March/April - West Virginia State Medical Association

| Report of the Resolutions Committee
Report of the Resolutions Committee — January 22, 2011
Your Committee on Resolutions
has carefully considered the
Resolutions offered in the First
Session of the House of Delegates
on Saturday, January 22, 2011.
We are happy to report that a
number of interested physicians
appeared at the meeting of the
Committee on Saturday and
discussed in detail the Resolutions
pending before the Committee.
The cooperation of those
physicians present was most
helpful to the Committee in
reaching decisions and we express
appreciation to those who took the
time to attend the opening hearing.
Mr. Speaker, your Committee
assures the members of the
Association that the one and only
consideration that has guided the
Committee in its deliberations has
been the criteria as to whether each
of the resolutions was or would
be in the best interest of the entire
medical profession in West Virginia
in giving its patients the best of care.
Mr. Speaker, your Committee
considered Resolution 1, pertaining
to Access to Information and the
State’s Public Health System.
Mr. Speaker, your Committee
recommends that Resolution 1 not
be adopted and that the following
substitute Resolution 1 be adopted:
RESOLVED, That the WVSMA
request the Secretary of the West
Virginia Department of Health and
Human Resources to aggressively
pursue efforts to develop policies
and if necessary legislation,
regulations and/or rules that would
mandate that any agency within
the state’s public health system
share any and all information
with local health departments.
Mr. Speaker, your Committee
moves the adoption of
substitute Resolution 1.
Mr. Speaker, your Committee
considered Resolution 2,
pertaining to Clarifying Rights
of Physician Service.
Mr. Speaker, your Committee
recommends that the Resolution 2 be
referred to the Executive Committee.
Mr. Speaker, your Committee
moves that Resolution 2 be referred.
Mr. Speaker, your Committee
considered Resolution 3, pertaining
to Governance Structure Review.
Mr. Speaker, your
Committee recommends that
Resolution 3 be adopted.
RESOLVED, that the WVSMA
Executive Committee oversee a
comprehensive evaluation of the
governance structure options and
take such action as necessary through
an appropriate committee to present
to the House of Delegates at its next
meeting any recommendation(s)
it considers warranted for
consideration and possible adoption.
Mr. Speaker, your Committee
moves the adoption of Resolution 3.
Mr. Speaker, your Committee
considered Resolution 4,
pertaining to Wind Turbine
Facilities and Public Health.
Mr. Speaker, your Committee
recommends that Resolution 4 not
be adopted and that the following
substitute Resolution 4 be adopted:
RESOLVED, that the WVSMA will
endeavor to inform physicians and
encourage evidence-based research
regarding the public health effects of
West Virginia energy production.
Mr. Speaker, your Committee
moves the adoption of
substitute Resolution 4.
Mr. Speaker, your Committee
considered Resolution 5, pertaining
to End of Life Decision Making.
Mr. Speaker, your Committee
recommends that Resolution 5 not
be adopted and that the following
substitute Resolution 5 be adopted:
RESOLVED, that the WVSMA
and the West Virginia Medical
Foundation provide support and
education to physicians regarding
advance care planning and end of life
decision making; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the WVSMA and
West Virginia Medical Foundation
support initiatives that increase
public awareness of advance care
planning and end of life decision
making and be it further
RESOLVED, that the WVSMA
encourage its component societies
to cultivate appropriate community
partners to encourage advance
care planning and end of life
decision making; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the WVSMA
support the use of public funds that
actively promotes advance care
planning and end of life discussions.
Mr. Speaker, your committee
moves the adoption of
substitute Resolution 5.
Mr. Speaker, we wish to thank
the members of the WVSMA
who appeared before the
Committee for their participation,
patience, enthusiasm, wisdom,
endurance, and time devoted to
the study of the resolutions.
In addition to me, as Chairman,
the appointed members of the
Committee who participated
in these deliberations were:
John Holloway, MD
R. Austin Wallace, MD
Joseph Reed, MD
James Felsen, MD
David Avery, MD
Joseph Selby, MD
WVSMA Staff
Evan Jenkins, Executive Director
Karie Sharp
Respectfully submitted,
F. Thomas Sporck, MD
Vice President 2010-2011
March/April 2011 | Vol. 107