President’s Message—September 2010 SAM

Wondering what to write, I stared at a blank page. I want to say something profound, but I know that anything I might say has been said before and probably has been said better. I decided to chat with you about my actions and my challenges this month.

Personally, I have subjected myself to new challenges. My number one challenge is to listen to others more closely and try to figure out what they are trying to say. Thus, I have rejoined the AMA! Why did I do this? For the past 5 years, while keeping my subscription to the JAMA up-to-date, I have “voted” with my feet and NOT been a dues paying member of the AMA! I felt that this negative vote was the way to show my disaffection with AMA representation of my needs and beliefs. A fat lot of good that did! I have decided to, once again, be “inside” the organization; and with my vocal presence, attempt to influence the policies of organized medicine.

I think that we are headed for some very rough times in medicine, but physicians have shown themselves to be among the most adaptable group of individual professionals. I believe that organized medicine needs a strong voice if we are to measurably improve the future of healthcare in this country in the coming years. There is strength in numbers and I think that more numbers are needed in the AMA in order to be more effective in representing physician ideals and needs. A wise man once said, “You cannot change the past, only the future!”

The future is on everyone’s mind. John Wisniewski presented a talk to the NW Rotary Club describing the makeup and function of your BCMS on August 12, 2010. It was well attended, interesting, and their many questions indicated to me that the business community is vitally interested in our future in healthcare. They are increasingly curious about what our “opinion(s)” on the new and forthcoming rules of operation of Healthcare Reform. Thus, this is yet another reason that I believe that we need one organized voice that will convey an effective and coherent message on behalf of organized medicine. This needs to be a message that will benefit our patients and the public’s health, and resonate with our legislators. The public does not understand the diluting effect of confusing information that various medical specialty groups publish. The public wants one message and they want it from the most representative body. Like it or not, that is the AMA. Your BCMS does represent that voice on a local level. Thank you John for effectively assuring those Rotarians that were present that the BCMS is not only viable but a strongly pro-patient advocate in that regard. You did a great job!

Another of my personal challenges is to find a physician for myself and for my wife. We are faced with having to find another physician because our primary care physician informed us that because we are Medicare beneficiaries using BC/BS PPO Group insurance, his practice is unable to continue unless we change to a “Secure Horizons” insurance. I am also eligible for Tri-Care because I am a retired US Army Officer, but that too is another can of worms that I do not wish to open up. It has been an eye-opener for me to experience the angst that is inherent in seeking care in today’s environment. I am learning daily. I would like to thank Suanne Schafer, MD, Keith Markey, MD and Donald Hilton, MD for their sensitive and caring attention to my wife who, thank God, is now improving on a daily basis with conservative therapy.

In these turbulent times, your Medical Society has thrown its support and partnership with the chairman of the Patient Institute, Adam Ratner, MD. The non-profit organization has been established to enhance a physician referral database to help patients locate physicians who accept their insurance. Dr. Ratner has noted that, “Many patients, particularly those with Medicare and Medicaid coverage, are having difficulty finding an available doctor. [No kidding!!] We are not expecting to change the system, but keep it working for needy patients.” You said it, Dr. Ratner; your Society support’s you. John Wisniewski and the staff are constructing a questionnaire that we hope will assist Dr. Ratner in his valiant efforts to help both physicians and patients. And, Francisco Cigarroa, MD will host a presentation, “Empowering Patients and Their Caregivers to Navigate the Healthcare System” on the evening of October 9, 2010. For more information on this valuable project, visit http://www.patientinstitute.org.

Another challenge is to find a home for the Bexar County Medical Society. We now know that it will be somewhere on the NW side of San Antonio because your opinions collated to that conclusion. Bernard “Buddy” Swift, MD has done much work to assist the Executive Committee and the options offered by his efforts are being closely reviewed. If anyone has ideas for a location and project scope, please call John (301-4383) and let him know. This is a society project. We currently have almost $1.5 million dollars in investments and that is a beginning for this endeavor. Your Executive Committee welcomes ALL of your opinions and ideas.

Speaking of money and operations, your Board of Directors has asked Padgett Stratemann & Co., LLP to perform the scheduled biannual audit for the period ending 12/31/2009. Our last audit was “clean” and we have every confidence that this one will be similar. I will keep you posted on the outcome of this work. I will have to explain to you why your dues will increase next year from $315 to $324, so I hope the audit goes well.

Your Medical Society is having difficulty in assisting you in another area— credentialing. The Bexar Credentials Verification, Inc. (BCVI) has demonstrated economic efficacy to several hospital systems and assisted the credentialing of our members with those voluminous and laborious documents. Further savings would accrue if we could serve other major systems; but to date, we have had difficulty talking to both the University Hospital and Baptist Hospital Systems! Strong data indicates our BCVI would generate valuable cost-savings for the hospitals and would ease the burden of professional credentialing for our members. Call John with ideas to convince those hospitals not using BCVI that it would be a benefit to do so.

By the time you read this, you will note that we have entertained our sister-city Kumomoto Delegation of 24 individuals that visited San Antonio in the triple-digit heat of August and arriving the weekend of August 22nd. They told me that the heat is similar in Kumomoto, so they were not inconvenienced by our weather. We welcomed Dr. and Mrs. Keisuke Fukushima (President, Internist), Dr. and Mrs. Taitoku Toyota (Past President, Surgeon), Dr. and Mrs. Kazutaka Matsushita (Nephrologist), Dr. and Mrs. Fumio Kawano (Internist), Dr. Masakazu Yoshioka (Thoracic Surgeon), Dr. Tadashi Tanoue (Anesthesiologist) and 14 other allied medical specialists and students. Their itinerary was filled with visiting our city, its Mayor, and several of the Alamo City’s tourist and medical sites. We thank them for coming to be with us and look forward to our journey to Kumamoto next year.

Speaking of our city, “Hurray for the San Antonio City Council”! Their stand on ridding our city of second-hand smoke is a positive step forward. Smoking is now banned in all major cities in Texas. This is our first major, positive initiative since fluoride and AEDs (automated external defibrillators); now we seek to decrease the particulate matter in our buildings. Hurray! Thank you John Nava, MD the Public Health-Patient Advocacy Committee staff and committee members, and to Fernando Guerra, MD for doing a remarkable and commendable job for our community’s health. We now look forward to the flu season and immunization. Good Luck to all of us.

My continuing challenge is to keep weight off my body. I will tell you about that in the future; but for now, I must pass on the dessert. I hope that you enjoy this issue of San Antonio Medicine. Have a great month!