INSIDE WVSMA
Message from the President
Joe Prud’ homme, MD, FAAOS
The 60-day regular session of the West Virginia State Legislature has begun, and it has been a particularly active year already. The West Virginia State Medical Association( WVSMA) legislative team goes to the capitol every day to protect West Virginia patients and doctors. Advocacy is one of the critical pillars of the WVSMA. Each year, well-intentioned but medically naïve legislators try to govern the practice of medicine. It is impossible to expect the government, which pays for at least onethird of all healthcare costs, to do so without having input, but it is often frustrating and sometimes dangerous when they attempt to legislate medical practice.
The WVSMA legislative team strives to hear and understand their concerns and find ways to address them that don’ t interfere with the safe and efficient provision of healthcare. The team also introduces legislation designed to promote evidence-based medicine. Given the sheer number of inputs from other interests, defense predominates. Every day, your legislative team and lobbyists exchange dozens of text messages to keep each other apprised of the latest developments. During the session, the WVSMA has weekly Zoom calls with its legislative team and leadership to present a synopsis of events and developments on each of the bills the legislative team is following and trying to impact. Members of the WVSMA are encouraged to participate. If you would like to join in, please call and give us your contact information.
compromise. When physicians are asked to make that compromise, the calculation should be based upon the best available facts and science and not gut level emotion. It can be frustrating to see our scientific testimony pushed aside by a well-delivered, emotional story.
How do we get science to prevail? The surest way is to elect like-minded physicians as legislators. This is by far the most effective way to protect the public, your patients, and the practice of medicine. Often, things get amended or added in the 11th hour. There is no time to mount a response. Only the delegates or senators are allowed to speak. The physician members of the Legislature are the only ones who can protect us in those situations. If there is no doctor in the house, medical laws are made by non-medical people. So, run for office! If you can’ t, then please support and campaign for a physician running for office. It can’ t be said too often,“ If you don’ t have a seat at the table, you are on the menu.”
Joe Prud’ homme, MD, FAAOS
Each year, some themes repeat, and there are a few new ones. Pendulum swings and pop culture generally drive the new ones. In this year’ s session, scope of practice bills are popular from the recurring theme category. From the pendulum swing category, anti-vaccine bills are once again front and center. Both trends share the common thread of allowing people individually to make risky choices that can have a major impact on their communities. Most of the time they may get away with the risky choice. Sometimes they cause harm to their family, friends, or neighbors. Sometimes they cause measles epidemics. Balancing the rights of the individual with the rights of the group( public health) is always a
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