Each year, NCMS Leadership College scholars develop and present a project at the NCMS Annual Meeting. With guidance from their mentor, projects aid their practice, local medical society, specialty society or community. This portion of Leadership College allows scholars to put the skills learned throughout the year-long sessions and successfully apply them in a meaningful way.
Scholars from the 2012 Leadership College class have been working hard to make their plans a reality. Many projects focus on improving the quality of care offered to patients, while some center on improving relationships with colleagues. Lessons learned from this group of leaders will surely play a role in improving the practice of medicine during this transformative time.
Kenneth P. Barnes, MD, of Elon, NC, has been working with NCMS Leadership College Co-Founder, Michael W. Brennan, MD, and local representatives to generate access to sports medicine professionals at public high schools sporting events. Meanwhile, Dr. Barnes’ fellow scholar, Donald T. Buckner, Jr., MD, of Sylva, NC, is working with Al Mina, MD, to incorporate wellness and physical health goals into behavioral health treatment.
Lenard J. Edralin, MD, of Wilmington, NC, and his mentor Philip Brown, MD, are working toward developing a solution to lower the number of asthma-related emergency room visits in North Carolina. Brian S. Kuszyk, MD, of Greenville, NC, and his mentor Robert Schaff, MD, are generating a project that will provide standardized subspecialty radiology care to 29 rural counties in Eastern North Carolina.
2012 Leadership College scholar, Martha J. Chesnutt, MD, and her mentor, Nick Patrone, MD, are hoping to improve quality of care to patients by strengthening the communication between physicians and their offices. Dr. Chesnutt’s colleague, Rachel D. Keever, MD, FACC, of Rutherford, NC, is using her project to improve the development and growth of the Rutherford County Medical Society by creating a formal structure of membership and leadership. Meanwhile, Prashant K. Patel, MD, of Cary, NC, is working towards improving end-of-life care with his mentor G. Hadley Callaway, MD, in order to improve quality of care for patients.
Jeremy W. Pyle, MD, and his mentor Margaret Merrick, MD, are developing rPLAN (Resident Physician Lifetime Asset Network), a network of educational resources that will teach resident physicians and new hires about the many aspects of starting out in practice such as employment arrangements, insurance decisions and business management of a practice. Lisa Shock, MHS, PA-C, of Hillsborough, NC, with her mentor Bob Hollingsworth, PA, DHSC, will be working on a project that will improve the collaboration between physician and physician assistants in managing chronic disease. William G. Ferrell, MD, of Raleigh, NC, will focus on ACO development, assisting his practice in evaluating the potential role a Neurology practice can play in accountable care. C. Kendrick Dunham, MD, is developing a plan for improved and better coordinated care for psychiatric patients in the emergency department setting.
Projects are still in progress. Upon completion, the 2012 Leadership College scholars will have a greater foundation to prepare them for leadership roles and allow them to continue making North Carolina a better place to practice medicine and provide quality care to patients.
As an NCMS member you are eligible to apply for the 2013 Leadership College. The nomination process will open later this month and will be announced in the Bulletin. To learn more contact Pam Highsmith, Director of Development, at 800-722-1350 or [email protected].
