Home Page Story Archive

Read archived stories from the series on the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s home page.

The highlight of the home page, the series focuses on good things that physicians are doing for their patients, their practices, and the profession.

If you have a story to share about yourself or a colleague, let us know by emailing stat@pamedsoc.org.

Related Content

Physician, County Society Take Stand against Tire Burning Plant
When plans were submitted to build a tire-burning plant in a populated area on the banks of Lake Erie, the Erie County Medical Society and its president Nancy Weissbach, MD, decided to take a stand.
Being Her Own Boss
You don’t hear much these days about physicians leaving groups and hospitals for a solo practice—but that’s exactly what June Messam, MD, did.
Clinic Serves Scranton's Uninsured Patients
Uninsured patients have found help at the Leahy Center Clinic for the Uninsured in Scranton. “This is probably medicine in its purest form,” said Gregory Borowski, MD.
Physicians Produce, Host Popular Medical Show
Erie’s early risers might see a few familiar faces on the half-hour talk show “Focus on Erie Medicine,” including Sidney Lipman, MD, (pictured here with Peter Lund, MD).
Medical Student Advocated for Smoking Ban
When medical student Kimberly Kicielinski (pictured here with classmate Weston Scott Fisher) was young, she would lecture smokers on how the habit was bad for their health.
Patients Are the Heart of Medical Practice
Some people reach midlife and buy a convertible or dye their hair platinum. Joseph Mambu, MD, did something a little more significant.
Past State Society President Focuses on Professionalism
When Peter S. Lund, MD, FACS, became president of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, he wanted to focus on the positives. Out of this came the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s Institute for Good Medicine.
Making Time to Stand Up for Physicians
Now that his kids have grown, John Gallagher, MD, (left) has found more time to keep up with the latest news from Harrisburg. Here, he is photographed with state Rep. Mark Longietti (R-Mercer).
Physician Sets Up Practice in Pennsylvania
At a time when reimbursement and medical liability issues chase many physicians from Pennsylvania, there are some who chose to move here. Martin Gillespie, MD, is one of them.
Doctors Working to Open Scranton Medical School
In the Scranton area, a team—including (from left to right) Robert Wright, MD, Gerald Tracy, MD, Rick English, MD, and Charles Bannon, MD—dreamed up the idea for a new medical school.
Physician Helps Veterans Returning from Middle East
Sand flies may be small, but they carry a host of nasty diseases including leishmaniasis. Katherine Murray-Leisure, MD, is working to prevent this scourge in overseas personnel.
Society's Advance Directives Materials Spark Conversations on End-of-Life Decisions
Kane is the kind of town where you have to drive to get anywhere. Advance directives don’t get a lot of publicity in places like Kane, but Kenneth Langille, MD, (pictured here with members of his staff) would like to start the conversation.
Mediation Program Launched in Montgomery County
No matter the verdict, nobody wins in a medical malpractice lawsuit. The Montgomery County Medical Society—including Mark Lopatin, MD, (left) and Mark Pyfer, MD, (right)— and Montgomery County Bar Association think they may have hit on a solution.
Baby Boom Hits York County
A pervasive health condition has taken root in the York area. Authorities are at a loss to explain why it has spread so quickly. Fortunately, the condition clears up on its own in about nine months. It’s baby fever.
Erie Doctor Dedicated to Continuing Education
Chris Clark, DO, has fully embraced the motto, “Never stop learning.” Dr. Clark is director of continuing medical education at St. Vincent Health Center and teaches in the family medicine residency program.
State Society Helps Practice Handle Missed Appointments
The Allergy and Asthma Center of Lancaster wanted to charge patients a fee for missed appointments. It also wanted to discharge patients after missing three appointments in a row. But would these policies violate state regulations?
Physician Educates Colleagues, Patients on End-of-Life Decisions
“There are certain things that we do well in health care in this country. One of the things we don’t do well is to take care of people who are dying. Most people, including myself, went into medicine to be heroes—to rescue people from the clutches of death. People who are dying... that’s not glamorous.”—Steven A. Levy, MD
Meadville Doctor Earns Quality Award for Hip and Knee Replacements
Philip A. Frndak, DO, specializes in hip and knee replacements because of the dramatic results. Freed from debilitating joint pain, sufferers can resume their lives, going back to work and enjoying hobbies they had been forced to give up. Dr. Frndak's work has helped earn a quality award for Meadville Medical Center.
Still Going Strong After 60 Years in Practice
In 1947, a gallon of gas cost 15 cents. The Dodgers were still in Brooklyn, playing the Yankees in the first televised World Series. President Harry Truman became the first president to address the nation on TV. And Eugene Cutuly, MD, began practicing medicine.
State Society Speaks Up for Physicians
Like most new physicians, Anthony Arlotti, MD, a pediatrician in Mechanicsburg, has a lot of bills. A few years ago, while shelling out dues, subscriptions, and medical school loan payments, Dr. Arlotti let something slide—his Pennsylvania Medical Society membership.
CME Tracker Helps Out Cardiac Consultants
Tracking continuing medical education (CME) credits for multiple physicians can create quite a mountain of paper. Mary Rafferty knows this firsthand. As a physician secretary for Cardiac Consultants, PC, in Lancaster, Rafferty tracks data for seven physicians. But since the Pennsylvania Medical Society launched its CME Tracker in 2004, Mary’s filing cabinets have become much less cluttered.
Practice Turns to Society With Billing Questions
The Franklin Family Practice staff was thrilled when the practice acquired a protime test machine. The machine saved patients from having to be tested at a hospital or laboratory. The only problem was that staff didn’t know how to bill for this service.
Society Helps Practice Tackle Insurance Issues
When Mary Brady, practice secretary for ophthalmologist Stuart Goldberg, MD, an oculoplastic surgeon in Hershey, recently submitted a surgical claim, she figured it would take a little while to process. But she never imagined that it would take almost a year. Or that, after all that time, the claim would be processed incorrectly.
Physician Donates Time to Patients
You often hear that the practice of medicine has become just another business, that patients take a back burner to the cold calculation of cash flow. That’s not so for Brian Cohen, MD, of Partners in Women’s Healthcare in Lemoyne.
Helping Victims of Abuse
Physicians can be the first line of defense for victims of abuse. They are often the first to notice the telltale signs—unexplained bumps, bruises, and breaks. That’s why it’s especially important for physicians to learn how to approach and help victims of abuse, according to Gwendolyn Poles, DO.
Physician Marks 60 Years in Practice
In six decades of practice, pediatrician Pascal Spino, MD, has touched the lives of many children in Greensburg, PA. “The mother of a patient recently said to me, ‘Dr. Spino, you took care of my grandmother, my mother, me, and my children.’ And I said, ‘No that’s impossible, I’m not that old!’” he says.
Physician Encourages Support of Organized Medicine
Every year, Lawrence Altaker, MD, has one easy decision to make: whether to renew his Pennsylvania Medical Society membership. He isn’t a member because of what the State Society can do for him, but simply because he believes physicians need to support organized medicine.