KCMS Annual Publication 2023

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20A YEAR-IN-REVIEWAwards232023 Kansas City Medical SocietyMedical Student Scholarship RecipientCarson GatesUniversity of Missouri Schoolof Medicine – ColumbiaAs a medical student with aspirations tospecialize in orthopedic surgery, I am keenly aware ofthe highly competitive nature of residency programs. Tobolster my chances of securing a position, I have devotedmyself wholeheartedly to academic excellence andresearch endeavors. In just one year, I have excelled inthe classroom and made remarkable progress, which willresult in three published papers and two presentations.Receiving this scholarship would alleviate the burdenof financial worries, enabling me to focus more on my career pursuits and the well-being of futurepatients. It would afford me the opportunity to invest my time and energy in delivering the highestquality of care without the concern of monetary constraints.14 | KANSAS CITY MEDICAL SOCIETY
Report of the Interim Meeting of the House of Delegates ofthe American Medical Association November 10-14, 2023Acknowledgement: This is taken from a longer version published in Missouri Medicine, the journal of the Missouri State Medical Association. Used with permission.Each year, the American MedicalAssociation (AMA) House ofDelegates (HOD) holds a NovemberInterim Meeting around the country,in addition to the June Annual Meetingin Chicago. This year, the InterimMeeting was at the Gaylord NationalHotel in National Harbor, Maryland,near Washington, DC. The meetingemphasizes advocacy, particularly onlegislation and other urgent issues.The HOD was well-attended, drawing672 of 705 delegates (95%). Morethan 100 resolutions and reportswere considered.James Madara, MD, Executive VicePresident, outlined the AMA’s longtermstrategic plan to improve thehealth care system. There are threeparts. First, reimagining medicalundergraduate education, residencytraining, and lifelong learning.Second, confronting chronic disease,specifically focusing on hypertension.Third, removing obstacles thatinterfere with patient care, such asreforming Medicare policy.Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, the current AMApresident, addressed the meetingon the problems of both physiciansand patients. Physician burnout is at60%. One hundred million patientshave no primary care. Physiciansmust advocate for patients and forthemselves. No one else can do it aseffectively.“Fix Medicare Now” was the majortheme of the meeting. Physicianpayments have been reduced by aquarter in the last 20 years and will becut another 3.4% in January 2024. WePhysician burnout isat 60%. One hundredmillion patients haveno primary care.Physicians mustadvocate for patientsand for themselves.must convince Congress that thesecuts are unsustainable. And physicianpayments must be indexed toinflation. Finally, MIPS has failed, andmust be discarded. See the website:fixmedicarenow.org.Other aspects of the health systemwere discussed. Pediatrics has beenseverely affected by low Medicaidrates, with pediatric hospital bedsclosing across the country. Betterreimbursement policies are urgentlyneeded. There were also calls forpayment improvement in rural areas,for regulation of insurance networks,and for expansion of Medicaid toundocumented immigrants.Several resolutions concerned medicaleducation. Particularly important wasthe advocacy of providing personaldays off for medical students, ensuringequity in interview processes, andresidents and fellows unions.Drug use continues to kill peopleeach year. Over the last five years, anexponential increase has been seen. Alarge part of the cause is the increaseduse of fentanyl, either by itself ormixed with other drugs. Speakers atthe meeting of the Organization ofState Medical Association Presidents(OSMAP) emphasized harm-reductionstrategies. These include legalizationof fentanyl test strips, availability ofnaloxone, drug injection centers, andrecovery centers.Cannabis use, after legalization in amajority of states, remains a healthconcern, especially for pregnantwomen and children. Marketingpractices are out of control. Therewere calls to require package labelingto warn patients of hazards.There was extensive discussion overphysician-assisted suicide. New termshave been introduced, such as “end oflife expanded treatment options” and“medical aid in dying”. Call it whatwe will, it remains a perennial ethicalproblem.As usual, the HOD dealt with severalsocietal issues, notably the publichealth impact of climate change.There was a general session onclimate change and several relatedresolutions.The records of the meeting areavailable on the AMA website.Highlights and all of the reportsand details are at ama-assn.org/house-delegates/interim-meeting/business-ama-house-delegatesinterim-meeting.DECEMBER 2023 | 15
Page 1: 2023 ANNUAL ISSUEJOURNAL OF THE KAN
Page 4 and 5: A LETTER FROMthe PresidentGreetings
Page 6 and 7: SPECIAL THANKS TO OURPartnersInvest
Page 8 and 9: 2023A YEAR-IN-REVIEW8 | KANSAS CITY
Page 10 and 11: 2023A YEAR-IN-REVIEWAwards2023 Life
Page 12 and 13: Is Your HSA a Tool in Your Investme
Page 16 and 17: “HOSPITAL CONSOLIDATION -THERE GO
Page 18 and 19: kcmedicine.org/foundationGiving the
Page 20 and 21: Healthcare Careersfor WyandotteCoun
Page 22: THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERSkcmedicine

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