 From the Chair
Eva Chalas, MD, FACOG, FACSA New Beginning - and a Call to Action
First, I would like to thank Scott Hayworth, MD, FACOG for his invaluable leadership over the past three years – and for his guidance as I embark on my new role at District II. Scott, you have my gratitude. To serve as the District's leader is a great honor and I look forward to the opportunity to represent your interests in our region and at the national ACOG venues.
 It was exciting to encounter a record number of attendees at our Annual District Meeting (ADM) last month in Manhattan. In fact, this was our most successful ADM to date – kudos to Dr. Hayworth and the meeting's co-Chairs, Frank Chervenak, MD, FACOG and John T. Queenan, Jr., MD, FACOG for the superb content which attracted such a strong attendance. As I spoke with ADM attendees, I was inspired by their passion and commitment to women’s health care. This type of networking serves to recharge the members of District II leadership – from Buffalo to Long Island – to continue our diligent work of advocating for our physicians and the women they serve.
We have a strong voice – but we need YOUR voice if we are to truly make a difference. Consider this: As a direct result of pressure from District II members, this year the Healthcare Consumer and Provider Protection Act relating to collective negotiations passed in the state Senate for the first time ever. We need to keep the pressure on lawmakers if this legislation is to ever become law. Get involved in Albany – or visit your state representatives in their district offices to address this issue and others such as meaningful medical liability reform. District II staff members can assist you in scheduling and preparing for these meetings with talking points and meeting materials, but we need your help to have any kind of impact.
Your involvement with District II need not end at the State Capitol or at the local effort. I invite you to consider some of the opportunities to become involved in District II activities, committees and task forces addressing such topics as patient safety, communications and medical education. Further, I invite you to consider providing input via any form of contact you choose, and to follow and comment on the activities of the District on our Facebook page.
For more information visit www.acogny.org – or contact the Albany office at (518) 436-3461. In addition, if there’s an issue you wish addressed, we want to hear from you. Send an e-mail to info@ny.acog.org.
Get involved. Stay involved. Let’s raise our voices to protect the future of our specialty and in the name of women’s health!
Were You Seen at the 2011 Annual Meeting?
The 2011 Annual District Meeting (ADM) was the biggest one yet – with well over 500 attendees taking over the Grand Hyatt in the heart of Manhattan. The three day conference, considered New York’s premier women’s health event of the year, featured an exciting program with outstanding faculty from across America. In this special edition of the Update Newsletter, we share highlights and photographs from the ADM.
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Full ADM Photo Recap!
Check our website soon
www.acogny.org
Starbucks Gift Card Winners
Click Here to view the list of the participants who completed our Eliminating Non-Medically Indicated Deliveries Prior to 39 Weeks provider survey and won a $5 gift card from Starbucks!
Save the Date
2012 District II
Annual Meeting
October 19-21, 2012
Grand Hyatt New York
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Advisory Council Meeting
The District II Fellow Advisory Council Meeting took place on Thursday, October 27th. Topics for discussion included:
Incoming Executive Committee Members
District II welcomed new members to the Executive Committee and congratulated those who have moved up. Executive Committee members will serve through 2014.
Eva Chalas, MD, FACOG, FACS – Chair
Ronald Uva, MD, FACOG – Vice Chair
Nicholas Kulbida, MD, FACOG – Treasurer
Cynthia Chazotte, MD, FACOG – Secretary
Scott Hayworth, MD, FACOG – Immediate Past Chair
New Junior Fellow Chair, Randi Leigh, MD, and new Young Physician representative, Hartaj Powell, MD, FACOG will both serve through 2013.
Incoming Section Officers
Several sections rotated officers. These officers will serve in their new leadership capacity until 2014.
- Section 1 (Queens) – David Chiang, MD, FACOG, Chair; Anna Fieldman, MD, FACOG, Vice Chair
- Section 6 (Buffalo) – George Danakas, MD, FACOG, Chair; John Kevin Fitzpatrick, MD, FACOG, Vice Chair
- Section 10 – David Gandell, MD, FACOG, Chair; Coral Surgeon, MD, FACOG, Vice Chair
ACOG Outstanding District Service Award
The District II nominee is Ronald Uva, MD, FACOG, Chief of Ob/Gyn at Oswego Hospital. Dr. Uva’s tireless efforts in the legislative arena have made him a true advocate for physicians and patients in New York State and across the country.
2012 JSOG/ACOG Exchange Program
Brian Levine, MD of New York Presbyterian-Columbia University Medical Center and Jennifer Schwab, MD of Albert Einstein College of Medicine were selected to participate in the 2012 JSOG Exchange Program. Junior Fellows from District II are selected on a biannual basis.
An education lecture by Stephen Gruber, MD, PhD, MPH entitled, "The Role of Genetics in Cancer Screening and Prevention" preceded the Advisory Council Meeting. Dr. Gruber is Professor of Internal Medicine, Epidemiology, and Human Genetics at the University of Michigan.
Congresswoman and Filmmaker: ADM Special Guests
It was quite a year for special guests at the ADM. Presenting this year’s keynote address was Congresswoman Nan Hayworth, M.D. – who shared her unique perspective on health care as experienced on Capitol Hill.
 Supermodel and filmmaker Christy Turlington Burns was also among the speakers– discussing her documentary No Woman, No Cry – which addresses maternal mortality through vignettes of four at-risk pregnant women in four parts of the world. Visit www.everymothercounts.org for more.
Legislative Committee Meeting
The ACOG District II Legislative Committee met on Thursday, October 27th, welcoming incoming Chair Leah Kaufman, MD, FACOG. Topics for discussion included:
- Patient safety regarding homebirth standards legislation
- Mandating a yearly NYS maternal mortality report
- Priority 2012 legislation: Healthcare Consumer and Provider Protection Act relating to collective negotiations
- Medical Indemnity Fund (MIF)
- Medical liability reform
 Top NYC Lawyer Calls to
End "Litigation Lottery"
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- Forming a NYS Political Action Committee (PAC)
- Reviewing the NYS Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) work groups including;
- Medical Malpractice Reform
- Basic Benefit Review
- Payment Reform and Quality Measurement
- Workforce Flexibility and Change of Scope of Practice
- Annual Lobby Day
Patient Safety Committee Meeting
The ACOG District II Patient Safety Committee met on Thursday, October 27th. Topics for discussion included:
- Optimizing Protocols in Obstetrics: Series 1-4 (Oxytocin, Hypertension, Hemorrhage & Shoulder Dystocia)
- Elimination of Non-medically Indicated Deliveries Prior to 39 Weeks & Recommendations Under Consideration by the Medicaid Basic Benefit Work Group of Governor Cuomo’s Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT)
- The MOREOB (Managing Obstetrical Risk Efficiently) Program and New York State Hospital Involvement
- Ob Simulation Patient Safety Course
NYS Residency Program Directors' Meeting
 This event is held annually in conjunction with the District Meeting. This year's program was Chaired by Laura MacIsaac, MD, MPH, FACOG and featured faculty Ruth Anne Queenan, MD, MBA, FACOG, Diane M. Hartmann, MD, FACOG and Adam Buckley, MD, FACOG who discussed "New Training Models for the 2011 Work Hour Restrictions," and the "Development of an OB/GYN Residency Curriculum on Patient Safety." The meeting was attended by more than 20 academics representing 15 of the state's Ob/Gyn Residency Programs.
2011 Professor of the Year
 Leah A. Kaufman, MD, FACOG, Residency Program Director of Obstetrics & Gynecology at NSLIJHS/Hofstra North Shore - LIJ School of Medicine, received this year's Professor of the Year Award. Iffath Abbasi Hoskins, MD, District II's Immediate Past Junior Fellow Advisor, presented Dr. Kaufman with this honor kicking off Friday's general session program.
2011 Iffath Abbasi Hoskins, MD Junior Fellow Research Day Contest Results
 Three Junior Fellow semi-finalists were selected to present their research to District meeting attendees. Using an audience response system, attendees voted for the research project they felt had the most merit. This year's semi-finalists were: Cynthia Abraham, MD of NSLIJHS/Hofstra North Shore - LIJ School of Medicine; Diana Garretto, MD of SUNY HSC at Stony Brook; and Lori Homa, MD of the University of Rochester. The audience selected "Labor Induction for PROM Using Vaginal Misoprostol Versus Dinoprostone Vaginal Insert" presented by Dr. Abraham. Dr. Abraham receives a $1,000 travel stipend from the John Burch Endowment Fund Travel Award to attend the 2012 Annual Clinical Meeting.
 The Martin L. Stone, MD Poster Session featured over thirty research posters. Meeting attendees participated by voting via ballot for the poster they felt presented the best research. This year's poster session winner is Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmed, MD, MSc, RDMS of Maimonides Medical Center for his research entitled "Three Dimensional Sonographic Parameters of the Cervix of Women at Increased Risk of Preterm Delivery." Dr. Ahmed receives a $1,000 cash prize generously donated by the Martin L. Stone, MD Foundation.
2012 Donald F. Richardson, MD Memorial Prize Paper Award
 Jyothshna Bayya, MD of Maimonides Medical Center has been selected by the District II Junior Fellow Task Force on Awards as the District's Donald F. Richardson, MD Memorial Prize Paper Award finalist. Dr. Bayya's research paper, "Obstetric Orientation Simulation Program: Transition from Medical School to Internship," will be submitted in this ACOG national contest as District II's sole entrant. As part of the submission criteria, Dr. Bayya presented her research to attendees during the Annual Meeting. We wish Dr. Bayya well in her quest to win this prestigious research paper award!
Junior Fellow and Medical Student Program
Annually, the medical students and Junior Fellows come together during the District meeting to hear from a panel of obstetrician-gynecologists and subspecialists about what it means to be an ob-gyn. Students and residents have the opportunity to present their questions and concerns regarding the specialty to Fellows in a variety of professional roles.
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