Year’s End Report 

Gary W. Pushkin, M.D.                                 

As the end of this year was approaching, I realized how much fun I was having and actually I did not want it to end.  There is a part of me that thinks this should be a two-year position to allow more time to grow into the job, but I also realize how difficult it would be for us to make that commitment. 

I asked Neilson what my speech should include.  She told me I should thank people, especially Ira Papel, talk about our accomplishments, and to keep it short; beyond that I could talk about whatever I wanted.   It is that part that should make all of you nervous, because giving me permission to say whatever I want is like having a bull in a china shop. 

However, I do want to thank Ira for a wonderful job as Chairman of the Board, but I also owe him an apology.  For those of you who do not know it, our Chairman runs our board meetings, but family obligations caused Ira to miss two meetings in a row, so I pushed through a motion saying he had to repeat the year. Fortunately for Ira it never made it into the official minutes. 

On a serious note, I want to thank Ira and everyone on the board and our delegates and alternates for their hard work this year.  We took some chances this year, especially supporting my nomination by the Maryland Orthopedic Association.  Everyone stood behind me even those members, particularly Ira and Russ Wright, who were willing to support me and maybe lose an opportunity at MedChi.   I am proud of the way that Baltimore County conducted itself, in a honest and forthright manner.  We say what we mean and we mean what we say. 

This year health care reform has taken up much of our time.  While at the Federal level it seems to have moved from the front to the back burner and now again to the front, when it came roaring back.  On March 2, because our representatives have shown themselves to be incapable of dealing with the SGR, a 21 percent decrease in Medicare and TRICARE took effect.  On March 3, they passed a one month fix.  For years now they have been unable to work out a permanent fix of the flawed formula.  Those of who treat these patients are now forced to wait in limbo while they decide how to proceed.  From the phone calls this week, physicians are already thinking about dropping Medicare. 

We had tough legislative agendas in both 2009 and 2010.  It seems that many of the issues keep coming back year after year; liability insurance corrections, Assignment of Benefits, and increases in the scope of practice by many para-professionals.  I encourage each of you to call or write your Delegates and Senators.  We all need to be involved.  This is an election year and we know that we will lose Andy Harris in the Senate.  I hope that we see him in the House of Representatives.  Dan Morhaim will run again and Jack Gordon has also joined the fray. 

We have enjoyed working with Gene Ransom in his short tenure as MedChi Executive Director.  We had a very productive discussion with him regarding the BCMA contract governing our cooperative effort with MedChi.   However, we were not successful in everything we tried this year.  We encouraged MedChi to make significant changes in their bylaws, but were not successful.  We hope the new MedChi administration will move on our suggestions, so new and younger members, who have not held office at MedChi, have a chance at leadership roles. We will continue working for change in our medical society. 

Again, thank you for giving me this opportunity. I have enjoyed it and learned a great deal.