Annual Education Program

2025 MMS Annual Education Program — Physician Unions: Opportunities, Challenges, and Impacts

Friday, May 16, 2025, 10:00-11:30 a.m. EST – Virtual Live Webinar

Please note: The Annual Education Program is being held as part of the Massachusetts Medical Society’s Annual Meeting. To register for the event, you will be redirected to the Annual Meeting Registration page.

Activity Description

Are you curious about the role physician unions play in today’s health care landscape? With increasing pressures on healthcare providers, physician unions are becoming a significant topic of interest. Join us to delve into the dynamics, legality, and ethics surrounding physician unions in the U.S. health care system.

This engaging session will cover the historical roots and current trends in health care unionization, explore the legal and regulatory frameworks, and discuss the practical steps physicians can take if considering collective action. We’ll examine potential impacts on patient care, physician well-being, and health care organization dynamics.

Our expert speakers include legal professionals, healthcare administrators, and union-experienced physicians to provide you with a balanced, insightful look at what unionization could mean for your practice and your patients.

Activity Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, learners should be able to:

1. Explain the role of physician unions in health care, including motivations behind union formation and historical context

2. Describe the legal and regulatory framework governing physician unions in the United States

3. Assess the potential impacts of unionization on physician working conditions, patient care, and health care systems

4. Evaluate practical steps and key factors for physicians considering unionization or collective bargaining

Activity Fees

Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) Physician Member – $140
MMS Resident/Student Member – Free
Non-Member Physician – $280
Allied Health Professional/Other – $110

**SAVE HERE: Bundle the MMS’s Ethics Forum and Annual Education Program

Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) Physician Member – $225**
MMS Resident/Student Member – Free
Non-Member Physician – $460**
Allied Health Professional/Other – $175**

*Click here for member educational voucher information

Moderator

Rebecca Weintraub Brendel MD, JD
Director, Center for Bioethics;
Frances Glessner Lee Associate Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine In the Field of Legal Medicine;
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
To learn more about Dr. Rebecca Brendel, click here.

Faculty

Ahmed Mukhtar Ahmed, MD, MPP, MSc
Internal Medicine Resident Physician and Researcher, Brigham and Women's Hospital
To learn more about Dr. Ahmed Ahmed, click here.

Carmel Shachar, JD, MPH
Assistant Clinical Professor of Law
Faculty Director, Health Law and Policy Clinic, Harvard Law School
To learn more about Dr. Carmel Shachar, click here.

Kevin Schulman, MD, MBA
Professor of Medicine, by courtesy, of Operations, Information and Technology, Stanford’s Graduate School of Business;
Interim Division Co-Chief, Division of Hospital Medicine, Stanford Medicine;
Associate Chair of the Department of Medicine, Stanford Medicine
To learn more about Dr. Kevin Schulman, click here.

Accreditation Statement

The Massachusetts Medical Society is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

AMA Credit Designation Statement

The Massachusetts Medical Society designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Please note: The Annual Education Program is being held as part of the Massachusetts Medical Society’s Annual Meeting. To register for the event, you will be redirected to the Annual Meeting Registration page.