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FROM THE PRESIDENT Doctor Berger Goes to Washington Michelle A. Berger, MD President, Travis County Medical Society As I begin to compose this column, I am on a plane lifting off from Washington, DC after spending three days speaking to Texas representatives and attending the AMA National Advocacy Conference. My fi rst trip to our nation’s capital was over 20 years ago to visit with then Central Texas Congressman Jake Pickle about medicine’s issues. I have been back numerous times since, both with organized medicine and on my own volition, to speak about issues that affect our profession and our patients’ access to care. There has been a defi nite evolution of attitudes on Capitol Hill over these many years. During my fi rst call to Congressman Pickle’s offi ce, I was told that no changes would be made in federal medical policies until they heard complaints from patients. At that time, physicians did not have enough political cachet for their concerns to make a difference. Today, however, our recent visit to the Hill occurred in the context of a much more open and concerned environment in Washington. Politicians have become a part of medical care and they appear more concerned about our issues. Since federal dollars pay for at least 50 percent of medical care in our own country, it was inevitable that regulation of medicine would occur. Every congressional offi ce visited was concerned about the future of medical care for Americans and were willing to hear the physicians’ point of view. Now, more than ever, it is important for each of us to communicate with elected offi cials and to let them know our opinions – both the good and the bad – regarding health care policies. It is easy to become cynical about the increasing governmental regulation and control placed on our profession. But I believe, for the most part, it is being enacted by men and women who are sincere about problem solving and doing the most good they can for the most people possible with the resources they have. I also believe medicine has not been as successful as we would have liked because physicians haven’t been as involved in the political process as our opponents have been. You may see the large lobby brigades and large dollar amounts used to advance agendas adverse to our profession as being insurmountable, and that may have been true in the past. But now, all Americans will be affected by the government’s involvement in medical care and, in my opinion, this change will make the monied interests less powerful. At the end of the day, votes matter more to politicians than money. This is why it is critical that all physicians become politically active in whatever manner is comfortable for you. Get to know your local, state and/ or federal offi cials – each one would welcome your point of view on medical issues. Make an appointment to visit in their offi ce, or simply send an email or a fax that respectfully states your views on an issue. Personally written correspondence will go much farther than form emails and letters generated from an organization as they are easy to spot by staffers and are not as effective. Whether visiting or writing, keep to no more than three issues and use patient stories to illustrate your point. In addition, consider donating to a PAC (there are many to choose from in medicine) since they can pool smaller dollars to have a large impact. Silence from our side will just about guarantee that those who don’t believe as you do will prevail. I invite you to participate in First Tuesdays at the Capitol with other Texas physicians. Senior Director of Community and Government Relations Stephanie Triggs makes appointments for <strong>TCMS</strong> members to visit all of our area’s state offi cials. This “white coat” invasion has been very effective and one Tuesday out of your practice every other year can have a profound effect on the future of medical practice in Texas. The day begins with an overview by TMA legislative staff on issues currently in play at the Capitol. Then we make the appointed rounds as a “tribe” so there is always another white coat to support you. This is one of the most effective TMA programs, and I believe it is as valuable as any equipment you buy or CME program you attend. If you already know a legislator as a patient or friend, or if you care for any of their family members, consider holding a fundraiser for them. Raising money does matter to politicians, but for most, the opportunities these events provide for them to personally interact with constituents and get their input on issues of concern are more important. We all have valuable points of view to express, and we have expertise in the practice of medicine that our politicians and bureaucrats need. If physicians don’t get involved personally and make our views known, organized medicine’s political action will not be as effective as it could be. We need all hands on deck to assure that medicine has a bright future. I fi nd it amazing that less than 250 years ago there was no United States of America. In the grand sweep of history that is a couple of blinks of the eye, yet in that brief period of time, our country has established itself as a beacon for the world and has provided much to many. There will always be more that can be done to perfect our union, but with each visit to Washington, DC, I am more in awe of what has been accomplished by imperfect human beings in the pursuit of a better life. 6 March • April <strong>TCMS</strong> Journal
“The staff at MSB do a great job. I feel like I’m always connected, calls are documented, and they take good care of my patients.” C. Bruce Malone, III, MD Orthopedic Surgeon, Austin We believe that nothing short of excellence is acceptable to a physician offi ce. That is why so many of them trust MSB Answering Service with their a er-hours calls. Economical - our service rates are typically half of what other services charge, with no sacrifi ce in quality. In fact, our advanced call handling procedures result in such a high quality of service that they were recently awarded a United States patent. Secure - viola on of HIPAA/HITECH text messaging guidelines can result in some pre y s ff penal es. We provide compliance and protect your liability with encrypted text messaging to a broad range of devices including iPhone, Blackberry, and Android phones using the same level of security that banks use. No app required, no special devices needed, and no inconvenient call-backs to retrieve a message. Accurate - we make sure we have the correct informa on during the ini al call, elimina ng any need to call the caller back to confi rm the informa on. Rigorous training and clearly documented procedures are the founda ons for our excep onal service. Our staff really does care about ge ng it right. Convenient - we provide a variety of web-based resources that enable our clients to view their call handling instruc ons, listen to how we handle their calls, search archived transac ons, and more. All calls are answered in your prac ce name, and you can easily turn on/turn off when calls are sent to MSB for processing. We hope you would like to learn more about what sets MSB Answering Service apart from the rest, how we can reduce your liability, protect your prac ce, and help you realize a tremendous savings. (512) 467-5200 www.MedicalServiceBureau.com
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Page 9 and 10: TCMS GROUP PURCHASING: YOUR VALUE C
Page 12 and 13: PUBLIC HEALTH UPDATE New Addition t
Page 14 and 15: THE OTHER SIDE The Ride of a Lifeti
Page 16 and 17: TCM ALLIANCE Loren Gigliotti Presid
Page 18: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CHIARI
Page 21 and 22: Nothing wrong with that - we’re t
Page 23 and 24: eginning. When the patient’s cond
Page 25: Classifi eds Call 512-206-1245. OPP

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