Volume 36, Number 3 | May/June 2019
Boone County Medical Society Prescriptions Newsletter
Join BCMS for
Pints and Policy
You’re invited to join the Boone County Medical Society for a relaxing evening of food, drinks and discussion at Centennial Investors in Columbia on Tuesday, June 4.

The evening’s agenda includes:

  • 6 pm-6:30 pm: Networking social, with drinks and light appetizers provided.

  • 6:30 pm-7:00 pm: 2019 Missouri legislative session recap with MSMA lobbyists Jeff Howell and Heidi Geisbuhler.

  • 7:00 pm-7:30 pm: Centennial Investors history and projects, featuring Centennial Investors' staff/leadership.
This event, which is hosted at and sponsored by Centennial Investors, is free and open to BCMS members, including resident physicians and medical students.

You must RSVP by Tuesday, May 28, 2019, if you plan to attend.

RSVP at bcms@socket.net or through the BCMS website .

Centennial Investors is located at:
1601 S. Providence Road

When : Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Time : 6 pm-7:30 pm

Cost : Free for BCMS members
BCMS Members Hear Program on Rx Prices
About 30 members of Boone County Medical Society and their guests heard a presentation on prescription drug prices in the U.S. from Steve Miller, MD, on May 7.

Dr. Miller, the Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at Cigna Corporation, shared information on prescription drug spending in the U.S., the number of prescription drugs in development, and emerging technologies that can benefit both patients and physicians.

Dr. Miller noted that prescription drug spending in the U.S. is nearly double that of other "high-income" countries, such as the U.K., Japan and Germany.
Dr. Young-Walker
Wins ATHENA Award
Congratulations to BCMS Secretary/Treasurer Laine Young-Walker, MD, on receiving the 2019 ATHENA Young Professional Award from the Women's Network, a division of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce.

Dr. Young-Walker is Associate Dean for Student Programs, Professor of Psychiatry, and Division Chief of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry for MU Health and the School of Medicine.

Congratulations also go to BCMS member Bridget Gruender, MD, a finalist for the award. Dr. Gruender is the owner of Liberty Family Medicine, a direct primary care clinic in Columbia.

The ATHENA Young Professional Award is for "emerging leaders who strive toward the highest levels of personal and professional accomplishment, who excel in their chosen field, devote time and energy to their community in a meaningful way, and serve as a role model for women."
BCMS Member Bridget Gruender, MD, (left) was a finalist for the ATHENA Young Professional Award. BCMS Secretary/Treasurer Laine Young-Walker, MD, (right) was the recipient of this year's award, presented by the Women's Network.
Experts Share Knowledge at Resident Symposiums
Thanks to those who attended and to our speakers for their time at the resident/fellow symposiums BCMS hosted in March and April. Presenters at the April events included (from top, left to right) Casey Elliott of Van Matre, Harrison, Hollis, Taylor & Elliott; Ronnie Staggs from MSMA Insurance Agency; Robert Doroghazi, MD, author of "The Physician's Guide to Investing"; Marsha Fifer, CFP, senior vice president at Central Investment Advisors; and Jeff Echelmeier, CPA, from Williams-Keepers LLC, CPAs and Consultants.
Dr. Karen Edison, a Past BCMS President, Retires
After 30 years of service to the University of Missouri School of Medicine, Karen Edison, MD, Chair of the Department of Dermatology, retired on May 2.

Dr. Edison, who joined BCMS in 1991 and served as its president in 2006, was the first woman to chair a School of Medicine department at the University of Missouri when she was named the Philip C. Anderson Professor and Chair of the Department of Dermatology in 2003.

A nationally known expert in telehealth and teledermatology, she served as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow in the U.S. Senate. In this role, she was instrumental in the legislative expansion of Medicare reimbursement for telemedicine services.

Dr. Edison helped usher in Show-Me ECHO, which uses videoconferencing to provide training resources to physicians around the state. More than 18 ECHOs are now in place, connecting teams of interdisciplinary experts with primary care providers to address many of our state’s most pressing medical conditions.

In addition to these achievements, Dr. Edison remained an active clinician and researcher, and was responsible for more than 50 articles in peer-reviewed publications and 10 book chapters and monographs.
Photo and information courtesy MU School of Medicine
Dr. Jella An Makes History
Jella An, MD, assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology at the University of Missouri School of Medicine and physician at Mason Eye Institute in Columbia, is believed to have performed the first micro-invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) procedure – which decreases eye pressure to prevent vision loss – in the country of India.

Dr. An, who joined BCMS in 2016, was part of a humanitarian effort in India earlier this year and used her skills as both an educator and a surgeon during the week-long trip.

BCMS Family Fishing Day
set for June 29, 2019
BCMS will once again host Family Fishing Day at Jefferson Farm and Gardens in Columbia. The event, which includes a BBQ lunch, is free for BCMS members and their families. Watch your email for more details about this fun family event!