LEADERSHIP IN MEDICINE
“Good horses win races when all important factors work. Great
horses win races when none of the important factors work.” - A Ken-
tucky Derby trainer easy or comfortable to engage in community work or legislative
activities, but it is something we must do for our patients and our
profession.
he above quote will likely resonate with all of us in the
Bluegrass State given the shared lore and experiences
we have surrounding the Kentucky Derby. However, if
one considers the meaning of this quote more deeply, it
should remind us that meaningful accomplishments are
often achieved within a background of challenge. Pres-
ent-day health care comes with a multitude of challenges
and, as such, requires us as physicians to become resourceful and
persevere in our efforts to bring the best care to our patients. We
must follow in the footsteps of previous GLMS leaders, commit-
ting ourselves to our Society’s new goals, growth and health care
initiatives. Significant issues will be legislative priorities for GLMS and
KMA in 2020. These include prior authorization, opioid alterna-
tives, e-cigarette and vaping device excise taxation, tobacco pre-
vention and cessation funding, surprise billing, deceptive adver-
tising and vision testing for driver’s license renewal. These are a
litany of issues that touch so many throughout our city and the
Commonwealth. Therefore, I challenge you to take an active role
with this society, have those discussions with legislators and at-
tend KMA Physicians' Day at the Capitol. These are ways you can
help showcase GLMS and lead the future of medicine.
T
Recent reflection on my own personal goals for leadership re-
minded me of the multitude of GLMS physician leaders that have
maintained our Society throughout these many years and most
recently of the loss of our colleague Dr. Bob Couch.
Bob, as with many of his predecessors, possessed the quali-
ties we value and look for in our leadership. Strong leaders have
the ability to maintain clinical acumen and attend to patient care
while still finding the time to volunteer to advocate within the
medical community and positively affect local, regional and state
health care provision and policy.
With these thoughts in mind, I would ask each of you to step
outside the usual, the comfortable, the ordinary, and stretch your-
self personally and professionally as members of this longstanding
vigorous medical society. We physicians are often reluctant to take
ourselves outside the realm of direct patient care as we view this
(and rightly so) as our primary duty and responsibility. However,
remember that patient care should naturally include advocacy and
policy as this affects health in a myriad of ways. It is not always
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LOUISVILLE MEDICINE
Strong leaders understand how to work with others to achieve
a vision and mission, to engage in those crucial conversations,
knowing the ultimate goal is to be better tomorrow than we were
today. Each of us can be leaders in our own way. Join me in this
effort. This is how we can all emulate what Bob spent so many
years doing, so selflessly.
Of note: Please see the wonderful In Remembrance on page 8,
written by Dr. McKechnie.
Dr. Burns is a private practice ophthalmologist. His practice, Middletown Eye Care,
is located in Middletown, KY.