INSIDE WVSMA
Message from the President
Updates on WVSMA / WVHA Meeting
Suzanne Gharib , MD
In this issue , I want to share with you some thoughts on the third joint meeting of the West Virginia State Medical Association ( WVSMA ) and West Virginia Hospital Association ( WVHA ). This year ’ s meeting was both cooperative and educational , with discussions on a variety of issues that the medical profession currently faces .
Among the most interesting presentations was an update on artificial intelligence ( AI ) and its role in the future of medicine . I have personally heard several lectures on this topic in recent months and would like to stress the importance of following developments in this area . This is likely coming to an EMR near us sooner than we think and will have a significant impact on how we do things from workflow to answering phone messages . As such , it ’ s incredibly important to engage in and be aware of both the risks and benefits of this new technology .
There was also a fascinating presentation on security in medical settings . While that is not always front of mind , it was eye opening to hear about alternative ways to think of security and how to manage it . My take-home message was that the biggest risk is often disgruntled or combative people , and it is important to engage the entirety of staff in any institution to help improve security for all .
Arguably the most engaging presentation was given by a physician who has struggled with substance abuse . This was a raw , emotional presentation that highlighted the struggles many physicians face . Equally important to me was that it stressed the importance of family , friends , co-workers , and institutions learning to recognize when a provider is struggling and trying to provide them resources to seek help . Also , a spotlight was placed on the West Virginia Medical Professionals Health Program headed by Dr . Bradley Hall . This program is incredibly important in supporting physicians struggling with these types of issues and deserves all the support we can offer . shortage . This is an ongoing and serious problem in our state . The panel gave some insightful information , representing a physician ’ s journey from medical school to workforce . My takeaway is that we need to consider educating our workforce locally and working hard to retain them . Equally important is understanding the nuanced differences between different generations of physicians and what they value regarding work patterns as well as the need to work on developing different models to allow some flexibility for differing situations .
Lastly , there were several presentations by various politicians running for different offices including governor and U . S . Senate . They presented their cases as to where they stand on various topics including issues of healthcare around the state . The takeaway here was that it is good to be informed on where policy makers stand on various issues and , in the same breath , make sure we are doing our part to inform and educate them on what our stances as physicians are on the many topics that affect our profession . We need to stand strong on forming bonds with policy makers from both parties and do what we can to better the state of our profession and improve the medical care of our state and country .
Overall , the meeting was , again , a good opportunity to find common ground between WVSMA and WVHA . Going forward , I would encourage attendance , as time permits , to have an opportunity to hear some of this information first hand and engage with leaders in medical schools and hospitals around the state in addition forming incredibly important connections with fellow physicians from around the state .
Best regards ,
Suzanne Gharib , MD
Another highlight was a panel discussion featuring the deans of all three of the state ’ s medical schools and representatives from hospital systems across the state . The main topic of conversation was issues with workforce
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