Advocacy Successes

As 2021 comes to a close, the members of the Medical Society of the District of Columbia should be proud of what together they have achieved on behalf of patients and the profession in the District. As professionals dedicated to the practice of medicine in the second year of a grueling pandemic, MSDC’s physician leadership and members demonstrated strong resolve and made great strides on core priorities including physician wellbeing, patient and physician advocacy, and physician membership and impact.  Below is a video snapshot and overview of the past year. 

See the 2021 ANNUAL REPORT 


 
2021 HIGHLIGHTS

MSDC prioritized physician wellbeing with comprehensive wellness resources, information, and necessary and safe social connection

MSDC is dedicated to providing resources and support for individual physicians in their struggle against burnout, especially during the prolonged pandemic. MSDC launched a Healthy Physician app to put help at physician’s fingertips. The app, available in Google Play and App stores, is filled with wellness tips, inspirational notifications, access to wellness professionals, relevant events, peer messaging options, and a listing of resources. MSDC provided uplifting “dose of wellness” cards to deliver emotional inspiration. MSDC continues to raise awareness on the causes and negative impact of physician burnout and assist struggling physicians. 

Understanding the unprecedented burden and isolation that physicians have endured, MSDC hosted safe online and in-person events to restore wellbeing. MSDC celebrated healthcare heroes with an online awards ceremony in the spring and offered wellbeing webinars during the year. After healthcare professionals had ample access to the vaccines, MSDC selectively added safe in-person events including a summer rooftop social, outdoor healthy hour, and a hybrid in-person online annual meeting in the fall.    

MSDC leveraged new advocacy tools and physician leadership to yield major advocacy wins and lay the groundwork for success in 2022

The Medical Society provided a multi-pronged approach to advocacy with its highly engaged and inclusive physician-led advocacy, innovative self-driven advocacy curriculum, online forums with DC Councilmembers, and multitude of opportunities to testify at DC Council hearings. This broad blend of opportunities yielded major advocacy wins for the DC physician community on women’s health, tobacco product cessation, and temporary licensure, to name a few. It also laid the foundation for further success in 2022 on interstate licensure reciprocity, physician reimbursement, health equity, and other physician advocacy priorities.  (Read more about 2021 physician agenda wins)  

Physicians continued to lead the way in educating the public about the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and variants and the science of COVID-19 vaccines. There are countless examples all of which demonstrate physicians’ superior public health credentials and extensive training. MSDC is pleased to share the DC and national physicians who contributed to its vaccine literacy series: Dr. Hana Akselrod of The GW Medical Faculty Associates, AMA liaison to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, and Dr. Melissa Clarke.

MSDC’s physician member community grew in size, diversity, and impact despite unprecedented challenges

MSDC’s membership --now nearly 3,200 members--continues to grow in recognition that, truly, physicians are stronger together. Recognizing the importance of diversity in medicine, MSDC reported on the impact of unconscious bias in medicine. The physician leadership, especially MSDC’s Board of Directors, has grown more diverse and representative of the DC physician population.

The membership has seen significant activity in its sections dedicated to early career physicians, women physicians and private practice physicians. MSDC launched a Private Practice Physicians Section to address the challenges of private practice physicians and leverage the support of MSDC’s growing membership. The rebranded Early Career Physicians Section, led by medical student, resident, and early career physician leaders, convened a delegation to advocate at the AMA Special Meeting in November and offered programs to support professional development and personal wellbeing. The Women in Medicine Section continued to provide women with leadership opportunities, online community, and programs to support the needs of women in medicine. Look for a continuation of programs and resources in all of these sections throughout 2022. 


MSDC looks forward to 2022

In reviewing the year that has passed, MSDC President Dr. Nevin shares this final thought, “As we enter 2022 with many unanswered questions and uncertainty, one thing you can depend on (as you have since 1817) is MSDC working every day for physicians, medical students, healthcare professionals and the residents of the District.” 

Do not hesitate to contact MSDC (at 202-466-1800 or hay@msdc.org) with your concerns and priorities. There are many opportunities to get involved and supported through MSDC’s communities and programs.  The leadership and staff look forward to connecting with you in-person and online in the new year.