Secretary
The Missouri State Medical Association had 3,958 members as of December 2017. This was a net loss of 324 members from our membership of 4,282 as of December 2016. Following is a breakdown according to classification.
| Year | Students | Residents | Active | Honor | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 986 | 154 | 2,705 | 437 | 4,282 |
| 2017 | 790 | 173 | 2,585 | 410 | 3,958 |
| −196 | +19 | −120 | −27 | −324 |
The number of member deaths reported during 2017 totaled 19.
The Committee on Nominations, which is appointed by the President, from the House of Delegates, must submit nominations for the following offices:
President-elect to fill the expired term of Joseph Corrado, MD, Mexico.
Three Vice Presidents to fill the expired terms of William Turner, MD, Nevada; Nathaniel Murdock, MD, St. Louis; and Kirby Turner, MD, Poplar Bluff.
A Speaker and Vice Speaker to fill the expired terms of Lancer Gates, DO, Kansas City, Speaker, and Sam Page, MD, Creve Coeur, Vice Speaker. Both are eligible for re-election to their current positions.
Two Delegates and Four Alternate Delegates to the AMA to fill the vacancies created by the expiration at the conclusion of the 2018 Annual Convention of the terms of Delegates: Edmond Cabbabe, MD, St. Louis; Warren Lovinger, Jr., MD, Nevada; and Alternate Delegates: Elie Azrak, MD, St. Louis; Michael O’Dell, MD, Kansas City; Charles Van Way III, MD, Kansas City; and Joseph Corrado, MD, Mexico. The new two-year terms will begin at the conclusion of the 2018 MSMA Annual Convention and end at the conclusion of the 2020 MSMA Annual Convention.
The terms of the following Councilors will expire in 2018: 3rd District – Elie Azrak, MD, St. Louis; George Hruza, MD, Chesterfield; 5th District – George Hubbell, MD, Lake Ozark; Lisa Thomas, MD, Columbia; 7th District – James DiRenna, DO, Gladstone; Lancer Gates, DO, Kansas City; 8th District – Matthew Stinson, MD, Springfield; 9th District – Lirong Zhu, MD, Clayton; Organized Medical Staff Section – Peggy Barjenbruch, MD, Mexico; International Medical Graduate Section – Sri Kolli, MD, Fenton; Resident & Fellow Section – Nathanial Nolan, MD, Columbia; Medical Student Section – Shivani Singh, Fenton.
The terms of the following Vice Councilors will expire in 2018: 3rd District – Inderjit Singh, MD, St. Louis; 5th District – Clark Andelin, MD, Mexico; 7th District – Marc Taormina, MD, Lee’s Summit; 9th District – David Barbe, MD, Mountain Grove; Organized Medical Staff Section – James Conant, MD, St. Joseph; International Medical Graduate Section – Ramona Aitken, MD, St. Louis; Resident & Fellow Section – Mihir Brahmbhatt, MD, Columbia; and Medical Student Section – David Alex Goodson, Columbia.
Delegates shall meet during the Annual Convention to elect the Councilors and Vice-Councilors for their respective districts and sections. The election shall be certified to the House of Delegates on the prescribed form which will be furnished.
The entire session will be held at the Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel, St. Louis, Missouri. The House of Delegates will hold its First Session on Friday, March 23, 2018, at 8:00 a.m. and the Second Session on Sunday, March 25, 2018, at 8:15 a.m.
Registration facilities will be open on Thursday, March 22, at 3:30 p.m.; Friday, March 23, at 6:30 a.m. and Saturday, March 24, at 6:30 a.m. Registration will be in the Concourse Foyer.
Treasurer
The report of the Treasurer is covered in the Financial Statement which is published in the May/June issue of Missouri Medicine and appears on the following page in the Delegate’s Handbook.
Executive Vice President
You should be proud that your Missouri State Medical Association is widely recognized as the voice of medicine in Missouri. Be it the Missouri General Assembly, the countless governmental bureaus and agencies, the business community, the insurance industry, hospitals, advocacy groups, or the media, MSMA is considered the leading advocate for your profession and your patients. Following is just a sample of the many things your MSMA did for you in 2017.
State Legislative Activities
Your MSMA lobbyist team enjoyed a very good year in the state Capitol in 2017. They are quick to credit you and your MSMA colleagues with much of that success, not only for your active involvement in the political process, but also for the respect you command in your community. MSMA is involved in more legislative issues than any other organization in the state; everything from immunizations to scope of practice to tort reform and PDMP. Your lobbyists are among the first to arrive at the Capitol every morning, and among the last to leave at night. Their diligence and effectiveness are unsurpassed. Rather than overwhelm you with details on the myriad bills and issues they work on, I’ll refer you to our weekly Legislative Report, which members receive during the legislative session. If you are not reading this publication, you’re missing out. If you are reading it, please reach out to your local senator and representative to ensure they know which issues matter to you. Your personal contact amplifies your lobbyists’ efforts.
Federal Activities
MSMA’s advocacy work is not limited to Missouri’s borders. We are involved in a wide range of federal government issues, year in and year out, both alone and with other organizations within the house of medicine. We lobbied federal authorities on such issues as the cost of pharmaceuticals, proposed Anthem/Cigna and Aetna/Humana mergers, brand and generic drug prices, MACRA, and Anthem’s flagrant disregard of the “prudent layperson” statutory language. And those efforts weren’t limited to letters, e-mails, and telephone calls to Washington, DC. Your MSMA leadership and staff traveled to Capitol Hill to lobby in person in the halls of Congress.
Other Notable Activities
Despite having only the resources and numbers of a medium-sized state medical association, your MSMA is one of the most diverse and active state organizations in the nation. Here are just a few of the activities undertaken on your behalf over the last year.
Your President and MSMA staff attended a number of local component society meetings across the state. From Rock Port to Caruthersville, and from Memphis to Pineville, your leadership is available to all parts of the state, no matter how large or small.
MSMA boasts an outstanding group of member physicians who, twice a year, give the better part of a week to represent you and your patients in the AMA House of Delegates. It is thankless work at times, but there is not a better AMA delegation than yours. Please thank them.
In AMA-related news, we are excited and extremely proud that one of our very own, David Barbe, MD, a past MSMA President, was inaugurated as AMA President in June 2017. In addition to his significant travels, Dr. Barbe has remained available to meet with Missouri physicians and students.
In addition to its regular duties, your MSMA staff also provides top-rate administrative services for several statewide medical specialty societies, and serves on or maintains liaison with many external governmental and private-sector committees, task forces, boards and commissions.
Membership Services and Benefits
Your MSMA staff and leadership are constantly striving to bring even more value to your membership. One constant priority is to improve communications with our members and respond more quickly to answer questions and resolve issues. In the autumn of 2015, we undertook a major overhaul of the MSMA website to make it more useful and user-friendly for our members. More content is constantly being added, with more timely information to help you and your office staff. Also, you can now pay membership dues online and access our membership database to search for your physician colleagues.
Missouri Medicine, MSMA’s outstanding scientific journal, is free to you with your membership. It has won seven prestigious Ranly Awards, and now is published in digital format in addition to the paper copy you receive. The journal’s scientific content is accessible in the renowned PubMed database, and it enjoys a unique partnership with MedHelp, the world’s largest online health community, joining such other notable partners as Johns Hopkins, the Cleveland Clinic, and Cornell University. You can find current and archived electronic editions on our website.
Progress Notes, our monthly newsletter (free to members), is chock-full of timely news items, tips, and information.
MSMA also offers you free CME credits at the Annual Convention, and numerous other opportunities to earn CME through our statewide CME recognition program. MSMA accredits 28 entities to offer CME, many of which participate in joint providerships across the state. Yet another membership benefit.
I would ask you to also be mindful of the more direct benefits your MSMA membership offers. For example, we are partners with Moneta, an outstanding financial services firm that provides MSMA members with expert financial planning and investment services. We also have a relationship with the Resolve Physician Agency, which offers a wide range of career services, including job placement, contract review and negotiation, practice evaluation, benefits analysis, debt management, and a lot more, all at a discount to MSMA members. We are partnered with the CCPA Purchasing Partners to give you access to up-front discounts on a variety of medical and office supplies, including some vaccines. We have an exclusive arrangement with DocbookMD, which offers you a secure, HIPAA-compliant tool to send messages, patient information, images, and more to your MSMA colleagues through an application on your smart phone or other hand-held device (free to MSMA members). Medical Waste Services offers MSMA members significant savings on medical and biohazard waste removal and treatment services. Our most recent partners include LifeLock, a leading provider of identity theft protection; Officite, a medical practice website development and internet marketing provider; and MedJet Assist, a medical transport service. All of these offer MSMA members a nice discount on their services. Other great offers include the Missouri Drug Card, coding and billing resources, and Go Next for your travel arrangements, all with special rates and savings for MSMA members. When put to good use, MSMA membership saves you far more than your membership dues.
MSMA’s Affiliate Organizations
Your Missouri State Medical Foundation has loaned more than $11.8 million to Missouri medical students since its inception more than fifty years ago. The Foundation board made the decision in 2017 to cease its loan program due to the significant number of private lenders already in the market. The focus is now on scholarships for Missouri medical school students. The Foundation is currently funding ten $2,500 MSMA Scholarships at each of the six Missouri medical schools. The Foundation also offers $5,000 matching funds to component medical societies to create their own medical student scholarship fund.
Your Missouri Physicians Health Program is widely considered one of the most successful of its kind in the nation. Last year, the program served 108 physicians who were dealing with chemical, emotional, or behavioral issues. You can assist your colleagues by asking your hospital medical staff and administration to contribute funds to this exceptional and vitally important program.
Your Missouri Medical Political Action Committee is one of the most respected and effective PACs in the state. In the last election cycle, MMPAC contributed close to $120,000 to support physician-friendly candidates across the state. Membership begins at the $100 Sustaining Member level, but you can demonstrate your political savvy by upgrading to one of the Super levels: Super Silver ($250), Super Gold ($500), or Super Diamond ($1,000). Your participation is essential to our political effectiveness.
Your MSMA Insurance Agency was formed by MSMA and is directed by physicians to serve you and your practice. This trusted business provides you with access to all lines of insurance, and provides some financial support for MSMA. Please visit with the Agency’s staff during this Convention. The MSMA Alliance has dedicated and enthusiastic physician spouses who work tirelessly to promote health education and support health-related charitable activities, all toward improving the health and welfare of all Missourians. And they are a force to be reckoned with when they march on the Capitol every year to advance medicine’s legislative causes.
The Center for Patient Safety is a private, not-for-profit organization originally founded by MSMA, the Missouri Hospital Association, and Primaris. It is dedicated to being the leader in providing solutions and resources to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety, and was among the very first organizations in the nation to win federal designation as a Patient Safety Organization. We are very proud of the Center’s work.
Your Organization
It is nearly impossible to list all of the duties and services MSMA provides for the physicians of Missouri. The advocacy and representation, the publications, the CME, the Foundation, the Physicians Health Program, the Alliance, and your AMA Delegation all create an organization deeply rooted in service to its members and the patients they serve. The MSMA is YOUR organization, and your officers and staff welcome your thoughts on how best to serve you and your fellow members. Feel free to seek them out – at this convention or at any time – and share your ideas.
Staff
On behalf of the staff and the entire MSMA membership, I want to express gratitude for your officers, councilors, committee members, and other leaders who give so much of their time and resources for the betterment of the Association, the profession, and patient care in Missouri.
I also want to express my appreciation for allowing me to work with talented and dedicated MSMA employees whose creativity and diligence are unmatched anywhere. Tom Holloway, your recently retired Executive Vice President, who lobbied and then guided MSMA for more than 30 years. Liz Fleenor, the Director of Communications, is the Managing Editor of your award-winning Missouri Medicine and Progress Notes, designs all the MSMA member materials, oversees MSMA’s website, and staffs the MSMA Alliance. Jeff Howell is the General Counsel and Director of Governmental Relations. In addition to handling legal affairs, he heads your extremely effective lobbying team and writes the Legislative Report. Heidi Geisbuhler is your new Director of Legislative Affairs and comes to MSMA with six years’ experience working in the capitol. Haley Wansing, the Director of Membership, works tirelessly to maintain and grow the membership base, travels widely to liaison with the local societies, residents, and students, and serves as Executive Director of the Missouri-Kansas Neurological Society Sarah Luebbert is the Director of Specialty Society Services (Missouri College of Emergency Physicians, Missouri College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and Missouri Chapter – American College of Physicians), in addition to helping to oversee the SHINE program. Stephen Foutes, your new Director of Marketing, travels the state to personally interact with local societies and members on a first-hand, face-to-face basis and directs MSMA member engagement plans. Benita Stennis, the Director of Scientific Affairs, does all of our meeting planning – including the Annual Convention – and also directs CME credentialing in programming. Cheri Martin, the Office Manager, keeps the office running like a well-oiled machine, day in and day out. She also manages MMPAC’s day-to-day activities. Lisa Cassmeyer, the Finance Manager, not only minds the books and the human resources, but keeps a watchful eye on our investments, our taxes, our vendors, and the auditors. Cassie Williams, the Membership Data Manager, tends to our complicated member database and coordinates all the membership billing and mailing for MSMA, and most of our local component societies. Carol Meyer, the Administrative Assistant, is an invaluable team member who helps a great deal with CME and convention details. And Fran Draper is our cheerful and irrepressible receptionist. When she’s not answering your call, she’s happily helping other staff members with their projects.
And finally, please allow me to thank you, the physicians of Missouri, for the opportunity to serve you in this outstanding organization.
Alliance
I would first like to thank all those individuals who with their talents and time made my year survivable. MSMA staff, particularly Liz Fleenor, have been invaluable. My board, officers, and committee chairs have worked diligently to make this year a success. Again, thank you all, because YOU are the HEART of the Alliance!
My whirlwind year as MSMA Alliance President began surrounded by family and wonderful friends. The invocation was given by my sister; and my best friend, Kathy Weigand, performed my installation. My husband and all of my children were there to support me. And I was honored to have my Senator and close friend, Dr. Robert Schaaf, in attendance.
Our MSMA Alliance mission is “Physician families: Advocating for a healthy Missouri since 1924.” Donna Corrado, VP of Health from Mexico, Missouri, educated about the opioid epidemic and encouraged safe disposal of medication. Shweta Agarwal, VP of Membership from Springfield, updated our membership database and worked to increase our numbers. Kirk Doan, VP of legislation from Kansas City, planned and hosted a successful Advocacy Day with our legislators in Jefferson City. Julia Norregaard, VP of Foundation from Columbia, has been busy collecting donations for Medical School scholarships. She has organized a fun evening Friday, March 23 in St. Louis. So plan to “Come fly with her.”
I very much enjoyed meeting with Alliance members around the state. It was an honor to install the officers for the St. Louis, Springfield, Kansas City, and Cape Girardeau County Alliances. In June, I was part of a large delegation from Missouri at the AMA Alliance Meeting in Chicago. I was privileged to be present at the inauguration of our own Dr. David Barbe to the office of President of the AMA. In September, Kathy Weigand and I attended the North Central Regional Alliance Meeting in Novi, Michigan. Our MSMA Alliance Fall Conference was held in October in St. Joseph. I was able to showcase some highlights of my hometown. We toured the Glore Psychiatric Museum and the Walter Cronkite Memorial Museum.
It has been an honor to represent our Alliance members across the state, and what a diverse, talented group of men and women! Just my executive board includes a teacher and part-time Rabbi, a CPA, an attorney, an amateur chef, a county medical society executive officer, an investment advisor, and a Neuro Orthoptist and Professor of Ophthalmology.
One focus I chose for my year was family. Alliance members were recognized at happy occasions and consoled during sad ones. I also chose to make kindness a priority this year. Just a smile, a thank you, or a gift of one’s time can touch someone and make this world just a little bit better.
Commission on Continuing Education
The Commission reviewed and approved the following accreditation actions:
Reaccreditations:
Capital Region Medical Center-Jefferson City, MO
Esse Health-St. Louis, MO
Kansas City Southwest Clinical Society-Kansas City, MO
Mosaic Life Care-St. Joseph, MO
St. Francis Medical Center-Cape Girardeau, MO
Progress Reports:
The following entities submitted Progress Reports that were approve by Commission:
Missouri Baptist Medical Center
Mosaic Life Care
The Commission planned and approved the 2018 Annual Convention CME Program for 17.75 hours of AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Additionally, the program was approved for 9 American Board of Internal Medicine Maintenance of Certification Points. Following the Annual Convention, attendees were able to participate in an online survey that measured outcomes based on questions designed by the Commission.
In 2017 the following entities withdrew from accreditation:
SSM Health Care St. Louis (Now nationally accredited by the ACCME)
Mercy Hospital Washington
The Missouri State Medical Association currently accredits twenty-six entities statewide. MSMA staff submitted the Self-Study and activity files. On November 1, 2017, MSMA staff and Dr. Drees participated in the accreditation conference call. MSMA will receive an accreditation decision in March of 2018.
MSMA staff hosted new staff training at MSMA headquarters in 2017. Additionally, MSMA and Kansas Medical Society hosted a joint provider training in Overland Park, KS, on June 16, 2017.
Membership
MSMA closed out the 2017 membership year with 2,585 active physician members, 724 medical student members, 169 resident/fellow members and 408 retired physician members. AMA reported a total of 2,184 active members from Missouri in 2017. On the state level, MSMA recruited 245 new members in 2017, 104 of which took advantage of the half-price offer in July 2017.
As of January 30, 2018, MSMA counted 1,896 active members for 2018. We’ve picked up 93 new members, with nine of them being in their first three years of practice. Newly-licensed physicians receive a “Greetings from Your MSMA Council” postcard, congratulating them on their achievements. This includes a link to www.msma.org/big-wins, highlighting our success in the legislature and introducing MSMA’s preferred partners.
When physicians join MSMA, they get a personal phone call from MSMA staff and a series of introductory welcome e-mails. Member certificates are mailed upon request. We encourage existing members to embrace those who are new to organized medicine and extend your own welcome to them. If you need help recruiting a physician to MSMA, there are tools on our website at www.msma.org/recruitment-tools.
In addition to the long-standing benefits and resources MSMA provides to our members, we are optimistic about bringing a new statewide health information exchange, Show-Me Health Information Network (SHINE of Missouri) to members at a discount. SHINE will allow connected physicians to share patient information while employing powerful analytic reports designed to help improve clinical outcomes, reduce inefficiencies, and positively impact patient safety.
The local component medical societies statewide have appreciated their visits from MSMA President Warren Lovinger, MD, this past year. MSMA staff is coordinating with members from inactive local component medical societies who want to revitalize their societies, as well. We’ve also added a page on our website for assistant physicians to consider affiliate membership in MSMA.
Physicians have the option to sponsor the membership of a medical student when they renew their own membership dues. In addition to that, MSMA is currently launching a new student mentorship program. We encourage Councilors, Delegates, physician leaders, and members to volunteer as a mentor through Haley Wansing, hwansing@msma.org.
MSMA is proud to have such amazing leadership and members. Please read about them, acknowledge their accomplishments in each issue of Missouri Medicine, tune in to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ momedical, follow us on LinkedIn, check us out on Instagram, and tweet with us @MOMedicalAssn. Share our successes with your non-member colleagues as often as you can. Thank you for your help in making MSMA membership the one membership every physician needs.
Missouri Physicians Health Program
This has been a busy year as indicated by the number of referrals and the numerous Missouri physicians that were assisted. The MPHP provides a variety of services. This includes consultation, intervention, referral for treatment, monitoring and advocacy. The consultive service is especially active. Hospital administrators, physicians, colleagues and family members call the Program Coordinator or Clinical Coordinator to make a referral, discuss a potential referral or brainstorm about the necessity of making a referral. Information is often requested about how to identify problems, what services are available and how to handle issues of impairment should they occur. Many hours are required to meet their needs. The MPHP provides a safe and knowledgeable venue for any question or concern about physician health.
MSMA Insurance Agency
Your MSMA Insurance Agency is an independent insurance agency that offers professional insurance consultation to all Missouri physicians. The Agency offers policies primarily for professional liability and health, but also covers workers’ compensation, business office coverage, disability, and life.
The board of the Insurance Agency reviews the budget and financial statements at each quarterly meeting. Agency financial statements are audited and consolidated into the MSMA financial statements.
The board is supportive of the Agency and encourages all MSMA members to contact the Agency for a competitive health insurance or professional liability insurance bid.
Missouri State Medical Foundation
The Foundation has made more than 3,000 medical school student loans over 56 years totaling almost $12 million. In 2017, the Foundation board closed the medical school loan program due to the large number of non-governmental lenders already making medical school loans and the compliance efforts required to sustain a loan program.
The ongoing focus of the Foundation will be medical school scholarships and support of scholarship funds. The board budgeted ten $2,500 MSMA Scholarships at each of the 6 medical schools for a total of $150,000. This gives us a cumulative scholarship total of more than $900,000 awarded to Missouri students attending a Missouri medical school.
The Foundation has also matched funding up to $5,000 for local medical societies and the MSMA Alliance, which have initiated their own scholarship funds. The MSMA Alliance has been and remains an important partner to the Foundation through generous fundraising activities.
Committee on Publication
Volume Number 114 of Missouri Medicine showcased national authors and featured ground-breaking scientific articles. This volume published four issues featuring “theme” articles and two issues featuring a variety of scientific topics and micro-series. It contained 476 pages and 58 scientific articles. The Journal received a record number of scientific manuscripts for peer-review and continued regular departments. We received a satisfactory number of unsolicited articles; acceptance rate is about 75%.
The University of Missouri Press published our near-death experiences articles in book form that was introduced at the MSMA Annual Convention in late March 2017. It is also available on msma.org and the University of Missouri Press website. The title is “The Science of Near-Death Experiences.” The response to the Death/Near-Death Experiences series has been exceptional and papers have been cited or reprinted in several books. Missouri Medicine continues to receive reprint requests from around the world, the most recent being Spain and China.
In 2017, our Journal presented its third Arthur Gale Freedom of Expression Award to physician John Holds, MD, St. Louis. It is presented annually to the author of the best commentary article published in Missouri Medicine, in honor of Arthur Gale, MD, one of the Journal’s Contributing Editors and MSMA member since 1976.
Missouri Medicine has been indexed by MEDLINE/ Pubmed since 1966. Several years ago, PubMED Central also reviewed Missouri Medicine and accepted our Journal for linking. Indexing and world-wide distribution and availability are essential to all medical journals that aspire to national recognition. In June 2017 both MEDLINE/Pubmed and PubMED Central required all of our content to be submitted in XML format. Complying with this critical new requirement has proved difficult and time-consuming. The Publication Committee has expressed to MSMA that having the Journal indexed is critically important to the well-being and viability of Missouri Medicine. MSMA Council has emphasized that all resources be directed to meeting the new technical requirements of the indexing services and that Pat Mills assume a direct role in prompt completion of this long-overdue compliance problem. Once successful linking using XML is complete, the plan is to upload back issues to MEDLINE/Pubmed so that the indexed articles there have complete continuity from 1966. Going forward we hope to link all 2018 content on PubMED Central.
Our thanks to the Editorial Board for their good work: Drs. David Fleming, Art Gale, William Reynolds, Charles Van Way, III, Justin Albani, Jeffrey G. Copeland, and Betty Drees. Added experts in 2017: John Holds, MD, Ophthalmology; Kan N. Huang, MD, Hematology/ Medical Oncology; and Christopher Carpenter, MD, Statistics/Methodology.
Missouri Medicine provides reprinted papers for several prestigious medical specialty magazines and journals, and also selectively reprints articles from the medical component societies in Missouri and from national publications appropriate for our audience.
The Publication Committee Chair and Editor, John C. Hagan, III, MD, and Managing Editor, Lizabeth Fleenor, appreciate the many contributions of the MSMA, Alliance members, and others who have contributed to Missouri Medicine. The Committee appreciates the Association’s continued support of the Journal. By any objective criteria Missouri Medicine is among the top 5 state medical society journals in the United States.
Young Physicians Section Report
The Young Physician Section (YPS) is meeting again at the 2018 Annual Convention. This will be the fourth consecutive year for a YPS meeting and the third consecutive year for an educational presentation. The 2017 presentation was entitled “Fundamentals of a Malpractice Lawsuit.” Two attorneys from Boyle Brasher were the presenters. The presentation was excellent, and a request was made to have the same speakers for 2018.
YPS has developed web pages within the MSMA website to provide more information about the section, and to use as a resource to store the handouts and recordings from educational sessions.
International Medical Graduate Section
Last year has been an exciting year for the International Medical Graduate community in the US, since the physician shortage crisis has been addressed by the state of Missouri through the introduction of the Assistant Physician Bill in 2014. Our state has been first in the nation to address this concern. Since 2014, the bill has been expanded and applications are being accepted to these positions, beginning in 2017.
One in four physicians in the US is trained abroad. This includes American citizens who could not get into a school in the US or those abroad like the Caribbean. Every year the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates clears about 8,000 IMGs, not including American citizens who go to schools abroad, and only around 3,000 match. Whereas American graduates, who match in the National Match System at 93.9 %. IMGs only match on average of 42.1% leaving a great majority of unmatched people waiting to work in their chosen profession but doing other jobs to get by.
Due to the predicted shortage of physicians after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, there has been an increase in the number of accredited medical schools and increase in American medical graduates, but not enough to keep up with the health care needs of our country. International Medical Graduates continue to be a large and consistent part of the American health care system.
AAPI (American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin), under the presidency of Dr. Gautam Samaddar M.D., had its Leadership Seminar in New York in August of 2017, a cultural and media event. They have signed a memorandum of understanding with the AMA to have a “common goal and voice for the physician community” as per Dr. Samaddar’s address at the seminar. In addition to the annual meeting, Hurricane Harvey Relief Drive, they made efforts to facilitate teaching, patient-related activities, and research toward Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, countries that have been attracting patients from around the world for medical tourism. Of note, the local St. Louis chapter, the Indian Medical Council of St. Louis, has named Dr. Annu Terkonda, M.D., as its President for 2017.
The Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America, under the presidency of Dr. Sajid Chaudhary M.D., hosted the National Health Care Day, where 32 sites all over US served various chapters. This provided free flu shots; eye exams; blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol screenings; and health care presentations. There continue to be other charitable activities, as in food banks and relief missions.
The National Arab American Medical Association, under the presidency of Dr. Rouba Ali-Fehmi M.D., held its 39th National Convention in Chicago in September 2017, and Dr. David Barbe, M.D., was the keynote speaker. The international convention was in Amman, Jordan. They have made plans with the Atlantic Humanitarian Relief to support medical missions in Jordan for the aid of Syrian refugees, among other charitable activities.
Closer to home, Dr. Angeline Stanislaus M.D., has agreed to serve on the MSMA Council in the IMG section. She is a graduate of Tirunelveli Medical College in India, and completed her residency and fellowship in Forensic Psychiatry at Southern Illinois University in Springfield, Ill. She serves as the CMO of Adult Services for the Missouri Department of Mental Health and has private practice in Forensic Psychiatry in St. Louis, Mo. Dr. Stanislaus has extensive expertise in the field of psychiatry, in particularly the legal aspect, and has presented extensively in the past.
Resident and Fellow Section
The Resident and Fellow Section (RFS) continues to engage as an active MSMA section. RFS remains a diligent voice in representing the interests and concerns of our members. Primary objectives over the past year included enhancing the presence and influence of residents and fellows within MSMA, growing awareness of MSMA among non-member colleagues, and solidifying a RFS-specific leadership structure. We have made significant progress on each of these fronts and continue to show growth as a section.
The RFS showed a 30 percent membership increase from 2016 to 2017 and continues to show steady growth into 2018. Though we have much room to improve and better engage our colleagues, the steady growth of our section is encouraging, as similar sections across the nation are experiencing membership declines. We have implemented several strategies to enhance awareness about MSMA and better reach residents and fellows. The RFS now has an established presence on MSMA’s website where potential members can access information and quickly link to membership enrollment. We have implemented a Resident Ambassador Program, which represents a core group of MSMA-RFS members at various institutions across the state. These individuals serve as local liaisons of the MSMA mission to their respective training programs. We are pursuing expanded membership options to ease the burden of annual renewal for RFS members. Efforts to enhance relations with residency program directors are underway, so as to better lead on policy issues affecting graduate medical education in Missouri. Additionally, we continue to look for partnership opportunities with our medical student and young physician counterparts, including shared programming at this year’s Annual Convention.
At the national level, MSMA-RFS continued to have strong representation at AMA Annual and Interim meetings. Most recently, the AMA-RFS convened their House of Delegates at AMA Interim to vote on RFS policy. Adopted resolutions included requesting ACGME investigation into student and resident suicide events; supporting better critique of requirements to residency and fellowship application processes; advocating for a uniform residency match system and timeline; and reducing requirements for unnecessary components of clinical documentation.
Medical Student Section
A.T. Still University – KCOM
The A.T. Still KCOM MSMA-MSS Chapter successfully held three recruiting events at the beginning of the year. The incoming class of 2021 was welcomed and encouraged to join MSMA-MSS at the annual Taste of Kirksville organization fair, followed by a more in-depth presentation regarding the benefits of being a member with opportunities to be involved on local, state, and national levels. This year, we were also very excited and grateful to have Dr. Warren Lovinger, MD, MSMA President, and his wife Marilyn Lovinger, visit our school and speak with first- and second-year students about the importance of being involved in organized medicine and the impact students can have on issues that will directly affect them as practicing physicians. We are greatly appreciative of the support Haley Wansing, MSMA Membership Director, has provided in helping to recruit students and organize Dr. Lovinger’s talk, and she has helped ignite student interest to explore all that MSMA-MSS has to offer.
Our chapter is devoted to service, as demonstrated by our bi-annual Red Cross Blood Drive that our chapter hosts. The MSMA-MSS blood drive is one of the largest school-wide events on our campus, bringing together students and faculty to volunteer as donors and to help run the event. We exceeded our goal for the fall donations and are looking for ward to hosting the spring blood drive in two months.
We are currently in the process of planning a Naloxone Training Workshop to be held this spring. A large number of first- and second-year students, both members and non-members, have shown strong interest in the event and we are looking forward to hosting this informative and interactive workshop.
We are proud to continue the success of our organization at KCOM and eagerly look forward to an exciting year ahead.
Kansas City University of Medicine & Biosciences
The Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (KCU) MSMA-AMA Chapter started this academic year by continuing the highly successful “How To Survive Medical School” event for the incoming Class of 2021. We were the first student group to host such a meeting, so attendance was exceptional, and we registered 50+ new members as the first years were eager to get involved. This year, our organization has focused on empowering the communities we serve while bettering ourselves academically and professionally.
We hosted Dr. James Dockins, former healthcare executive and now faculty for the MBA program at Rockhurst University, to discuss with us an often-absent aspect of medical education...health insurance. Further, Dr. Schoen Kruse, associate dean and professor of pharmacology here at KCU, discussed with us his personal health story and the necessity of eating clean and finding space amongst our busy schedules to include exercise. Finally, Dr. Larry Segars of KCU shared with us a very personal and intimate reflection of his battle with cancer, the current state of the opioid epidemic, and an increasing risk of under-treatment within the highly stigmatizing practice of pain management.
KCU’s AMA-MSS chapter was immensely service-oriented and focused on giving back to the people of Kansas City and around the country. We volunteered at multiple locations around the city, such as the Ronald McDonald House and American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge, where food products were donated and then used to prepare delicious snacks and meals for the resident families and cancer patients during these trying times in their lives. We also served at the Kansas City Community Kitchen, where volunteers go beyond the norms of other soup kitchens in order to allow the hungry passersby to dine with dignity.
Lastly, our student group members remain ever interested and excited to build upon the successes of those that came before them. While at the National Interim Meeting in Honolulu in late 2017, members were trained in Naloxone administration and learned more about the governmental arm of the AMA, voting on policy matters that were important to our constituent medical students here at KCU, across the state of Missouri, and even nationally. We look forward to implementing the information learned into amendment writing sessions with our group members, as well as playing host to a community event, training our peers on Naloxone administration, tabling for local treatment programs to share the work they’re doing, as well as offering a prescription drug take-back booth.
Saint Louis University
The Saint Louis University Chapter welcomed the Class of 2021 during orientation week with a chapter lunch presentation on AMA, MSMA and SLMMS. At that time, immediate MSMA Past President Dr. Johar spoke to us about the role of organized medicine in health policy and his experiences with MSMA. We again introduced students to MSMA with tables at the Student Interest Group Fair during the first few weeks of school.
This year, our chapter continued its strong commitment to serve the St. Louis community. Chapter leaders Chyleigh Harmon (MS2) and Amanda Khouri (MS2) coordinated student involvement in the Health Protection and Education Services Clinic at the University City Public Library, providing free screenings to 50 patients on the third Saturday of each month.
Beyond SLU, our chapter participated in the larger SLMMS, MSMA and AMA organizations. Shannon Tai (MS2) served as the AMA Missouri Alternate Delegate and will complete her two-year term this upcoming year. Shivani Singh (MS4) served as MSMA-MSS Councilor. Ellen Kim (MS2) served as the MSMA-MSS Secretary/ Treasurer. George Kung (MS1) was recently appointed as the SLMMS Student Board Member for 2018. Four of our members attended the 2017 MSMA Annual Convention. Nationally, our chapter sent delegates to AMA Annual in June and AMA Interim in November.
We are dedicated to changing healthcare policy for the better. Shannon Tai (MS2) submitted a resolution regarding myopia and outdoor activity that was advanced through SLMMS, MSMA, and the AMA House of Delegates during the Annual Meeting 2017. Shivani Singh (MS4) also passed a resolution regarding medical student mental health that advanced through the AMA Medical Student Section and AMA House of Delegates Annual Meeting 2017. Dr. Johar and Dr. Cabbabe were kind enough to host a resolution writing workshop for the medical students of SLU and WashU at the beginning of the school year. We hope to produce resolutions and propose legislation in the future.
SLU and WashU partnered again in November 2017 to host a Naloxone training event, sponsored by the MO-HOPE Project, to inform students of the current legal landscape in Missouri for Naloxone, risk compensation and common fears patients have about Naloxone, and how to have a conversation with a patient who might be at risk for opioid abuse and overdose. Our chapter also hosted a round-table discussion about DACA to engage SLU medical students in current national events. AMA President Dr. Barbe spoke to us about the importance of organized medicine as well as the AMA agenda for the coming year. We are grateful for last year’s success and hopeful of our chapter going forward.
University of Missouri - Columbia
The MSMA-MSS at University of Missouri-Columbia started off the year with a recruitment table at the orientation week activities fair. We continued this effort with a luncheon meeting to provide information on the benefits of organized medicine. We were able to recruit many new students to join and get excited about opportunities within the MSMA and AMA.
Also within the recruiting process, Mizzou was the first school to have MSMA physician and student mentorships. To date, nearly 50 students and physicians have been connected through this successful inaugural year.
In September, we partnered with the Boone County Medical Society (BCMS) to co-host a Q&A Panel with Mizzou Residency Directors. Furthermore, we hosted an event to educate students and faculty about DACA recipients, and time to call legislators to emphasize the importance of the DREAM act. In October, at our annual Halloween party fundraiser led by Meghna Srinath, we raised and donated $1,000 to MedZou, the free student-run clinic at Mizzou.
During our Advocacy Week, Mizzou focused on raising awareness about the national opioid epidemic. Several of our chapter officers tabled over lunch to encourage students and faculty to call legislators emphasizing the importance of combating this epidemic. In January, Mizzou hosted a Naloxone Training Workshop. During the workshop, students learned about the current legal landscape in MO for Naloxone, fears about Naloxone, how to identify the signs of an overdose, and how to administer naloxone. This event was a large success.
We were also awarded a Section Involvement Grant from the AMA, in which we help fund a MedZou event, Project Homeless Connect, which helps connect the homeless of Columbia with resources around the city.
As in the past, Mizzou has continued to have strong attendance at national conferences and representation in state leadership. At the AMA Interim Meeting in November, Ariel Carpenter and Jared Lammert represented the medical student section within the AMA House of Delegates, while Junaid Yasin and Scott Berndt represented Mizzou at the Medical Student Section Meeting. For the State MSS, Alex Goodson is currently serving as Vice-Councilor and Sonia Boodram is serving as Vice-Chairperson.
University of Missouri – Kansas City
This has been an excellent year for the UMKC chapter of the MSMA-MSS. We kicked off the year in August with a recruitment event for our first year BA/ MD students, for which Haley Wansing, our MSMA-MSS Liaison, kindly travelled to attend. We had such a successful recruitment event that our recruiter, Andrew Williams, was named one of the top 6 AMA recruiters in the country.
Since August, we have had 1–2 meetings each month, including our District Representative speaking about current issues, a DACA Awareness event, resolutions meetings, and more. We also participated in the National Advocacy Week for the first time and held events daily; this was possible thanks in large part to Amudha Porchezhian, our Advocacy Chair, and Nick Yeisley, MSS member. We are so grateful for all the effort they put in to make sure the week went off without a hitch.
Our winter recruitment event targets the third year BA/MD class and students who are joining the UMKC SOM solely for medical school. In the spring, we look forward to one of our most popular events each year, “Differential Diagnosis.” At this event, all the attendees are split into groups and compete to determine the best differential diagnosis for a given case. The winning team receives a restaurant gift card and Contigo coffee mugs.
Outside of UMKC, our chapter members continue to be involved on the Regional and National Level. Manna Varghese, our President, is the Region 2 Community Service Chair, a Region 2 Alternate Delegate, and a AMA-MSS Committee on Long Range Planning member. Nick Yeisley is a member of the AMA-MSS Minority Issues Committee. Akash Jani, our Delegate, Priya Jain, our Alternate Delegate, and Amudha Porchezhian are all involved in Region 2 subcommittees. We have had good UMKC representation at national conferences (Interim, MARC, and Annual) in recent years, and we look forward to continuing that in the coming year. We are extremely grateful to the MSMA for all of their assistance in helping us travel to these conferences, which are often far (e.g. Hawaii, Washington, D.C.), and look forward to another wonderful year.
Washington University
The Washington University chapter continued our success in training physician-advocates and healthcare leaders. Last spring, we hosted then-president-elect of the AMA, Dr. Barbe. He gave a well-attended lunch talk, was given a tour of the medical campus, and attended various meetings with administrators and student-leaders. We began the school year with a very successful recruiting event during the First Year activities fair. Our introductory lunch talk featured an update on the current state of healthcare reform from the chair of the Brown School of Public Health, Tim McBride, PhD. We also had a meeting where students were given the opportunity to learn more about SLMMS from SLMMS Executive Vice President Dave Novak and through a discussion with Dr. Cabbabe, Dr. Behshad, and Dr. Corder about medical training.
We have continued to focus on giving future physicians the skills to advocate for their patients. Our advocacy chairs organized a Lobby Day in the spring, and we have facilitated transportation reimbursement for students to testify in Jefferson City. Students also participate in letter writing and phone calling sessions. Last year, we sent 20 students to attend MSMA Lobby Day in Jefferson City, and we are continuing to plan our own additional Lobby Days for April and May.
We hosted a Naloxone training through the organization MOHope, in conjunction with SLU, which was attended by nearly 100 students. State Representative Stacey Newman recently came to campus to give one of her GOV101 training sessions specifically for medical students looking to become stronger patient advocates.
Individual student leaders are continuing their involvement. Samantha Lund, one of the incoming chapter leaders was recently appointed as the SLMMS Student Board Member for 2018. Craig Yugawa currently serves as the MSMA-MSS chair. WUSM sent 7 students to the AMA Annual Meeting, and 3 students to the AMA Interim Meeting. Several WUSM members continue to serve on AMA standing committees and in Region 2 positions.
Medical Students attend the Second House of Delegates.
As we transition our leadership roles to the next class of medical students, we are excited to continue working to improve healthcare on a local, state, and national basis in 2018