?

My partner and friend,Steve Weiner.Steve is



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a creative,strategic,hardworking lawyer whohas the earned the respect and trust of hisclients,his partners and even his adversaries.


The challenges have remained the samefor a very long time: providing high quality,cost-effective care.


I would love to be the CEO of a hospital.

What is one thing people dont know about you?My middle name is Lucky.

John LaRossa, MDEndocrinologist/DiabetologistNewton-Wellesley Hospital

I love the clinicalpractice of medicineand interacting withand caring forpatients.

Outside/Community Activities: President,Howard Gottlieb Archival Re-

search Center Board of Trustees,Boston Uni-versity

Chairman,Cardinals Lawn Committee,Blessed John XXIII National Seminary

Algonquin Club Knight of the Equestrian Or-der of the Holy Sepulcher

Tell us about what you do.I work in private practice in the field of dia-

betes,endocrinology and internal medicine.I have provided 33 years of clinical care to

patients and clinical teaching of second,thirdand fourth year medical students as well as in-terns/residents in training.

Why do you do what you do?I love the clinical practice of medicine and

interacting with an d caring for patients.

What is your proudest achievement?Raising our son and contributing to his suc-

cess,and helping patients get well are myproudest achievements.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?To continue to keep abreast of rapidly chang-

ing knowledge in the many fields of medicine


The biggest challenge will be continuing todeliver the highest level and most personalcare possible to patients in need.


To be conductor of a symphony orchestra.

What is one thing people dont know about you?I would love to learn to play the harp.

Inga T. Lennes, MDDirector of Clinical QualityMassachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center

To ensure highquality care for all

of our patients, weneed to combineone-on-one personalcare and commitment

with a global andsystems-basedapproach to care.

Tell us about what you do.The Director of Clinical Quality is a new po-

sition at the MGH Cancer Center and sincestarting here in this role,my goals have beento establish a well-recognized quality programat the cancer center that draws on evidenceand consensus based guidelines for the high-est quality cancer care.

Over the past year,we have built reportingstructures to monitor our progress in imple-menting safety and quality programs for our inpatients and outpatients.We have strength-ened communication between providers andpatients and have focused on reducing un-necessary variation and increasing efficiencythrough the use of our electronic healthrecord systems.

Why do you do whatyou do?Medical care can be very complicated and

I enjoy taking a step back to look at the sys-tems in place that can work for us or workagainst us.

So much of medicine is one-on-one withpatients and that sustains me,but I have real-ized that to ensure high quality care for all ofour patients,we need to combine one-on-onepersonal care and commitment to a globaland systems-based approach to care.My job isvery rewarding in all of its facets.

What is your proudest achievement?Always,my proudest achievement is the

care I provide my patients.I am a lung cancer specialist.

Unfortunately,most of my patients have adifficult battle with their disease and most ofthem die of lung cancer.I am most proud ofmy work when my patients feel well cared for.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?In my position as the Director of Quality,the

biggest obstacle has been implementing sys-tems of measurement using metrics that are


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useful and valid.It is difficult to improve quality if you cant

measure it accurately and it can take quite alot of resources to develop the reporting capa-bility to reliably measure clinical quality.

Who is your role model and why?I have several great role models.Immediate-

ly,Don Berwick at the Institute for HealthcareImprovement comes to mind.I heard himspeak about five years ago and his remarksleft tire tracks on my brain and began my in-terest in rebuilding medicine,focusing on thesystems in place to support high quality care.

Other role models are Paul Levy and Dr.Mark Zeidel at BIDMC.I trained with Dr.Zeideland I respect and admire his ability to weavequality and safety improvement training (aswell as systems-thinking) into a medical resi-dency training program.


I think the biggest challenge will be defin-ing quality care,implementing ways to mea-sure it and then changing the culture of medi-cine so that all practitioners are accustomedto receiving reports regarding the quality ofcare they are providing.

More care will be reimbursed based onoutcomes measured.In cancer care,I think wewill see more reward for implementing theprocess or structure of quality cancer care.

Overall,I think doctors are torn betweenwanting to do the best that they can for thepatient in front of them and also weighingeconomic implications of treatment deci-sions.I think doctors will need to be veryproactive in defining the standards of qualitycare for ourselves.

What is one thing people dont know about you?I grew up in rural Minnesota.

Alejandro Danny

Mendoza, MDMedical Director, Senior Behavioral Health Center,Jordan HospitalChief, Division of Psychiatry, South Shore Hospital

I believe that thefuture of psychiatryis at the interfacebetween medicine,surgery and theirspecialties andsubspecialties.

Tell us about what you do.I was the founding Chair of Psychiatry at

Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center,where I established the inpatient geriatric neu-ropsychiatry unit and the medical surgicalconsultation liaison service,as well as re-vamped the Norcap Addiction Service.

I left Good Samaritan to start a new Depart-ment of Psychiatry at Jordan Hospital,alongwith a state of the art Geriatric Neuropsychia-try Unit and consultation service.

Currently,I am working on a new clinicaland academic affiliation with Tufts Univ ersitySchool of Medicine.I am hoping to establishan outpatient Memory Disorders Unit to serveboth South Shore Hospital and Jordan Hospi-tal and to establish a geriatric psychiatry fel-lowship through Tufts at Jordan (given the de-clining numbers of fellows/programs and the

dramatically increasing numbers of geriatric

patients).I am hoping to dovetail this service with a

geriatrics service line.

Whydo you do what you do?My father had a career-ending hemorrhagic

stroke at the age of 49 and even though he sur-vived this catastrophic event,he underwent adramatic personality change from the braininjury.

I realized then that the number of medicalproviders who were trained to diagnose andtreat these neuropsychiatric syndromes waslimited.I also believe that the future of psychi-atry is at the inte rface between medicine,surgery and their specialties and subspecial-ties and that the battleground will be in thegeneral hospital.

What is your proudest achievement?My three sons.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?Getting started in medicine in this country.

Who is your role model and why?I consider myself blessed to have had many

superb,selfless teachers and mentors.In termsof a singular role model,my father instilled asense of decency and fairness in me.


Too many non-clinicians are making deci-sions that will have profound impact on thecare of millions.From the front lines,I envisiona superficially political fixthat would raisethe veneer of coveragebut wouldnt addressthe issue of access.


To return to a teaching post in Boston.

Deanne C. Munroe, JD, MS, APN-BCNurse Practitioner, Massachusetts General HospitalClinical Instructor, Simmons College

No two days areever the same andthere is so much Ilearn on a daily basisboth professionallyand personally.

Tell us about what you do.In my role as a nurse practitioner in the

Emergency Department,I evaluate and treatadults with problems ranging from a bruisedtoe to traumatic head and spine injuries.For higher acuity patients,I collaborate with the at-tending physician and various other specialties.

As an adjunct clinical instructor,I overseeand guide students during community health,medical-surgical nursing,leadership and man-agement.

Why do you do what you do?I love working with people.It is a challenge to

work with individuals and families who presentto the Emergency Department,in part becausethey start out not really wanting to be there.

It is a tremendous responsibility to commu-nicate with patients about what the plan ofcare is for them and to advise them on whatthey should expect during their stay in order to alleviate as much anxiety as possible.

It is a humbling experience to be a smallpart of a patient and their familys health cri-sis.No two days are ever the same and there is

so much I learn on a daily basis both profes-

sionally and personally.Teaching future nurses is a challenge,but

there is no greater feeling than to watch a stu-dent grow into their own.Clinical is a way for me to give back to my profession.I work withgreat faculty and nursing staff at many differ-ent facilities that are committed to nursing ex-cellence.

What is your proudest achievement?My proudest achievement was fulfilling my

lifelong dream of graduating from law schooland passing the bar.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?The biggest obstacle I had to overcome was

working full-time nights and attending gradu-ate school during the days while raising myson as a divorced parent.

Who is your role model and why?My role model is Karen Teeley, MSN,who is

a nursing professor at Simmons College.Karenis the consummate professional; she has awelcoming,positive energy about her.Shestrives to improve her course every semester through student feedback.She is supportive,encouraging,and always available.


My dream job would be to be appointed asthe National Nurse,a job that does not exist yet,but will hopefully be created to encourage vol-unteering and empower nurses to advocate for improvement of community health and safety.

Rebecca OnieCo-Founder and CEOProject HEALTH

I understoodthat breaking thelink betweenpoverty and poorhealth would bethe hardest thingto do, but also thething most worth

working for.

Tell us about what you do.Project HEALTHs model is simple but effective.

In clinics where our Family Help Desk programsoperate,physicians can prescribefood,housing,fuel assistance or other resources for their patientsas routinely as they do medication.

Located in the waiting room and staffed bycollege volunteers,our 18 Family Help Desksfillthese prescriptions by connecting pa-tients with key resources.Last year,ProjectHEALTHs corps of nearly 600 tenacious,ener-getic,well-trained volunteers assisted 5,000low-income patients and their families inBoston,Providence,New York,Baltimore,Wash-ington,D.C.,and Chicago in accessing the re-sources they need to be healthy.

Why do you do what you do?Three days before my 18th birthday,I read an

article in The Boston Globe describing the workof Dr.Barry Zuckerman,the Chair of BostonMedical Centers Pediatrics Department.

Dr.Zuckerman boldly asserted that a pedi-atrics department should be a place where chil-dren got healthy and,in the case of low-incomechildren,that would require more than clinicalcare.To realize this vision,he had assembled ateam of lawyers,psychologists,and experts in lit-eracy,violence and child development.

The Globe article resonated.At the start ofmy sophomore year,I called Dr.Zuckermanand told him I wanted to help.He said wewould talk after I spent six months at BMC.

During that time,I trailed any doctor whowould let me,spending afternoons in the pedi-atric outpatient clinic or the high-stakesneonatal intensive care unit and nights in thepediatric emergency room.

In between patients or over rushed lunchin the cafeteria,I would ask the doctors to tellme their greatest dreams for their patients.

They would chuckle at the naivet of thequestion,but then grow serious: Every day,Ihave patients with ear infections or asthma ex-acerbations.I prescribe antibiotics or an inhaler refill,but I know there is no food at home or thattheir family is living in car.And I dont ask aboutit,because what am I going to do,with patientspiling up in the waiting room and no idea howto find them what they need?

Sometimes the guilt would get the best ofthem: If I can,I give the family $20 out of mywallet.At the end of my six months,I under-stood that breaking this link between povertyand poor health would be the hardest thing todo,but also the thing most worth working for.

What is your proudest achievement?Project HEALTH has demonstrated that in-

novation within the complicated and expen-sive health care sector is possible.

By mobilizing a corps of tenacious under-graduate volunteers to connect low-incomepatients with the resources they need to behealthy,Project HEALTH increases the capaci-ty of clinics to address these needs in an af-fordable,effective manner and demonstratesthe opportunity to leverage a vast workforceof lay people,such as college students,to pro-vide this much-needed infrastructure withinthe medical system itself.

In the realm of global health,there has longbeen a clear understanding that adequatehousing,food security and basic utilities areessential to good health.In the U.S.,however,much of the focus on health disparities asevidenced by the current health reform de-bate surrounds access and cost,rather thansocial determinants.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?Any organization whose model relies on a

volunteer workforce and particularly a stu-dent workforce often faces skepticismaround efficacy and professionalism.

Who is your role model and why?Dr.Barry Zuckerman,for his insistence in

solving all problems from what he describesas a childs-eye view of the world.He taughtme that every worthwhile solution begins byunderstanding what a patient needs to behealthy,and then building programs,system sand structures to that end,even when that ap-proach defies prevailing norms or entrenchedexpectations.


Truthfully,I cannot imagine a job dreamier than my current one.

What is one thing people dont know about you?

In 1992,I won third place in the Miss TeenMassachusetts pageant,but failed to clinch thewinning title because I took the opportunityon stage before the assembled crowd ofjudges,contestants,and audience to discussthe importance of condoms in preventing thespread of HIV and AIDS,a rather unpopular topic at the time.


www.mamedicallaw.com


9/24


Ilonna J. Rimm, MD, PhDSenior Vice President, Director of PhysicianConsultation ServicesLazard Capital Markets

I believe that I canpersonally participatein innovation byconnecting twogroups of colleagues:medical innovators,

who have good ideas,and health careinvestors, who can move innovativeideas forward.

Outside/Community Activities: Healthcare Innovations Team,Combined

Jewish Philanthropies Co-author of See Jane Win ,a New York Times

& Wall Street Journal Best Seller

Tell us about what you do.As a physician/scientist,I am committed to

bringing innovation to patient care.As the Director of Physician Consultation

Services with Lazard Capital Markets,I makeconnections between financial analysts whowant to discuss new medicines and devicesand thought-leading senior physicians whohave hands-on experiences with those medi-cines and devices.

In this way,I add medical knowledge to fi-

nancial analysis.My work supports invest-ments that provide true innovative improve-ments in patient care.

Why do you do what you do?I am committed to medical and scientific

innovation and I believe that I can personallyparticipate in innovation by connecting twogroups of colleagues: medical innovators,whohave good ideas,and health care investors,who can move innovative ideas forward.

What is your proudest achievement?During the time that I worked on the Harvard

Medical School faculty,I recruited five youngpost-baccalaureate colleagues to work in mylaboratory.They all wanted to attend medicalschool and all five of them left for medical

school after their excellent scientific work.One young woman said,Before I came towork here,I did not think that it was possibleto have a career and a family.But I have seen

you succeed and now I believe that I can doit,too.I am immensely proud of their accom-plishments.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?I have almost always worked in predomi-

nantly male environments,both in medicineand finance.Sometimes it has been difficult toencourage my colleagues to listen to myideas.

I have found it helpful to become a morecheerful,enthusiastic person,even at the riskof becoming the Pollyannaof health care fi-nance.Cheerful voices are more often heard.

Who is your role model and why?My role model is Meg Whitman.She has

built an amazing company and has main-tained an impressive family life.Now,she is acandidate for the Governor of California.

When I last asked Meg how she accom-plished so much,she responded,It all startedwith my parents,who encouraged me to be-lieve that I could do anything.I have great re-spect for her combination of superlative per-formance in the workplace and a strong fami-ly life.


The hardest part of the term health careisthe carepiece.As we participate in healthcare reform,we will need to determine how tobring careto patients while spending lessand less time with them.

Since spending timehas been consid-ered a cr itical component of demonstratingthat we care,we will have to invent newways of showing concern for patients, a criti-cal part of the trust between physicians andpatients. Health care providers will use their ingenuity to develop novel approaches tomake the human connection that is criticalfor health care.


Although I enjoy my position on the sellsideof health care investing,my dream job ison the buy sidewhere I can make a more di-rect contribution to innovation.

What is one thing people dont know about you?I am,at heart, a farm girl from Wisconsin.I

moved from rural Wisconsin to go to HarvardMedical School when I was 19 and I continueto be in awe of the bright lights in the big city.

It has been an incredible privilege to make thejourney from the farm to health care finance.

Joyce A. Sackey, MDDean for Multicultural Affairs and Global HealthTufts University School of Medicine

I am driven by a

commitment tohealth care equityand empowered bythe hope of so manycolleagues who are

willing and ready to work alongside meto find solutions to the vexingproblems of health care disparities.

Outside/Community Activities Co-Founder and President,Foundation for

African Relief

Tell us about what you do.Our organization,the Foundation for


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African Relief,has trained African physiciansat the forefront of providing HIV/AIDS care.Wehave also collaborated with local organiza-tions and churches in Ghana to provide freemedical care for under-served communitiesthrough mobile clinic outreach.

Why do you do what you do?Global health care disparities exist and

can be overwhelming sometimes. However,causes of death and disability in resource-limited areas are most often entirely pre-ventable. Those of us who have the benefitof access to technical know-how and re-sources have the opportunity to change thesituation and bring hope and healing tothousands of people.

I am therefore driven by a commitment to

health care equity and empowered by thehope of so many colleagues who are willingand ready to work alongside me to find solu-tions to the vexing problems of health caredisparities.

What is your proudest achievement?Mentoring young students and physicians

who then become advocates in their ownright for global health equity.Over the years Ihave worked with many mentees and ad-visees at every level of the educational ladder.I am proud of each and every one of themand what they have accomplished.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?Inertia and naysayers who are quick to say

it cant be done.One tends to encounter thison almost every issue.

Who is your role model and why?A have a number of role models there is

no single individual that embodies every-thing I look to for inspiration.There are keythemes that characterize the people I admirethe most: individuals who lead lives of pur-pose,courage and deep faith are a source ofgreat inspiration.


Producing enough primary care physicianswho will be available to provide good qualitycare for newly enrolled patients,chronic carefor an aging population and join a national ef-fort to eliminate health care disparities.


I have my dream job now.I love what I do.

What is one thing people dont know about you?I have a fantasy to travel around the world.

Richard Serrao, MDInternistVA Boston Health Care System and Boston UniversitySchool of Medicine

I enjoy the varietythat comes fromtaking care of a

wide spectrum of patients andhelping traineeslearn what I havelearned.

Outside/Community Activities:

Freelance graphic artist,filmmaker,traveler

Tell us about what you do.Im an academic hospitalist with a subspe-

ciality in infectious diseases.I train fellows,res-idents and medical students.

I have directed the introduction to clinicalmedicine course for several years for theBoston University School of Medicine and amthe current medical director for the Ambulato-ry Diagnostic Treatment Center at the VA,whichfunctions as a referral clinic for expeditedwork-up of complex outpatient issues,in addi-tion to providing perioperative risk stratifica-tion for surgical patients.

I am also the clerkship director for thecoreinternal medicine clerkship for third-year medical students at the VA.I serve on severalquality improvement committees,but ammost involved in education.

Why do you do what you do?I enjoy the variety that comes from taking

care of a wide spectrum of patients and help-ing trainees learn what I have learned.

What is your proudest achievement?Completion and screening of a documen-

tary film I produced about the AIDS epidemicin Uganda.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?Mainly fear and insecurity,which are over-

come by walking right through them.

Who is your role model and why?Filmmaker Steven Spielberg and his collab-

orator,John Williams,as their creativity knowsno bounds and reflects a passion that can beachieved when medicine is viewed throughthe same creative/artistic approach.


It will be especially difficult to accommo-date the influx of patients and the disparitiesnoted between reimbursements for primarycare physicians and subspecialists.


To be a film director.

Paul W. Shaw, Esq.PartnerK&L Gates

I enjoy assisting

physicians andother health careprofessionals andorganizations whenfaced with regulatoryissues.

Outside/Community Activities: Cambridge Boat Club

Tell us about what you do.I concentrate on representing physicians,

hospitals and other health care organizationsin regulatory matters and litigation matters.

Why do you do what you do?I enjoy assisting physicians and other

health care professionals and organizationswhen they are faced with regulatory issues.

What is your proudest achievement?Successfully representing The New England

Journal of Medicine in a variety of mass tort lit-igations to prevent the disclosure of peer re-view materials related to scientific studies andarticles published in the Journal.

Who is your role model and why?Former Massachusetts Attorney General

Francis X.Bellotti.As a new law school graduate in 1975,

Frank took a chance and hired me as an Assis-tant Attorney General in the criminal bureau,where I had a fabulous experience while de-

veloping my skills as a trial lawyer.Given the recent passage of the new health care reformlaw, what do you consider the biggest challenge facingdoctors and the health care industry today?

Complying with the myriad increased regu-lations,while contending with decreased re-imbursement.


Being the bullpencatcher for the Boston RedSox.You get to be part of the team without any ex-pectation that you will have to perform on the field.

Kathleen PfeiferSpurling, RN, JDSenior Claims RepresentativeProMutual Group

If you give of yourself, you notonly help othersbut you also getso much back inreturn from thepeople that youtouchOutside/Community Activities: New England Law Boston Board of Trustees

Chairman Recruitment

Retention and Tenure Committee Gover-nance Committee

St.Marys High School Admissions Committee Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society

Tell us about what you do.After graduating from Northeastern with a

Bachelors of Science degree in Nursing,I beganmy career as a registered nurse taking care ofcritically ill patients in an acute care setting.

My initial scope of practice was caring for burn patients at Massachusetts General Hospi-tal.This was at times emotionally devastatingbut also extremely rewarding.

I had always yearned to work in an emer-gency/trauma center and was then luckyenough to become a nurse at Atlanticare Med-ical Center in Lynn for the next seven years.

While working there,I became involved in

a potential medical malpractice matter and Idecided that given my background I would beequipped to assist other medical profession-als in similar situations.

In 1982,I began my second career as aclaims representative for ProMutual Group,amedical malpractice insurance companynow servicing New England.

For the past 28 years,I have managed med-ical malpractice litigation being brought againsthealth care providers.Having both the medicaland legal background and experience allowsme to advocate fairly for both parties with theultimate goal of reaching a fair outcome.

I pride myself on being ethical,fair andhonest in my approach to both partiesthrough the difficult litigation process suchthat they are satisfied that their respective po-sitions have been represented.I pride myselfon being respected by both the defense andplaintiffs bar for the work I do.

What is your proudest achievement?Being able to successfully complete law

school at night and pass the bar while work-ing full-time with a full caseload of med-malcases to adjust to a fair and responsible out-come.If you give of yourself,you not only helpothers but you also get so much back in re-turn from the people that you touch.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?As the oldest of five children from a middle

class family,I had to put myself through bothcollege and law school.My parents wantedme to go to a School of Nursing rather thanlaw school so that I could work sooner and

support myself.


The regulation of the quality of care by gov-ernment,given its inexperience in that arena,will have a devastating effect on health careproviders and institutions.

This governmental intrusion will have fi-nancial effects not only on all Americans butalso on hospitals and health care providers ata time when the economy is in turmoil and re-imbursement by insurers and the governmentfor services rendered is already low.Reportingand record-keeping seems to be outweighingthe actual care that is given to the patients.

Willie Stephens, DDSOral surgeon

Dr.Stephens graduated from the University

of California Medical Center in 1973,and com-


Morrison Mahoney LLP

congratulates the

2010 R X FOR E XCELLENCE H ONOREES

Connecticut England Massachusetts New Hampshire New Jersey New York Rhode Island

www.morrisonmahoney.com

MORRIS

ON M

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11/24

pleted his internship and residency in Oral andMaxillofacial Surgery at Massachusetts GeneralHospital in 1976.

After completing his residency he be-came the Chief of Oral and MaxillofacialSurgery at Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francis-co. He also spent eight years as the Director of the Res idency Training Program in OMS atUCLA/Martin Luther King, Jr. General Hospi-tal in Los Angeles. Dr. Stephens spent thenext 20+ years in the Department ofOral/Plastic Surgery managing complexOral/Facial Reconstructive Surgery while atboth Brigham and Womens Hospital andMassachusetts General Hospital. He is cur-rently working in private practice full time.

Dr.Stephens practice in centered in theMetroWest area and he operates primarily at

MetroWest Medical Center and UMASS MedicalCenter. He has a wide referral base that is bothlocal and international.

Dr.Stephens clinical interests include a spec-trum of oral and maxillofacial surgery that cov-ers surgical problems from conventional oralsurgery,such as wisdom teeth,to complex or-thognathic surgery,reconstructive temporo-mandibular joint surgery,maxillofacial traumaand sleep apnea.

He specializes in problems that involve bonegrafts and tissue engineering,along with abroad range of implant reconstructive surgery.

He is widely regarded by his patients for anexemplary bedside manner,thorough attentionand positive outcomes.

Robert J. SucheckiCEOHampden County Physician Associates, LLC

I strive to provideaccess tohigh-quality,coordinated,cost-effective carefor the residentsof Hampden andHampshire County.

Outside/community activities Former Board President,American Lung Asso-

ciation of Western Mass. Hawthorne Services Holyoke Council of Arts Founder of Holyoke Farmers Market Coach,Holyoke Youth Sports

Tell us about what you do.HCPA,LLC is a multi-specialty physician

group practice serving residents of Hampdenand Hampshire County in Western Massachu-setts.We have grown from slightly over 20 physi-cians and nine nurse practitioners and physi-cian assistants in the year 2000 to 60 physicians,30 nurse practitioners and physician assistantsand 14 off ice sites today.

We have developed our own hospitalist ser-vice at two of the three local hospitals where our

own long-term care and sub-acute team providesservices at 14 local skilled nursing facilities.

Our nurse case management and chronicdisease management team members havebeen delegated to positions in the other facili-ties for medical management,a full service lab,an imaging center,a sleep center and severalother ancillary services.

Of particular note,along with our continuumof care,we have developed contractualarrangements with other primary care physi-cians,specialists and hospitals in our area,cre-ating an integrated network (the makings of anaccountable care organization),which hasbeen participating in global risk arrangementsince the year 2000.

Over 100 primary care physicians from other practices participate in these arrangementsthrough our practices agreements.Our provider network has some of the best utiliza-tion and patient satisfaction statistics of all par-ticipants statewide.

Last year,we implemented electronic pre-scribing,and this year we will complete our im-plementation of electronic health recordsthroughout our organization.

In addition,we have worked diligently with our malpractice carrier to implement a comprehen-sive multi-modality risk management educationalcurriculum,which has reduced our exposure andresulted in reduced malpractice premiums.

Why do you do what you do?I strive to provide access to high-quality,coor-

dinated,cost-effective care for the residents of

Hampden and Hampshire County.

What is your proudest achievement?My wife and I providing our sons with a

nourishing environment to grow and achievesocially,physically,intellectually and spiritually.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?Working with our physician leaders to trans-

form our Independent Practice Associationphysician group practice into an organizationthat functions like a coordinated,multi-special-ty physician group model.

Who is your role model and why?My mother.Her strength,determination,per-

severance,dedication to her family and will toalways do the right thingwere her strongest at-tributes and a huge inspiration to me.


Choosing the right path and model to maxi-mize efficiency and outcomes,while providingan attractive practice setting for providers and

yielding a high level of patient satisfaction.


An actuary.

What is one thing people dont know about you?I cultivate bonsai as a hobby and held five

baseball records in college,one of which wasmost strikeouts.



Medical Professional Mutual Insurance Company and the entire ProMutual Group congratulate all the winners

of the Rx for Excellence Award , presented by the Massachusetts Medical Law Report , and we are proud to be a

Gold Sponsor of this years awards ceremony.

We are also proud to have a member of our Board of Directors as well as a member of our Claims Department

among the recipients!

Congratulations to Dr. Philip E. McCarthy, MD, a general surgeon and dedicated healthcare provider, andKathleen Pfeifer Spurling, RN, JD, senior claim representative for ProMutual Group.

Being honored as a Leader of Quality, Dr. McCarthy works to promote and advance safety, quality and risk

management in the practice of medicine and ensure that patients receive the high quality of care that they

deserve.

As a Hero in the Field, Ms. Spurling works tirelessly to provide support and assistance to healthcare providers

during an often stressful time in their lives.

From all of us at ProMutual Group, congratulations to all of the 2010 Rx for Excellence Award recipients!

CONGRATULATIONS!


12/24


Ronald A. Arky, MDProfessor of Medicine and Medical Education,Harvard Medical SchoolSenior Physician, Brigham and Womens Hospital

I enjoy havingthe opportunityto work with thebest youngmedical studentsin the world.

Outside/Community Activities: President of the American Diabetes Associa-

tion Boston Classical Orchestra Program Director of Internal Medicine at

Harvard Medical School Chairman of the Departmentof Medicine at

Mount Auburn Hospital

Tell us about what you do.My practice is limited to patients with dia-

betes,and I am primarily a medical educator.Iam also the Dean of Curriculum at HarvardMedical School and the master of the schoolsF.W.Peabody Society,which mentors studentsand emphasizes on inter-disciplinary and in-ter-institutional endeavors in community med-icine,public health and social medicine.

Why do you do what you do?I have a great love of teaching and medical

education in general.I also enjoy having theopportunity to work with the best young med-ical students in the world.

What is your proudest achievement?The accomplishments and contributions to

medicine that my students have achieved over thepast 50 years are my own proudest achievement.Since I have been in the businessof medical edu-cation for almost 50 years,I have innumerable stu-dents who have brought me great pride and gratifi-cation.Many have gone on to become deans ofother medical schools,authors,surgeons and rolemodels for others in the health care field.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?Becoming an effective administrator while

still being actively engaged as an educator,re-searcher and caregiver.

Who is your role model and why?That would have to be Daniel Federman,M.D.,

who teaches endocrinology at Harvard MedicalSchool.He is a teachers teacherwith a talent for taking the most complex of principles and explain-ing them in the most precise yet simple terms.

Within medicine,he has been a leadingproponent of the tenet that education and thelearning process are sciences and deserveequal attention and respect to that bestowedupon medical research and patient care.He isskilled and proficient as a clinician and edu-cator.


The health care industry needs to figure outhow to curtail medical care costs in the face ofan aging population,as well as advances inboth technology and medical knowledge.

What is one thing people dont know about you?I would have liked to be a baseball player

but was not a good hitter.

Mara G. AspinallPresident and CEOOn-Q-ity

The sequencingof the humangenome with theaddition of newdiagnostictechniques willallow us to moreaccurately deliverthe right care to the right patient at alower total cost per patient.

Outside/Community Activities: Former Chairman,American Cancer Society Trustee,Dana Farber Cancer Institute Co-Chairman,Early Education for All Board Member,Boston Private Industry

Council Board Member,Greater Boston Chamber of

Commerce Board Member,U.S.Personalized Medicine

Coalition Founding Board Member,European Person-

alized Medicine & Diagnostics Association

Tell us about what you do.I am President and CEO of On-Q-ity,a next-

generation cancer diagnostics company dedi-cated to creating personalized diagnostics for solid tumor cancer pat ients.

We are focused on transforming cancer treatment through innovative diagnostics toidentify the unique characteristics of individ-ual patients cancer,predict their response totherapy,monitor the efficacy of their treatmentand identify cancers recurrence as early aspossible.

Our goal is to change how treatment deci-sions are made by offering oncologists andtheir patients more cost-effective,informativeand actionable treatment guidance.

Why do you do what you do?We need to improve the efficacy of the

drugs that are used in our health care system

The Leaders in Qualityare professionals whose unique efforts have helped advance safety,

quality and risk management for many patients and health care providers.

Lucian L. Leape, MDChair, Lucian Leape InstituteAdjunct Professor of Health PolicyHarvard School of Public Health

Diane C. Pinakiewicz, MBAPresident, Lucian Leape InstitutePresident, National Patient Safety Foundation~Carolyn M. Clancy, MDDirector, Agency for HealthcareResearch and Quality James B. Conway, MSSenior Vice President,Institute for Healthcare ImprovementSusan Edgman-Levitan, PAExecutive Director,John D. Stoeckle Center for PrimaryCare InnovationMassachusetts General Hospital James A. GuestPresident, Consumers Union

Gary S. Kaplan, MD, FACMPEChairman & CEO,Virginia Mason Medical Center Julianne M. Morath, RN, MS

Chief Quality & Safety Officer,Vanderbilt University Medical CenterDennis S. OLeary, MDPresident Emeritus, The Joint CommissionPaul ONeillFormer Chairman & CEO, Alcoa72nd Secretary of the US TreasuryDavid M. Lawrence, MDLLI Member EmeritusChairman & CEO (retired),Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.and Kaiser Foundation HospitalsPamela A. Thompson, MS, RN, FAANLLI Member Ex-officioImmediate Past Chair, NPSF Board of DirectorsCEO, American Organization of Nurse Executives

L L I N P S F

Forum: The Omni Parker House Hotel

Gala Reception & Dinner: The State Room

Dinner Speaker

DAVID BLUMENTHAL, MD, MPPNational Coordinator for

Health Information Technology Department of Health & Human Services

Strategic Visionfor Patient SafetyWorking to Create Transformational

Change

oin health care leaders for an extraordinary afternoon of dialogue with Lucian Leape Institute members, followed by

an evening networking reception and dinner.

For program details and to make reservations, please visit www.npsf.org.Seating is limited.

Lucian Leape Institute at the National Patient Safety Foundation268 Summer Street, Sixth Floor Boston, MA 02210 617.391.9900 www.npsf.org

Earn CMEcredits

in risk management study

based on articles inMassachusetts Medical Law Report.

To find more CME activities, gotomamedicallaw.com/cme


13/24


today.Throughout the U.S.health care systemoverall,prescribed drugs only have positiveefficacy and benefit for the patient 50 per-cent of the time in cancer patients,its only22 percent of the time.

We need to do better.We need to identifythe right drug for the right patient the firsttime.We now know that one drug will notwork for all.

We need to use sophisticated diagnostictools to identify the unique DNA differencesbetween patients that will allow us to better personalize and tailor treatment decisions.Iwant to be a part of this revolution and helpcreate these important diagnostics.

What is your proudest achievement?My proudest professional achievement is

building great teams of highly qualified indi-viduals,with deep exp ertise and who arealso a lot of fun to work with.

At Genzyme Genetics,the team was ableto build one the nations largest and highestquality clinical laboratories.

Now,at On-Q-ity,our team of top-notch sci-entists and biotech executives is building thenext generation of cancer diagnostic tech-nologies.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to over-come?

The health care industry research,clini-cal practice and business has historicallyundervalued,and therefore under-invested

in,diagnostics.Most therapies coming out of the new sci-

enceof genomics are both expensive andonly work for patients with a specific geneticpathway of disease.Sophisticated diagnos-tics are essential to all patients to ensure thateach patient has the best chance to benefitfrom his or her therapy.

Over the past decade,it has been these diag-nostics that are at the forefront of change in pa-tient care and of focused research to find acure.

I believe we have only seen the tip of thisiceberg and progress will rapidly drive the in-corporation of diagnostics into standard careas they provide a gateway to truly personal-ized medicine.

Who is your role model and why?

Cancer patients.They endure the chal-lenges of treatments while battling their dis-ease in every way possible physically,emo-tionally and intellectually.They inspire me towork harder every day.


The biggest challenge in health care todayis finding effective tools to use the vastamount of data that is being generated bynew technologies.

The sequencing of the human genomewith the addition of new diagnostic tech-niques will allow us to more accurately deliv-er the right care to the right patient at a lower total cost per patient.

If practicing physicians,administratorsand researchers are unable to separate use-ful information from this data,then healthcare reform will result in an explosion of costand activity without the benefit of improvedpatient outcomes.

The federal governments investment fo-cus on bioinformatics is a good start,but weneed to ensure that our current decentral-ized information system is vastly improved.

What would be your dream job (other than your cur-rent one)?

My fantasy dream job would be to be theCommissioner of Major League Baseball.

The simple joy that comes from watch-ing a mid-summer game versus the com-plexity of running the business behind thepowerful team franchises there is noth-ing (outside of life sciences) as fascinat-ing as baseball.

What is one thing people dont know about you?Most people dont know that I started my

career in politics in New York in two differentroles.My start in political campaigning wasas District Manager and Issues Coordinator with Senator Charles Schumers first cam-paign for national office.He successfully ranfor U.S.Representative in the 9th Congres-sional District of New York.Later that year,Iserved as photographer for the Mayor of NewYork.

These were thrilling ways to learn early onin my career about the challenges and re-sponsibilities of public office.

Karen Bell, MD, MMSChairCertification Commission for Health InformationTechnology (CCHIT)

Every step in thedirection of assuring thatEHRs meet theneeds of thepracticingcommunity is keyin the support of physicians who want to provide bettercare to their patients.

Outside/Community Activities: HIT Council for Massachusetts

Tell us about what you do.I have been supporting the development

and adoption of electronic health records inthe health care delivery system for years.

Why do you do what you do?Every step in the direction of assuring that

EHRs meet the needs of the practicing com-munity is key in the support of physicians whowant to provide better care to their patients.

What is your proudest achievement?There isnt one.Ive been privileged to be

Leaders in Quality

Congratulates

Kathleen Pfeifer SpurlingClass of 1988

Member, New England Law Board of Trustees ProMutual Group

Ellen JanosClass of 1977

Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky & Popeo P.C.

On Being Named Heroes from the Field

We salute all this years winners of Massachusetts Medical Law Report s

Rx for Excellence Awards.

www.nesl.edu


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Leaders in Qualitylaw, what do you consider the biggest challenge facingdoctors and the health care industry today?

Our health care system will have to facethe reality that high quality care must bemeasured,not simply asserted,and that itmust include patients as part of an informeddecision-making process regarding their care.

Once that is accepted,I believe our doc-tors,and other medical profes sionals,whoare trained and experienced in caring for usas patients,will work to shape the new deliv-ery system into one that is consistent withtheir training and vocation one that is trulypatient-centered.

What would be your dream job (other than your cur-rent one)?

Recently,Ive been thinking about a slower paced job possibly overseeing the oyster beds in Cape Cod Bay.

What is one thing peopledont know about you?I played on the State Senate Softball team

in the Boston Bureaucratic League duringthe 70s when the affirmative actionpositionfor women was catcher,and as a guard for five years on an undefeated womens sum-mer league basketball team,known as Mur-phys Fliptops.

Jack Evjy, MDSenior Medical Advisor, Massachusetts Medical SocietyChair of Board Directors, CommonwealthHematology Oncology

I find that thereis no better reasonto love what I dothan to helppeople in needget the help theyrequire in themost effective

way possible.

Outside/Community Activities:

Board of Directors,Boston Medical Library Boothbay Regional Art Foundation Mem-ber

Tell us about what you do and what you haveaccomplished.

I am the senior medical advisor at theMassachusetts Medical Society and chair ofthe board of directors of CommonwealthHematology Oncology,a cancer treatmentgroup.

Im also a former member of the board ofdirectors of the Massachusetts Coalition for thePrevention of Medical Errors and co-chair ofthe Patient Safety Programs Task Force of theQuality/Safety Committee of the Massachu-setts Health Care and Quality Cost Council.

Why do you do what you do?I work in order to advance the quality andsafety of patient care.I find that there is nobetter reason to love what I do than to helppeople in need get the help they require inthe most effective way possible.

What is your proudest achievement?Recently,my proudest achievement has

been working with a broad-based stakehold-er group to develop a set of basic principlesand a strategic vision for patient safety pro-grams in all settings of care in Massachusetts.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to over-come?

Developing consensus among diversestakeholders about evidence-based healthpolicy.

Who is your role model and why?My father he was extremely successful

in his personal interactions with others.I hope that I have adopted his patient de-

meanor and intelligence.Ive always admiredhis ability to care about others and chose toemulate that virtue in my own lifes work.


It will be most difficult for doctors to learnto build and work within orchestrated andintegrated systems of health care.

For some doctors its hard to be part of teamsand never forget that it is a person who is ill.Many are re

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