At the
May 24 semi-annual SHC staff meeting, about 130 medical staff members
heard a wide-ranging briefing, ranging from upcoming changes in the
staff leadership structure to a concise summary of current political,
social and scientific trends in stem cell research from Stanford Nobel
laureate Paul Berg.
Berg, the
Cahill Professor of Cancer Research, explained that embryonic stem cell
research can and should be developed using appropriate humanitarian
and moral safeguards, although the most strident religious objections
to the technique may never be overcome. He noted that physicians can
help promote public acceptance of stem cell research when they highlight
to patients and others the nascent technology's potential to relieve
human suffering in such areas as Alzheimer's disease and juvenile diabetes.
Highlights
of the meeting also included:
Approval of a new Rapid Response Team by the Medical Board in May to
provide highly expert focused care for hospitalized patients. See
Chief of Staff Larry Shuer's column.
The Medical Staff is gaining greater influence over its own affairs,
particularly its own budget. See Staff President
Bruce Adornato's column.
In a related matter, Adornato announced that staff members will have
a chance to vote later this year on a proposed bylaw change that would
make the current vice president's position a vice president/ treasurer's
office with generally enhanced responsibilities - including chairing
a finance committee which would approve major expenditures.
Nominations will begin in June for a new staff vice president. Packets
will be mailed to physicians describing the position and the procedures
for volunteering or nominating a candidate. The incumbent, anesthesiologist
Kent Garman, becomes staff president Sept. 1 after Adornato's two-year
term ends.
Garman reported that the Medical Staff has assets of more than $800,000
and that annual collections are about $200,000. Annual expenditures,
Garman said, run about $180,000. The major source of income is staff
dues of $150 for those members whose primary hospital is SHC, and $75
for members whose primary hospital is LPCH. Application fees are used
to support the administrative costs of running the Medical Staff Services
office and are not reflected in the core account available for discretionary
use by the membership.
In an informal vote, about half the attendees said they favor spending
approximately $50,000 in startup expenses and then $20,000 annually
of medical staff dues for a physician center (aka medical staff lounge)
in the hospital. Some staff members suggested that the lounge be easily
accessible to hospital locations, such as medical record terminals,
that are convenient for physicians. Hospital administration is currently
seeking an appropriate location for the center.
Displayed were a series of artists' renderings of Stanford's proposed
Midpoint Center, a 360,000 square foot outpatient campus scheduled to
open in Redwood City in fall 2007. Stanford's intention to use the campus
- with an open floor plan and existing medical zoning - was announced
in February.
