March 15, 2005

The Family Doctor Is In

Genesis welcomes new director of family practice residency program

It didn’t take long for Frederick Scherr, M.D., born and raised on the Wyoming frontier, to see that a family practice residency program in Davenport, Iowa, was blazing some trails of its own.

While exploring a job opportunity at the Quad Cities Genesis Family Practice Residency Program, Dr. Scherr discovered a tradition of educational excellence that has graduated 150 physicians in 30 years. The program’s close affiliation with the University of Iowa College of Medicine contributes to that success.

Even more impressive, he said, is the fact that many of those graduates have stayed in the area to practice. For Quad Citians, that means a perpetual flow of family physicians to the region and – ultimately -- a stronger, more integrated system of care.

‘Incredible support’
Dr. Scherr will become part of that tradition as Program Director of the highly regarded Quad Cities Genesis Family Practice Residency Program. He begins March 21.

“I look forward to becoming a part of the Genesis family,” said Dr. Scherr, 42. “This family residency program has incredible support from the community and from the staff and administration at Genesis. The fact that many graduates choose to stay in the area attests to that.”

Dr. Scherr is the former Associate Program Director of the University of Wyoming Family Practice Residency Program in Cheyenne. He is board-certified by the American Board of Family Physicians and is a 1988 graduate of the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City. He completed his residency at Phoenix Baptist Hospital in Arizona and received an M.B.A. in health care administration from the University of Colorado in Denver.

“He is eminently qualified to lead our program forward,” said Leo Bressanelli, President and CEO of Genesis Health System. “As a health system, we value the critical role the Residency Program plays in our overall system of care. We feel confident that Dr. Scherr will continue the tradition of excellence that has characterized this program from its inception.”

A 30-year legacy
Located on the West Central Park campus of Genesis Medical Center, the Quad Cities Genesis Family Practice Residency Program has been caring for families since 1975. It has satellite offices in Blue Grass and Durant, Iowa. The program takes pride in the fact that many graduates have remained in the area to practice over the past three decades. In Genesis Health Group alone, there are 20 physicians who are program graduates.

That’s no small achievement considering that the American Academy of Family Physicians says the need for family physicians surpasses the number available. In addition, the number of U.S. medical school graduates choosing family medicine has declined nearly 50 percent since 1997, with fewer than 10 percent of U.S. medical graduates now choosing family medicine, according to the  “Future of Family Medicine” report of 2004.

With a love for education and a commitment to family medicine, Dr. Scherr says he has landed a job that offers him the best of both worlds. He and his wife, Gina, will relocate to the Quad Cities in the coming weeks.

“I come from a long line of educators,” he said. “I also was in private practice for nine years. Combining the two was an ideal career change for me. Educating new physicians, who will then go out and help others, has a much larger impact than I would have in my private practice. I also like spreading the word about the importance of family medicine.”

Patient-centered care
Across the nation, rising health care costs, declining reimbursements and the growing number of uninsured have prompted family medicine physicians to re-examine their role within the health care system, Dr. Scherr said.

“As a specialty, family medicine is taking a leadership role on behalf of the millions of patients – from infants to elderly – who family physicians care for every day. We’re asking, ‘What can we do to make the system better?’ ”

The role of family physicians goes well beyond the office and the bedside, he said. They also help patients navigate an increasing complex health care system.

“Family medicine physicians are dedicated to treating the whole person and can be advocates for their patients,” Dr. Scherr said. “They can guide them through the health care maze; decrease barriers; increase communication; and, link them to specialists if needed. Everyone needs a family physician – a physician who knows them best and can provide continuing and comprehensive health care for them and their family.”

Indeed, the “Future of Family Medicine Report” suggests that “if every American used a primary care physician as their usual source of care, health care costs would likely decrease by 5.6 percent, resulting in a national savings of $67 billion per year with a significant improvement in the quality of the health care provided.”

Dr. Scherr adds, “If I’m an employer and looking at how to maximize my health care costs, I’m going to want my employees to have a link to a family physician who will help them use the health care system more efficiently.”

In his new role, Dr. Scherr looks forward to introducing resident physicians to a career in family medicine. Having already received their medical degree, the residents then undergo three years of specialty training in family medicine. If he has any advice to new residents, it’s this: “Have balance in your lives,” he said. “They’ve been studying hard for four years and putting in a lot of long, stressful hours. They need to find balance and interests outside of medicine to keep life in perspective.”

Dr. Scherr finds his own balance by spending time with his wife, Gina, working out regularly, playing the piano and through his love for cooking, sports and history. “I’m excited to be here,” he said of his new position. “I think it’s a great opportunity.”

Residency Program Faculty

The family medicine physicians of tomorrow also benefit from the skills and knowledge of these Quad Cities Genesis Family Practice Residency Program faculty teachers:

• Michael J. Kelly, M.D. -- Dr. Kelly received his medical degree from the University of Illinois in 1983 and is a 1986 graduate of the Davenport residency program. He has a part-time practice at the satellite office in Blue Grass, Iowa, and supervises obstetrics assignments.
• Dean A. Bunting, M.D. -- Dr. Bunting is a 1984 graduate of the University of Iowa College of Medicine and a 1987 graduate of the Davenport program. He practiced in the emergency room before joining the faculty of the residency program. He now practices part-time at the Blue Grass office and serves as the medical director at Manor Care Nursing Home. He also coordinates the geriatrics and sports medicine rotations for the program and the local primary care rotation for the University of Iowa. He won the first AOA Volunteer Clinical Faculty Award and was named the Community Based Primary Care Preceptor of the year in 1999. He has been serving as Interim Program Director.
• Rose Warhank, M.D. -- Dr. Warhank is a 1990 graduate of New York Medical College and a 1993 graduate of the Davenport program. Previous to joining the faculty, she practiced in Aurora, Colo. for two years, where she had a clinical faculty appointment at the University of Colorado. Currently, she has a faculty appointment at the University of Iowa College of Medicine. Dr. Warhank has her part-time practice in Blue Grass and also is medical director at the Kahl Home.
• Viviana Martinez-Bianchi, M.D. -- A 1996 graduate of the University of Iowa residency program, Dr. Bianchi was in private practice in Muscatine, Iowa. She received the AOA 2000 Volunteer Clinical Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching and was a minority delegate to the American Academy of Family Physicians Congress of Delegates. She is the medical director of Good Samaritan Nursing Home.
• Andy Andresen, M.D.  -- Dr. Andresen was a 1989 graduate of the University of Iowa and a 1992 graduate of the Davenport program before joining a private practice in Bettendorf. The current chief of staff, he splits his time between managing the Durant office and staffing the Davenport clinic.
• Mark Jones, Pharm.D.  -- Dr. Jones joined the program in 1984. He received a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Washington State in 1973 and his Pharm.D. from the University of Cincinnati in 1975. He completed his Clinical Pharmacy Fellowship at the University of Iowa. He has an appointment in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Iowa. Dr. Jones is responsible for teaching drug management and pharmacotherapeutics.
• Rhonda Mclnroy, LMSW -- Ms. Mclnroy is a 1989 graduate of the Social Work program and a 1989 BA graduate of the University of Iowa. She has worked in hospital social work, as an EAP counselor, and as a consultant for local health agencies. She is also an adjunct professor at St. Ambrose University. She is responsible for teaching behavioral science and counseling.
• Trish Halligan, CPMSM – Halligan, the resident coordinator, joined the program in 1993. She is a certified member of both the American Society of Clinical Pathologists and National Association of Medical Staff Services. She participates in practice management teaching and is the Educational Coordinator for the Community Based Primary Care Clerkship with the University of Iowa College of Medicine.

The residency program also relies on the volunteer help of numerous physicians on the Genesis Medical Center medical staff.