My sincere thanks to those who have supported and continue to support membership growth. I believe the MMS and the TMA offers physicians a real value through their active efforts to safeguard what is important and necessary for our profession and to substantially influence its positive future. As members, you agree with the value of this work so please share your experience with other physicians and encourage them to join us. When you next speak with Cara Azhar, MMS’s staff Physician Liaison, please join me in thanking her for her leadership with every aspect of our membership support and growth. Speaking of Future MMS Members On August 10, the Memphis Medical Society and The University of Tennessee School of Medicine jointly welcomed incoming 2021-2022 medical students. Held on the grounds of the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, more than 200 students attended the evening event along with an array of local physicians, MMS board members and UT faculty. In the picturesque setting while enjoying a catered dinner, students got to know their classmates and faculty better and were able to speak at length with local physicians about the realities of practicing medicine now and the future possibilities that the field holds for us all. A Call to Care for the Uninsured Many of you have been made aware of the recent partnership between Memphis Medical Foundation, our 501c3 sister foundation, and the State of Tennessee to launch Project Access West Tennessee. As mentioned in our last publication, Project Access is a program that exists in other parts of the state that is designed to expand access to specialty and subspecialty care for those without insurance. Many of you are already contributing to that effort in various ways and our appreciation for your help is immense. The goal of Project Access is to increase the involvement of our provider community in these efforts. Basically, it is asked that each of you volunteer one appointment per month and/or minimal time to consult with primary care providers, be it on behalf of you or a team of providers that you oversee. Stay tuned for communication from Clint Cummins, our CEO, or Nicole Scroggins, our newly hired Director of Project Access. Thank you to those of you who have given verbal commitments thus far. We anticipate “seeing” our first patients in this program before the end of the year. Congratulations 200 years in the Making Also, the MMS would like to extend its congratulations to Robin Williams, MD (Chair), Nicole Schlechter, MD (President), Rebecca Leslie, MBA (CEO) and the entire membership of the Nashville Academy of Medicine, which is celebrating its Bicentennial Anniversary this year (1821-2021). Thank you to each of you and your staff for all you’ve done to care for our community and all you will no doubt continue to do.
Andrew Watson, M.D.
President, Memphis Medical Society 2021
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