The Broward County Medical Association has since 1926 worked to care for, and support all the physicians of Broward County, their patients and the American people. We constantly work to help all people achieve a healthier and more fulfilling future.

 

Modern medicine is faced with exceptional challenges this year. To name only a few, all Americans face the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. As we have seen, there are strong feelings and forces on both sides of this contentious issue. The roll out has been more than rocky and we are all very concerned about the implementation.

 

To paraphrase the ancient Chinese proverb (sometimes also considered a curse); it is both an honor and a curse to live in interesting times. Though many people like to focus on individual patients or the entire country as a whole, it all falls to the doctors of America, who are truly at the forefront of this change. The brunt of these changes will affect physicians every day. The way physicians practice will change. The way doctors treat patients will change. The way physicians treat and interact with their fellow physicians and other caregivers will change.

 

The Omnibus HIPAA rules affect every part of a physician’s daily professional life. What was once easy and cordial is now formal and rigid. The curbside consult is a thing of the past. Doctors need written releases to share information. Patients had received, professional and economic value through curbside consults. The cross pollination of information and expertise provided enhanced patient care. And the expert advice was free! Physicians built camaraderie, friendships and team spirit. This is now gone.

 

Soon comes ICD 10. Codes within codes. Numbers to describe everything in medicine in even greater detail. It was meant to improve care, but the time demanded takes doctors and staff away from care giving.

 

Physicians need to remain the decision-makers of healthcare and to remain true to the Hippocratic Oath, to do no harm and to always do what is best for the patient. To follow the ancient words of wisdom written thousands of years ago in the, Maimonides Prayer for the Physician. "Thou has chosen me to keep vigil over the life and well-being of thy creations."

 

People feel a bond to their physician. Modern society needs caring well-trained physicians. We all need to realize, we all have the same ultimate goal. We are all in the same boat. Our futures are inextricably bound. The common goal is to help our society.