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Vol. 67, No. 1 2016
Northeast Florida Medicine
DCMS online
. org
From the CEO’s Desk
As I begin my 5
th
year as the Executive for the Duval
County Medical Society, I embarked on a mission to meet
with every member of this year’s Board of Directors…
in their offices if possible. This was a task easier said than
done. Many thanks go
to the multitude of of-
fice managers and Patti
Ruscito here at DCMS
for making it happen.
The purpose of these
meetings is quite sim-
ple. It’s an opportunity
to give some orien-
tation to new Board
members, to answer
any questions theymay
have, and to get some
feedback from returning members on things that we are
doing well, things we aren’t doing well, and things that we
should consider in the new year.
That was the intention. What I learned was so much
more valuable.
I am perpetually in awe of the work that physicians do
to save lives every day. But there is something uniquely
different about meeting someone in their space…the space
where they change lives…the space that gives purpose to
the Medical Society.
One of those unique spaces is the office of Dr. Mark
Fleisher. Dr. Fleisher’s office overlooks the southbank and
downtown Jacksonville. I also learned that there is a direct
line of sight from my office in the AmerisBank Building
to his office.
However, the most distinctive thing about this office is a
unique piece of decoration.
Dr. Fleisher: “I think you can tell a lot about a person
from their office.”
Bryan: “For example, that’s a gumball machine.”
Dr. Fleisher: “Of course it’s a gumball machine!”
If you don’t know Dr. Fleisher, read his Creative Corner
article on page 56. If you know him, you know this exchange
makes perfect sense. Dr. Fleisher has spent time as a com-
edy writer before becoming a respected physician for The
Borland-Groover Clinic. When I think about it, I have to
admit…of course there’s a gumball machine!
Dr. Elizabeth DeVos is a new member of the Board of
Directors this year. Her office is in the Department of
Emergency Medicine at UF Health Jacksonville. As anyone
who has been there knows, it’s a circuitous path to get to
the Department. This is a hospital I’ve been to a multitude
of times, but I did not know that this area even existed.
While I was meeting with Dr. James St. George in his
Ponte Vedra office, he had to excuse himself so he could
do a quick procedure. Ten minutes later we were back to
discussing agenda items and organized medicine…as if the
conversation had never been interrupted. There was literally
no indication that he had just performed a procedure which
greatly improved someone’s life just moments before.
These are the real lessons learned from this activity. It
is so exciting to see you all in your “comfort zones” doing
what you are so passionate about doing: caring for the lives
of people in our community.
Of course, these conversations also lead to a number of
fantastic ideas about where organized medicine is headed,
what the future holds for the independent physician, the
role of physician administrators in the Medical Society, and
innumerable fantastic ideas about engaging physicians in
the community in new and exciting ways.
One of the most common refrains that I heard from your
colleagues was a concern about how to get more people
engaged with the Medical Society.
“I was always just a member, but once I got involved I
became passionate about the Society and its mission.”
“Until I participated in the FMA Delegation, I had no
idea just how much was going on behind the scenes…
and how just one physician can make a change that
becomes law.”
The reasons that the Board members were excited and
engaged were as varied as their offices. But there was one
common theme: these are your colleagues who take their
responsibility to represent you in the House of Medicine
Bryan Campbell
DCMS Executive Vice President
“Of course it’s a gumball machine!”