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• And since this beginning, the AMA has been a tremendous force for enhancing medical education, developing the world's standard ethics manual, and protecting people from charlatan profiteers.
• One interesting quack story is that of the 1920s radio-empire of John Romulus Brinkley who used the radio waves to get rich by promoting and implanting goat glands under the skin with false claims to treat impotence. He eventually found a way to prescribe drugs over the air and at the time bargained pharmacies for and received a cut on each prescription. It took the AMA and her vocal executive secretary Dr. Morris Fishbein, to bring this unethical man and his radio station down.
• The AMA is here to do good, and I am proud to be a part of it.
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• Dr. Rick Holm wrote this Prairie Doc Perspective for "On Call®," a weekly program where medical professionals discuss health concerns for the general public.  "On Call®" is produced by the Healing Words Foundation in association with the South Dakota State University Journalism Department. "On Call®" airs Thursdays on South Dakota Public Broadcasting-Television at 7 p.m. Central, 6 p.m. Mountain. Visit us at OnCallTelevision.com. 

• Over the course of 2012, farm families and rural communities faced a number of challenges. A record drought impacted much of the country and many were impacted by a major hurricane, flooding and severe storms. However, thanks to the resilience of rural Americans, our communities are still going strong.
• Over the course of this year, USDA continued our record efforts to help folks across our nation, and I am proud of the work we carried out.
• We supported agriculture. This summer, USDA convened the White House Rural Council to help America's farmers and ranchers overcome drought. We provided unique flexibility for crop insurance that saved producers more than $20 million, ex

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