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In this Issue:
- Governor's Message
- Register Today!
- Vermont Alumni & Chapter Reception at the Internal Medicine Meeting in Boston
- Save the Date!
- ACP Leadership Day 2024: May 14-15, 2024
- Vermont ACP Health and Public Policy Committee Activities and Upcoming Meeting
- Spotlight on ACP Chapter Vice President and New Fellow Elly Riser MD, MPH, FACP
- Early Career Physicians Committee Chair Needed
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Priscilla W. Carr, MD, FACP, ACP Governor
Governor's Message
Greetings!
I hope everyone is surviving late winter and early mud season! We wanted to highlight upcoming events, specifically the annual IMM meeting next month in Boston MA and Leadership Day in May in Washington DC. The Vermont chapter, together with the New Hampshire and Maine chapters, will be hosting a reception for members. We hope to see you there!
I also need to provide an update about my health. In January I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Since then, my family has found itself on a difficult and unexpected journey. We have also experienced extraordinary kindness from family, friends, and community members near and far. I cannot possibly recount it all; the notes, meals, gifts, and simple presence (sometimes from those who have travelled great distances to help us on a moment's notice) has been extraordinarily meaningful. I have been thoroughly impressed by the care I've received at CVMC, UVMMC, and Dana Farber. I want to provide a thank you to the staff at UVMMC; I had a complicated month-long hospitalization after my diagnosis and was repeatedly impressed by the kindness and professionalism of the entire staff.
I'd also like to give a big shout out to Elly Riser MD, FACP. She is the Vermont ACP Chapter Vice President (see below to learn more about her) and has stepped up to help run the chapter. She will also be attending the April ACP Board of Governor's meeting in my place. Thank you Dr Riser!
With Gratitude,
Priscilla Carr MD FACP
Register Today!
ACP's Internal Medicine Meeting is happening April 18-20 in Boston, MA.
Our own Jan Carney MD MACP will be participating in a panel entitled "Ethical Case Challenges: Health Care Disinformation and Misinformation" on Friday April 19!
Additional information and
Vermont Alumni & Chapter Reception at the Internal Medicine Meeting in Boston
The Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont Meet' Greet will happen on Friday, April 19 at 5:00-7:00 p.m., at the City Tap House Boston, 10 Wharf Rd, Boston, MA.
Save the Date!
The Vermont Chapter 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting will take place on October 18, 2024 at Trapp Family Lodge. We are excited about the agenda and hope to see you there.
ACP Leadership Day 2024: May 14-15, 2024
Leadership Day is the College's annual two-day advocacy event in Washington, DC that enables our members from across the country to bring our issues of concern to U.S. lawmakers. This is a great opportunity for the College and our members to bring our policy priorities to Congress and try to influence the legislative process on behalf of internal medicine.
We are pleased to announce that the Vermont chapter will be providing support to Alison Landrey MD, FACP and Vennela Pandaraboyina (Medical Student Member) to travel and attend Leadership Day! We look forward to hearing more about their experiences.
It is still possible to sign up for Leadership Day. Information and a link to registration (deadline April 15) can be found
Vermont ACP Health and Public Policy Committee Activities and Upcoming Meeting
The Vermont HPPC will be meeting Wednesday April 24th at 5:30 PM via zoom. The agenda will include updates on our efforts regarding opioid use disorder, climate health, gender affirming care, and flavored tobacco legislation. New members and perspectives are always welcome. Please contact Tess Morrison with any questions.
You can also join a Vermont Medical Society Advocacy Breakfast. See for more information and to sign up. Tess Morrison will be attending the April 25th event at the Vermont Statehouse, please email her if you'd like to carpool from the Burlington area or want to connect prior to the .
Spotlight on ACP Chapter Vice President and New Fellow Elly Riser MD, MPH, FACP
Elly Riser, MD, MPH, FACP is an Assistant Professor of Medicine, Hospitalist and Addiction Medicine physician at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Dr. Riser earned a B.A. in art history and photography from The Evergreen State College. She then completed medical school and a MPH at the University of Washington, followed by Internal Medicine residency at the University of Vermont. Dr. Riser is a harm reductionist at heart, with diverse experience in caring for patients with substance use disorders. She is currently the Inpatient Director for the Start Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Program at UVMMC, which is an innovative program for treating opioid use disorder in hospitalized patients. Dr. Riser is the course director for an Addiction Medicine elective at the Larner School of Medicine. One of the most rewarding things about her career has been working to improve the health and wellbeing of people who use drugs, both on an individual patient level and through systems change. Dr. Riser looks forward to continuing to advocate, learn, and collaborate with the members of the Vermont ACP Chapter.
Dr Riser was appointed to be the ACP Vermont Chapter Vice President in November 2023 after having served on the Chapter's Governor's Advisory Council since 2021. We are grateful for her efforts and excited to have her participating in this role! She was elected to fellowship in the ACP in February, 2024.
Early Career Physicians Committee Chair Needed
The Vermont Chapter is looking for a member willing to chair our early career physicians committee. Anyone interested should contact Mark Pasanen or Elly Riser .
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
ACP Vermont DEIB Corner: What are Subtle Acts of Exclusion (Microaggressions) and Why Do They Matter?
By Simrun Bal, MD
Dr. Bal lives in Burlington, VT, where she practices internal medicine at the Burlington VT Veterans' Affairs Clinic (affiliated with the White River Junction VA Medical Center).
For the spring newsletter's DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) Corner, we will be discussing subtle acts of exclusion and ways to respond.
- What is a subtle act of exclusion? These acts (also known as microaggressions) are brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative slights and insults towards marginalized groups (Pierce, 1974). The term "microaggressions" was termed in the 1970s by Dr. Chester Pierce, an African-American psychiatrist, to describe the harm that was caused by these slights to non-dominant groups.
- Examples include:
Indirect Strategies
Redirect: Change the subject or shift attention away from the target.
Uplift: Affirm and uplift the target. Example: You are partnered with a great resident physician and are fortunate that he is taking care of you.
Direct Strategies
Reflect Back: Reflect the microaggressor's statement back to them and explore their intentions.
Example: I heard you say X; can you explain what you mean by that?
Communicate Impact: Describe the impact that you feel.
Example: When you use words like X, it makes me feel uncomfortable.
Raise Awareness: Educate the microaggressor using a fact-based narrative.
Example: I believe a more inclusive term is X.
Check-In (with the person who committed a microaggression):
Example: I've been reflecting on the conversation we had. Can we find some time to check in?
Reaffirm Boundaries:
Example: We do not tolerate that type of language here, and I ask that you speak to our team members with respect, please.
Vermont Governor's Newsletter April 2024