Physicians of the MMS Adopt Resolutions on Health Care Delivery, Policy, and Administrative Issues

May 8, 2009

Contact: Richard P. Gulla
(tel:) (781) 434-7101
rgulla@mms.org

Boston/Waltham, Mass. -- May 8, 2009 -- Physicians of the Massachusetts Medical Society adopted resolutions and policies on a range of important health topics at the Society’s Annual Meeting of the House of Delegates held yesterday and today (May 7-8) in Boston.

The Society's Annual Meeting brings together hundreds of Massachusetts physicians from across the state to examine and consider specific resolutions brought forth by members to the Society’s House of Delegates, its policy-making body.

Among the topics considered and resolutions adopted are the following:

Strategic Plan
Delegates approved a strategic plan with the priorities of improving healthcare quality, access, equity, and cost-effectiveness for the Commonwealth and maintaining a sound public health system. Among the goals for the plan are ensuring that performance measurements and public reporting of those measurements be evidence-based to improve outcomes; ensuring physician leadership in payment reform efforts; and sharing clinical and practice data and knowledge.

Improving Recruitment and Retention of Primary Care Physicians
Delegates addressed the issue of medical school debt by voting that the Medical Society explore the feasibility of a fundraising program to (1) reduce the burden on medical educational debt for young physicians, (2) encourage young physicians to practice in the state, and (3) alleviate shortages in underserved areas and specialties.

Payment Reform
Delegates voted to take a position stating that the MMS representative on the Massachusetts Special Commission on Payment Reform advocate for payment reform in a manner consistent with the goals of access, quality, and cost, and that payment reform include a model of fee-for-service medicine that allows the patient and physician to be aware of the cost of interventions and the ability to factor costs into health care decision-making.

Retail-Based Health Clinics
Delegates passed a resolution stating that the MMS should advocate with insurers, the Special Commission on Payment Reform, and other stakeholders to make co-payments for services at retail-based clinics at least equivalent to, if not higher than, a basic office visit. 

Physician On-Call
In expressing the Opinion of the House of Delegates on Physician Call and Vacation Scheduling, physicians urged the Society to develop broad guidelines or principles to ensure a balance between necessitating on-call services and meeting the needs of the patient population, along with the flexibility for the physician to determine the direction of his or her career.

Public Health Actions
Delegates approved several resolutions in the area of public health and education. Among them were resolutions in favor of:

• supporting legislation to reduce secondary smoke exposure;
• endorsing the American Medical Association’s policy on modern and industrial chemicals, including implementing a comprehensive policy in line with scientific knowledge on human and environmental health and encouraging the training of health professionals in the health effects of toxic chemical exposure;
• promoting awareness and encouraging solutions to improve air quality in primary and secondary schools;
• advocating for the availability of automated external defibrillators in schools and colleges and working with school districts and community agencies in ensuring rapid emergency response systems are in place at school and college sporting events;
• supporting the use of helmets in skiers and snowboarders, particularly in children and adolescents and developing educational materials encouraging the use of helmets in high-velocity sports; and
• providing the legislature with scientific information regarding foods of low nutritional value to assist lawmakers in their deliberations in enacting public policies.

Additional resolutions considered by the delegates included those on various aspects of  e-prescribing, electronic health records, nondiscrimination, organizational bylaws, and other administration procedures.  The complete list of resolutions will be available later this month at www.massmed.org/annual09.

The Massachusetts Medical Society, with more than 21,000 physicians and student members, is dedicated to educating and advocating for the patients and physicians of Massachusetts. The Society publishes the New England Journal of Medicine, a leading global medical journal and web site, and Journal Watch alerts and newsletters covering 13 specialties. The Society is also a leader in continuing medical education for health care professionals throughout Massachusetts, conducting a variety of medical education programs for physicians and health care professionals. Founded in 1781, MMS is the oldest continuously operating medical society in the country. For more information please visit www.massmed.org, www.nejm.org, or www.jwatch.org.