PMDA’s Charge to a Gettysburg Address – 1863 - 2023
by Brian M. Kimmel, DO
If you close your eyes and listen closely you can hear the echoes of over a hundred cannons; grasp the heat of the Enfield and Springfield rifles carried by the infantry of General Lee’s army; and feel the courage of General Meade’s men defending the copse of trees at the high-water mark of Pickett’s Charge. After all, it was the regiments of the Philadelphia brigade defending the day. Look onto Little Round Top and you can still see General Chamberlain and the 20th Maine defending the Union’s left flank. If you listen more closely you can cherish President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, the two-minute speech delivered on November 19, 1863 at the National Cemetery dedicated to the bravery of those men who fought so the government of the people, by the people, and for the people would not perish from the earth.
Now on this year of 2023 PMDA returns to the sacred ground of Gettysburg Pennsylvania for our Annual Symposium to renew your education and leadership goals. All are welcome to learn in the hills of south-central Pennsylvania on the weekend of October 6-7 at the Wyndham Gettysburg Hotel. Lectures this year have been developed with a uniqueness to educate and update various aspects of our industry in skilled and long-term care. Topics include clinical, governmental, and medical direction to fulfill various tracks of wide scope education.
After a morning of lectures on Friday (October 6), those present will be convened for PMDA’s Annual Business Meeting, the site of the annual presentation of the Duncan S. MacLean and Clinician of the Year awards.
For the afternoon, something new has been added. There will be two separate tracks of lectures: one devoted to CMD oriented topics and a second APP track relevant to nurse practitioners and physician assistants. There will be a keynote session later in the afternoon on “COVID and the Beyond,” and the day will wrap with chance to relax and catch -up with colleagues at our Welcome Reception.
On Saturday, October 7, we start the day with a program devoted to billing opportunities followed by medical lectures on diabetic peripheral neuropathy, hearing loss, and wound management and a session on why diversity, equity and inclusion matters in the workplace. A public policy update is planned as well to finish off the day.
The Annual Symposium offers a wonderful opportunity to learn and also interact with your colleagues in healthcare in a more relaxed, but educational environment. Plan to come to Gettysburg. Maybe you’ll be fortunate to strike up a conversation with President Lincoln, or walk the one-mile stretch of Pickett’s Charge. Enjoy the history that this small, but most valuable town has given to American history and yes, maybe the education and value to all in our history of Skilled and Long-Term Care. Remember: “Four score and seven years ago….” We are all living history.
