With November upon us, we are in an election season which will determine the ease or hardship we have fighting and advocating to take care of our patients, manage a practice, and maintain the physician-patient relationship.
Reduced regulations, easier or no pre-authorizations for indicated testing, appropriate reimbursements, malpractice/tort reform, antitrust relief, and more common sense Worker’s Compensation rules and regulations are some of the many things your NYSSOS Board is advocating for. We are involved with regulations and advocacy to help orthopaedic surgeons improve musculoskeletal care at the state and national level.
We had a successful and informative annual meeting at the University of Rochester in September. A special thanks to Sam Flemister MD for doing such a great job as program coordinator. Next year’s meeting will be in September in Albany and I would like to extend an invitation to all to attend for great educational talks along with advocacy and practice management updates.
We would like to thank and recognize outgoing NYSSOS President John Olsewski MD for his tireless work and advocacy on all of our behalves the past two years. He improved our fiscal stability, improved the Worker’s Compensation board relationship, started our MLMIC reduced nerve injury in total joint initiative which we will be rolling out next year, and has been fighting for eliminating silent PPO reductions below the New York State Worker’s Compensation rate which is currently increasing.
I encourage all Orthopaedic surgeons to make sure to join your New York State Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons (NYSSOS) and ask those who are already members to renew your membership.
We are stronger together and we represent all orthopaedic surgeons in the state whether private practice, academic or employed physicians, or physicians in training.
Please make a special point to encourage your partners or colleagues to join and also contribute to the OrthoPAC which is our advocacy arm. Society membership dues do not go to OrthoPAC and we have been growing the size, importance, and relevancy of our state PAC which goes to state issues and is separate from the AAOS PAC.
Please reach out to your District Representatives, your Board of Councilors, the NYSSOS Board, Babette Grey (our excellent Executive Director), or me with issues or concerns that come up so that we can be a resource and of assistance.
James Slough, MD
NYSSOS President
2018-2020
