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PRESIDENT’S PAGE: “Are we there yet?” Dr. Miriam Anand believes the answer is “yes.” In this month’s editorial she explains how physicians have reached the point where government regulations, pressure to keep costs down and the corporatization of medicine have resulted in decreased quality care and a compromised physician-patient relationship. Page 10
PUBLIC HEALTH: Dr. John Middaugh clarifies public health roles and goals on e-cigarettes and vaporizers. He believes regulations to treat e-cigarettes and vaporizers similar to tobacco would provide the best public health protections while enabling adults to access these products. Read the full summary. Page 22
Volume 60 • November 2014
round-up Providing news and information for the medical community since 1955.
On the cover, page 4. THE MCMS 2014 ANNUAL EVENT: A fun time was had by all on October 17 at the 2014 Maricopa County Medical Society Annual Meeting. Turn to page 42 for a photo album of the event. HONOR ROLL UPDATE: After decades of interest and speculation about what possible genetic influences are involved in determining the severity of Valley Fever infections, there are now two separate studies underway to address this question each taking a different and complementary approach. Dr. John Galgiani summarizes the two approaches for Round-up readers. Page 18
i b k MD il Ph i i MEMBER PROFILE: Leland Fairbanks, MD, MPH MPH, F Family Physician: How a (self-described) “Old Country Doctor” led the fight to eradicate smoking in hospitals. Page 28 FEATURE ARTICLE: Are doctors ethically obligated to sign patients up for Obamacare? Robert B. Doherty with the American College of Physicians believes that physicians’ primary duty to their patients requires it even if they wish to continue to engage in the political process to get it changed or even repealed. Page 36 STUDENT PERSPECTIVE: U of A College of Medicine - Phoenix medical student, Tabarik Ahmad, has thought a lot about the concept of trust and the various ways physicians trust both consciously and unconsciously. Page 40