At the Top
The view of DCMS is impressive

I've always been fascinated by views from high places. When I was a kid, I would climb a tree, look down, and be amazed at what I saw. As an adult, I’ve driven to the top of Pike’s Peak, gone to the top of the Empire State Building, and walked up 354 steps to the top of the Statue of Liberty. When our church choir went on tour in Scotland and England two summers ago, my wife Roberta, my daughter Sarah, and I climbed 530 steps to the top of St Paul’s Cathedral in London. I’ve always been impressed by the perspective from the top.

The same was true when I became section chief of general surgery and then active on the medical staff. When I became president of the medical staff and a member of the board of trustees of Humana Hospital Medical City Dallas in 1989, I saw the view from the top and realized the medical staff indeed had significant input into running a hospital.

At the Dallas County Medical Society, I served on the Fee Complaint Committee, and then on the Board of Directors. In 1997, I became chairman of the Physicians’ Recovery Committee. After a year on the DCMS Executive Committee as president-elect, I have now “reached the top” as your president.

So, what do I see from the top of the Dallas County Medical Society? Shoulders! As far as I can see in every direction, I see that I am standing on shoulders. There are the shoulders of a fantastic administrative staff. Our executive vice president, Michael Darrouzet, probably is the best county medical society executive in the country. He is aided by Bonnie Weikel and an excellent, dedicated staff. They make it possible for me to be president without having to take a year out of my medical practice. I also see the long line of shoulders of many past presidents. In fact, I will be getting credit for a lot of things this year that I didn’t start. Most notable are the Board of Health, initiated by Past President Gordon Green, and Project Access, which was developed under the tenure of Past Presidents Fred Ciarochi and Carolyn Evans.

The shoulders of the Board of Directors are the ones on whom I stand for direct support. These members are elected by you and meet monthly to make policy decisions on your behalf. Then there are the shoulders of the DCMS committees. The Board of Censors reviews all applicants for membership or change in membership status. The Board of Health was organized to assist local government in health policy decisions (because there is no Dallas County or City of Dallas Board of Health). The Community Service Committee coordinates volunteer services by our members and will provide help as we launch Project Access. The Constitution and Bylaws Committee keeps us organizationally correct. The Editorial Committee helps guide staff member Kara Thom in publishing the Dallas Medical Journal. The Investment Review Committee makes recommendations to the Board of Directors about how to best invest the DCMS and Dallas Academy of Medicine reserve funds. The Legislative Affairs Committee comprises members who work hard in political and legislative arenas to try to effect changes favorable to our members and our patients. The Managed Care Committee allows dialogue between our members and the managed care medical directors. The Mediations Committee reviews complaints from patients about our member physicians. The Membership/Member Services Committee reviews plans for membership recruitment and retention, and reviews the member services DCMS provides. The Nominating Committee seeks to balance hospital and specialty representation as it nominates potential officers for your consideration. The Physicians’ Recovery Committee provides help to physicians recovering from substance or alcohol abuse.

There are the shoulders of our TMA delegates and alternates who spend hours poring over resolutions submitted by both our delegation and other county medical societies around the state. They attend the House of Delegates meetings where they participate in the debate over the various resolutions, both in reference committees and on the floor of the House of Delegates. The AMA and the TMA are both representative democracies in their policy-making. These delegates are the ones who represent your interests in formulating nationwide and statewide policies.

Most important, I see that I am standing on the shoulders of you, the members of DCMS. Without your participation and hard work, DCMS would not be the exciting, dynamic organization that it is. You are the living, breathing heart and soul of this great organization. Standing on your shoulders, I am proud of all the hard work you are doing now and that our predecessors have done. I feel honored to have the opportunity to serve as your president this year. The view from the top looks great.

Copyright 1997-2002, Dallas County Medical Society.
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