Harvey Reflects on Mass. Medical Society Presidency
Alan M. Harvey, MD, MBA, of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, completed his year-long term as president of the Massachusetts Medical Society in May, and left the society with a number of significant accomplishments, including health care reform.
Physicians played a formative role in the process, and the legislation that passed in April is consistent with the vision of the Mass. Medical Society which was shared with key government leaders: a health care system that works for everyone, with no one left out. “The health care reform legislation was a big win for physicians and patients alike,” Harvey said.
The Mass. Medical Society outlined important principles for patients and physicians, and presented to legislators a focused message encouraging universal access. Physicians promoted three principles: that everyone deserves access to good health care; that it is affordable and sustainable; and that everyone bears a share of the responsibility for making it work.
One important part of universal access to health care is public health education, and the Mass. Medical Society is focusing efforts on challenging public health issues. “Because we’re covering all patients with limited resources, we need to improve public health education to wisely use resources and improve health overall,” Harvey said.
The Mass. Medical Society’s “Your Health First” campaign focuses on four of the most challenging public health priorities: flu prevention, healthy weight, youth violence and asthma prevention. The campaign, expected to last three years, reinforces the power of prevention and tells patients that physicians are willing and able to be their partners in leading a healthy lifestyle.
Harvey said Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Partners HealthCare, with its many community programs, have the opportunity to take a leadership role in public health education. “It will be important for all health care systems to have active outreach and community health messages,” Harvey said.
Another accomplishment during Harvey’s term was ramping up physician advocacy. “We want to attract and retain the best physicians who come to Massachusetts for medical school and residency,” he said. “We need to have professional opportunities and mentorship programs available, among other things, that make physicians want to join and stay in our organizations.”