MSV Annual Meeting

By Ilvy Cotterell, MD

I had the privilege of representing the VOS as a Delegate at this year’s MSV Annual Meeting in Norfolk, Virginia. With many changes in healthcare on the horizon, a common theme throughout the meeting was the need to raise physician influence, empower physicians and strengthen the overall value of the MSV. In order to achieve success, we all need to come together.

With an aging membership body, it is important to continually recruit young members and to encourage involvement in advocacy from early on - beginning in medical school. Fourth year VCU medical student Samantha Hay, in the Medical Student section report noted that, due to new efforts, membership has gradually risen among students since its founding in 1997 by Dr. Cliff Deal III, who was the recipient of a service honor award.

Dr. Barbara McAneny, President-Elect of the AMA, gave an update on top issues currently facing practicing physicians that are a priority for the AMA.

Among them, the need for physicians to be at the forefront of a changing industry and for Congress to work together with bipartisan unity to fix a broken healthcare system. We, as physicians, need to support anything that improves coverage and regulates ever-increasing burdens imposed on physicians. The cost of our current healthcare system is not sustainable. We have by far the most expensive healthcare system in the world, and yet are 19th in outcomes and 42nd in life expectancy. She also touched upon physician burn out. On average, six hours a day are spent on EMR. While proper documentation is important, currently almost more time is spent on entering information into the EMR as opposed to actual face-to-face patient care.

Dr. Kurtis Elward, incoming President of the MSV, also echoed the need for us to have a voice, reach out to legislators, and support our PACs – monetarily, vocally and by lobbying.

Several resolutions were voted on to be adopted as official MSV policies. Some of these affect us as orthopaedic surgeons. For example, it was agreed that the MSV will support liability protection for non-emergent care by volunteer team physicians in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Prior authorizations are a frustration for physicians of all specialties, including orthopaedists. This requires many hours of uncompensated physician and staff work to get medications or studies approved by a physician with less knowledge in the field. In 2015, the Governor signed a bill meant to improve transparency, uniformity and efficiency in the current prescription prior authorization process. Despite the current law, insurers still drag their collective feet when physicians try to settle prior authorization matters in a timely way for their patients. It is a top priority for the MSV to work with the General Assembly and join the AMA to push insurance companies to upgrade the electronic approval of requests.

While these are only a few examples, they highlight the need to promote active participation in societies on regional and national levels in order to protect our profession from rules and regulations that impede our ability to deliver quality care and achieve optimal outcomes for our patients. With busy work schedules, increasing demands, the need for family time, etc., it can be difficult to have time for this – but we can only have a voice and make a difference when we come together and advocate for our needs.