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Response to Dr. BernhardtCecil B. Wilson, M.D., President,
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Response to Dr. BernhardtCecil B. Wilson, M.D., President,
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My compliments to you on your thoughtful consideration of the future of FMA publications and activities. I certainly agree with your conclusions that "the FMA needs to let the physicians of Florida know that its reason for being is to promote a stable legislative and business climate for the practicing physicians in this state. Pure and simple."
You're right on, too, when you say, "It should be the job of the FMA to promulgate statewide programs that enhance the image of the practicing physician in this state to the populations at large."
We are working hard to accomplish both of those goals.
Where we might disagree, however, is over the notion that suspending publication of The Journal of the Florida Medical Association will prevent us from fulfilling both of those important responsibilities—or that any member will be "disenfranchised."
Despite suspension of regular publication of The Journal of the Florida Medical Association, the FMA will continue to provide news and information about Florida medicine to all FMA members, to legislators and government officials, and to the public through a variety of print and high-tech/high-speed vehicles:
FMA Today, our 16-page tabloid newspaper, will continue to be published at least six times per year. The focus of FMA Today will continue to be current news and information about the association and the programs, projects and efforts of FMA members statewide. Legislative issues that affect physicians will be highlighted, along with regulatory challenges. A special issue will provide a wrap-up of the 1998 legislative session and its impact on physicians and patients. The publication outlines member benefits, provides information on FMA events, and provides important public health news.
"FMA This Week" (formerly "Every Thursday" [ET]) is a news update published weekly by the Florida Medical Association that is available to all members through MedONE, the FMA's website (http://www.medone.org, username: <fmamember>; password: <flmd>), or through e-mail by request to communications@medone.org. "FMA This Week" includes the latest news on FMA events and achievements, position papers, and public health, regulatory and legal information that affects the practice of medicine. In 1998 "FMA This Week" will be distributed by broadcast fax and e-mail.
The FMA's website, MedONE (http://www.medone.org) is open to all Internet users. FMA members can access the site with the username <fmamember>; password <flmd>. MedONE includes a huge variety of FMA documents, including position papers, the policy compendium, an address book of e-mail addresses, press releases, public health and socioeconomic abstracts, legislative information and contacts and previously published documents. MedONE also provides hot links to a wide range of other medical sites.
To be initiated during 1998, broadcast faxes headlined FMA Now! will provide immediate two-way communications between physicians and the FMA on urgent legislative and regulatory matters. FMA Now! broadcast faxes will include a response mechanism that will allow physicians to provide their opinions and concerns immediately to legislators and others who make decisions about healthcare issues.
Sent to key legislative contact physicians, Legislative Bulletin, produced weekly during the legislative session, provides instant updates and calls to action on legislative happenings.
These quick-read collections of up-to-date facts and information are provided to readers of "FMA This Week" and are available on the Internet at http://www.medone.org, FMA/FMAA News and Information, Medical Practice and Economics.
A wealth of FMA documents are available through fax-on-demand. To acquire a list of documents and instructions for acquiring them, call 800-762-0233.
Although regular monthly publication of The Journal of the Florida Medical Association has been suspended, special issues, underwritten by specialty societies and other organizations, will be published. These special issues will be distributed to all FMA members.
What the suspension of the Journal has forced us to recognize—and it's too bad that financial difficulties had to bring us this insight—is, as Dr. Bernhardt, recognizes, "The times...they are a'changing."
The Journal has a long and illustrious record of providing scientific information to FMA members. It has received accolades for the quality of its scientific articles and has engendered its share of controversy from time to time as a result of weighing in on issues of the day.
The Journal suspension forces us to answer some critical questions: What type of publications best meet our current needs? Does a primarily scientific journal, with a smattering of editorial commentary, respond to the needs of a medical association composed of members representing all specialties? Can we provide a useful publication created by specialists for a general and diverse audience? Do specialty societies do it better? Is a journal that combines the scientific with current socioeconomic issues an effective use of our dues? Does a journal that deals only with issues relating to the health care system make sense?
Should we instead focus our communications efforts and necessarily limited resources on providing information to members, potential members and the public about the Florida Medical Association, the Alliance and county medical societies and about their all-important role in promoting "a stable legislative and business climate for the practicing physicians in this state"?
Ultimately, the answer to these and other questions must come from our members. A part of the effort to get this information is a reading preference survey attached to the final regular issue of the Journal, which is currently being distributed. It is my hope that every FMA member will take the few minutes required to complete this questionnaire and provide us some guidance on these very important questions.
I very much appreciate this opportunity to respond to Dr. Bernhardt's thoughtful column. We are grateful for the interest in maintaining the Florida Medical Association as an effective, vocal advocate for Florida's physician community.
Editor's Note: Much thanks to Dr. Wilson for this enlightening response.
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