Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Renew by December 31 and receive one free registration to any MSMS Foundation educational program in 2010
Members who pay their dues in full by December 31 will receive one free registration to any MSMS Foundation educational program in 2010, including the Annual Scientific Meeting.
Dues Reminder
DATE: December 23, 2009
TO: KCMS Members
FROM: Anita R. Avery, MD, President
SUBJECT: Dues reminder
As we fast approach the end of 2009, I wanted to remind you to renew your dues with the Kent County Medical Society. Your society has worked hard this year to better serve you.
If you have paid your 2010 Dues, THANK YOU!!! Now more than ever, membership in the Kent County Medical Society and the Michigan State Medical Society is critical.
Kent County Medical Society offers you, its members:
The KCMS office, along with MSMS, organized a very successful White Coat Rally in Lansing. More than 80 of your local colleagues participated to save physicians from a proposed tax on gross revenue. Most physicians saved $6,000 for 2010. Certainly worth membership dues!
Finally, a reminder, members who pay their dues in full by December 31 will receive one free registration to any MSMS Foundation educational program in 2010, including the Annual Scientific Meeting.
The 2010 Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 12. You will be receiving your notice soon. I hope to see you there.
Thank you for your membership. This year has been challenging and rewarding for the Board. Please know that your Society has and will continue to work on physicians’ behalf. Happy Holidays to you and yours.
TO: KCMS Members
FROM: Anita R. Avery, MD, President
SUBJECT: Dues reminder
As we fast approach the end of 2009, I wanted to remind you to renew your dues with the Kent County Medical Society. Your society has worked hard this year to better serve you.
If you have paid your 2010 Dues, THANK YOU!!! Now more than ever, membership in the Kent County Medical Society and the Michigan State Medical Society is critical.
Kent County Medical Society offers you, its members:
- www.kcms.org website with updated news and views
- Project Access, a program assisting you and your staff in serving uninsured patients
- 2010 KCMS Membership Directory (arriving mid-January)
- Community resource and navigation for your patients
- The Bulletin magazine
- Dinner meetings with CME opportunities
- Organized advocacy to protect patients and the practice of medicine
- Referrals for people seeking a new physician
- Committee participation
- A unified voice of medicine
- Neutral association for physicians
- Liaison involvement
- Policy making
- Mailing service for alerts, address changes, and more
- CME opportunity on Saturday, February 20 (4.25 CME credits)
- (Early 2010) online membership Directory
The KCMS office, along with MSMS, organized a very successful White Coat Rally in Lansing. More than 80 of your local colleagues participated to save physicians from a proposed tax on gross revenue. Most physicians saved $6,000 for 2010. Certainly worth membership dues!
Finally, a reminder, members who pay their dues in full by December 31 will receive one free registration to any MSMS Foundation educational program in 2010, including the Annual Scientific Meeting.
The 2010 Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 12. You will be receiving your notice soon. I hope to see you there.
Thank you for your membership. This year has been challenging and rewarding for the Board. Please know that your Society has and will continue to work on physicians’ behalf. Happy Holidays to you and yours.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Michigan Becomes the 38th State to Pass Smoke-free Air Legislation!
The Michigan Senate and House today passed legislation (HB 4377) that bans smoking in all workplaces--including bars and restaurants--with the exception of cigar bars, tobacco shops, and non-tribal casinos. Also, the bill was amended to be named after the late Ronald M. Davis, MD, in statute. Doctor Davis was an AMA Past President from Michigan and a longtime advocate for smoke-free air. The bill is on its way to the governor, who has said publicly that she will sign any kind of smoking ban that reaches her desk.
"This is not only a huge win for organized medicine, but also for every resident of our state," said MSMS President Richard E. Smith, MD, a Wayne County obstetrician-gynecologist. "We are grateful that the legislature has agreed to make the health of Michigan citizens a priority."
The law will take effect in May 2010.
"This is not only a huge win for organized medicine, but also for every resident of our state," said MSMS President Richard E. Smith, MD, a Wayne County obstetrician-gynecologist. "We are grateful that the legislature has agreed to make the health of Michigan citizens a priority."
The law will take effect in May 2010.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thank You For Your Support at the White Coat Rally!
Thank you the countless advocates who penned letters, wrote emails, and called on our state legislators and media outlets to fight the proposed 3% physician tax. On October 20, MSMS hosted a White Coat Rally in Lansing consisting of close to 1000 people. The Kent County contingent of 80 was comprised of physicians, alliance members, physician assistants, residents, medical students, and supporters. Thank you for rescheduling patients, forgoing potential revenue, and sacrificing time out of your busy schedule to participate! Even if you did not take these tangible measures, your membership in the state and county medical societies helps send a cohesive message.
Thank you for renewing your membership. Our physician community was successful in presenting a message en masse to preserve patient access to care in Michigan. At the most basic level we entered this profession to help people. It is frustrating to see the discriminatory, band-aid approach by which our state legislators are attempting to fund the budget. As we reflect on the changing climate of health care, we are thankful for the opportunity to serve patients--both in the local, clinical sense, as well as in the organized, collective sense.
-Kent County Medical Society Board of Directors
Thank you for renewing your membership. Our physician community was successful in presenting a message en masse to preserve patient access to care in Michigan. At the most basic level we entered this profession to help people. It is frustrating to see the discriminatory, band-aid approach by which our state legislators are attempting to fund the budget. As we reflect on the changing climate of health care, we are thankful for the opportunity to serve patients--both in the local, clinical sense, as well as in the organized, collective sense.
-Kent County Medical Society Board of Directors
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Congratulations Dr. Peterson
The Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) announced today that 13 physicians, a medical group manager and a member of the MSMS Alliance are being recognized by their peers with MSMS Community Service Awards for their various volunteer efforts.
Categories for nomination include volunteer medical service, overseas missionary work and volunteer health education projects, among other community service efforts. Awardees were nominated by their peers on the county level.
Thomas H. Peterson, MD, a Kent County pediatrician, received an MSMS Community Service Award for his work to improving and promoting healthy lifestyles. He is chair and founder of Tobacco Free Partners. Doctor Peterson was the president of Kent County Medical Society in 2008 and was the recipient of the National Community Activist Award from the American Legacy Foundation in the same year. He now serves as medical director for Helen Devos Children’s Hospital. In this role, he leads initiatives in quality improvement, patient safety, childhood obesity, health promotion and tobacco control. He also works as medical director for Healthier Communities at Spectrum Health.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
ACTION ALERT!
Dear Kent County Medical Society Member,
Many of you have been inundated with emails from MSMS concerning legislative updates and requesting you to take action against the proposed physician tax. Please do not become numb to this message.
Your time is valuable. You should have received a fax recently with succinct "talking points" about this tax. KCMS will do its best to minimize duplicate emails. Yet we can't emphasize enough the importance of having your voice heard. Even if you have never called your legislator or written a letter to a politician before, now is the time to do so. The resources in the attachments make it easy. Read on for more background or stop here and call the senators listed at the end of this message, regarding HB 5386. If you prefer, you can use the MSMS Action Center: http://capwiz.com/msms/state/main/?state=MI
This is a pressing issue. The proposed physician tax was passed by the House and is now in Senate Committee on Health Policy. A vote on this tax could come up anytime before October 20. Although the constitutionality of differentially taxing one class of citizens (physicians) is questionable, our Governor and Speaker of the House are strong proponents of it. Contact your State Senator now while we can still have an influence.
The proposed tax is not solely about your income. It would impact Michigan's ability to recruit and retain physicians, and therefore, would further limit patients' access to care. Ultimately, we all endeavor to help people. A physician tax would further limit our ability to do so.
There may be some of you who conclude that the 3% tax on your gross income would be offset by the increased reimbursement by Medicaid. However, the dollar figures being quoted are the result of several assumptions, particularly that the federal matching dollars would continue long-term. In fact, they are based on the federal stimulus plan which ends in the second quarter of 2010. Yet once the precedent of a physician tax has been made, the state budget would likely continue to rely on the revenue, despite a lack of federal matching. In addition, beginning in 2010, there is no provision that prevents the dollars generated by the physician tax from being used for programs other than Medicaid.
If you are too busy, consider designating one physician in your group to speak or write on behalf of the whole group. Alternatively, ask your office manager to advocate for you. In the long run, if this tax passes, you will be even busier as your contribution to the financial subsidy of Medicaid increases.
This is one of those rare times when numbers of phone calls and emails DO GET NOTICED.
Attached for your reference are documents covering Talking Points, the House Fiscal Agency Summary on HB5386 and other information.
Thank you for your time,
| Anita R. Avery, MD | Patrick J. Droste, MD |
| President, KCMS | President Elect, KCMS |
Senators to contact:
Senator Mike Bishop 517.373.2417 senmbishop@senate.michigan.gov
Senator Ron Jelinek 517.373.6960 senrjelinek@senate.michigan.gov
Senator Thomas George 517.373.0793 sentgeorge@senate.michigan.gov
Senator Mark Jansen 517.373.0797 senmjansen@senate.michigan.gov
Senator Bill Hardiman 517.373.1801 senbhardiman@senate.michigan.gov
Senator Wayne Kuipers 517.373.6920 senwkuipers@senate.michigan.gov
Senator Roger Kahn 517.373.1760 senrkahn@senate.michigan.gov
WHITE COAT RALLY
MSMS has organized a rally in Lansing on Tuesday October 20 to raise awareness about physician issues, including the fight against the proposed physician tax. KCMS is sending a contingent and is sponsoring a bus for travel. If you prefer, you may travel to Lansing independently and meet us there. We welcome your participation!
For those wishing to reserve a seat on the bus:
Where: Park and Ride on the East Beltline and I-96 by Marlarky’s Restaurant.
When: Tuesday morning October 20, 2009
Time: 9:15 am boarding
9:30 Bus leaves
Buses will be going directly to the Radisson Hotel where you can pick up your Rally Information Packet. Below is a schedule for the day.
Note: buses will be leaving from the Radisson to return to Grand Rapids. Last shuttle to parking area will be at 4 pm.
Check the MSMS website for updates on the schedule.
http://www.msms.org/AM/
9:30 a.m. – First shuttle buses will leave the Dunham’s store parking area to transport participants to the Lansing Radisson Hotel.
9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Arrive at the Radisson to Register, pick up your Rally Information Packet, and enjoy Refreshments with your colleagues. A limited number of passes to the Senate Committee Meeting will be available at Registration on a first-come/first-served basis.
10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. – Registrants will enjoy a light meal at the Radisson, and hear from MSMS President Richard E. Smith, MD and other leaders at 11:30 a.m.
12:00 p.m. – **Senate Meeting pass holders will proceed to that meeting. All other participants will walk together from the Radisson Hotel to the Capitol for a Rally, which starts at 12:15 p.m. and lasts until approximately 1:30 p.m.
1:15 p.m. – Those who pre-scheduled meetings with their own lawmakers will go to those; or participants may choose to go to the Capitol Gallery to observe the House in session. Those who need to leave Lansing at this point may board buses every 15 minutes from the Radisson to the Dunham’s store parking area.
4:00 p.m. – Last shuttle bus leaves Radisson Hotel, returning to the Dunham’s store parking area.
Please contact the Kent County Medical Society office with your name and a contact number
Phone (458-4157)
Fax (458-3305)
E-mail (mgw@kcms.org)
Phone (458-4157)
Fax (458-3305)
E-mail (mgw@kcms.org)
Where: Park and Ride on the East Beltline and I-96 by Marlarky’s Restaurant.
When: Tuesday morning October 20, 2009
Time: 9:15 am boarding
9:30 Bus leaves
Buses will be going directly to the Radisson Hotel where you can pick up your Rally Information Packet. Below is a schedule for the day.
Note: buses will be leaving from the Radisson to return to Grand Rapids. Last shuttle to parking area will be at 4 pm.
Check the MSMS website for updates on the schedule.
http://www.msms.org/AM/
SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY:
9:30 a.m. – First shuttle buses will leave the Dunham’s store parking area to transport participants to the Lansing Radisson Hotel.
9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Arrive at the Radisson to Register, pick up your Rally Information Packet, and enjoy Refreshments with your colleagues. A limited number of passes to the Senate Committee Meeting will be available at Registration on a first-come/first-served basis.
10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. – Registrants will enjoy a light meal at the Radisson, and hear from MSMS President Richard E. Smith, MD and other leaders at 11:30 a.m.
12:00 p.m. – **Senate Meeting pass holders will proceed to that meeting. All other participants will walk together from the Radisson Hotel to the Capitol for a Rally, which starts at 12:15 p.m. and lasts until approximately 1:30 p.m.
1:15 p.m. – Those who pre-scheduled meetings with their own lawmakers will go to those; or participants may choose to go to the Capitol Gallery to observe the House in session. Those who need to leave Lansing at this point may board buses every 15 minutes from the Radisson to the Dunham’s store parking area.
4:00 p.m. – Last shuttle bus leaves Radisson Hotel, returning to the Dunham’s store parking area.
Dr. Peterson wins the Douglas A. Mack Award for Community Collaboration
Dr. Peterson wins the Douglas A. Mack Award for Community Collaboration
Tom Peterson, MD, Medical Director, Spectrum Health Healthier Communities, and Medical Director, Quality Improvement, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital was recognized on September 28, 2009 at the Healthy Kent 2010 Decade of Celebration event. Dr. Peterson was nominated by the Kent County medical Society Board of Directors for the award, which was named after former Kent County Public Health Director, Douglas A. Mack, MD, MPH.
The award recognized individuals working to make a difference in the health of the community by addressing one of the 10 leading health indicators identified by Health Kent 2010: Access to Care, Physical Activity, Overweight and Obesity, Tobacco Use, Substance Abuse, Responsible Sexual Behavior, Mental Health, Injury and Violence, Environmental Quality and Immunizations.
Tom Peterson, MD has nearly 20 years of experience in pediatric medicine. Dr. Peterson currently serves as Medical Director, Quality, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. In his role, Dr. Peterson leads hospital, state and nationwide initiatives in quality improvement, patient safety, childhood obesity, health promotion, and tobacco control. Peterson also advises the Spectrum Health Healthy Lifestyles program, as well as a local multi-business wellness program, both involving more than 8,000 employees. Dr. Peterson also currently serves as Medical Director for Healthier Communities at Spectrum Health. Spectrum Health Healthier Communities is focused on measurably improving the health status of people living in Kent County.
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He is chair and founder of Tobacco Free Partners, former chairman of Healthy Kent 2010, and was 2008 President of the Kent County Medical Society and the recipient of the National Community Activist Award from the American Legacy Foundation in 2008. He currently serves as the 2009 Kent Medical Foundation Board President.
Dr. Peterson readily speaks on community health issues, illness prevention and healthy lifestyles. Dr. Peterson is a Clinical Associate Professor at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Peterson is a member of numerous professional organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the Michigan State Medical Society, the Kent County Medical Society, the Kent Medical Foundation, and the American College of Physicians Executives.
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