NEWS
Healthcare Summit Review
The West Virginia State Medical Association ( WVSMA ) and the West Virginia Hospital Association collaborated for the first time to host a joint annual meeting in November at the worldrenowned Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs , West Virginia ( WV ). The reviews of the meeting were universally positive . It was a learning time for both organizations , and both are tentatively approaching next year to continue the experiment .
WV Governor Jim Justice spoke to those attending about the importance of healthcare as an economic driver in the state . He noted healthcare providers are often the largest employers in a community and emphasized the importance of training and retaining healthcare workers .
WVSMA President Lisa Costello , MD , MPH , whose themes during her tenure are leadership and advocacy , discussed the critical need for physicians to go beyond their medical training and learn how to be leaders in today ’ s healthcare environment . She announced the first cohort of Physician LEADS West Virginia — an in-person , four-weekend training session designed by physicians . She encouraged members to be vigilant during the Legislative session , particularly with regard to the possible weakening of WV ’ s strong vaccination laws .
Costello ’ s need for physician leadership training was echoed by the deans of WV ’ s three medical schools , who said students come to medical school with a service heart but need to under-
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