Richard Spear, MD, Memorial Essay Contest, which will begin in January 2017.
Although Dr. Couch assuming his role as GLMS president kicked off the
year, it was not the only major election for a GLMS member. GLMS Board
Chair Dr. Bruce Scott was elected the American Medical Association’s Vice
Speaker of the House of Delegates at the AMA’s annual meeting held last May.
Dr. Scott is the first Kentucky physician to hold that position. At the same
meeting, GLMS President-Elect John Roberts, MD, was appointed to serve
as Chair-Elect for the AMA Medical Schools Governing Council. He’ll take
office as Chair in June.
Because of Dr. Scott’s appointment to AMA Vice Speaker, the KMA was
allowed to put forth a new AMA delegate to take the elected official’s place
(as Vice Speaker, Dr. Scott cannot vote in the house). The KMA determined
delegates and alternates at its annual meeting in August and several GLMS
physicians were named. GLMS Treasurer Frank Burns, MD, was named as a
delegate in addition to Dr. Scott, while GLMS Vice President Robert Zaring,
MD, MMM, and Dr. Couch were named as AMA Alternate Delegates.
Within GLMS, another important and bittersweet transition took place as
Executive Director Lelan Woodmansee retired after leading the organization
for 35 incredible years. At Whitehall Mansion, hundreds of lifelong friends
and family members said thank you to Lelan for the time, honor and respect
he’d given to Louisville physicians.
Mayor Greg Fischer even stopped by to give Woodmansee an honorary
proclamation from the city, thanking him for his service. “I hope you all
know how profound it’s been to have GLMS in this city; a very constant,
professional, consistent, tenacious presence represented through this man
right here,” said Mayor Fischer.
Woodmansee didn’t just steer GLMS on a successful course for years upon
years. He also assisted in the formation of several organizations that are now
standard bearers in the Louisville community including The Healing Place
and Supplies Over Seas.
With his wife, Marlena, beaming at his side, Woodmansee said his goodbyes
to the physicians and GLMS staff who had been his partners for so many
years. “I’m just overwhelmed with gratitude,” he said. “I’m so grateful for your
presence and this outpouring of love and fellowship. I’m especially grateful
for the opportunity to serve you within this organization for an incredibly
short 35 years.”
Stepping in to Woodmansee’s hard-to-fill shoes was Bert Guinn, MBA,
CAE, who now serves GLMS as CEO/Executive Vice President. The two men
worked together for well over a decade and Lelan praised his successor in an
introduction article within Louisville Medicine.
“(Bert Guinn) has the personality, experience, vision, integrity and humility
to connect with our members and lead our wonderful staff. He will help our
physician leaders identify and address the right issues, make the right decisions
and provide value to our members, your patients and our community,” he said.
Guinn was selected by an executive search committee which included
some of the top physicians and community leaders connected with GLMS.
As part of his application for the position, Guinn submitted a 27-point vision
for the future of the organization. In less than one year since he assumed
MAY 2016
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