June 22, 2009

Physicians Among First Fellows in Hospital Medicine
Two Mercy Hospital Cadillac Hospitalists recognized for inpatient care

The Society of Hospital Medicine has recognized two local physicians as Fellows in Hospital Medicine at its inaugural induction at the society’s annual meeting in Chicago.

Kenneth Friar, M.D., and David Friar, M.D., partners of Hospitalists of Northwest Michigan and members of the Mercy Hospital Cadillac staff, were honored for their outstanding contribution to the field of inpatient medicine. They were among the first group of hospitalists so recognized.

"The Society of Hospital Medicine is pleased to be presenting this group of 515 hospitalists with the society's first formal hospital medicine designation," said Larry Wellikson, M.D., F.H.M., and CEO of the Society of Hospital Medicine. "Until now, the society has not had a way to recognize career hospitalists as part of our growing specialty. Becoming a Fellow of Hospital Medicine gives them an opportunity to be recognized for all of their work to improve quality at their hospitals and for helping to make hospital medicine the fastest growing medical specialty in history."

Hospitalists are medical providers who focus their practice on the care of hospitalized patients. Their activities include patient care, teaching, research, and leadership related to hospital care.

Kenneth and David Friar are founding members of Hospitalists of Northwest Michigan and serve on the medical staffs of Mercy Hospital Cadillac and Munson Medical Center. Kenneth Friar also is an investigator for the INSIGHT stroke trial and is on the medical executive committee at Munson Medical Center.

David Friar serves on the Society of Hospital Medicine's Non-Physician Provider Committee, and is the physician champion for a project to expand the electronic medical record to include physician order entry at both Mercy Hospital Cadillac and Munson Medical Center. He also is a trustee on the Munson Medical Center Board of Directors.

Contact:  Shannon Smith
Mercy Hospital Cadillac
Community Relations
(231) 876-7326
smithsle@trinity-health.org
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