The Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society Med Journal May 2020 Final 2 | Page 11

work on contract for AMS to carry out some of the duties of affiliated specialty societies. They are relied upon by the Arkansas Urological So- ciety, the Arkansas Chapter of the American College of Cardiology, Arkansas Dermatologi- cal Society, and the Arkansas Ophthalmologi- cal Society. Membership Specialist Laura Haywood pointed out other ways the Society works to support physicians in every area of medicine. Sometimes, that means bringing members to- gether in one place. She explained, “We know doctors can feel isolated, so we provide an op- portunity for physicians to come together to talk about the issues that concern them most and to learn from each other how to better help their patients. A good example of this is our annual membership meeting, complete with CME.” While this year’s May 1 meeting has been suspended due to COVID-19 concerns, the Presidential Gala honoring incoming president Chad Rodgers, MD, will be rescheduled for a later date. Medical Board Legal Issues? Call Pharmacist/Attorney Darren O’Quinn 1-800-455-0581 Aside from the annual membership meet- ing, AMS provides regular continuing education opportunities for you and your staff members. For example, each October, they host an insur- ance conference during which payers come to- gether to talk about issues and give attendees a chance to ask questions. AMS Begins a Membership Campaign: Will You Help? After sharing this brief overview of AMS membership advantages, the Society appeals to all members to take advantage of every mem- bership benefit. In addition, they ask members to help them spread the word to non-member physicians throughout the state. To that end, The Society will launch a campaign to bring more awareness of the Society to potential members. Staff members are reaching out to medical students and residents, making group and clinic visits, attending partner events, and taking time to explain the long-term impact of physicians joining the Society. “It’s extremely important that AMS con- tinue to work on its membership growth,” said AMS Executive Vice President David Wroten. “Those physicians who are members are car- rying the load for everyone else. Membership fuels all the advocacy efforts of the AMS. While this is certainly true to ensure AMS has the fi- nancial resources to accomplish its work, it is especially true from the advocacy perspective. More members mean we have a broader repre- sentation of thought leaders. It means the AMS Board of Trustees is more representative of the state. In short, our membership is the lifeblood of our organization, and we, in turn, work to be the lifeblood of our members, professionally speaking.” Visit ARKMED.org and click on the Join/ Renew link and share with your non-member colleagues. Tell them why you’re a member and encourage them to join. With your help, we will continue to strengthen our ability and we will continue our work to represent the in- terests of every Arkansas physician! (For more information about advocacy at the Capitol, you may contact Smith at [email protected]. To participate as a Doctor of the Day, contact Laura Hawkins at [email protected].) Keeping Physicians In Mind and Informed CORONAVIRUS UPDATE www.DarrenOQuinn.com The Arkansas Medical Society has been working closely with the Arkansas Department of Health and other health care community leaders to serve physicians during the COVID-19 outbreak here in Arkansas. Our top priority is the safety and well-being of the health care community that we serve, including our 4,400 member physicians, residents, and medical students. We will be providing updates as often as possible. Little Rock, Arkansas Volume 116 • Number 10 Visit ARKMED.org/COVID19 to sign up for our latest updates, as well as to view resources on financial assistance, telemedicine, and more. MAy 2020 • 251