AMA President Jeremy Lazarus, MD delivers keynote

Saturday, September 01, 2012 01:15 PM
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“When we pull together we can be extremely powerful”

Sara Burnett, CMS contributing writer

American Medical Association President Jeremy Lazarus, MD, knows a thing or two about sticking it out for the long run.

An athlete who has competed in marathons and triathlons, the former Colorado Medical Society president now is guiding the nation’s largest physician organization through a time of historic change. And the way he sees it, in this 26.2-mile race, we’re at about mile four.

“I think the good news is we’re not at the starting line anymore. We moved it along,” Lazarus told CMS members at the 2012 Annual Meeting. He cited several items in the Affordable Care Act that AMA worked to improve for physicians and their patients, such as higher Medicaid payments for primary care and rules surrounding accountable care organizations (ACO) that have resulted in more ACOs being physician-led.

And while Lazarus noted that there’s still a long way to go on the journey, he also said Colorado is well positioned to be successful.

“I think Colorado has a history of solving problems at the local level. It’s an amazing process where community has come together to try to deliver care in a better way,” he said. “You are seen as a leader with what we’re trying to do.”

Lazarus, who was sworn in as president during the AMA’s June annual meeting, said the organization recognizes that “one size doesn’t fit all,” and that physicians across the country have varying opinions on health care reform. He pledged that AMA is working to incorporate the views of everyone, and he encouraged all physicians to get involved.

“When we pull together we can be extremely powerful for organized medicine,”
Lazarus said. “It really is a historic time to try to create a better, more equitable health care system for all Americans – not just for the benefit of physicians but for the patients we serve.”


Posted in: Colorado Medicine | Initiatives | AMA
 

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