Letter from EVP / CEO
The world came roaring back ! Clearly , many if not most industries are as busy as they were prior to the pandemic . COVID-19 has no doubt left a lasting imprint on every aspect of our society initiating permanent changes and teaching us important lessons . Certainly , the local health care market and your Greater Louisville Medical Society are no exception .
As GLMS President Dr . Valerie Briones-Pryor ( Dr . Val ) reminded everyone , it ’ s the journey together , not the destination , that matters most . Perhaps this is summed up best by the new vision and mission statements that GLMS adopted at the beginning of her term :
GLMS Vision : Create a collaborative community that unites physicians .
GLMS Mission : Empower physicians by creating engaging experiences , advancing meaningful advocacy and building impactful relationships in the community .
Our journey has undoubtedly been one of heightened action , activity and indeed , togetherness , over the last 365 days . The pandemic taught us that taking time to do things that reduce stress and increase a sense of life satisfaction and purpose should be a top priority , most especially for busy physicians and those in-training .
Dr . Val is acutely aware of this , and she led the way in creating new , distinctive events that allowed our members to interact with their colleagues and include their loved ones . There was a Racing Louisville soccer game , a family day at the Kentucky Science Center , an outdoor social event at Captain ’ s Quarters , an evening at Derby Dinner Playhouse , a reception at Angel ’ s Envy and even a Silent Disco for graduating medical students . There was truly something for everyone .
Another new GLMS cornerstone developed under Dr . Val ’ s leadership was the creation of Key Performance Indicators ( KPIs ). Our physicians are very familiar with KPIs in the practice of medicine . But a broad list of regularly reported KPIs are not something you typically see from medical societies . Yet again , our GLMS Board of
Governors and its all-star cast of physician officers injected something new that contributes to the ongoing reputation of GLMS as one of the most active and well-respected medical societies in the nation .
Many of these KPIs are included in the following pages . We are pleased to share that our membership retention rate is a whopping 126.9 % ( associations are instructed to strive for 90 %). Moreover , we had nearly 300 physicians volunteer their time and expertise this year . That ’ s about 15 % of our active membership with volunteers coming from each health system and numerous independent practices throughout the region . But , please don ’ t worry ! We still have PLENTY of opportunities for you to get involved if you haven ’ t done so .
Another strong KPI we looked at is our Program ( 88 %) vs . Administrative Expense Ratio ( 12 %). Healthy non-profits aim for Program Expenses of 70-75 %. Couple this impressive percentage with the fact that GLMS and the KMA have not raised dues in over 20 years , and yet are bringing more activity , initiatives and programming than ever before .
Membership is up for the second year in a row . Our social media engagement continues to grow , and we are seeing increasing interest from all physician specialties , health systems and independents to engage and partner up with GLMS and its Foundation to increase community impact .
For instance , the GLMS Foundation , chaired by John Roberts , MD , increased its total amount of medical student scholarships from $ 50,000 to $ 80,000 . And multiple grants were provided to the community including a $ 100,000 grant to the Kentucky Science Center to develop a new exhibit focused on increasing mental health awareness and personal development . Other successful Foundation endeavors included the development of medical student wellness ambassadors , providing access to local , fresh produce for families in the West End and supporting a new initiative at a local school to improve fitness and track student results via smart watches .
As I tell incoming medical students and new residents who recently matched here , we truly have something special with Louisville ’ s medical community that gives back and goes big . Congratulations to all of our physicians and volunteers who are doing so many wonderful things to impact and lead our community .
Bert T . Guinn , MBA , CAE EVP / CEO
6 2023 GLMS Annual Report