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November 5, 2007

"The secret of joy in work is contained in one word - excellence.
To know how to do something well is to enjoy it." - Pearl Buck

Good Morning,

Arriving home Monday from the recent FMA Board of Governors meeting in Tampa, I took care of some personal business and then drove to Tallahassee. On Tuesday I spent most of the day meeting with FMA staff. Among many other items, we reviewed our staffing needs, as well as plans to enhance the Association's services to our members.

On Wednesday, the FMA's Interim Officer of Public Affairs, Mr. Tim Stapleton, and I flew to Ft. Lauderdale to attend a fundraising event at the office of Dr. Alan Mendelsohn. The event was also attended by the following members of the Association's leadership: FMA Secretary Vincent DeGennaro, M.D.; FMA Council on Legislation Chair Miguel Machado, M.D.; and FMA Council on Legislation Vice Chair Alan Routman, M.D. The President of the Broward County Medical Association, Dr. Nigel Spier, was in attendance and Mr. Jeff Scott, the FMA's Director of Governmental Affairs, was also present. This was an opportunity to thank a number of our elected representatives who have been fighting the good fight in Tallahassee on our behalf, as well as to build relationships with three candidates running for office in open legislative seats. We helped raise money for three incumbent legislators running for re-election - Rep. David Rivera (Chair of Rules Committee), Rep. Larry Cretul (Deputy Majority Leader) and Rep. Will Weatherford (future Speaker of the House). These three individuals are key leaders in the Florida House and important allies of the medical community. Dr. Machado and our outstanding Governmental Affairs Staff are committed to meeting, BEFORE session, with ALL members of the Florida Legislature on our issues and they are well on their way to accomplishing this goal.

I encourage all FMA members to get engaged in the process by attending, in your community, PHYSICIAN SPONSORED fundraisers for elected officials and candidates who are friends of our profession and our patients. If there is one thing that I have learned in my years of involvement in the medical political arena, it is that friends help friends, and the best way to improve access with legislators is to support them in their campaigns. We obviously require more friends in the Legislature if we are going to achieve our legislative objectives. If you would like help organizing a fundraiser, contact Mr. Tim Stapleton at tstapleton@medone.org or your FMA PAC Representative (http://www.flampac.org/flam_board.doc). By the way, if you haven't joined FLAMPAC for 2007, it isn't too late--and be sure that you join for the 2008 election year. Click here to help us help you.

I returned home on Thursday. We have begun working on the FMA's letter to physicians regarding the importance of protecting our hospital medical staff bylaws. This should be ready to go out soon. We are also finalizing the selection of a firm to represent the interests of Florida's physicians in Washington, D.C. and I hope to have a report for you shortly.

With WellCare under investigation and "managed care" for Medicaid patients appearing in disarray, it is fortuitous that the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) schedule public workshops seeking feedback on Medicaid reform. On Friday, one such workshop was held in Tampa and the FMA was very well represented. Dr. Miguel Machado, Chair of the FMA's Council on Legislation, and Dr. David McKalip, Chair of the FMA's Council on Medical Economics, spoke for us at this meeting. Dr. Louis St. Petery, representing the FLORIDA PEDIATRIC SOCIETY and a member of the FMA's Council on Legislation, also participated. Additional meetings take place this week on Wednesday, November 7, in Jacksonville (Wyndham Jacksonville Riverwalk, 1515 Prudential Drive, Jacksonville 32207) and on Thursday, November 8, in Ft. Lauderdale (Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Airport, 1870 Griffin Road, Dania Beach 33004). On both days, you are encouraged to participate from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon. This is your chance to discuss the problems this population is having obtaining access to health care. It has been clearly demonstrated that increasing Medicaid rates to Medicare levels will improve access and the leadership and staff of AHCA needs to hear this message from you. If possible, we will provide you more timely notice of such events in the future.

Thank you for supporting our activities by your membership in your professional organizations. Encourage your colleagues to join as well--their County Medical Society, their Florida Specialty Society and, of course, their Florida Medical Association and, yes, their American Medical Association. This will help us construct a larger boat to survive the approaching storms.

Until next week...


Sincerely,
Karl M. Altenburger, M.D.
President, Florida Medical Association