WaNewsletter - American Medical Writers Association

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AMERICAN MEDICAL WRITERS ASSOCIATION
Volume 4, Number 6
November 1973
Officers of American Medical Writers Association 1973-74 Constitution & Bylaws
“One of the Rest” was the consensus of
opinion of the 211 registrants at the 33rd
Annual Meeting of the American Writers Association
who participated in AMWA’s implementation
of the meeting theme “Bridging
the Gap” between medical research and
health care by medical communication.
E. Clinton Texter, Jr., M.D., Associate
Chief of Staff for Education, University of
Arkansas Medical Center-Veterans Administration
Hospital Complex in Little Rock,
Arkansas was elected President; Arnold
Melnick, D.O., Editor of Maternal and Child
AMWA ANNUAL MEETING HUGE SUCCESS
Health, Philadelphia, Pa., President-Elect;
Gerald McKee, Associate Editor, Audio Digest
Foundation, Los Angeles, California,
Vice President; William D. Nelligan, Executive
Director, American College of Cardiology,
Bethesda, Md., Treasurer; and Judy
Ingram, Medical Editor, Publications Office,
Scott and White Clinic, Texas, Secretary.
Dr. Texter received the gavel from the outgoing
President, Milton J. Schiffrin, Ph.D.,
Assistant Vice President and Director of Drug
Regulatory Affairs, Hoffmann-La Roche,
Inc., Nutley, N.J. at the Saturday, Sept. 15th
By an overwhelming vote, the AMWA
membership has approved the constitutional
changes providing voting Privileges for retired
members and an increase from two to
three in the non-officer membership of the
Executive Committee.
Birthday Honors for
Karl F. Menninger, M.D.
A celebration honoring Dr. Karl A. Menninger
on his 80th birthday was observed on
July 14, 1973 at the White Concert Hall of
Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas. Dr.
Menninger, a Life Member of AMWA, is one
of the founders and Chairman of the Board
of Trustees of The Menninger Foundation. a
non-profit psychiatric institution in Topeka.
Included among those attending the affair
were Governor Robert Docking; Congressman
Bill Roy; Dr. Roy Menninger; Topeka
Mayor William B. McCormick; and Robert
Hulsen and Dr. Leo Bartemeier of the Board
of Trustees. Dr. Geneva Folsom of the
Mental Health and Behavioral Science Services
of the Veterans Administration (VA).
Washington, D. C., presented a certificate
honoring Dr. Menninger for his contributions
in developing psychiatric programs for
the VA, an effort he helped initiate in 1946,
when the need for psychiatrists was great
and the supply small Dr. Menninger was
instrumental in bringing an understanding
of psychiatry to the genera, public through
books such as The Human Mind, Man
Against Himself. The Vital Balance, Love
Against Hate, and The Crime of Punishment.
He also is a staunch advocate of
prison reform and works constantly in an
effort to bring about changes in the penal
system.
Awards Luncheon honoring three physicians
and one non-physician for outstanding medical
writing:
Howard F. Conn, M.D., of Uniontown,
Pennsylvania, editor of Current Therapy for
“Best Medical Book Compiled by an Editor.”
Edward M. Brecher, of West Cornwall,
Connecticut, Editor-in-Chief of Licit and
Illicit Drugs, for “Best Book on a Medical
Subject for Lay Readership Compiled by
More Than One Editor.”
(Please see: Page 2, Col. 1)

(Continued from: Page 1, Col. 3)
Walter Brown Shelley, M.D., of Philadelphia,
author of "Consultations in Dermatology
for “Best Book by an Individual Author
Written for the Medical Profession.”
William J. Turtle, M.D., of Brookline,
Massachusetts, author of Doctor Turtle's
Babies, for “Best Book on a Medical Subject
for Lay Readership Written by an Individual.”
The Harold Swanberg Distinguished Service
Award, presented in honor of Dr. Swanberg,
the founder of AMWA, is the highest
award that the Association can give to any
individual. It is presented to “a Fellow of
AMWA who has made distinguished contributions
to the medical literature or rendered
unusual and distinguished service to the medical
profession.” This year’s eminently qualified
recipient was Harold Laufman, M.D.
U.S. Representative Wilbur D. Mills (D-
Ark.), Chairman of the House Ways and
Means Committee and a key figure in health
legislation, received the AMWA Honor
Award. Because Congressman Mills is at
present in hospital recovering from an operation.
Mr. William Fullerton, represented him
at the meeting.
Practical instruction in the workshop on
the use of photography in newsletters and
medical journals at our 1973 Annual Meeting
is exemplified by this photo of participants
Donald A. Fischer and Hilan B. Thomas.
Instructors Claire R. Pittman, HEW and
Louis Mazzatenta of the National Geographic
Magazine are to be complimented
on their teaching techniques.
AMWA ANNUAL MEETING
Alex Adler, General Chairman of the 1973
Annual Meeting and Frances O. Kelsey,
Ph.D., M.D., Scientific Chairman, regret that
some members could not be accepted in the
workshop sessions. All workshops (which are
limited to 20 or 30 participants) were filled
by advance registration days before the opening
day of the meeting. It is suggested that
next year more members register for the Annual
Meeting well in advance so that, where
possible, additional workshops may be
formed.
Page 2
The Honor Lecture was delivered by Martin
M. Cummings, M.D., Director of the National
Library of Medicine, National Institutes
of Health, H.E.W. The lecture was entitled
“An Analysis of Contemporary Scien-
tific Writing.”
This year, AMWA Fellowships were
awarded to: William J. Hewitt, Ph.D., Chairman
of the AMWA Editors’ Section and
member of the Executive Committee; Gerald
McKee, newly-elected Vice President and
former Chairman of the Membership Committee;
William D. Nelligan, Treasurer of
AMWA. member of the Executive Committee,
etc.; Robert Orsetti, Past-President of
the Metropolitan New York Chapter and
Chairman of the Fellowship Committee:
Mary Politano, member of the National
Board of Directors of AMWA and former
Secretary of the Metropolitan New York
Chapter; Byron T. Scott, Editor of “Medical
Communications”, the official publication of
AMWA. and former Editor of the AMWA
Newlsetter; and Joel L. Shapiro, former
Chairman of the Fellowship Committee and
Past-President of the Metropolitan New York
Chapter.
SUSTAINING MEMBERS
The American Medical Writers Association
is most grateful to the following organizations
for their continued support of
the aims and efforts of AMWA.
Abbott Laboratories
A. H. Robins Co., Inc.
Arch Laboratories
Burroughs Wellcome & Co.
Ciba-Geigy Corporation
Eli Lilly & Company
Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc.
Medical Economics, Inc.
Merck & Co., Inc.
Modern Medicine
Norwich Pharmacal Company
Parke, Davis&Company
Schering Corporation
Smith Kline & French Laboratories
Wyeth Laboratories
Conference notebooks courtesy of Minnesota
Mining & Manufacturing Company
3M Center, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101

Daniel S. Gillmor, a well-known science
writer and member of our Metropolitan New
York Chapter can be proud of the editorial
assistance he rendered in the case of “The
Autobiography of Dr. Samuel Rose”” published
May 1973 by Alfred A. Knofp, Inc.,
201 East 15th St., N.Y.C. 10022 at $6.95.
The job was technically excellent but, more
than that, a great event in modern medicine
was not allowed to obscure the Man, as interesting
a personality as one will ever
meet.
In 1952 Samuel Rosen, M.D., Emeritus
Clinical Professor of Otolaryngology at
Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New
York City, discovered by “accident” a revolutionary
stapes operation for the restoration
of hearing in patients suffering from
otosclerotic deafness. The story of the years
of the long struggle to perfect the “Rosen
stapes mobilization” and have it accepted
by his peers is only a part of the book. The
real pleasure is in meeting Dr. Rosen, a man
whose passionate convictions, extraordinary
ingenuity, stubborn purpose, and
maverick politics are always seasoned by
his humor and love of his fellow man.
Results of a survey of medical school information
officers (their duties, training,
problems. objectives, etc.) by the Medical
News Department of “The Journal of the
America” Medical Association” are scheduled
to appear in the Fall issues of the National
Association of Science Writers’ newsletter
and the News & Comment Newsletter
of the medical school. Information Officer.
Phil Gunby, JAMA News Associate Editor
and Executive News Editor of AMA’s “Archives
of Internal Medicine,” conducted the
survey.
The newly-elected Chairman of the Board
Of Regents Of the National Library of Medicine
is John P. McGovern, M.D. of Bellaire,
Texas. The one-year term es Chairman will
conclude Dr. McGovern’s four-year Presidential
appointment to the NLM Board of
Regents where he also serves as Chairman
of the Extramural Grants Program.
George E. Ehrlich, M.D., Director of the
Rheumatology and Arthritis Center at the
Northern Division of Einstein Medical Center
and the Moss Rehabilitation Hospital Is
the author of "Oculocutaneous Manifestations
of Rheumatic Diseases.” The book
Correlates the clinical features of rheumatic
diseases with current research efforts. Dr.
Ehrlich has bee” a member of the Editorial
Advisory Committee of “Medical Communi-
Cations” since its inception and was recently
appointed to the Editorial Board of the
“Journal of the America” Medical Assn.”
Doris Bressler, Chief Editor, Health &
Welfare, Metropolitan Life sponsored Frances
R. Nielsen as a new member-and won
the 1973 AMWA Membership Contest Drawing.
Congratulations. Doris!
“Ageless Aging: How Science Is Winning
the Battle to Help You Extend Your Healthy
and Productive Years,” written by Ruth Winter
of our Metropolitan New York Chapter,
was released in October by Crown Publishers,
Inc., 419 Park Avenue South, New
York, N.Y. 10016. Now Ruth is starting a
new, nationally syndicated column for the
Los Angeles Times Syndicate on develop
ments in the social and medical sciences.
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
“A Doctor Discusses Allergy: Facts and
Fiction” is the intriguing title of a recent
manual written by Lou Joseph, Past-President
of our Greater Area Chapter, in consultation
with Alice S. Mills. M.D. It is published
by the Budlong Press Company and
is available at $2.00 per copy. Contact: Mr.
Lou Joseph, Assistant Director, Bureau of
Public Information, American Dental Association,
211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago,
Ill.
Joel L. Shapio has been named new
Executive Director of Scientific & Regulatory
Services Consulting, Inc.-the recently
created affiliate of the Wesson & Warhaftig
health-care communications complex structured
to provide manufacturers with scientific,
legal, and analytical backup to substantiate
product positions. Educated at
Brown University, B.A., Joel later received
a fellowship in microbiology at the Chicago
Medical School. Prior to joining W&W, he
managed the Medical Communication and
Literature Services section of Ciba-Geigy
Pharmaceuticals and held similar positions
with Wallace Pharmaceuticals and Lederle
Laboratories. Since 1959, Joel has been active
in AMWA (President of the Metropolitan
New York Chapter, Fellow, etc.), the Drug
Information Association, and the Medical
Exhibitors Association.
Helen O. Neff, writer-editor at the Center
for Disease Control, Atlanta, Ga., is the author
of the chapter “Community Health is
Everybody’s Business” in the Department
of Agriculture Yearbook 1973.
Irwin I. Lubowe, M.D. of our Metropolitan
New York Chapter is the author of “Modern
Guide for Skin Care and Beauty,” published
by E. P. Dutton & Co., 201 Park Ave., N.Y.
10003 at $7.95. Dr. Lubowe is Clinical Professor
of Dermatology at New York Medical
College, Metropolitan Hospital Center, a
Fellow of the College of Allergists and the
Academy of Dermatologists, and a member
of the New York Academy of Science, the
American Chemical Society and the American
Society for Dermatological Surgery. He
has written eight books and over one hundred
scientific articles on cosmetics and
dermatology.
Sheldon Garber has been appointed Vice
President for Development and Communication
at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical
Center of Chicago. Sheldon holds a
B.A. degree in Economics from the University
of Minnesota and did graduate work
in Education and the Social Sciences at the
University of Chicago. He has served as
Illinois State Editor of United Press International
in Chicago, Director of Media Services
at the U. of Chicago, Director of Public
Relations for the national Blue Cross
Association, and Executive Vice President
of Charles R. Feldstein & Co., Inc., a fundraising
consulting firm in Chicago. He is a
Trustee of the Citizens Information Service
of Illinois and a member of the Midwest
Advisory Board of the Institute of International
Education in Chicago. In his new position,
Sheldon will coordinate and conduct
programs in philanthropy and public relations
problems.
David Woods has become an entrepreneur!
He was former managing editor of
“Canadian Doctor,” editor of “Canadian
Family Physician” and, recently, managing
editor of “Geriatrics.” David has started his
own company-Medical Communication
Services-and will be writing regularly for
the “Canadian Medical Association Journal,”
as well as acting as consulting editor
for a new CMA publication called "Mediscope”-a
tabloid directed at the entire
health care team. His new address is 88
Cassandra Blvd., TH 6, Don Mills, Toronto,
Ontario, Canada.
Roland I. Pritikin, M.D. has been granted
a Lifetime Membership as a Contributing
Associate of the Weizmann Institute of Science
and, in addition, has been included in
Volume “L” (1973) of the Cyclopedia of
American Biography. He is the second Rockford,
Illinois resident so honored since Vol.
1 appeared in 1891.
In a special convocation in Taiwan on
June 1st, Hirsch Lazaar Silverman, Ph.D.,
Sc.D., LL.D., L.H.D., a Fellow of the American
Medical Writers Association and member
of our Metropolitan New York Chapter,
was awarded the designation, with diploma,
of “Lifetime Honorary Professor” (the first
such distinction ever given by the Central
Police College) by Dr. Ko-wang Mei, the College’s
President, in the Republic of China.
From May through June 1973, Professor
Silverman also delivered lectures on psychotherapeutic
techniques, behavior sceinces,
and clinical and abnormal psychology
at National Taiwan Normal University and
Chung Yuan College of Science and Engineering.
Dr. Silverman is the author of 13
published books and over 80 articles and
monographs in professional journals.
Theodore Berland of our Greater Chicago
Area Chapter has received the Ameri can
Optometric Association’s 1973 Public Service
Award for Distinguished Service in
Journalism for his article “What to Look
for in Eyeglasses and Contacts” published
in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine,
March 1973.
M. Pinson Neal Sr., M.D., Professor
Emeritus and former Chairman, Dept. of
Pathology at the University of Missouri,
School of Medicine, Columbia, Mo. died
Aug. 18, 1973. He received a Doctor of
Medicine degree in June 1912 from the
University College of Medicine which later
became Medical College of Virginia, Richmond,
Va. He was married in 1917 to Mathilda
Frances Evers who died in 1962, and
is survived by a son. Dr. M. Pinson Neal II
and two grandchildren, Sandra Neal and M.
Pinson Neal III, all of Richmond, Va. Dr.
Neal’s busy life included service in the
A.E.F. in France from May 1917 to Aug.
1919, and the publication of Numerous
papers in pathology and in medical history,
from 1919 to 1971. He will be missed but
he and his work will be remembered.

The day of the woman-president has
definitely arrived in AMWA. During 1972-73,
Frances O. Kelsey, Ph.D., M.D. was President
of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter, our 1973
Annual Meeting hosts.
During 1973-74, Bernice Ennis, M.D. will
be President of the Pacific Southwest Chapter.
Grant Lloyd is V.P. for Membership and
Charles Page is V.P. for Publicity, while
Frances Larson is Secretary and Edward H.
Schaar is Treasurer. Chapter Representative
to the National Board of AMWA is Carl
Spring.
The Delaware Valley Chapter considers
itself most fortunate to have Edith
Schwager of Philadelphia, Pa. as President,
while the Mid-America Chapter is all set for
a big year with Virginia Eicholtz Of Topeka,
Kansas.
Further, Eleanor Chappell is Presidentelect
of our Greater Chicago Area Chapter.
Samuel L. Andelman, M.D., Director of
Health, Village of Skokie, Ill. and author of
nationally-syndicated health column is the
1973.74 President, Terence Sacks in Treasurer,
and Lou Joseph is Newsletter Editor.
.
CHAPTER
Four Chicago science writers have received
the 1973 awards of our Greater
Chicago Area Chapter. Ted Berland, wellknown
magazine writer, received the third
Annual Chapter Award for Distinguished
Achievement in Medical Writing for an article,
“Do Self Help Groups Really Help?"
published in March, 1972 “Woman’s Day.”
James S. Sweet was the first to receive
the Beth Fonda Memorial Award for
Excellence in Medical Feature Writing,
named for an AMWA member who died last
year. The award was made for “Reports,” a
series on professional medical personnel
published by the University of Chicago.
“Special categories were
given to two other winners. A group of editorials
called “The President’s Page” and
published by Chicago Medicine won a special
citation for Charles Wiegel, M.D., while
“Beyond the Window,” a multimedia show
presented before the House of Delegates of
the American Medical Association in 1972
in San Francisco, received a special citation
for its author-director Eleanor Chappell.
The Pacific Southwest Chapter of AMWA
held its traditional “summer social and
poolside party” at the Pacific Palisades
home of Dr. and Mrs. Martin A. Hass, on
Aug. 25th.
Harry C. Saltzstein, M.D. is President of
the Michigan Chapter, Richard Connelly,
M.D. is Chairman of the Advisory Committee,
Clara Raven, M.D. is Chairman and
Edith Thompson, R.N. is Vice Chairman of
the Membership Committee, and Carl
Lauter, M.D. is Liaison Officer. On Oct. 11,
1973, Dr. Saltzstein and Edith La Croix,
Chapter Secretary-Treasurer, supervised a
most successful workshop in writing for the
Michigan State Medical Society at the
Sheraton-Cadillac Hotel in Detroit. The
workshop was conducted by Guy Whitehead,
Ph.D. of the Mayo Foundation.
Editorial Staff
Vincent F. Downing Editor
Katherine T. Becker Associate Editor
Robert E. Dunbar Associate Editor
Gerald McKee Associate Editor
David S. Quackenbush Art Director
Published by-
American Medical Writers Association,
9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20014
Officers
Job Market
POSITIONS WANTED
WRITER/EDITOR: Experienced freelance
medical writer-editor seeks work on journal
articles, texts, films, speeches. Published examples
of work sent on request. Code 1973-4.
MEDICAL FREELANCE WRITER: Physician,
scientific and popular articles and ho&s.
Strictly confidential. Code 1973-7.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
MEDICAL WRITER: Junior Associate,
Medical Education Services Dept. Will be
working primarily on monographs and audiovisual
projects; writing and editing. Degree in
English or Journalism with a minor in the
biological sciences preferred. Some experience
in medical writing. Attractive salary range.
Write: Mr. Joseph A. Schmidt, Personnel
Administrator, Sandoz-Wander, Inc., Route
10, East Hanover, New Jersey 07936. Tel.
201-386-8225.
Address all "Job Market” correspondence to:
Mr. Vincent F. Downing, Editor, AMWA
Newsletter, 18 Union Road, Spring Valley,
New York 10977.
“How do you expect to write a medical
history of Rome if you can’t read
Roman numerals?”