Executive Director's Message
As I sat in an Iowa Administrative Rules committee meeting at the State Capitol this morning, the sun couldn’t help but catch my eye. I really wasn’t daydreaming during the PA hearings; but couldn’t resist the sunshine after all the rain.
I did present comments from the PCMS opposing the proposed rule changes that would increase the Physician Assistants (PA) scope of practice to allow OB and surgical opportunities. We encouraged a delay in the PA rule changes so that clarification could be made on the current law. As the meeting continued the sun kept drawing me back, and my thoughts wandered to when I first started with the PCMS 14 years ago and how much has changed since then.
Summer at PCMS usually meant we could slow down a little to catch our breaths. The only meeting we attended at that time was the Iowa Department of Public Health. The summer workload seemed to have a lighter schedule than the rest of the year. Not so anymore!
As an example, last week I attended several meetings at the State Capitol and the Governor’s office to discuss the proposed changes to the (PA) rules. I met with the Community Access Project group on our grant for specialty care. I am attending the interviews with a board member on the recruitment of the next Polk County Medical Examiner, attended the Iowa Board of Medical Examiners meeting, and the PCMS Alliance meeting
Over the years the county medical society has worked diligently to represent you and your patients. PCMS has been advocating on your behalf at the Iowa Legislature drafting the first bill on tort reform and fighting for it through the session where it finally passed. The PCMS meets with the Congressional delegation in Washington, D. C. on your behalf regarding the need to fix the Medicare physician payments, and some legislation passed, but the work continues. We are working with the free clinics securing one physician referral system for all of the free clinics to utilize. We recently completed a National Library of Medicine project. The PCMS staff give daily referrals and background checks on members, arbitrate complaints, secure House Call articles for the D.M. Register, write and produce a bi-monthly Bulletin, give referrals to patients referred by other physicians, attend health care meetings at the city, county, and state, offer a variety of discount services to assist your office staff through low group rates, arrange economical travel programs, Civic Center events, and the list goes on and on.
The role of the Polk County Medical Society is an important one in our community. The media often calls to find a doctor who can explain a new medication or health program. You, the collective members, are the voice of medicine, and the patient’s advocate. Your staff, Executive Committee, and Committee members are your advocates and the medical voice in the community. Now more than ever the consumers turn to the PCMS for their health care questions and concerns.
Summer at the PCMS is busy and challenging but not only for the staff, for doctors too. Times really have changed. With the staff alone, the Polk County Medical Society could never begin to represent the doctors in the community. You are an integral part of the cultural change that has occurred over the years as the need has increased for doctors to be involved and speak out. As a medical group, you work nonstop on behalf of the medical profession and patients. I hope that with all you do, your precious time so freely given to work towards quality health care for all, that you take a few minutes for each day to re-energized by taking a glimpse of the sun.
