A MOMENT TO CHAIR-ISH
James Patrick Murphy, MD, MMM
May 8, 2015 marked the end of my tenure as
Chair of the Greater Louisville Medical Society Board of Governors. Here is the text of my
farewell address…
-we built a bridge to future successes by cultivating the transfer
of executive leadership from Lelan Woodmansee’s 35 amazing years
-steady at the helm- to Bert Guinn’s innovative and energetic vision
for the next chapter in GLMS history.
must start by thanking the Greater Louisville
Medical Society staff, our board members,
my private practice staff, my patients, and
mostly my family.
To commemorate my past year in leading our Board of Governors, Lelan asked me if I would like the usual and customary gift
of a trophy chair or perhaps something else. Of course I wanted
the chair! Just like that hourglass, this chair has meaning. Every
time I look at it I am reminded of so many aspects pertaining to
the physician life.
I
Two years ago I stood on the stage of the Performing Arts Center
at Kentucky Country Day School and in my first remarks as President said these words:
“The Greater Louisville Medical Society is our organization. It is
our tribe. It is our road to a place where medicine is both science
and art. It is where our community enjoys wellness and the sacred
bond between our patients and us is secure. Imagine that future.
Let’s go there together. Let’s get connected. Let’s unite. Let’s have
that journey start today.”
Now, after that year as President and this past year as Board
Chair, the journey has brought me here, where a short time from
now I will bring down the gavel for the last time, signaling the end
to what has been the most rewarding period of my professional life.
It’s been quite a ride. But it is time to transition.
However, I leave knowing that (a) the GLMS did not crash and
burn under my watch; and (b) I am leaving the GLMS in great
shape and in great hands.
Gifts are often bestowed at a time like this. Last year you gave
me an hourglass. I like hourglasses because they remind me of how
each moment is precious. How, once spent, we can never relive the
precious present. This is what Rudyard Kipling meant when he wrote:
First, it’s an award. And physicians are always striving to achieve
that next level, graduate, move up, re-certify, and achieve recognition. So this chair will be a source of pride. It stands for something.
And so do physicians.
Second, it’s sharp looking. My dad always said that half of being
a ball player is looking like one. This chair has an air – a graceful,
confident air. And so do physicians.
Third, it doesn’t have a cushion. It’s not the most comfortable way
to go. And neither is a physician’s life.
Fourth, it’s made of wood. It is firm, steady, but can bend a bit.
Absorb some stress. But over time this chair will wear and eventually succumb to the stress of its purpose. And so will physicians,
eventually.
Fifth, it is a work of art. It is a chair, like other chairs, but it is
one-of-a-kind. And so are physicians.
Sixth, it’s functional. Serves a purpose. As do physicians
Seventh, it provides comfort. A place to rest. Heal. And so do
physicians.
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And, which is more, you’ll be a man, my son!
Eighth, it connects me to my colleagues and mentors who have
gone before me and who will come after. All physicians should be
connected.
In his final “From the President” article, our outgoing President,
Dr. Bruce Scott, documented how well the Greater Louisville Medical
Society has filled this past year’s unforgiving minutes.
But I also know this chair is neither innovative nor creative. It is
incapable of disruptive thinking. This chair cannot act and cannot
feel. When I sit in it, this chair will not become me. It will only be
trappings.
Since this time last year, our medical society has weathered political mayhem, economic upheaval, and competitive challenges, and
we have emerged strong. In addition to our ongoing good works
in the community, our advocacy, and our support of physicians:
-we substantially impacted policymaking in Frankfort and in
Washington;
-we made the investment necessary to revamp our computer,
Internet, and information technology capabilities so we may fulfill
our mission as a modern and influential medical society for years
to come; and
32
LOUISVILLE MEDICINE
I humbly accept this gift and will cherish it. Thank you.
We know we must be more than just the trappings of our profession. Appearances matter. Words matter. But actions matter
much more.
I am proud of where we have been and where we are going. And
I am proud of each of you for being here – for being more than just
a spectator or critic.
Theodore Roosevelt said it well: It is not the critic who counts; not
the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the
doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to