On November 8, 2017, faculty, staff and friends of the UW Department of Family Medicine and Community Health (DFMCH) gathered at the Pyle Center to celebrate the recipients of the 2017 Marc Hansen, MD, Lectureship; the John H. Renner, MD, “Wisconsin Idea” award; and several other awards.

From left: Jeff Huebner, MD; Kay Porter; David Ringdahl, MD
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Remembrance and Acknowledgement of Service

After a welcome by DFMCH Chair Valerie Gilchrist, MD, DFMCH Vice Chair for Education William Schwab, MD,

The evening began with a remembrance of Diana Renner—the wife of inaugural DFMCH Chair John Renner, MD—who died this year. DFMCH residency program founder Marc Hansen, MD, reflected on Diana’s important role in the early days of the department.

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Above, DFMCH residency program founder Marc Hansen, MD, honors Diana Renner.

DFMCH Chair Valerie Gilchrist, MD, then presented certificates to the winners of this year’s “We Are DFMCH” photo contest, and acknowledged the retirement service of three long-time DFMCH faculty members: Stanley Livingston, MD; Patrick McBride, MD; and Douglas Smith, MD.

Hansen Lecturer: Jennifer Lochner, MD

Jennifer Lochner, MD, received the Marc Hansen Lectureship Award. A 1999 graduate of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH), Dr. Lochner completed her family medicine residency at Oregon Health and Sciences University in 2002. She joined the DFMCH in 2010 and practices at UW Health Belleville Family Medicine, where she is also the medical director.

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Above, Melissa Stiles, MD, introduced Hansen lecturer Jennifer Lochner, MD.

In her presentation, “Woman’s Search for Meaning,” she shared stories about finding meaning in one’s work and family. She spoke in detail about her late father, D. Mark Lochner, MD, a 1975 alumnus of the DFMCH’s Madison residency program who was a family physician in Waupaca, Wisconsin—and an integral part of that community—for many years.

“I feel lucky to have found a career that provides such meaning and satisfaction,” she said. “When you are with learners, explicitly share what you love about family medicine and what you do every day.”

She also noted how small acts of kindness can change a person’s life and even the trajectory of a community, expressed gratitude to her mother and husband for their support throughout her career, and encouraged everyone to cultivate meaning in their own lives through family relationships.

Renner Award Winner: Dennis Baumgardner, MD

Dennis Baumgardner, MD, received the John H. Renner, MD “Wisconsin Idea” Award for his national expertise as a researcher and for what Dr. Gilchrist called an “absolute, consistent dedication” to teaching.

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Above, Dennis Baumgardner, MD, receives the Renner Award from DFMCH Chair Valerie Gilchrist, MD.

Dr. Baumgardner is on the faculty at the Aurora St. Luke’s family medicine residency program, which he directed from 1994 until 2001, and is a clinical adjunct professor in the DFMCH.

He is also the medical director for research at the Aurora-UW Medical Group; the Institutional Official, Research Subject Protection Program, Aurora Health Care; associate director of the Center for Urban Population Health in Milwaukee and the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews.

Throughout his career, Dr. Baumgardner has received numerous awards for his contributions to family medicine education and research. He was the Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians Educator of the Year in 1993, received a Governor’s Certificate of Commendation Award for contributions to primary care research in Wisconsin in 2010, and was named an Innovation Scholar by the Wisconsin Medical Entrepreneurship Foundation and Aurora Health Care in 2012.

He also received a DFMCH Faculty Excellence Award for Leadership in 2004, and the Aurora St. Luke’s family medicine residents have named him Teacher of the Year seven times.

Upon receiving his award, Dr. Baumgardner reflected on his commitment to care for the underserved, shared vignettes from over 30 years of practice and honored the local and DFMCH family medicine “giants” who helped pave the way for his outstanding career.

Faculty, Staff and Researcher Awards

John Hawkins, MD, received the DFMCH’s Faculty Excellence Award. The medical director of the UW Health Sun Prairie Clinic, Dr. Hawkins leads the DFMCH’s team-based care strategic planning task force and awards committee. He was commended for his commitment and enthusiasm to delivering high-quality team-based care for patients.

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Above, John Hawkins, MD, receives the DFMCH Faculty Excellence Award from DFMCH Vice Chair for Clinical Care Sandra Kamnetz, MD.

Michelle Riley and the ORCHARDS surveillance team each received a DFMCH Robert Drachenberg Staff Excellence Award.

Riley was commended for her initiative and dedication as the DFMCH’s director of physician compensation, billing and reimbursement services. “We couldn’t do what we do without you,” said Dr. Gilchrist upon presenting her award.

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Above, Michelle Riley receives a DFMCH Robert Drachenberg Staff Excellence Award from Dr. Gilchrist.

The ORCHARDS team (Shari Barlow, Cristalyne Bell, Mary Checovich, Lily Comp, Maureen Landsverk, Brad Maerz, Amber Schemmel and Emily Temte) was recognized for their outstanding work managing three complex research projects focused on influenza surveillance. “They are one of the most effective teams in the nation in surveillance, public health and primary care,” noted Jonathan Temte, MD, PhD, ORCHARDS principal investigator.

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Above, the ORCHARDS team receives a DFMCH Robert Drachenberg Staff Excellence Award from Jonathan Temte, MD, PhD. From left: Maureen Landsverk, Lily Comp, Mary Checovich, Dr. Temte, Emily Temte, Cristalyne Bell, Shari Barlow (not pictured, Brad Maerz and Amber Schemmel).

The clinic staff at UW Health Belleville Family Medicine received the James E. Davis, MD, MS, Quality Improvement Award for their project to improve the clinical management of patients who use opioids. “They have taken the opioid issue very, very seriously,” said award presenter Sandra Kamnetz, MD.

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Above, the Davis Award-winning Belleville Family Medicine team. From left: Vicky Fahey; James Davis, MD, MS; Lisa Goecks; Peggy Soehnlein; Joan O’Connor; David Deci, MD; Jennifer Lochner, MD; Dr. Kamnetz; Dr. Gilchrist.

Marlon Mundt, PhD, received the William E. Scheckler, MD, Outstanding Research Publication Awards (Faculty or Staff) for his publication describing how primary care provider teams who have daily, frequent face-to-face communication have better outcomes and lower medical costs for patients with diabetes.

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Above, William E. Scheckler, MD, Outstanding Research Publication Award winner Marlon Mundt, PhD, with Larry Hanrahan, PhD, MS.

Complementary and integrative health research (CIHR fellow Rachel Sippy, MPH, received the William E. Scheckler, MD, Outstanding Research Publication Awards (Medical Student, Resident or Fellow) for her publication describing how prioritizing family members in whole-genome sequencing studies can improve researchers’ ability to detect rare variants that influence disease.

Chair’s Award

Jeffrey Grossman, MD, the recently retired CEO of UW Health and associate dean of clinical affairs at the SMPH, received the Chair’s Award. In her introduction, Dr. Gilchrist spoke about Dr. Grossman’s career trajectory, and thanked him for his support of primary care throughout his years at UW Health.

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Above, Jeffrey Grossman, MD, receives the Chair’s Award from Dr. Gilchrist.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Published: November 2017