http://www.bigshouldersdubs.com/clients/AMA/23-AMA-Ron_Davis.htm

Ronald M. Davis, M.D., age 52, passed away on November 6, 2008 after a courageous fight with pancreatic cancer. Ron was the founding editor of Tobacco Control, an international publication of the British Medical Journal, and North American Editor of the British Medical Journal from 1998 to 2001. A prolific author, Ron wrote or co-wrote hundreds of articles in peer-reviewed journals. He served as an expert witness to Congress on public health issues, issuing nearly a dozen reports. A gifted educator, Ron gave countless lectures and educational seminars, dedicating his career to the service of the public, his colleagues and the next generation of physicians.

Ron’s star shone very brightly, albeit too briefly in the medical community. He graduated medical school from the University of Chicago, where he also received a Master of Arts in Public Policy Studies. He completed a Preventive Medicine Residency Program at the U.S Center for Disease Control (CDC). Following his training, he served under Surgeon General C. Everett Koop as the Director of the Office on Smoking and Health at the CDC in Rockville, Maryland. Subsequently, he served as Chief Medical Officer for the Michigan Department of Public Health, until assuming his most recent position as Director, Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan.

After many years of dedicated service, Ron reached the pinnacle of American medicine, being elected as President of the American Medical Association in June of 2007. He has received numerous awards and honors, including the Surgeon General’s Exemplary Service Medal and the Surgeon General’s Medallion, The American College of Preventive Medicine’s Distinguished Service Award, the American Thoracic Society’s Distinguished Service Award, and most recently the American Public Health Association's 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award for his career-long fight against alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

These community ties were apparent to both PIMC patients and staff (approx 200) during the award ceremony which featured community partners including American Lung Association, American Cancer Society, Arizonans Concerned about Smoking and Native Health, among others who commit to providing tobacco control education and services. PIMC is a recognized leader in tobacco control as it is part of the national tobacco control task force for the entire Indian Health System (IHS). This is especially important in light of the newly released Morbidity and Mortality Report from the Centers for Disease Control (issued November 14th http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5745a2.htm) showing an increase in (national) prevalence among American Indian communities. For this reason it is critical for the nation to look to the Indian Health Service for its innovative strategies to develop policy, foster partnerships and networks, and services to treat tobacco dependence. Arizona applauds our partner in working toward improving Native Health!

Babek Nayeri, N.D., TRUST Commission Member and

Gowri Shetty, Sr. Epidemiologist, ADHS-BTEP

Leland Fairbanks, M.D., M.P.H., President Arizonans Concerns
About Smoking (ACAS) and Susan Levy, Adult Day Health Care Center Program Manager with Native Health

PIMC Tobacco Control Management Team along with Gowri Shetty

 More on Arizona QUITZones

Thursday, November 20, 2008 is the annual Great American Smokeout. The Great American Smokeout was inaugurated in 1976 to inspire and encourage smokers to quit for one day. Now, 44.2 percent of the 45.3 million Americans who smoke have attempted to quit for at least one day in the past year, and the Great American Smokeout remains a great opportunity to encourage people to commit to making a long-term plan to quit for good. With all the resources available to help smokers quit, there has never been a better time to quit smoking. For more information please click on the following American Cancer Society link: www.cancer.org/docroot/subsite/greatamericans/Smokeout.asp

The event was a succes and earned a nice media blitz! View media clip at this link: http://media.vmsnews.com/MonitoringReports/112108/917220/W001579091

The HealthCare Partnership’s continuing education programs are based on the best research evidence available, including the U.S. Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence. An updated clinical practice guideline was released May 7, 2008 (read the press release) and has identified new counseling and medication treatments that are effective for helping people quit tobacco use. For more information or to download a copy of the Clinical Practice Guideline for Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update, please visit http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco/default.htm

The Spring 2008 issue of Family Physician Focus, the official quarterly magazine of the Arizona Academy of Family Physicians, published a feature article by HealthCare Partnership staff highlighting Arizona’s QUITZone Centers. Titled “Arizona QUITZones: Tobacco-Free Campuses Lead the Way,” the full-page article cited the recent Certificate of Excellence received by Kingman Regional Medical Center and encouraged family physicians to help their facilities lead the way as Arizona QUITZone Centers.

As of March 1, 2008, Arizona's redesigned tobacco treatment medication benefit provides nicotine replacement therapy (patch, gum, or lozenge) to Arizona residents participating in State-funded cessation counseling.

 More on Arizona’s Medication Benefit

 Arizona Smokers' Helpline

The videoconference presentations by Mary Gilles, MD, Steve Arthur, RN and Melynn Wakeman, RRT, is no longer available online.

For additional questions, please e-mail hcpinfo@email.arizona.edu.