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Vol. 67, No. 1 2016
Northeast Florida Medicine
DCMS online
. org
From the Editor’s Desk
Every four years our Republic goes through the grand
process of electing a new president, all 435 House of Rep-
resentative seats, 34 Senate seats, new state governors and
countless new state legislators. For many physicians, politics
is low on the list of priorities. Unfortunately, politics have
become an ingrained part of how we practice medicine in
the United States. For decades, politics and politicians have
been dictating every-
thing from physician
reimbursement, to
practice guidelines and
regulations. Politicians
even govern howwe di-
rectly interact with our
patients (i.e. Florida
Physician Gun Law).
Up until last year, every
physicianwho has been
acceptingMedicare pa-
tients has been dealing
with the looming threat
of massive physician
reimbursement cuts via the Sustainable Growth Rate. The
passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 has ushered in
a new era of meaningful use, electronic medical records,
payment model changes, readmission penalties and the
accelerated death of the independent physician.
At the state level, Florida physicians have been battling
malpractice reform, independent practice expansion of
nurse practitioners, Medicaid cuts and much more. With
each passing year, the politics of medicine erodes at the
foundation of our profession and our ability to do our job,
caring for our patients.
Physicians need to use this current election cycle to rise up
and become a louder andmore powerful voice in the political
process. Our lack of involvement decades ago has led to the
current state of affairs in U.S. Medicine. As cliché as it may
seem, physicians need to swallow our bitter pill and become
engaged and entrenched in all levels of politics. At minimum,
prior to getting into the voting booth, each physician needs
to do their research on the candidates and their positions
and plans for the state and national healthcare systems. In
the state of Florida, the Florida Medical Association vets
many of the candidates and makes recommendations on
which candidates are potential allies to physicians.
Unfortunately, individual physicians will make little
headway in the political process. Physicians must use their
expertise, knowledge and financial resources to truly be
engaged and influential in the political process. I would
encourage you to personally reach out to candidates and
current legislators and discuss the challenges physicians and
patients face in the trenches of day to day medicine. Spend
time lobbying in Tallahassee or Washington, D.C. Use your
financial clout and give dollars directly to candidates and
political action committees who will be “Friends of Medi-
cine.”Workwith other physicians or with organizedmedicine
(DCMS, FMA, or any professional society) to bring to the
forefront issues that affect your practices and patients. The
medical landscape is rapidly changing and physicians need
to muscle our way to the top of the political mountain. The
only people who can look out for a physician’s best political
and professional interests are fellow physicians.
It does not matter if you are Democrat, Independent or
Republican, being passive in this 2016 election cycle is not
an option. Our profession, practices and patients demand
our political involvement. Medicine is a science and art.
Politics is always dirty and messy.
Personal Note:
Politics aside, I would like to thank Dr. Sunil Joshi for
handing over the reins of
Northeast Florida Medicine
. He has
done a tremendous job at keeping our Journal an integral
part of our Medical Society. I have been part of the DCMS
Journal andCommunications Committee for over five years.
In that time, with excellent leadership, we have enhanced the
quality and content of the Journal. Fromthe topics addressed,
to more creative avenues, I hope the journal continues to
appeal to all our DCMS members. We are always looking
for new topics, ideas and active involvement by our DCMS
physicians in the Journal.
v
Ruple Galani, MD
Editor-in-Chief
Northeast Florida Medicine
Politics and the Impact on Medicine