Message from the CMS President

Our Mission to You

PLEASE be on the lookout for a conference brochure that will be arriving in your mail soon. We ask that you give it your immediate attention. Why? Because on Sept. 12-14, the Chicago Medical Society teams up again with the American Bar Association’s Health Law Section to host the Physicians Legal Issues Conference at the InterContinental Hotel in Chicago.

This topnotch medical-legal program reflects changing workforce needs. As independent practice gives way to employment, close to 70% of physicians are employed today by other physicians, specialty groups, multi-specialty groups, health systems, or by other entities. We planned this education with employed physicians in mind after members came to the Chicago Medical Society for assistance with negotiating contracts and compensation.

Sessions will include a “practical skills” workshop that leads you through the contracting basics, analyzing key elements such as noncompetes and due process. You’ll review contract “must have” provisions and common pitfalls, as well as the factors that determine compensation. We have lined up nationally recognized experts to share valuable insights and strategies. Our goal is to help you practice more efficiently as you navigate legislative, administrative, employment, and regulatory issues. As a bonus, you can earn up to 18.5 CME credit hours.

Please be sure to register. It’s a rare event— and you won’t be let down. As a physician, especially a Chicago Medical Society member, you’ll receive a big discount.

Exceptional education isn’t all the Chicago Medical Society offers to physicians. CMS pairs education with advocacy. We advocate tirelessly on behalf of physicians for payment reform, professional liability, practice autonomy, and more. All this work is driven by our resolutions process.

This month’s magazine highlights that process with a recap of the Chicago Medical Society’s resolutions to the Illinois State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. ISMS studied, adopted and then drafted several CMS proposals into viable legislation. A few bills passed both chambers during this spring’s marathon session.

The Chicago Medical Society gained national visibility at AMA’s annual meeting in June. That’s because of the 15 Illinois resolutions to the American Medical Association, 12 had their origin at CMS. When Chicago-area physicians dominate the resolution agenda it shows our importance to policymaking.

Any Chicago Medical Society member can submit a resolution, the path to influencing policy and action. Resolutions document a problem and propose action CMS should undertake. Your proposal may form the basis of legislation, policy or regulatory change.

When you introduce a resolution to the Chicago Medical Society you join a grassroots coalition working to achieving your goals. Resolutions bring momentum to the issues that matter most to you. They provide an antidote to apathy.

Physicians’ success at navigating the healthcare system, while maintaining a successful practice, is strongly linked to professional satisfaction and well-being. So, here’s my prescription to you: 1) submit a resolution to the Chicago Medical Society; and 2) attend the Physicians Legal Issues Conference.

Both are membership benefits that fulfill our mission to you.

A. Jay Chauhan, DO, FAOCO
President, Chicago Medical Society