(AMA continued from page 1)
advertisement ban.
AMA Board Chair-Elect Patrice Harris, MD, explained, “Today’s vote in support of an advertising ban reflects concerns
among physicians about the negative impact of commercially driven promotions, and the role that marketing costs
play in fueling escalating drug prices.”
The Chicago Tribune reports that pharmaceutical companies
spent $4.5 billion in consumer advertising last year. The AMA
will now join other major health organizations in fighting
for legislation against these advertisements at the national
level. The organization voted to convene a task force and
launch an advocacy campaign to help drive solutions and
make prescription drugs more affordable.
Another major announcement at the AMA Interim Meeting
was the establishing of AMA’s STEPS Forward program. Transforming physician practices with a collection of interactive,
educational programs, STEPS Forward was developed by
physicians to help their peers address common practice
challenges.
These comprehensive solutions range from internal (how to
conduct more effective team meetings) to external (helping
patients control blood pressure and prevent type 2 diabetes).
In addition to helping doctors dramatically improve their
practices; the AMA hopes these renowned STEPS Forward
tools will go a long way in alleviating burnout among physicians. STEPS Forward is available only to AMA members.
Learn more at www.stepsforward.org.
Many other significant resolutions came from the AMA’s
Interim Meeting. For more information about what your
national health organization is doing and how you can get
more involved, visit www.ama-assn.org.
KENTUCKY LEADERSHIP AT AMA
OUTSTANDING BUT MORE MEMBERS NEEDED
TO KEEP PACE
AMA Leaders from Kentucky:
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GLMS Board Chair, AMA Vice Speaker and Delegate
Bruce Scott, MD
GLMS President and AMA Alternate Delegate
Robert Couch, MD, MBA
GLMS Vice-President and AMA Alternate Delegate
Robert Zaring, MD, MMM
GLMS President-Elect Chair-Elect of the Governing Council of the
Academic Physicians Section John Roberts, MD
AMA President Steven Stack, MD
AMA Delegate and Chair of AMA Southern Delegation,
J. Gregory Cooper, MD
AMA Delegate Andrew Pulito, MD
AMA Delegate Donald Swikert, MD
AMA Alternate Delegate David Bensema, MD
AMA Alternate Delegate William B. Monnig, MD
AMA Alternate Delegate Shawn C. Jones, MD
KMA Exec. Vice President and AMA Litigation Center Chair
Patrick Padgett
Given the rise of Kentucky’s considerable influence in the AMA, its ironic
that AMA membership in the state and Jefferson County continues to
decline despite steady and even increasing numbers of KMA and GLMS
members. This could unfortunately lead to the loss of an AMA delegate
and alternate delegate in 2017 if AMA membership does not increase.
Please consider joining the AMA if you have not done so already and
keep Kentucky’s newfound stack in the AMA in place.
WWW.GLMS.ORG
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GLMS NEWS DECEMBER 2015