PeopleNotes

Jefferson Physician Named Chairman of Pennsylvania Section Of American College Of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Owen Montgomery, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, was elected chairman of the Pennsylvania Section of American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). He becomes one of the youngest chairmen in the organization's 42-year history. The three-year position became effective November 4, 1995.

As chairman, Dr. Montgomery will represent the state at district meetings, act as liaison to state legislators and represent ACOG in coalitions to improve the quality of health care for women.

David B. Nash, MD, MBA, Receives Highest Honor in Managed Health Care

David B. Nash, MD, MBA, director, office of health policy and clinical outcomes, has been named the 1995 recipient of the Clifton J. Latiolais Honor Medal, the highest honor in managed health care. Dr. Nash is the second person to receive the medal, which was presented at the American Managed Care Pharmacy Association's fifth annual membership meeting and conference.

The association is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

The first recipient of the medal was Alain C. Enthoven, PhD, professor of public and private management and health research and policy at Stanford University School of Medicine and a world-renown authority on healthcare management and policy.

"Dr. Nash is one of a small group of MD/MBAs leading health care forward on business and quality issues," said Arthur C. Solomon, PharmMS, AMCPA president and chairman, Latiolais Honor Medal Committee. "He is inspiring the medical profession to accept the inevitable: that clinical guidelines and outcomes measurement won't go away, and that doctors can shape the process by taking an active role."

A board-certified internist, Dr. Nash leads one of the very few fulltime outcomes research units in an academic medical center, overseeing a staff of professionals who are constantly updating the field's knowledge of outcomes and guidelines. Nationally recognized for his work in outcomes management, medical staff development and quality-of-care improvement, his publications have appeared in three dozen articles in major journals and five edited books. He was named recently by Faulkner and Gray, one of the nation's largest healthcare publishers, as one of the most influential policy makers in academic medicine.

University Librarian Named President of Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries Directors

Edward W. Tawyea, MSLS, Thomas Jefferson University librarian and director of AISR, was elected president of the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries Directors (AAHSLD). Mr. Tawyea will begin his term in November 1996.

AAHSLD membership includes library directors of 142 accredited U.S. and Canadian medical schools belonging to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). As president, Mr. Tawyea will work to protect the rights of libraries and universities as new copyright laws are written regarding electronic data, build coalitions between libraries and publishers and foster the relationship between AAHSLD and AAMC and its other sub-organizations.

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John F. Ditunno Jr., MD, the Michie Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine and department chairman, Jefferson Medical College, received a letter from United States Senator Rick Santorum extending congratulations on the department's reaccreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. Senator Santorum expressed his pleasure with the department's "continued success in serving the needs of people with disabilities in the City of Philadelphia and surrounding areas in a quality-oriented and cost- efficient manner. Your achievement reaffirms the distinguished reputation of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital as a premier deliverer of healthcare services."

In Memoriam

The University notes with great sadness the tragic death of Yanick Denis-Gabbin, MD, a senior medical resident, on January 14. The Jefferson House Staff Association has established a trust fund administered by First Fidelity Bank to provide for the education of her 2-year old son, Brandon. Contributions may be made payable to "Brandon Gabbin Trust Fund" and may be sent to the Office of House Staff Affairs, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 111 South 11th Street, Suite 2170 Gibbon Building, Philadelphia, PA 19107.