Rhode Island Governor's Newsletter August 2025
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In this Issue:
- Governor's Welcome
- Chapter News
- Mentorship Zone
- From National ACP
Kwame O. Dapaah-Afriyie, MBchB, FACP, ACP Governor
Governor's Welcome
The future of healthcare in our nation is at stake with the ongoing calculated obliteration of evidence-based practices and established administrative systems of care. The repercussions are already evident in the measles outbreak in many states through perpetuation of anti-vaccine agenda; along with destabilization of scientific research by defunding renowned tertiary institutions.
I would like to apprise us on our organization’s actions to address these issues. On the local front, our combined advocacy activities with RI Medical Society (RIMS) and other medical professional organizations have yielded some results, notably in the payment for services provided to patients on Medicaid, and the frustrating issue of pre-authorization demanded by some payors for some patient care services.
These gains have been overshadowed by the so-called “beautiful bill” passed by congress despite our advocacy efforts and that of other colleagues. The ensuing months will reveal the full impact of this bill on healthcare services for many in our communities and nation.
Nationally, it is gratifying to note that some of the funds for much needed research and clinical activities have been restored. This was one of the goals of our ACP Leadership Day activities in April 2025. We appealed to our elected representatives to take concrete steps to halt plans to reduce spending on public health and curtail funds for vital institutions such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and National Institutes of Health (NIH).
ACP continues to issue statements averse to the new Health and Human services (HHS) leadership’s redefinition of well-researched and adopted preventative health practices. The fight for our patients and profession entered a new arena a few weeks ago when ACP together with other professional organizations embarked on an unusual pursuit of legal action against the unsettling activities of HHS leadership. The suit filed in the US District Court of Massachusetts seeks to defend vaccine policy, and to put an end to the Secretary’s assault on science, public health and evidence-based medicine. The other plaintiffs in this suit are American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Massachusetts Public Health Alliance, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine(SMFM), and a pregnant woman. This is just the beginning; hopefully, this step will prevent further indiscriminate non-scientific and detrimental policies by HHS.
ACP is also instituting measures to reiterate and communicate widely current positions on vaccinations to help combat the ongoing vaccine misinformation and disinformation on social media. August is National Immunization Awareness Month; however, the endeavor to urge our patients and friends to get all recommended immunizations for protection against preventable diseases should be a lifelong commitment. The next several months will likely be very challenging, waiting for the outcome of the above-mentioned interventions, but in the words of Bernard Shaw, “A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.”
Chapter News
Committee Highlights
Early Career Physicians: Update by Pinar Arikan, MD, FACP
The Early Career Physicians (ECP) Committee is dedicated to providing support and development opportunities for internists in our state who are within 16 years of graduation. We have recently established a new leadership team consisting of Drs. Pinar Arikan, Atin Jindal, Quratul Ain Qaiser, Isha Shah, Sandipan Shringi, and Ajay Yechuri. Our mission is to support Early career internists across Rhode Island through professional development, networking opportunities, and community engagement.
We are pleased to announce our upcoming event on October 6, featuring a presentation on Artificial Intelligence in Clinical Practice. The session will be led by Mathew Butler, who has recently joined Brown University Health as the Director of Artificial Intelligence. This timely presentation will explore the growing impact of artificial intelligence on patient care and clinical decision-making. Please save the date - more details will be shared soon.
In addition, the ECP Committee is expanding our community outreach through a new collaboration with the OASIS International Youth Educational Program. We will be organizing monthly STEM-focused presentations for local high school students, designed to generate interest in healthcare and science careers while promoting equity and inclusion in STEM fields. The introductory session was held on 07/27/2025, as noted in the pictures below.
We are excited to have the opportunity to inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals and strengthen our connection with students across Rhode Island.
We have had and will continue to have annual joint meetings with members of the local chapter of Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) as part of networking and professional development initiatives.
We look forward to seeing you at our events throughout the year!
Chapter Excellence Award
Our chapter has again met requirements for the ACP chapters Gold award. My special appreciation to all the Governor’s council members, Committee leaders, members of Annual meeting planning committee for the dedication and efforts to enhance our chapter’s activities.
Governor's Advisory Council
Our next Governor’s Advisory Council meeting will be held on 09/10/2025.
Annual Meeting
Annual planning committee meetings have begun in earnest in preparation for the 2026 Scientific meeting which is scheduled for 03/11/2026.
Doctor's Dilemma
Our chapter’s Doctors’ Dilemma competition to select our representatives for the 2026 national meeting in San Francisco will be held in November. Medical residents must be active ACP members to be eligible for this competition.
Chapter Voluntary Contributions
The Voluntary Contribution site for our chapter is now live. National ACP has been working on this for all chapters’ websites for several months. Those who visit the chapter website (members and nonmembers) will now be able to view the page and access the donation link. Below is the QR code. We are a 501(C)(3) organization – a tax-exempt non-profit organization recognized under Internal Revenue code) so all donations are tax-deductible.
Mentorship Zone
What are we learning? Who are we learning from? Who are we transferring insights to?
Iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
The one who waters will also be watered.
In this newsletter, we get to learn from our colleague Dino Messina, a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council of our Chapter.
Brief background: Dino A. Messina, MD, PhD, FACP is an Internal Medicine specialist who received his medical and doctoral degrees from SUNY Upstate Medical Center in 1992 and completed his Internal Medicine Primary Care Track residency at the University of Pittsburgh in 1995. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Alpert Brown Medical School. He currently serves as the Medical Director for the Center for Primary Care at Rhode Island Hospital and is an active member of the Internal Medicine Residency Program and serves on multiple hospital committees. Current research interests include improving health literacy and health care disparities. He is a member of the RI ACP chapter’s Governor’s Council and works at the RI Free clinic when time permits.
Why did you choose to specialize in Internal Medicine? What are the 2-3 major factors that have helped you in this profession? Unique opportunities were made available to me early in my education. I spent time on the Lakota reservation in South Dakota, planting the “primary care” seed. During residency training, I enjoyed every specialty and the general approach to medicine. I enjoyed the relationships I had with my clinic patients during residency training and switched from the categorical track to the primary care track at UPMC.
Travel medicine experiences in the South Pacific (LBJ Tropical Medical Center in American Samoa), the Navajo reservation in Chinle, Arizona and the Yakima Farm Workers clinic in Washington State further solidified my desire to be a general internist, working with the underserved.
There are many factors that motivate me in my primary care role. It’s a privilege to develop trustful relationships with patients over time. Empowering them with preventive health strategies to enhance the quality of their lives is rewarding. Lastly, Internal Medicine is intellectually stimulating, with constant opportunities for lifelong learning and professional growth.
What has kept you in this profession amid the challenges?
I’m fortunate to work for an organization that meets my needs as a clinician educator and values my professional wellness. My time is split between direct patient care, teaching, administrative tasks and research. The complex care clinic I started in 2017 demonstrated how a team-based approach in primary care can improve health outcomes for high-risk complex patients and improve physician satisfaction as well. I am motivated to continue to make contributions that improve health outcomes for our patients and our resident physicians in ambulatory training.
Last thoughts: Our healthcare system fails to provide for our most vulnerable patients, leading to significant inequity. The American College of Physicians position papers under the title “Better is Possible: ACP’s Vision for the US Health Care System” offers policy recommendations and solutions with specific “calls to action”. I’m proud to be a member of the ACP and will continue to follow these guidelines and advocate for equitable health care for all.
From National ACP
Statement from Leading Physician Groups on HHS Decision to Pull mRNA Vaccine Funding
The statement below was issued by the American College of Physicians, American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the and the American Osteopathic Association: Our organizations, representing over 500,000 physicians and medical students, are dismayed and alarmed by the decision to halt most federal investment in mRNA vaccine research. This act stifles scientific innovation and our country’s ability to react swiftly to future pandemics and public health emergencies—putting millions of lives at risk. Sustained research funding is essential to developing the next generation of tools that protect Americans from infectious disease. Thanks to decades of rigorous science, testing and monitoring systems, vaccines used in the U.S. continue to be safe, effective and save lives. We remain resolute in our support for investments in public health research and programs that prevent debilitating and fatal diseases and advance U.S. health care.
Abstracts
Abstract submissions selected for presentation at national meetings will now attract a fee of $45.00. This is less than what other organizations like SGIM charge. Additionally, this fee does not apply to the winners of chapters’ abstract competitions who are automatically selected to be part of the national competitions.
Doctor’s dilemma
The Board of Regents declined to accept the resolution of the Board of Governors to waive the national annual meeting registration fees for all residents participating in the national Doctors’ dilemma competition. This difficult decision was made because of the potential negative effect to the financial status of the college.
Resolutions to be discussed at Fall Board of Governors’ meeting
To view the full text of the Fall 2025 resolutions visit here
Resolution 5-F24. Gaining an Understanding of the 1-Year and 3-Year Mortality Rates of Patients that Have Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Stays - Sponsor: Delaware Chapter
Resolution 9-F24. Revising ACP’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Policy to Promote an Age-Friendly Professional Home and Create Engagement Opportunities for Senior and Retired Physicians.- Sponsor: California Southern III; Co-sponsors: Connecticut, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Oregon, and Pennsylvania Western Chapters; Class of 2025, Council of Resident/Fellow Members, and Council of Student Members
Resolution 1-F25. Mitigate the Harms of Immediate Results Release. - Sponsor: Wisconsin Chapter
Resolution 2-F25. Sustaining and Expanding 988 Services - Sponsor: Arizona Chapter; Co-sponsors: BOG Class of 2027, Georgia, Iowa, Japan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Prairie Provinces, South Dakota, New York, Nevada, and North Carolina Chapters.
Resolution 3-F25. Optimizing the Medical Resident and Fellow Training Experience - Sponsor: District of Columbia Chapter; Co-sponsor: Council of Resident/Fellow Members
Many changes are occurring in the political landscape for vaccines, medicine, and science.
To keep up to date on the responses from the ACP, please go to the "Latest ACP Advocacy" link.