Year in Review
2020 presented many challenges for all of us as we navigated the pandemic while caring for our patients and keeping ourselves healthy. Through it all NOMA continued to represent the interests of osteopathic physicians and patients. Here are just a few of this year's highlights:
Fighting for the Physician - Patient relationship
As detailed in prior newsletters, NOMA led the effort to allow physicians to prescribe hydroxychloroquine for patients with COVID-19. Whether you believe the studies for or against, the issue was much larger than prescribing hydroxychloroquine.
Off-label use is a common practice for many pharmaceutical products and the decision to prescribe a medication in such a manner is made after an informed discussion between the physician and the patient. Elected politicians and non-physician regulatory boards have no place in the examination room and should not have a role in deciding the best course of treatment for a patient. If it is ok to limit hydroxychloroquine, what will be the next drug with similar restrictions? This is the proverbial "slippery slope."
Be assured that NOMA will not relent in our fight to ensure treatment decisions remain between the physician and patient.
Monitoring the Political Environment
With the 2020 election in the rear-view mirror, not much has changed on Nevada's political front. No statewide offices were on the ballot this cycle - to include Senators - and all incumbent members of Congress were re-elected.
In the State Senate, Carrie Buck won in Senate 5 to replace term-limited Joyce Woodhouse; Roberta Lange will replace term-limited David Parks in District 7; and Dina Neal will represent District 4, replacing Marcia Washington who was appointed to the seat to fill the unexpired term of Kelvin Atkinson and did not file for re-election.
In the State Assembly, Heidi Kasama will replace the term-limited John Hambrick in District 2; Richard McArthur returns to the Assembly in District 4, beating incumbent Connie Munk (McArthur previously served 2008-2011 and 2017); Shondra Summers-Armstrong will represent District 6 taking the place of William McCurdy who vacated the seat to run for Clark County Commission; Cameron Miller will represent District 7 taking the seat vacated by Dina Neal in her successful run for State Senate; Cecilia Gonzalez will represent District 16 where incumbent Heidi Swank opted not to run for re-election; Clara Thomas will fill the seat left vacant by the untimely passing of Assemblyman Tyrone Thompson in District 17; Venicia Considine replaces Assemblyman Richard Carrillo who lost a State Senate primary race; Annie Black replaces Chris Edwards in District 19; David Orentlicher will replace Ellen Spiegel who lost the Democratic primary for State Senate District 7;
Elaine Marzola will represent District 21 replacing Ozzie Fumo who unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the Nevada Supreme Court; Natha Anderson will replace Greg Smith, who was appointed in 2019 to fill the unexpired term of Mark Sprinkle in District 30; Jill Dickman beat incumbent Skip Daly in District 31 to return to the Assembly after a four year hiatus; Andy Matthews beat incumbent Shea Backus in District 37; and PK O'Neill will represent District 40, where incumbent Al Kramer did not seek re-election.
With a turnover of one-third of its members (although two had prior service), it should be an interesting legislative session in 2021!
Offering Cost-Effective and Timely CME
Even during a pandemic NOMA was able to continue its offering of quality CME programs, albeit in a new format! Our annual meeting and symposium was held as a hybrid event in order to comply with in-person attendance limitations. Nonetheless, successful event was held at the Suncoast Hotel and Casino with approximately 100 attendees split between two rooms while the lectures were live-streamed to almost 200 more viewers! In November NOMA also conducted a 100% Zoom-based 1-day CME program that provided 10 hours of AOA Category 1A credit.
