Colorado Chapter: ACOFP PRESIDENT'S PAGE

 

2010 President: Matthew Harrison, DO

 

Greetings Fellow Family Physicians:

Happy New Year! I hope each of you had some relaxing down time over the recent holidays to refresh yourselves. Looking forward, the practice of medicine is facing some big challenges in the coming months. My guess from past experience is none of these will be fun for any one of us.

On the immediate horizon are the Medicare pay-cuts (Again!). If you haven’t had a chance to let your voices be heard, contact your legislator and let them know the direct impact this will have on your practice, but more importantly your patients. If this is not addressed, we face a 21% cut in pay. I can’t think of any other profession who continues to negotiate for modest pay increases while being threatened as we have been for years of drastic cuts. We must let Washington know that change for the better is necessary for proper patient care moving forward. With the ever-aging population, this will only continue to get worse if not addressed and ended as soon as possible.

The other change that is looming bigger every day is the Health Care bill in Washington. As I write this no one truly knows what the outcome of the bill will be and how it will affect physicians and again our patients. Keep you eyes and ears on the eastern horizon to see how the political cat and mouse game unfolds in Washington.

I am preparing for both the CSOM Keystone Conference in February and the ACOFP National Convention in Las Vegas in March. I am looking forward to both. I hope many of you can find some time in your schedules to come to one or both for both the CME and the fellowship. I believe both will be educational yet lots of fun. Look me up if you are at one or both and introduce yourself. Many of you and I haven’t had the chance to meet yet and I like to put a face and name together. Not to mention, it’s always nice to hear what is affecting each of you in your practice and how we can help.

Have a great 2010!