Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.

You will see a mix of new and familiar faces within the leadership of WMSHP this year. Contact information for the 2008-2009 WMSHP leadership can be found on our website (www.wmshp.net). As always, please contact me or another board member with any questions or concerns.

We look forward to a year filled with some changes. One of the biggest changes has come from modifications to the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACPE) guidelines for continuing education. To meet the guidelines, WMSHP must separate dinner from each monthly presentation. We are currently conducting a survey to determine how best to comply with this standard. Surveys were distributed at the November meeting and will again be distributed at the January meeting. A copy of the survey is also included with this month's newsletter. If you did not attend the November meeting and are not able to attend the January meeting and would like to take part in the survey, you can e-mail me at danastaat@ferris.edu or fax me a copy of the survey at (616) 752-6434. Results of the survey will be disseminated to the membership on our website. The changes to our meeting design will go into effect for the February meeting.

The January meeting will be held at the Saint Mary’s Health Care Lacks Grand Room. Kevin Furmaga, Pharm.D., BCPP, Saint Mary’s Health Care and Pine Rest Psychiatric Hospital, will be speaking about the clinical use of buprenorphine/naloxone.