Dear friends and colleagues of the Massachusetts Medical Society,
Our nation continues to analyze and debate the issue of immigration. The matter is fraught, complex, and viewed through myriad lenses.
As our Society continues its work around social determinants of health, we know there is an urgent need to work toward the reduction of barriers to care encountered by underserved populations, many of which include immigrants. In this issue, we seek to understand how immigration status affects our patients and communities.
We also examine some of the opportunities and obstacles facing foreign-trained physicians who seek to practice in the Commonwealth and the proposed actions that should help clear the path to licensure for them. Massachusetts would welcome an influx of capable and compassionate physicians, so desperately needed.
We can be proud that our physicians care for patients from all walks of life, from around the globe, with varied cultures and needs, across many different health care settings. These experiences and caring relationships expand our own learning, perspectives, and skills and create a broad connection to lives and places beyond our own.
Through advocacy and education, the Massachusetts Medical Society will continue to lead efforts to ensure that all patients of the Commonwealth, regardless of immigration status, enjoy the highest attainable standard of health, in all its dimensions, including health care — a basic human right.
I wish you and yours a relaxing holiday season and a new year of health and joy.
— Maryanne C. Bombaugh, MD, MSc, MBA, FACOG
