Contact: Richard Gulla
Tel: 781-434-7101
Email: rgulla@mms.org
Waltham, Mass. -- May 19, 2011 -- Saying that "our influence as
a medical society has never been greater," MMS President Alice
Coombs, M.D. urged her fellow society members to make the
organization even stronger, to better reflect the changing nature
of the physician workforce and to meet the many
challenges posed by an ever-changing health care
industry.
Dr. Coombs made her remarks as part of her President's Report to
the MMS House of Delegates as the Society opened its 2011 annual
meeting at Society headquarters in Waltham. Watch a video of her
remarks here.
Noting the changing demographics of age, gender, race and ethic
differences in the physician population, Dr. Coombs said "The MMS
is better with infusions of fresh thinking. New voices allow us to
not only diversify our thinking, but also allow us to relate better
to patients' needs in a variety of clinical settings. Diversity in
the physician workforce in every venue is crucial."
Dr. Coombs also pinpointed the major issues that are "changing
the nature of our profession," citing payment reform, Medicare
reimbursements, electronic health records, and hospital-physician
relationships. It is imperative that we lead in the navigation and
how it is done," she told the delegates.
She said the medical society is deeply involved in all of the
major issues and that the organization's efforts are making a
difference. "We have put our imprint on the payment reform debate,"
she said, "and thanks to our work, it is now widely accepted that
liability reform is a necessary pre-condition to true health care
reform."
"We cannot leave the discussion of money and health care to
others," she said. "The truth is that the affordability crisis has
entered the clinical world, and we cannot pretend anymore that it
is not our job. It is. Our challenge will be to recognize the
intersection of opportunity and responsibility."
A transcript of Dr. Coombs' President Report is available at www.massmed.org/annual2011/presidentsreport
The Massachusetts Medical Society, with nearly 23,000 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.
