My parting thoughts

Patrick Pevoto, MD, MBA

My time as your CMS president is ending during the upcoming Annual Meeting in Vail. It has been an honor to serve you this past year and quite a learning experience! Our medical society has been in the midst of many changes, a sort of microcosm of our society today. Our politics continue to be quite divisive, and as servant leaders of Colorado physicians we don’t always represent the individual viewpoints and beliefs of each physician. Many decisions and actions I took could be construed as “right” or “wrong,” but I assure you I always made these decisions with the intention of improving the practice of medicine for physicians and our patients.

I received a letter from a Colorado physician leader that CMS – and particularly me – seemed to insinuate that physicians are their own worst enemies…sort of “victim shaming.” That has never been my intent, especially since things that I have espoused have been directed at me first. As I quoted Dr. Viktor Frankl in my presidential address last September:

“Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except for one thing...your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation. You cannot control what happens to you in life, but you can always control what you will feel and do about what happens to you.”

My goal was to try and provide some tools that might be useful during the weathering of storms and tempests that come our way. We have all suffered from “moral injury” in the practice of medicine; it is hard, painful and at times there seems to be no end in sight. It does follow that finding ways to control our response to moral injury is time well spent, no matter what you use or who you work with in that endeavor.

Many of you have read "The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom" (A Toltec Wisdom Book), by Don Miguel Ruiz, MD, a neurosurgeon from Mexico. If you haven’t, I recommend that you do so. The premise of the book is that everything a person does in their lifetime is based on “agreements” they have made with themselves, with others, with God, with society and with life itself (from the source listed above). He outlines four such agreements:

1. Your speech should be impeccable.

2. Don’t take things personally.

3. Don’t make assumptions.

4. Always do your best.

I do not want to rewrite the book in this column. First, I would not do it justice. Second, it is not a long book (less than 170 pages) and can be read in one sitting. I wanted to relate the Four Agreements to my experiences the past year.

During my presidency, I have done my best to make sure my speech has been impeccable. Whether right or wrong, I strived to be transparent and honest. It has always been hard for me not to take things personally. I am a “people-pleaser” and I experience great discomfort when others interpret my speech or actions as offensive. I am the world’s worst at making assumptions as well. An action or decision made by someone, or some group, was being directed at me for nefarious reasons, when that conclusion was far from reality and/or the truth.

The Fourth Agreement is one that I guarantee I worked hard to execute... always do my best! What a realization it was that “my best” does not have to be perfect, does not have to please everyone, does not have to lead to a perfect outcome. I hope that my fellow Colorado physicians know that I was doing my best to represent them, and I will continue to do so when I turn the reins over to Omar Mubarak, MD, MBA, in September.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to serve all of you!! ■

Make plans to spend a fall weekend in the mountains with physicians from around the state; register for the signature event of the Colorado Medical Society – our Annual Meeting. There is something for everyone at this meeting:

• Social time, especially during the Welcome Reception and President’s Reception and Gala

• Great programming with engaging speakers on topics to improve the practice of medicine for physicians and patients

• The chance to present your research or hear the latest research

• A celebration of CMS leaders you have elected: Incoming President Omar Mubarak, MD, MBA; outgoing President Patrick Pevoto, MD; and your newly elected president-elect announced Sept. 1.

This is your opportunity to refresh and renew your career, while meeting new contacts in a family-friendly setting.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 22

12-5 p.m. Board of Directors lunch and meeting

This is the third quarterly meeting of the CMS Board of Directors in 2023, and will be offered as a hybrid meeting for in-person or virtual participation. All meetings are open to all CMS members to attend.

6-7:30 p.m. Welcome Reception with Exhibitors

Don’t miss our opening reception to pick

SATURDAY, SEPT. 23

7-8 a.m. Breakfast

8 a.m. - 12 p.m.; 6-10 p.m. Children’s camp ages 2-12

Bring the kids to enjoy arts and crafts, snacks, an evening movie and other activities with professional childcare providers while you participate in the meeting. Advance registration required by Sept. 1.

8-9 a.m. Running on Empty: Physician Stress and Wellbeing

Michael H. Gendel, MD, presents an evidence-based look at physician workstress syndromes of burnout, teaching you methods for managing stress.

9-10 a.m. Failure: How Your Relationship to it Affects Your Patients and You

Aneesh Garg, DO, CAQ, will challenge you to embrace failure as a mechanism of growth rather than something to be feared and avoided.

1 0: 30-11:30 a.m. Recovery Plan for Physicians: Medicare Payment Reform

AMA President-elect Bruce Scott, MD, urges Congress to fix a broken Medicare up your registration materials, meet and greet old and new friends, and visit with our exhibitors who keep the conference fees low and offer great products and services.

7:30-9:30 p.m. Movie screening: Theatre of Thought with Q&A following CMS has received special permission to screen a film by renowned documentarian Werner Herzog in which he investi - gates the human brain, looking for clues as to why a hunk of tissue can produce profound thoughts and feelings while considering the philosophical, ethical and social implications of fast-advancing neural technology. Q&A to follow with NeuroRights Foundation Chairman Rafael Yuste, MD, PhD, and Fort Collins neurologist Sean Pazauskie, MD. payment system that places enormous financial pressure on physicians and threatens the care we provide.

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. COMPAC Lunch

CMS's Political Action Committee hosts lunch on Saturday featuring state Sen. Kyle Mullica.

12:30-1 p.m. Exhibit break with dessert

1-2:30 p.m. Microaggressions, Allyship and Upstanding

CU Anschutz faculty Rita Lee, MD, presents an interactive session on microaggressions and strategies to be an effective ally. Attendees will also practice upstanding skills to intervene when we experience or witness microaggressions. This session is part three of the Foundations in Equity series, but can also be experienced without the previous two modules.

2:30-3:15 p.m. Exhibit break with raffle drawings

3:15-4:30 p.m. Virtual poster competition presentation

CMS members, especially medical students and residents, will present research in three categories: primary research, case report and evidencebased review. Posters will be projected and presented to a live audience, and awards will be given in various categories during the President's Gala. More information on pg. 6

4:30-6 p.m. Wellness break/free time

Take a break from a busy day to hike, bike or rest, and rejoin the fun for our evening activities.

6-6:45 p.m. President’s Reception

Enjoy a cocktail reception with friends old and new before the President’s Gala.

6:45-10 p.m. President’s Gala

The President’s Gala is the highlight of the weekend, featuring the passing of the gavel from outgoing CMS President Patrick Pevoto, MD, MBA, to incoming CMS President Omar Mubarak, MD, MBA. Dress is semi-formal. Enjoy a buffet dinner, dessert, music and dancing.

Lodging

The Lodge at Vail | 174 E. Gore Creek Dr., Vail, CO

CMS will host guests at the Lodge at Vail, a classic icon of the Vail Valley that brings together the authentic character of a grand alpine lodge with a luxury resort. Many award-winning restaurants and high-end and unique shops are within walking distance. CMS negotiated a reduced resort fee of $20 per night (traditionally $40 per night) that grants those staying onsite access to wireless internet throughout the property, in-town transportation, outdoor hot tubs and a heated pool, fitness center, room service and more. CMS also negotiated a reduced valet parking fee of $25 per night (traditionally $50 per night). Pets are allowed for an additional fee.

To make your room reservation , call the reservations department at 855-953-0197 or 1-855-332-1601, select #1 to reach Colorado Resorts, and then option #4 for Vail. Please let the reservations agent know our group name (Colorado Medical Society 2023 Annual Meeting) and group code (BVLCMV23). Group lodging cut-off date: Aug. 31, 2023.

Poster Contest

CMS members, especially residents and medical students, are invited to present your research in three categories: primary research, case report and evidence-based review. Awards will be given in various categories at the President’s Gala. Researchers will present their projects live on Saturday, 3:15-4 p.m. Find more information on entering the poster contest or signing up as a judge on the event webpage

Thank You To Our Sponsors

The Colorado Medical Society thanks these sponsors and exhibitors for their support of the CMS Annual Meeting: COPIC, Panacea, PatientPop, Cruise Planners, Colorado Physician Health Program (CPHP), Center for Personalized Education for Professionals (CPEP), Dynavax Technologies, ODG and Huntington Bank.

Childcare

Experienced and licensed childcare professionals from Care 4 Kids in Vail will be provide care for kids ages 2-12 at no cost to meeting attendees. Kids will enjoy arts and crafts, snacks and other activities Saturday morning and dinner and a movie during the President’s Gala. Advance registration is required through the Annual Meeting registration form by Sept. 1

Accreditation

The Colorado Medical Society is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Learning objectives can be found on the event webpage. ■