President’s Letter

Q IPresident’s Letter

The world has been hit with the unexpected. COVID-19 swarmed in and now we are in battle with a pandemic to save lives. You’ve seen how world leaders are responding. And on a local level, the MMS is responding too. The organization worked with Memphis and Shelby County mayors and fought for “shelter in place” orders to mitigate the COVID-19 impact. We joined with TMA to task the governor to take the same action statewide. We saw these changes affect our society like never before in this generation.

The MMS administrative team immediately jumped to the rescue by securing PPE and supplies for delivery to our members. They’ve kept our website updated with the latest advisories and statutes.

Members have been provided with ongoing virtual education and clinical resources. If you haven’t recently visited mdmemphis.org, then I encourage you to check it out, and find if it can be of help to you.

Also at this crucial time, our country is experiencing a revolution against racial injustice and biases. The MMS Board overwhelmingly agreed to support “White Coats for Black Lives,” a peaceful protest initiated by students at UTHSC. As an organization, MMS urges and adheres to diversity and inclusion, yet recognizes there continues to be much more to our society’s racial and cultural challenges. For example, health care disparities/ inequities are real, and there are volumes of data to confirm it. MMS has a long history of collaboration with organizations whose missions focus on minorities and the underserved. No matter how big or small, the entire medical community can have a role in effective change. I implore all of us to take a long, hard look at what roles we play, to educate ourselves, and to find a means to actively make our world a better place for all.

Ultimately, MMS and its members remain on the front lines serving our community. The organization is dedicated to supporting you and will continue to work with government officials to ensure appropriate actions are taken on behalf of patients and physicians. Now, more than ever, we stand together in unity as physicians leading Memphis through this crisis and seeking the best outcomes for our patients. Be well and stay safe.

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” —Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1965

Your President, Danielle Hassel, M.D.

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