2018 Lexington Medical Society Year End Review
Christopher Hickey, LMS EVP/CEO
The Lexington Medical Society was brought into the new year with a transition of our Presidents as Dr. Robert Granacher handed the leadership gavel to Dr. Tuyen Tran. Our Society is concluding its second year of its strategic plan, “Thrive by Leading and Caring, 2017-2019,” which was developed by a planning committee led by Dr. Granacher. Our first strategic plan, 2014-2016, led by Dr. Larry Cunningham and Dr. Thomas Waid, focused on modernizing our business practices, streamlining our society governance, and created some innovative programs. The most notable innovative program was the LMS Physician Wellness Program (LMS PWP) which began in 2016. Our current strategic plan continued the PWP and launched few new initiatives including our business leadership workshop partnership with the U.K. Gatton College of Business and Economics, the Private Practice Business Forum, the Woman Physician Leadership series, and the LMS Mentorship Program. Dr. Mamata Majmundar, our 2019 President-Elect, will lead a strategic planning committee effort that will develop our next plan which will focus from 2020 to 2023. Here is a look back of our strategy and programs of the past year.
Goal 1: Physician Wellness: Since its inception, the LMS PWP has supported over 582 counseling sessions for LMS active physicians, residents and fellows. LMS has helped replicate its PWP model in over a half dozen other medical societies.
LMS helps support engagement of our retired members with its monthly Senior Physician Lunches at the Campbell House. This program has the simple goal of connecting our retired members each month in a casual lunch. The senior lunches, in 2019, will move to the Bronte Bistro restaurant at Joseph Beth at Lexington Green.
LMS, in the fall, competed in our second Bourbon Chase relay race with a team consisting of two physicians, six medical students, three physician therapy students, and one PhD candidate. LMS has competes in this 202-mile relay race to promote health, fitness, and fun.
LMS, in 2019, will continue to sustain the PWP and launch a few new events which will promote camaraderie and fun: Physician Day Appreciation Dinner, Battle of the Physician Bands & Solo Artists, and a Family Day at the Life Adventure Center. Details of these event to follow early next year.
Goal 2: Physician Leadership Development & Mentorship: LMS continued, 2018, several successful programs and launched a couple more. Career Chats, in its fifth year, is an event appreciated by medical students and physicians alike. Medical students get to interact with physicians from over a dozen specialties.
Our LMS Mentorship Program, focused on mentoring third year medical students, continued in its second year. The program, which runs through the academic year, was launched this year with the LMS Mentorship Program Okoberfest Dinner to introduce the mentors to their mentees.
LMS continued its partnership with the U.K. Gatton College of Business and Economics with its “Leadership of Business of Medicine” workshops. The workshops are held at Gatton and led by professors from their MBA program. This year’s workshops were on strategic planning and healthcare economics.
LMS, for the second year, funded scholarships to send three more of our members to attend KMA’s Physician Leadership Institute (KPLI). KPLI was awarded Medistar’s A.O. Sullivan Award for Excellence in Education this past year and is considered the premier leadership training program for physicians in Kentucky. Drs. Khalil Rahman, Angela Dearinger, and Joseph Hill all praised their KPLI experience. Since the program’s inception in 2016, 8 of the 19 physicians who have completed the program are LMS members. LMS will fund three more KPLI scholarships in 2019. Contact LMS if you are interested in attending.
A couple of new programs launched this year included the Woman Physician Leadership series and the Private Practice Business Forum. All of these programs will continue in 2019.
Goal 3: Support for Early Career Physicians/Students: LMS supported, in the spring, the U.K. graduate medical education residents and fellows by providing a “Couples’ Team Building” adventure experience at the Life Adventure Center in Versailles. Couples engaged in team building activities and then negotiated a high ropes challenge course.
“The White Coat Investor”, held at the Signature Club on November 1st, was the most attended LMS event in recent history. Over 180 members registered to listen to practical wealth management and financial advice from a Dr. James Dahle, an ER physician from Utah, who has authored a book and popular blog site on the topic.
Goal 4: Legislative Advocacy: Kentucky Senator and LMS member Ralph Alvarado, MD, gave a preview of the 2018 legislative session at the annual LMS Alliance Legislative Update in late January and then came back to give a post-legislative session assessment at our May dinner meeting. LMS sent our President, Dr. Tuyen Tran, and President-Elect, Dr. Charles Papp to the American Medical Association National Advocacy Conference in Washington D.C. to advocate healthcare priorities with our federal legislators. LMS members participated in KMA’s Physicians’ Day at the Capitol to engage with their state legislators. LMS members participated in KMA’s House of Delegates to craft healthcare policy and priorities at KMA’s annual meeting. LMS is creating, in 2019, a Physician Legislative Task Force to collaborate with KMA’s advocacy efforts and engage with our local state legislators.
Goal 5: Improve Community Health: LMS members, through the LMS Foundation, support area medical related non-profit organizations. The LMS Foundation’s major fund raising effort, the annual golf tournament, raised over $26,000. Dr. John Collins, the LMS Foundation President and Golf Committee Chair, continues his incredible 29-year leadership of organizing our annual golf tournament that has raised over a half million dollars.
LMS will close out its current strategic plan in 2019 as it develops the successor plan which will take the Society to 2023. The strategic planning committee will conduct a deep dive analysis of our current strategy and determine a future path of programs and events. Our environment is always changing and LMS aims to adapt to continue to provide value to our members.
