If you’re sitting on the sidelines, get involved

Andrew W. Gurman, MD, in his inaugural speech as president of the AMA, issued a call to arms for physicians to be leaders and advocates for their profession. The goal of better outcomes “Let this be the year we tell our colleagues about all that we are doing on their behalf and on behalf of our patients, so that more may join in our fight,” he told colleagues Tuesday at the AMA Annual Meeting in Chicago. Dr. Gurman is an orthopedic hand surgeon in private practice in Altoona, Pa. During the last eight years, he has served as the speaker and vice speaker of the AMA House of Delegates and has been an active member of the AMA Board of Trustees. Amid accelerating change in medicine, Dr. Gurman said, physicians need to advocate to ensure the best outcomes for their patients and the profession.  “It is fighting back against the powers in government, the private sector and elsewhere that are inserting themselves into health care, that are wedging themselves between us and our patients,” he said. “It is fighting against inappropriately narrow networks, unfunded mandates, senseless regulation, and the futility of conforming to protocols and requirements that have no basis in reality and no relationship to quality care.” Advocacy also is about leading the way for new opportunities. “In these challenges, there is opportunity,” Dr. Gurman said. “Think of it. You and I have access through our smartphones to a seemingly infinite amount of medical literatur...
Source: AMA Wire - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Source Type: news