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WHAT WE DO FOR THE COMMUNITY:

* We offer a physician referral service to the public

The public can telephone the DCMS office (355-6561) and request referrals and information about member physicians. Available information includes a physician's practice locations, specialty, board certifications, medical school, internship and residency dates and locations, and hospital affiliations. Physician referrals are also available through the Physician Finder.

* In cooperation with the Florida Medical Association and the American Medical Association, we represent the interests of physicians and their patients in local, state, and national legislative matters.

* The DCMS Alliance, an organization of physician spouses, promotes healthful lifestyles and provides support to health related charitable organizations.

* The DCMS initiated the We Care Jacksonville program to coordinate a network of free health care clinics which provide quality healthcare to the homeless and medically underserved people of Duval County. DCMS physicians volunteer in the medical clinics.

* The DCMS Grievance and Peer Review Committee mediates grievances between DCMS member physicians and their patients in issues of miscommunication and fee disputes

* We provide the community with leadership and guidance on medical, ethical and public health issues facing citizens of Duval County.

* The DCMS disseminates medical and health care information through our speaker's bureau, the media, and our publications.

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WHY WE ARE HERE:

DCMS on-line — the Web Site of the Duval County Medical Society is here to disseminate information to our community about today's health care trends and medicine in Northeast Florida. DCMS on-line will be continuously updated as new information becomes available, and the needs of our patients develop. We welcome your feedback. Please let us know what you would like to see included.

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WHO ARE DCMS MEMBERS:

Any Medical Doctor (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) who is licensed in the state of Florida and/or any resident/fellow training in Jacksonville is eligible to apply for membership with the Duval County Medical Society.

Before becoming a member of the Duval County Medical Society, physicians are credentialed. We verify their medical education, internship, residencies, fellowships, their hospital affiliation, medical license (if applicable) and we verify their records with the American Medical Association. We also require that each physician applying for membership have at least two current active members as references to help insure that the physician is not practicing fraudulent medicine.

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CATEGORIES OF MEMBERSHIP

The follow is an explanation of the different kinds of membership:

Active: A physician designated as an active member, is practicing medicine full-time and has been a member for at least 6 months;

Affiliate: A physician designated as an Affiliate member is currently a member of another county medical society (in Florida) but may have affiliations in Duval County;

Disabled: A physician designated as a Disabled member is not currently practicing medicine due to health related problems - but hopes to return to practicing as soon as they are able;

Life: A physician designated as a Life member has been an Active member for 35 continuous years (or more) and can be classified as either Life/Active or Life/Retired depending on if they are currently practicing medicine;

Military: A physician designated as a Military member is practicing medicine in a military setting;

Part-time: A physician designated as a Part-time member is practicing medicine less than 25 hour per week;

Provisional: A physician designated as a Provisional member is practicing medicine full-time and has been a member for less than six months. The 6 month provisional period ensures that this new member meets the DCMS' standards for membership;

Resident: A physician designated as a Resident member is training at an area teaching hospital or plans to practice in Duval County after completing training and wants to stay current on medicine in Jacksonville;

Retired: A physician designated as a Retired member is no longer practicing medicine.

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AMA PRINCIPLES OF MEDICAL ETHICS

1. A physician shall be dedicated to providing competent medical service with compassion and respect for human dignity.
2. A physician shall deal honestly with patients and colleagues, and strive to expose those physicians deficient in character or competence, or who engage in fraud or deception.
3. A physician shall respect the law and recognize a responsibility to seek changes in those requirements which are contrary to the best interests of the patient.
4. A physician shall respect the rights of patients, of colleagues, and of other health professionals, and shall safeguard patient confidences within the restraints of the law.
5. A physician shall continue to study, apply, and advance scientific knowledge, make relevant information available to patients, colleagues, and the public, obtain consultation, and use the talents of other health professionals when indicated.
6. A physician shall, in provision of appropriate care, except in emergencies, be free to choose whom to serve, with whom to associate, and the environment in which to provide medical services.
7. . A physician shall recognize a responsibility to participate in activities contributing to an improved community.

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PHYSICIAN EDUCATION AND TRAINING

All physicians educated in the United States, including Puerto Rico, and those educated in Canada, have completed approximately four years of education in a medical school or college of osteopathic medicine .

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M.D. TRAINING

Before entering medical school, students complete approximately four years of preprofessional education in an accredited college or university. Students enrolled in Allopathic medical schools study the basic sciences (e.g., anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, and pharmacology) as well as the behavioral sciences and learn fundamental techniques of taking a medical history and examining patients. Later, students participate in clinical rotations in hospitals and clinics to observe and work with experienced physicians and begin to learn aspects of patient care.

Clinical rotations allow medical students to explore a wide variety of medical specialties (e.g., family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery). Students also explore various career paths, including direct patient care, medical administration, academic medicine, and research. Students undertake increasingly complex clinical rotation responsibilities while continuing to satisfy elective course requirements.

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D.O. TRAINING

Before entering an osteopathic college, students complete four years of preprofessional education in an accredited college or university. A doctor of osteopathy (D.O.) degree requires four academic years of study, two years devoted to didactic instruction in the biomedical sciences and clinical medicine and two years devoted to clinical work in community hospitals, major medical centers, and physician's offices. Students rotate through urban and rural settings, experiencing all major areas of medicine.

Osteopathic principles and practices are integrated throughout the four-year curriculum. Students learn to use osteopathic techniques for diagnosis and treatment of disease, as well as for disease prevention. These techniques emphasize physical, emotional and spiritual factors that can impact a patients health.

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MEDICAL SPECIALTY BOARD CERTIFICATION

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) sanctions 24 medical specialties, many of which have subspecialties. Member boards of the ABMS evaluate physicians by examination and certify as diplomats those candidates who qualified. Medical specialty boards determine whether candidates have received adequate preparation in accordance with established educational standards, provide comprehensive examinations designed to assess knowledge, skills, and experience requisite to the provision of high quality patient care in that specialty, and certify those candidates who have satisfied the requirements. Many boards require recertification at periodic intervals.

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OSTEOPATHIC SPECIALTY BOARD CERTIFICATION

Osteopathic specialty board certification is awarded by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists. Osteopathic physicians are eligible for certification by 1 of 18 AOA specialty certifying boards after completing an osteopathic residency training program and satisfying requirements defined by an osteopathic specialty. Some boards offer certification in subspecialties or certificates of added qualifications.

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INFORMATION YOU SHOULD HAVE ABOUT YOUR PHYSICIAN

The Florida Medical Association and The Duval County Medical Society supports every patient's freedom of choice in health care, including the choice of a physician. To make the best choice, you should have the answers to the following questions, and you should feel fully informed and comfortable with the explanations you receive. You should also feel free to request any other information relevant to your health care and treatment.

ASK YOUR PHYSICIAN

1. Education: Where did you attend medical school? When did you graduate? What kind of graduate medical education, including residencies and fellowships, did you complete? What specialties are you eligible for or Board-certified in? What faculty appointments do you hold? What other medical education have you completed?
2. Participation in Health Plans: Do you participate in Medicaid? Medicare? Champus? PPOs? HMOs? Which ones? Do you accept my insurance coverage? Who files my claims?
3. Practice Information: What is your primary area of practice? How long have you been in practice? Where is your office located? What medical groups are you affiliated with? Are you accepting new patients? What languages are spoke in your office? Where do you have hospital staff privileges?
4. Disciplinary Actions: Have you ever been subject to discipline by the Florida Board of Medicine, Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine or other professional boards from other states in the past five years? (If your physician has been subjected to discipline, ask for a full explanation of the circumstances.)
5. Criminal Convictions: Have you been convicted of any felonies or serious misdemeanors? (If your physician has been convicted of such crimes, ask for a full explanation of the circumstances.)
6. Professional Liability Judgments and Settlements: Have you ever been subject to any professional liability judgments or settlements that led to disciplinary actions by the Florida Board of Medicine or the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine? (If your physician has been subject to such judgments or settlements, you should compare his or her record against other physicians in similar specialties and practice, with similar years of experience. You should also be aware that this information does not necessarily reflect on the quality of care your physician provides. Physicians in certain high-risk specialties, such as obstetrics and neurosurgery, experience higher rates of lawsuits than specialists in other areas.)