DFM Celebrates 40 Years!

The Department of Family Medicine (DFM) celebrated its 40th anniversary with a weekend full of education, friendship, and fun.The Department of Family Medicine (DFM) celebrated its 40th anniversary with a weekend full of education, friendship, and fun.

Multi-Media Coverage of the 40th Anniversary

• 40th Anniversary Weekend Slideshow: Extended Edition or full size versions also available at Flickr.com
• View 40 Years at a Glance: Important Dates in DFM History

40th Anniversary Weekend Slideshow

The event, held in Madison on July 16-18, 2010, attracted DFM faculty and staff, former chairs and residents, friends, and physicians from around the country.

Highlights included an educational conference; a gala dinner; a family picnic with Bucky Badger and a dunk tank; and the unveiling of "Primary Care-amel" Babcock Hall ice cream.

Below is a recap of the weekend's events.

Welcome Reception: Friday, July 16

The weekend kicked off with a welcome reception held at Monona Terrace. Over 250 attendees had their first chance to reconnect with colleagues while enjoying drinks, appetizers, and spectacular views of Lake Monona.

During the reception, attendees also watched a video that chronicled the DFM's journey from an upstart group of faculty to an integral, respected department within the UW School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH).

CME Conference: Saturday morning and afternoon, July 17

On Saturday morning, approximately 70 attendees gathered at the Health Sciences Learning Center for "Caring for Wisconsin and Beyond-Today and Tomorrow," a full-day continuing medical education conference.

The conference began with a keynote address by DFM Assistant Professor and UW Integrative Medicine Program Director David Rakel, MD, entitled, "Practitioner vs. Pill: How You, the Family Doc, Trumps What is Prescribed."

In his address, Dr. Rakel first examined the advantages, disadvantages, and costs of the current health care model. He then described how positive healing encounters between physicians and their patients can be more effective than prescriptions in treating certain medical problems.

Finally, Dr. Rakel presented details and benefits of Direct Primary Care, a model in which patients pay a flat monthly fee for their primary care needs, bypassing health insurance except for major medical expenses.

Attendees then gathered for a series of interactive discussions led by 60 different panelists. Topics included the many facets of patient care, education and leadership, research, community service, and even the role of arts and humanities in medicine.

The closing keynote address was given by Susan Skochelak, MD, MPH. Dr. Skochelak was the former UW SMPH Senior Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, for over 10 years. She became the Vice President, Medical Education at the American Medical Association (AMA) in 2009.

In her role at the AMA, Dr. Skochelak has been at the center of medical education reform. She spoke to the audience about the future direction of medical education.

Gala Dinner: Saturday evening, July 17

On Saturday evening, 170 attendees returned to Monona Terrace for a formal celebration dinner. DFM Professor and former Chair Richard Roberts, MD, JD, was the evening's guest of honor.

Throughout his career, Dr. Roberts has played key roles in efforts to redesign primary care in the US and abroad. He was deeply involved in the U.S. Future of Family Medicine Project and conceived and chaired the SOAR (Six Organizations to Advance the Renewal of Family Medicine) International Colloquium.

He was just named president of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA), which consists of 122 family medicine associations in over 100 countries. The group represents 300,000 family doctors and 95% of the world's population.

In his evening keynote address, "Family Doctors: Caring for the People of the World," Dr. Roberts discussed why family medicine-oriented healthcare systems have better outcomes worldwide, and presented strategies for primary care redesign, including the patient-centered medical home concept in the US.

"People do better when their health care is centered in a healing relationship with a trusted family doctor," he said.

"Health system reform is about more than universal coverage," he explained. "It is also about redesigning health systems to provide care that is more people-centered, fair, affordable, and efficient."

Family Picnic: Sunday, July 18

On Sunday morning, over 300 attendees came to Vilas Park for a day of outdoor family fun. The morning kicked off with a 10K Fun Run through the UW Arboretum. Children's activities included an inflatable bouncy castle, lawn games, and a play area with stickers, bubbles, and tattoos.

At noon, everyone gathered for a picnic lunch, which was capped by a visit from UW's own Bucky Badger. For dessert, Bucky and chair of the department, Valerie Gilchrist, MD, together unveiled "Primary Care-amel," a new flavor of Babcock Hall ice cream created specifically for the occasion.

DFM Associate Professor Geoffrey Swain, MD, MPH, and second-year Madison resident Anne Kolan, MD, were winners of an earlier contest to name the flavor.

The new flavor consists of vanilla ice cream, dark chocolate shavings, and caramel swirl. It will be available to the public at Babcock Hall for the remainder of the summer.

The festivities continued after lunch with a dunk tank event emceed by Lou Sanner, MD, MSPH. At least a half-dozen faculty and staff, including Dr. Gilchrist, took a dive in the dank.

"It was a fantastic weekend, and it was wonderful to see so many old friends getting together," Dr. Gilchrist said. "Not only was it fun, it also re-affirmed that the work we do in the DFM is still every bit as important now as it was when we started 40 years ago."