Dear colleague:
I am honored to serve as president of the Colorado Medical Society and to chair a board of volunteer directors brimming with talent and passion to make a difference on the most pressing issues facing Colorado physicians.
On Saturday the board took action to continue to propel our society forward, and as you'll see in my brief meeting summary below, open more opportunities for engagement for all physicians.
The board approved the creation of three new committees and two new sections. We strongly encourage all members to apply to get engaged; no prior experience serving on a committee is required.
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee - this newly formed committee will help CMS engage all members and ensure all voices are heard. Dr. Phyllis Bergeron will chair the committee; indicate your interest in being appointed to this committee here
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Partners in Medicine Committee - this newly formed committee will oversee CMS's Partners in Medicine program, maintaining relationships with partners and helping ensure their products and services are of value to our members. Dr. Mark Levine will chair the committee; indicate your interest here
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Patient Resource Committee - this newly formed committee will give CMS members access to resources to help their patients, from insurance navigation to support groups and beyond. Dr. Dave Downs will chair the committee; indicate your interest here
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The Employed Physicians Section and Independent Physicians Section will have their own governing councils and seats on the CMS Board of Directors and help CMS better serve these member segments. We will form steering committees to decide how the sections will operate. Indicate your interest in being appointed to the steering committees here.
To help achieve our strategic goal to help physicians when you need help:
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The board approved the creation of two new programs for physician wellness: a living room peer-to-peer wellness program where physicians come together for support in a facilitated setting, and we will launch the Lifebridge Physician Wellness program that will provide free coaching for physicians. We believe that these two programs will help physicians before they reach a level of needing to engage the Colorado Physician Health Program.
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CMS secured disaster relief funds from the American Medical Association that will be distributed to physicians and their practices who were affected by the Marshall and Middle Fork wildfires, in addition to the support provided by CMS's Cochems Trust.
The board also passed two new policies:
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A policy on professionalism adopted from the American Board of Medical Specialties that serves as a guideline for standards and values physicians promise to uphold in our work and what the public can expect from medical professionals.
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A policy in support of public health in the face of a novel health threat such as the COVID-19 pandemic. As a Central Line proposal, you will receive an email soon asking if the board "got it right" on approving an amended version of this policy.
I want to give one more call for involvement on CMS committees as most of the work at this meeting was brought by volunteer members of committees, councils and work groups. CMS staff and I will review all self-nominations to ensure representation across the state, practice settings, career stages, etc. If you don't know where to start in CMS, please reply to this email and we will help you find your place.
I welcome any feedback on the business of the board and thank you for your membership.
Sincerely,
