Dear colleagues,

 

I want to first thank Dr. Randy Schrodt, Jr. for all of the time and hard work he has given the medical society. This past year has been a pivotal year of change and progress, particularly concerning our many committees and available resources.

 

As the new president, I see this coming year as a year of continuity and growth. My goal is to firmly establish and nurture the opportunities available to our members and, through this nurturing, expand the impact the society has on our local and statewide community, and encourage even more physicians to join our ranks.

From my discussions with many of you, it has become readily apparent that there are several opportunities available to all of us as GLMS members that are either unknown or simply not fully understood.

There are over 30 different committees, boards, and task forces within GLMS that offer very valuable direct services for our membership. For instance, the Medical Society Professional Services offers employment services and finds discounted superior services for our members from vendors that support the society's mission. The service provided by MSPS is extremely valuable to our members and additionally helps prevent increases in dues.

 

For example, MSPS has newly endorsed IQS, Inc. and the Center for Healthcare Reimbursement, which will allow members to compare their reimbursement levels for specific codes to the community at large.

 

Also, MSPS has recently endorsed NetGain Technologies, a technology management company. As a direct result of this endorsement, it is my pleasure to announce the GLMS Extreme Practice Technology Makeover contest open only to GLMS member practices. One lucky practice will receive new hardware and software valued at $30,000. To read more about this contest and submit an entry form, click here. 
 
The Physician Practice Advocacy Committee and Insurance Resolution Corps work with insurance companies to solve payment problems and other issues between the carriers and physicians. This resource is incredibly valuable, as it not only saves time for the physician, but also offers an effective device to communicate larger systemic problems to the insurance carriers.

 

The Grievance Committee offers a non-legalized route for physician/patient mediation, allowing both the patient and the physician to express their concerns and feelings on an issue, and hopefully negate the need for involving the expense of the courts.

 

The Judicial Council also supports arbitration and dispute resolution for society members. The council, along with the Grievance Committee, will open up the discussion of possible roles for arbitration and mediation in the context of the physician/hospital relationship, in an effort to avoid conflict through possible outside intervention.

 

We should all be proud of the great results generated by the Community Health Committee, which pushed hard for the Metro Council smoking ordinance; and from our KMA Delegation, which got 13 out of 16 GLMS resolutions passed at the KMA Annual Meeting last year.

 

One outgrowth of those efforts was the recent signing of House Bill 440 into law. This was a major victory for organized medicine. House Bill 440 was a component of the KMA's Patient Physician Partnership, which seeks to make Kentucky a healthier place for patients and a more attractive state for the practice of medicine by combating Kentucky's physician workforce shortage.

 

This partnership will also seek to achieve meaningful liability reform. Particularly, I would like to see our society step into the forefront of this campaign. I know that with our strong membership and careful coordination, we can provide great momentum to this effort.

 

GLMS also is involved, appropriately, in emergency preparedness. Together, the Emergency Medical Services and Diversion Committee and the Community Health Committee have convinced disaster planners to include GLMS in the community's two major disaster planning coalitions. This involvement will allow physicians and emergency disaster personnel to better coordinate service.

 

The GLMS Foundation is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Our foundation continues its work in restoring The Old Medical School Building and Supplies Over Seas, which has had a tremendously positive impact, and now is making plans for new charitable venues. The medical society is still active in The Healing Place. Many GLMS members work with The Healing Place and give generously to this wonderful organization which recently broke ground on its new $19 million dollar Women's Center.

 

GLMS also offers the Athletic Subcommittee, which finds physicians who are willing to assist the local public and private school athletic teams. More than 40 GLMS physicians are now involved in this subcommittee.

 

Last, but certainly not least, I would be remiss if I did not mention the Editorial Board. Louisville Medicine has its highest readership in our history, thanks to the board and excellent articles. Louisville Medicine magazine keeps us informed and updated regarding GLMS and the larger medical community via pertinent articles from our members.

 

This small glimpse of GLMS should make us all proud to be part of this dynamic institution. As the year progresses we will work to get communicate the message of what membership in the medical society means and how the society can work for each of you. In the meantime, if you have any immediate questions about how you can get more involved or how your membership can better serve you, please do not hesitate to contact me or any of the professional GLMS staff.

 

I look forward to this next year and to all of the possibilities for growth and continued excellence within this organization.