FMA Report: Finding Common Ground with our Fellow Physicians in Orlando
What an honor to witness the installation of our colleague, fellow pathologist and FSP member Ronald Giffler MD, JD, MBA as the 143rd President of the Florida Medical Association this past weekend in Orlando! He delivered an excellent speech summarizing the current state of medicine and his vision for his presidency. We are fortunate to have him representing all physicians.
The FMA is a big community and we pathologists represent the smallest group of physicians in our great state of Florida and in the house of medicine as a whole. And as different as our specialty is when compared to our colleagues, we have much in common. We take care of patients in the best way we can, we work within a changing health care system which includes dramatic advances in technology, insurance and regulatory challenges, and public debate for cost containment- under a rock one would have to live to be unaware of recent headlines regarding “surprise bills” and pharmaceutical costs. We face environmental concerns, domestic terrorism, and are members of our local communities and part of a smaller circle of family and loved ones.
In Orlando for the 2019 Annual Meeting of the FMA I noted a few specific areas where we can find common ground with our physician colleagues:
These are just a few salient examples, but many others surfaced which are quite relevant to pathologists and all physicians, including adequate access to screening colonoscopy, medical marijuana, stem cell technology, gun control, climate change impacts on the healthcare landscape, and many more.
Finally, there is the issue of ADVOCACY. I capitalized because this is THE most important issue and a place where ALL physicians need to come together with one voice to counter the strong forces in our path. The FMA does an excellent job preparing young physicians to advocate for our profession and has a talented group of professionals, including lawyers and lobbyists, working diligently on behalf of patients and physicians. Our work as a team with state and national societies and the access this can provide to legislators at the state and national level is what will have the most significant impact on our profession over the long haul. Whether one is directly involved, engaging with our colleagues in organized medicine and with politicians directly or simply paying dues and contributing the various Political Action Committees, it is imperative that we do not fail in this capacity and that we engrave this into the minds of future physicians for the sake of patients and our great profession.
It was a great pleasure and an honor to serve the membership of the Florida Society of Pathologists and the physicians of Florida at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Florida Medical Association. Our presence was supported by our exceptional team at Compass Management, including Brian Hart who joined us, and my colleagues, co-delegates and FSP board members, Patricia Moody MD and Harvey Feld MD. I would also like thank past President of the FSP, board member, colleague and friend, Stephen Vernon MD for his work with FMA Poster Competition and his work with FMA and FSP education.
Antonio E Martinez, MD
Immediate Past President Florida Society of Pathologists
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