The meeting also has the support of the state s residency programs, which clear their schedules of conflicting engagements to encourage attendance. The Florida Chapter presented an office management seminar for members and their office staff at its 2000 regional meeting. The seminar focused on new state regulations governing office procedures, coding strategies to maximize reimbursement, and strategies to avoid malpractice claims and maximize patient outcomes. By using speakers and space that had been committed to the chapter s regional meeting, the seminar was offered free of charge to attendees and cost the chapter very little. New York Members of the New York Chapter and a group of internists and librarians from New York's academic health centers developed an evidence-based medicine teaching program.
Participants also identify how they plan to implement evidence-based medicine into their programs.
The Connecticut Chapter developed several programs to reach out to medical students. Recent activities included a medical school activities fair, oral and poster presentations during the chapter s annual meeting, and a graduation award that recognizes select students from Yale University and the University of Connecticut for academic achievement and community service. Students from 11 schools in six states participated. After the competition, all joined the College as medical student members. Students created patient education brochures explaining upper respiratory infections and emphasizing the dangers of unnecessary antibiotics.