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FROM THE PRESIDENT by Thomas Higgins, MD, MSPH, MBA
They Do Represent Us: Bridging the Gap Between Physicians and Advocacy Organizations
physicians feel that our values do not align with the values of our advocacy organization.” 1 This sentiment, echoed by thousands of physicians across the nation, highlights a growing disconnection between health care providers and advocacy organizations, such as the American Medical Association( AMA), the Kentucky Medical Association( KMA) and even the Greater Louisville Medical Society( GLMS). As your GLMS President and Chair of the GLMS Policy & Advocacy Committee since 2022, I feel compelled to explore this discord and its implications for our profession on the local level.
The Role of Advocacy Organizations
Advocacy organizations like the AMA, KMA and GLMS are meant to be the collective voice of physicians in policy discussions. They advocate for issues such as reimbursements, prior authorization reform and tort reform. Unfortunately, these efforts often hit roadblocks due to a lack of cohesive coalition-building and insufficient
Political Action Committee( PAC) contributions.
A survey by the AMA in 2021 indicated that while there has been a significant membership growth, with a 35 % increase over a decade, 2 fewer than 20 % of practicing physicians in the U. S. are members of the organization. The question that looms large is: How can we address complex issues that demand a unified voice from all physicians when physicians themselves focus on opinions that divide them?
Finding Common Ground
Physicians, like many groups, have diverse opinions and political views. This diversity can make it challenging to find common ground on contentious issues, leading some to feel they are not represented. Still, identifying shared goals, such as improving patient outcomes and enhancing workplace satisfaction, can serve as a starting point for unity.
While physician burnout rates declined to 48.2 % and job satisfaction rose to 72.1 % in 2023, 3 these gains are overshadowed by significant remaining administrative burdens. Organizations such as GLMS, KMA and AMA are actively working to provide solutions and resources for these challenges. Yet many physicians who are not members may be unaware of these substantial efforts, which can reinforce the feeling of not being represented, due to a lack of visibility into initiatives aimed at benefiting all physicians.
A Local Perspective: Greater Louisville Medical Society
The challenges faced by the AMA are mirrored locally within GLMS and KMA. Here, too, we encounter differing opinions among physicians, leaving some feeling frustrated and underrepresented. I have had many engaging conversations with physicians about this issue. I listened. I often heard dissent. And reading between the lines, I could tell,“ I am‘ them’ and‘ they’ don’ t represent you.” But thank you for recognizing that I, as a physician, do understand you at least on a clinical level. And when we understand each other as people, we can better trust one another and, hopefully, find common ground and work together to take on the advocacy that is needed.
We’ re in this together. Our common thread is that we are physicians. Despite our differences, we need a unified physician voice, as other organizations often present a united front and could achieve their goals more effectively.
The path forward requires us to understand this dynamic and act collectively. We must engage in open dialogue with all stakeholders, encourage participation in advocacy efforts and bolster our contributions to coalitions that represent our shared interests.
Is Our Distrust Due to the Decline of Connection in Medicine?
In his influential book, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, 4 Robert Putnam highlighted the decline of social capital in modern society. Social capital, defined as the networks, norms and trust that facilitate cooperation, has historically been a bedrock of thriving communities. Yet, in recent decades, the erosion of these connections has impacted nearly every facet of life, including the field of medicine.
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