4 minute read
MCMS in 2020 - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S UPDATE
John McElligott, MPH, CPH
You and your organization probably had big plans for 2020. Maybe you were going to increase patients served, hire new medical staff, or integrate a different tool to improve efficiency or quality of care. Maybe you wanted to merge with another practice or smoothly transition into retirement.
Despite the cancellation of spring training baseball, doctors in the valley faced a wicked curveball in March. The SARS-CoV-2 virus and its COVID-19 disease continue to take a heavy toll on the medical community. The Maricopa County Medical Society (MCMS) is here to support you and your team. Please let us know what you need. We routinely email critical information to member physicians. If you are not receiving these updates, then please call us at 602-252-2015 to share a current email address or join.
Moving Forward
Like you, MCMS has also adapted to a new way of providing services. Instead of in-person events, we host virtual CME events. Knowing usual suppliers cannot provide PPE, we partnered with other groups to provide access to surgical masks, face shields, and gowns. That effort will continue with PPE available for purchase online at https://actionppe.org/3/mcms/. Get prepared and have PPE shipped directly to you.
Revitalized Academy
Like the phoenix, the Academy of Medical Science of Maricopa County is rising again. Founded in 1966, the 501(c)(3) non-profit arm of MCMS operates exclusively for charitable, scientific, or educational purposes. The Academy achieved the Guidestar Gold Seal of Transparency for 2020. It will support doctors and the community. One example is having received donations in support of the “PPE for Physicians” program. We used those generous funds to purchase and distribute PPE to member physicians in need. If you are interested in donating, then please visit www.mcmsonline.com/page/Academy. Another example of the Academy in action is coordinating free health screenings for students at a local school. Contact MCMS about getting involved.
Medical Student Essay Contest
MCMS invited all students in the valley’s five medical schools to submit a short essay on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to improve medical school education and the practice of medicine. Patricia Bai, who is attending the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, wrote the winning essay. She will receive a cash prize and have her essay published in a future issue of Arizona Physician.
Arizona Physician Podcast
We launched a podcast companion to this quarterly magazine. Topics will include a range of healthcare issues and medicine impacting physicians in Arizona. Would you like to be interviewed? Do you have a suggestion for a guest? Please email your ideas and feedback to information@arizonaphysician.com.
Listen to episodes on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Tune In, and Spotify. For more information, visit www.arizonaphysician.com/podcast/.
Bringing Doctors Together
You are not alone in dealing with the virus and its impacts on the practice of medicine. There are over 11,800 practicing physicians in Maricopa County. The most common specialties include Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Anesthesiology, Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine, Psychiatry, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Radiology, Family Practice, General Surgery, Neurology, Orthopaedic Surgery, Dermatology, Ophthalmology, and Urology.
MCMS remains an organization that brings together medical and osteopathic doctors from all specialties in the Valley of the Sun. Americans coalesce when times are tough and lend a helping hand to colleagues and neighbors. MCMS is no different. Founded in a time when physicians needed to share solutions to the pressing problems of frontier healthcare, the outlook remains the same. MCMS is committed to forging stronger relationships among the medical community to solve the issues you face in medicine today. But we do not stop at the present. We look ahead to the future.
The Future of Medicine in the Valley
Despite the best-laid plans, we sometimes get curveballs, knocked down, and need to pick ourselves up off the dirt. MCMS will continue to support member physicians as they seek to rebuild from the shock of the pandemic and work together to build the bright future of medicine in the valley.
You have read and heard this repeated many times, but it is true. We will get through this together. Please remember the Maricopa County Medical Society is on your side.
MCMS can do more for physicians when we have more members. Please consider joining and recruit your colleagues. Annual dues are only $250 for practicing physicians or $100 for physicians working for city, county, state, or federal government agencies. We offer discounted rates and group billing for practices and hospitals. Please contact us to discuss getting your whole team access to the valuable services at MCMS. Email mcms@mcmsonline.com to speak with our staff.
