President’s letter: A race for the stability and productivity of our profession

Tuesday, January 01, 2013 12:05 PM

Jan Kief, President
Colorado Medical Society

When I assumed this office, I proposed to my colleagues a race car theme for what will be a very fast track this coming year – REV: Relationships, Evolution and Voice. From my metaphorical point of view, these are the engine components that will keep our profession on the track that promises to have lots of steep hills and sharp turns. The next 12 months will be a race for the stability and productivity of our profession.

Congress is in a race to prevent driving our federal budget over the sequestration cliff, dragging the SGR and the economy with it. Meanwhile states are racing to meet federal deadlines (or drive away from them). Both sides of the aisle in Denver and Washington are revving their engines in anticipation of the contests and collisions that start in January.

Relationships
We have long preached the doctrine that relationships are as important as the issues. Your grassroots work in this election cycle, supporting friendly incumbents who rode with us as well as the candidates and challengers who are headed our direction, have forged and strengthened relationships. Equally important, we have methodically built a sense of community in our profession and a sense of direction, and extended those relationships to our allies in the world of health care delivery.

Evolution
Colorado is on track to spread practice evolution across all practices. We are innovating patient-centric, community-centered medical homes, coordinating Medicaid in the same fashion, and delivering care with unprecedented results. We are evolving and adapting to this challenging terrain, and helping our colleagues perform at optimal levels. We are gratified with the initial report from the Regional Care Collaboratives and hope to glean some valuable data in the future that can help us guide and coordinate care. CMS is convening the RCCO directors early in 2013.

We are excited to have three practices in the four-year Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative. Cutting edge initiatives are underway in all areas of our state with physicians taking leadership roles. We are one of six states that will have practices involved in a joint AMA initiative where the RAND corporation will evaluate physician satisfaction and enhanced practice viability. Also we have been asked to form a task force for the Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC) to help design its physician report card for the All Payer Claims Database.

Voice
Our homegrown, locally-driven methods of building a physician consensus have led to legislative successes that have set national standards for physicians’ rights and advocacy. Public officials and the thought leaders in health care policy listen and work with us.

On the road ahead I see the gears grinding and jamming as our legislators work on the Medicaid Reform and Expansion, and health insurance exchange vehicles. I see the usual potholes and trip wires set by trial attorneys to break the axle of medical liability stability. But I also see the finish line: the acceleration of practice evolution, and the strengthening of our ties as a profession and medical and health community.

Ladies and gentlemen, REV your engines. The race is on.