Statewide Family Medicine Summit

Douglas B. McKeag, M.D., M.S., OneAmerica Professor of Preventive Health Medicine Chair, Department of Family Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, convened a meeting on family medicine in the state of Indiana on March 3, 2006. The summit discussed the discipline of family medicine…from the standpoint of the academic partnership with Indiana University, private physicians throughout the state, statewide residency programs, and financial constraints that affect all participants. The summit provided a forum for family medicine physicians and leaders throughout the state to discuss the future of family medicine. Considering that 66% of all physician-patient interactions in the state involve a family physician and the 75% of all health care provided to Indiana children is by a family physician, the future of health and health care in this state is very much the issue. The open-ended theme of the summit was, “How should we advance our discipline in Indiana?”

Indiana State Health Commissioner, Judith A. Monroe, M.D., discussed her participation at the national governor’s association meeting which was focused on a healthy America. When the burden of the needs is realized, the cost of care is unsustainable—there is a continuation in the increase of chronic disease that is preventable. According to Dr. Monroe, “There is a window of opportunity for family physicians to address wellness, prevention, and fitness in patient care. That’s something family physicians can do.”

The participants divided into six groups to discuss various sub-themes: unifying family medicine physicians, medical school marketing, lobbying and data driven collection, redefining family medicine training, and reimbursement of preventative health. In all of the sub-theme group discussions, the common denominator was disease prevention and wellness of Hoosiers. According to the Center for Disease Control, over 20% of Hoosiers are clinically obese. With obesity comes health care issues which include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, etc., and premature death. Additionally, increased health care issues translate to increased dollars spent on health care.

At the summit’s closing, a steering committee was created to recommend further activities. Members include Larry Allen, M.D.; Mary E. Dankoski, Ph.D.; Jason Marker, M.D.; Peter Nalin, M.D., Residency Director, Indiana University Family Medicine Residency; and Joyce A. Smidley, M.S., P.M.C. The next summit is tentatively scheduled for June 2006.

The summit was co-sponsored by the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians, Indiana University Department of Family Medicine, National City Bank, and StockYards Bank & Trust.

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