Published: July 02, 2009 07:05 am      

Well-Being Newsmakers: 07/02/2009

William A. Howard, MD, a Traverse City internal medicine specialist, was elected to the 45-member Michigan State Medical Society Board of Directors.

Howard will serve a three-year term on the MSMS board representing physicians from Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Benzie, Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet and Cheboygan counties.

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Munson Healthcare and Priority Health recently were honored by the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan.

Both organizations were cited for their contributions to community health through the Northern Michigan Diabetes Initiative. The organizations partnered with Northern Michigan's Diabetes Outreach Network (TIPDON) and stakeholders from an 11-county service area. The initiative, in its second year, is intended to reduce the incidence of diabetes and improve care .

for people with the disease. Half of all kidney failure cases are caused by diabetes and could have been prevented with proper treatment and healthy lifestyle changes.