TRANSITIONS IN PRACTICE
A SEASON OF GOVERNMENT SERVICE AUTHOR John J . Wernert , MD
We have just emerged from
a very contentious presidential election which tests even the most committed partisan to wonder , “ What is wrong with our political leaders ?” Physicians may feel a particularly intense degree of disappointment and anger , for many of us believe that government “ can ” be beneficial , and politicians “ try ” to be good people . Haven ’ t you often wondered what it would be like for you to hold these political offices or serve our society within the government ?
As physicians and caregivers , we all have , to varying degrees , a desire to serve our fellow man . The quality and character of that desire evolves over our professional lifespan . Think of how our medical education was strongly programmed to gear our service to our patients at the bedside or in the clinic . We mostly got paid by what we did rather than what we know . When you reach the midpoint of your career , you become a highly compensated care manager – organizing and coordinating services for our increasingly complex patient needs . You then get paid more for what you know and what you do . But , as we enter the twilight of our careers , the small seed implanted in many of us at a young age begins to take root . Is there a way to have a larger and more lasting impact on society ? What about government service ? Now comes the time to leverage “ who ” you know .
So goes my story of coming to serve the state of Indiana in various volunteer roles and culminating in three years in the cabinet of then-Gov . Mike Pence . This was a 20-year path that most of my colleagues thought was too slow , too boring or too bureaucratic to spark much interest . Like many of you , I felt called to take my turn in hospital medical staff roles and also served on the board of my ( at that time ) local Indianapolis Medical Society . I was the county medical society President , Speaker of the Indiana State Medical Association ( ISMA ) and eventually elected President of ISMA . But while still in my early 30s , I became concerned about the ridiculous , time-wasting , endless medication prior authorizations required for my patients on Medicaid . I asked around to determine which state board had jurisdiction and requested a position on the state Medicaid Drug Utilization Review ( DUR ) Board . This is when I learned lesson number one – the composition of these boards is determined by statute and often require a gubernatorial appointment . In this case , the Governor ( Evan Bayh ) was a Democrat , I am a Republican – so I was rejected . That was not a good feeling , but one I got used to ( lesson number two = expect rejection ). Not dissuaded , I
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