Author | Contributor

Education:

Bachelor of Arts, Bible-Theology, Moody Bible Institute 1974
Bachelor of Science, Biology, Michigan State University 1975
Enrolled as Ph.D. candidate in Genetics at Michigan State University 1975-76, left in good standing to enter medical school
Doctor of Medicine, Michigan State University 1976-80
Family Practice Residency, Midland, Michigan 1980-1983

Achievements:

Established privileging by the Department of Family Practice at St. Mary’s and Blodgett Hospitals. Previously all Family Practice   privileges were granted by other departments.
Initiated the process of transforming POWM into its present form. In the summer of 1992 I made a motion recommending at the GRCHS board meeting that $100,000 of GRCHS money be granted to hire a consultant to help form a more fully developed PO.  This action was opposed by St Mary’s which was in the process of forming Advantage Health and this PO was seen as a competitor. I meet with the CEO of both hospitals and invited the CEO of St Mary’s to meet with the PO development team, of which I was chairman to explain why she was opposed to this. At that meeting she agreed to vote for the measure at the next GRCHS board. With this money I hired Mike Lapenna who helped us reorganize the GRPC into the POWM.

Helped unite the Blodgett PO initiative with POWM.  In 1992 Blodgett physicians had met for the purpose of forming a PO. Bylaws had been drawn up and officers elected.  I met with this group on several occasions and eventually convinced them to join forces with the GRPC.  When they merged, POWM was formed.

Credentialing. In 1995 I recommended to the POWM board that we establish a committee which could do NCQA quality credentialing. It was also recommended at the same time that we develop a Quality Management/Utilization Review program. I researched and wrote the Credentialing Policies and Procedures Manuel in January, 1996, in June we had sent out credentialing materials to all members in POWM. By the end of 1996 all but a few of the current members of POWM had been credentialed. At my recommendation MSMS introduced a bill into the legislature to expand PRO status to POs. This bill passed.

Recipient of a grant totaling $112,000 from Priority Health, BCN and BCBSM to study the appropriateness of colonoscopy procedures compared to national guidelines. The study showed that 12% of colonoscopies were performed without an appropriate indication or at an inappropriate interval. (I titled the study, The Indications Needed to Endoscope, Surveillance Time Intervals Necessitating Endoscopy Study, or The INTESTINE Study).

I have given lectures integrating the theology of and the scientific rational for  health maintenance at Calvin Seminary, Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, Kuyper College and at numerous Michigan churches titled, “Who’s Destroying the Temple of God”   Lectures to medical students in the Christian Medical Society and church groups integrating the epistemology of medicine and the Bible titled, “Evidence Based Faith.”