Fix It, Together
by Bruce Scott, MD
Shortly after returning home from the incredible high of my inauguration as AMA President, I was at the hospital to see a consult. When a physician I didn’ t know came up to me and bluntly asked,“ So how are you going to fix it?”
“ I don’ t know,” I told him.“ I haven’ t seen the patient yet.”
He shook his head.“ I’ m not talking about a patient. Aren’ t you the new president of the AMA? I mean how are you going to fix health care? It’ s a real mess.”
Little did I know, he was just getting started, as he went on,“ We’ re getting paid less every year for working harder. They keep piling more administrative‘ stuff’ [ not the word he actually used ] on us. The insurance companies and the administrators have all the power. I’ m ready to get out as soon as I can.”
Still somewhat stunned, I acknowledged his concerns and explained that as a practicing physician in a small private practice I too experience all those same challenges.
So, I asked the obvious question:“ Are you an AMA member?”
“ No,” he told me, sounding almost proud,“ I quit years ago. I read something the AMA did and it really turned me off.”
Hearing that, I bluntly said,“ The first step to‘ Fix It’, is for you to join us so we can fix it, together.”
The challenges that health care faces are not hypothetical. They are here now and magnified in rural areas where patients today face a shortage of 20,000 primary care physicians … where 80 % of counties lack specialty care … and where 1,100 counties are without a single obstetrician.
The underlying statistics are alarming: one in five physicians hope to leave their practice in the next two years, one in three plan to reduce their hours, and many medical students are unsure they ever want to enter clinical practice.
But these are not just statistics; these are our colleagues, our brothers and sisters in this profession.
An OB-GYN in a rural area shared with me a letter she sent to her patients, it read:
To my patients,
With profound sadness and a heart full of memories, I am writing to inform you that after 27 years of dedicated service, my practice will be closing on October 31. This decision marks the end of a chapter that has been filled with joy, challenges and countless moments of connection with each of you.
The world of independent medical practice has become increasingly difficult to navigate, and despite my deep love for this work and for all of you, the financial pressures have reached a point where I can no longer sustain the practice.
It breaks my heart to step away, knowing how much trust you have placed in me over the years. I am keenly aware of the challenges you may face in finding new care, especially given the strain on other practices in our community.
I am deeply grateful for the trust you have placed in me, and it has been an absolute privilege to be a part of your lives. Thank you for allowing me to be your doctor, your confidant and your advocate.
( continued on page 12) February 2026 11