President
Broward County Medical Association (BCMA) Allergy and Asthma Center
Proudest accomplishment: Elizabeth and Christopher, my 2 children (12 and 6 respectively).
Professional accomplishments: In the past three years I have worked with the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology on a project to improve the overall quality of allergy skin testing and immunotherapy, two key elements of the Allergy and Immunology specialty, by developing and promoting standardized forms designed to integrate the most current practice parameter guidelines, reviving the Broward Palm Beach Allergy Journal Club, which has met monthly for a CME program the past 5 years and facilitating its transformation into a the Broward Palm Beach Allergy Society (this year), and I am hoping to look back on my year as president of the BCMA as successful in terms of initiatives that will foster greater communication, unity and participation within the Broward physician population. Some of the initiatives include: 1. Complete overhaul of the BCMA website to a state of the art medical society this project was engineered and overseen by the Quantum Group Inc. at no cost to the BCMA; 2. Addition of a representative from each hospital to the Board of Directors; and 3. Rotating Board of Directors meetings at different locations throughout the county in an effort reach out to members in distant parts of the county that do not have strong representation on the Board of Directors. The motto I choose for my term is “we are jumping through hoops to reach out to you”
First Job: (after medical school) Emergency Room physician at North Ridge Medical Center
Education: Medical degree Northwestern University, BA Boston University
What skills do you need to succeed in your job: Perceptive and empathetic with good listening and analytic skills.
Work habit you possess that you are most proud of: Creative thinker: willing and able to think outside of the box and persistent: follow through to complete projects.
The toughest part of your job: As president of BCMA: Trying to reach out to, communicate with and promote unification of the large physician population of Broward County. There are approximately 3500 physicians in Broward County, which spans a large geographic area. Communication resources have been limited. Most of our communication is through blast faxes and we have some concerns that these faxes may never reach the physician s desk. Hopefully, our new website with its sophisticated e-mail system (this component is in progress and not yet available to members) will help remedy this.
In general: Maintaining a fair balance between family, office practice, organized medicine and volunteer activities outside of medicine. Your philosophy of success: Patience, persistence and faith. One of your goals: Go back to school to study filmmaking and eventually write and direct films and to write fiction. Person(s) You Admire:
Professionally: Hal Nelson, M.D., and Mary Jelks, M.D., two well known allergists who are very highly regarded (and revered) in the allergy community and have continued to actively contribute to the allergy /immunology specialty well past the age year most retire. Their continued active participation in the allergy/immunology specialty reflects their passion and dedication to the medical profession.
Personally: I recently read an article about a ninety-year old woman competing in a major water skiing event-she was the only one in her age class and thus automatically won. Her bio noted that she began waterskiing at age 40 and competing at age 46. I felt her story reflected the message that it is never too late to start or pursue a dream or ambition and provided me with some hope regarding my whim to become a filmmaker after 20+ years in medicine. Biggest challenge confronting healthcare: Affordable health care: finding a way to curtail rising costs and still provide the quality of health care expected in the United States: i.e. affordable high quality health care Suggestions on how you would solve a particular problem in healthcare: We are likely going to move toward a tiered health care system with a basic health care provided to all with the option to upgrade services for an additional fee for those who desire a more comprehensive plan the ( i.e. a silver , gold etc. plan). The basic plan would provide services deemed essential and upgraded plan may include options such as no restrictions on which hospital is used.. It is clear that there will need to be compromises and not all can have a gold plan Your predictions on the future of health care: I think it will improve as the malpractice crisis is resolved but there will always be to some degree of peaks and valleys. Best thing about healthcare in South Florida: The physicians. South Florida has a large number of well trained high-quality physicians and we need to make sure that they continue to come to and stay in South Florida by implementing meaningful tort reform Worst thing about healthcare in South Florida: Malpractice crisis is eroding at our access to high-risk specialty and eventually primary care. What advice would you offer young people considering a career in Health Care: Do it for the love of the profession, the science and the rewards of helping others but expect hassles: government regulations, managed care, etc. AND ALWAYS REGARD THE PATIENTS WELFARE FIRST.
