Tom Tape, M.D., a professor of internal medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, has been elected chair of the 2011-2012 Board of Governors of the American College of Physicians (ACP). The ACP is the nation’s largest medical specialty organization.
This month, he began serving a one-year term as chair-elect of the board of governors. He will serve as chair for one year beginning in April 2012. A member of the ACP for almost 30 years, he will begin his fourth year as governor of the ACP Nebraska Chapter this year.
The chair of the Board of Governors, one of the leadership positions in the ACP, serves as a liaison between the governors and the Board of Regents, the policy making body of the ACP. Governors are elected by local ACP members and serve four-year terms. Working with a local council, they supervise ACP chapter activities, appoint members to local committees and preside at regional meetings.
“I am deeply honored to have been elected by my fellow ACP governors to serve as their chair,” said Dr. Tape, who also serves as vice-chair of clinical affairs of the Department of Internal Medicine and chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine. “The ACP has consistently been a strong advocate for what’s best for patients. I am looking forward to being a part of the leadership team as this organization strives to achieve the best possible health care system.”
Lyn Klassen, M.D., chairman of the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine, said the prestigious appointment is a reflection of Dr. Tape’s expertise and high regard his colleagues have for him. “His talent and leadership in this national position will benefit patients for years to come,” Dr. Klassen said.
Board certified in internal medicine, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and a medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He completed an internal medicine residency and fellowship at the University of Rochester in New York.
The American College of Physicians is the second-largest physician group in the United States. ACP members include 130,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists and medical students. Internists specialize in the prevention, detection and treatment of illness in adults.
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