News & Resources

2021 Outgoing MCMS President’s Message

Provided by MCMS Administration

The following message was prepared by 2021 MCMS President David O. Griffith, MD. He highlights the activities of MCMS throughout the past year of his leadership term.

I would like to thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to serve as the 172^nd president of the Montgomery County Medical Society this past year.  It has been interesting and rewarding.  I thank Ms Gerri Creel and the Board for their work over the past year. I would normally save these comments for the new president inauguration. However, the inauguration has been postponed till early June, so I thought it best to put pen to paper at this time.

I would briefly like to recap the year that was. 2021 brought with it many challenges and unique situations.   Closing the answering service, selling the building property and relocating to a new office space in May was just the beginning. Under the steady leadership of Dr. Tom Proctor, head of the MCMS Membership, Mission & Purpose Task Force, we are actively looking to reimagine and repurpose the society. In doing so, it may be necessary to adjust fee structures and incentivize resident and early practice physician participation. In addition, it is hoped that we may identify programs and services that will be valued by our membership and entice others to join.

One area of need make apparent by the pandemic is physician advocacy and education. There seems to be a change in protocol, vaccines, mandates and public health status, almost on a weekly basis. At MCMS, we recognize the need for our physician membership to have an information hub to turn to, whether that is related to the business or practice of medicine. MCMS, with the help of our newly upgraded website under the supervision of Dr. John Corker, is poised to provide this service to our members. The website allows for online directory information and convenient online payments for events and membership fees. In addition to providing information updates on pandemic regulations and guidance, there is also timely physician advocacy and legislative updates. It is my continued hope that the website will serve as a conduit between members and their constituent patient populations.

MCMS joined a statewide coalition to oppose HB 248 (Enact Vaccine Choice and Anti-Discrimination Act). Information sharing from our MCMS COVID Task Force and the Public Health Office and the Hospital Association was constant. Change in the world of medical practice continues to accelerate with the rise of the practice acquisition by hospitals and private equity. It is my hope that large medical organizations realize that their interests are tied to those of their physicians and patients and that organized medicine is a path to significant representation of these interests. The year has been immensely valuable, interesting and instructive for me and it is my hope that it has been of benefit to the Society.  William Osler taught that medicine is the most humane of the professions and the most intellectually progressive. He points out that medical progress can be slow and erratic at times. But it is the only profession with the potential to free humanity from physical suffering. Through advances in vaccination, sanitation, anesthesia, virology, immunology, biotechnology, gene therapy and informatics, we are quickly approaching a time when there is no unnecessary death, no suffering, no sorrow, and no COVID. When history tells the story, it will explain that it is exceptionalism of the medical profession that has brought us here. With that, I wish the best to Dr. Rick Buenaventura – or 173—in his upcoming year. I have every confidence he will further the progress of the society throughout his term.