by Delbert Chumley, MD
Bexar County Medical Society President 2007
It seems
like only a
short time
ago that I was
composing my acceptance speech for
the BCMS officers’ installation ceremony.
This year really flew by. In retrospect,
it’s been a pleasure and one of
the highlights of my professional
career to have served as your 2007
BCMS President. We have had a very
productive year, but it couldn’t have
been accomplished without all the
hard work and commitment from my
colleagues on the Executive Committee,
Boards of Directors, Censors, and
Mediations, the numerous committees,
and from our BCMS CEO and staff.
Speaking for the medical community, I
thank each of you.
I’d like to summarize some of your
medical society’s accomplishments this
past year — sort of a report card to our
members or, better yet, a “state of the
society” address.
Through the efforts of our Legislative
Committee, we were successful at
defeating certain bills that would
have been harmful to our profession,
while championing other legislation
that benefited our patients and our
healthcare system. We successfully
defended our hard-fought victory
with medical liability reform and
addressed the budget deficits in our
Medicaid and CHIP programs, assuring
access to medical care for our
most needy residents.
Our Socioeconomic Committee
continues to battle against unjustified
reductions in reimbursement rates, for
removal of the flawed Medicare SGR
formula, and for change in insurance
carriers’ policies and procedures, such
as unreasonable contracts, economic
credentialing, increasing paperwork
requirements, and uncovered services,
all of which affect both the academic
and private practice clinician.
Your society has also been quite
active in civic and community affairs,
such as emergency preparedness, our
City’s homeless shelter project, Haven
for Hope, and EMS services. We have
worked closely with the Greater San
Antonio Hospital Council and have
been at the table when decisions were
made that would affect our membership
or our patients. Through the collaboration
of BCMS and the Physician
Forum on Quality and Patient Safety,
significant changes have been implemented
that resulted in improved
quality of care and patient safety
throughout the metropolitan area. We
have representation on BioMedSA,
working closely with city and county
leaders to increase the presence of bioscience,
biotechnology, and healthcare
in our community, to bring more jobs
to San Antonio, and to make our City
a destination for the delivery of healthcare
services. BCMS and San Antonio
College entered into a partnership in
the fall to help address the Medical
Assistant shortage in our community
by establishing an externship program
which promises to be a win-win situation
for our membership, our medical
community, and the Alamo Community
College District.
Thanks to the efforts of our Membership
Committee, our numbers continue
to grow, maintaining our position
as the eighth largest county medical
society in the nation. Through the generosity
and foresight of the Dean’s
Office at UTHSCSA, residents once
again have their BCMS dues paid,
ensuring future involvement by our
young physician community in organized
medicine. Our members are kept
updated on current society events and
news through our official magazine,
San Antonio Medicine. We have an energetic
and dedicated Publications
Committee that oversees the production
of what, in my opinion, is clearly
the best county medical society publication
in Texas, if not the nation. This
is a true jewel for our organization.
Our members have the benefit of
receiving help with mediation regarding
patient complaints, counseling on
medical ethics issues, or assistance with
rehabilitation from substance abuse by
our excellent peer support system: the
Physician Health and Rehabilitation
Committee and the Boards of Mediation
and Censors. These groups of dedicated
men and women have been and
remain an immeasurable asset to each
of us. Our election process was also
improved through a by-laws change
that provided our Nominating
Committee with more authority and oversight, ensuring we continue to select the best possible candidates for leadership positions.
At our most recent Executive Committee meeting, we
decided to change our standard general membership
meetings next year to more family-oriented social events,
such as picnics or even a Fiesta event. This hopefully will
encourage membership participation, particularly by our
younger members, and result in more congeniality among
all of us.
The Past-Presidents’ Advisory Council was reactivated
this year with the purpose of ensuring that BCMS members
receive due recognition from TMA and other organizations
for their achievements and to encourage, through
a selection and mentoring process, potential future physician
leaders. To have such experienced and knowledgeable
physicians still actively involved in our society is a tremendous
benefit to our organization.
The society’s financial status is sound and secure,
thanks in large part to the oversight and management by
our CEO and Chief Financial Officer. We fair better than
other Texas county societies in percentage of income from
dues and have a net profit well above budget, reflecting
superior management. The income from our staffing, credential
verification, and auto-lease services, along with our
Circle of Friends, continues to help offset dues and permits
us to maintain a budget necessary to complete the
work of the society. Both our Circle of Friends and forprofit
services are the envy of other county societies, not
only because of their uniqueness but also their huge success.
Your Board of Directors takes their fiduciary responsibilities
very seriously, ensuring that all expenses are justified
and within budget, and our savings are secure and
appropriately invested.
Our relationship with our Japanese sister medical society,
Kumamoto City Medical Association, continues to
flourish, with a successful visit there in November by a
delegation from BCMS. We are looking forward to their
visit this summer. This affiliation is in its fifteenth year
and has given many of us the opportunity to experience a
special personal and professional friendship with our
Japanese colleagues.
The philanthropic arm of our society, the BCMS Foundation,
closed another successful year under the leadership
of Dr. Dale Wood and a dedicated and committed Board
of Directors by awarding a record high $75,000 in college
scholarships to deserving San Antonio high school seniors
planning to enter a healthcare career. In addition, the
BCMS Alliance has been a true ally, working closely with
our society on many projects, but particularly in the areas
of patient advocacy, First Tuesday visits, and philanthropic
endeavors. Congratulations to Anne Foster, BCMS Alliance
President, and to her Board members.
In closing, I want to wish the best of luck to our incoming
President, Manny Quiñones, our Executive Committee,
and our Board of Directors for a successful year. This is a
wonderful organization with an important purpose and
mission supported by a gifted staff and members willing
to roll up their sleeves and help. Thank you again for a
wonderful and meaningful experience.
