This will be my final message as President of the KMA, as our organization prepares to pass the presidential torch to Dr. Evelyn Montgomery-Jones at our Annual Meeting this week. I am looking forward to working with her on her wellness initiatives, which have made a tangibly positive impact in her community, as well as for the physician community in Kentucky. I have enjoyed partnering with many of you on our current initiatives, and I am especially honored to have had the opportunity to represent such a dedicated and compassionate group of professionals. Thank you for your support during this past year.
During my inaugural address, I outlined three priorities for my Presidency: improving our state’s immunization rates, advocating for prior authorization reform, and encouraging future physician leaders. While we faced many challenges during the year, I believe we have made significant progress towards achieving all three of these goals. This success is a testament to the collective effort of our members, who have consistently gone above and beyond to ensure that our Association remains a powerful voice and advocate for the medical profession.
One of our more notable accomplishments this year was our public health effort, Voices for Vaccination. Through public service announcements, print and digital ads, and educational opportunities for both physicians and other healthcare providers, we have successfully reached more than 1 million Kentuckians and addressed challenges such as vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, and communication. We are currently engaging in one more outreach effort with back to school, and we will be looking at vaccination rates in some of our targeted areas to see if our efforts have been successful. I want to thank each and every one of you for your work in this area. Vaccines are safe and save lives. I think we have been highly effective in getting that message out.
While we are disappointed that our priority bill on prior authorization reform did not advance this session, we remain optimistic that with continued advocacy from our members and the public, as well as collaboration with lawmakers, this critical legislation will soon be enacted. Due to your advocacy, lawmakers now know that this is a significant problem that affects everyday practice, and they are aware of the negative effects it has on patient health. Your stories, your participation in our KMA Physicians’ Day at the Capitol, and your direct engagement with legislators have been invaluable. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to testify, meet with legislators, and engage in grassroots advocacy. Our members and our patients can’t thank you enough. We will persist in our efforts to eliminate artificial barriers to patient care.
In addition to our legislative successes, we made significant strides in education and professional development. Our continuing medical education programs reached record attendance this year, reflecting our commitment to providing high-quality, relevant, and accessible education for our members. We also continue to build on our Medical Student Outreach and Leadership (MSOL) Program and our award-winning Kentucky Physicians Leadership Institute (KPLI). I am proud to share that a significant and growing number of current KMA leaders are KPLI graduates, representing one of the most diverse leadership groups of any organization in Kentucky. KMA plays an important role in training physician leaders, and I look forward to working with KMA in the future in helping to train the next generation.
As I reflect on these achievements, I am reminded that none of this would have been possible without the involvement and dedication of our members. Your commitment to our KMA, and to the health and well-being of our communities, is inspiring. Whether through your participation in our programs, your contributions to our advocacy efforts, or your engagement in our many initiatives, each of you has played a vital role in our success. For that, I am deeply grateful.
In previous President’s messages, I highlighted previous physician leaders who made a significant impact on me and who played a key role in developing my leadership skills. One of the most important influences on me was our previous President, Dr. Monalisa Tailor. I first met Dr. Tailor during our Focus Forward strategic planning sessions. She was the young physicians’ representative on the task force, and she expertly articulated the thoughts, views, opinions and needs of our young physicians, most of which I had not thought through or about. She was instrumental in helping me, as well as the group, to understand the priorities of our younger physicians and what organized medicine could do for them, and what they as future leaders could do for the organization. Monalisa helped me to start thinking outside the box and outside my sphere of experience, and she really opened my eyes to new ways of seeing things, approaching problems, and seeing problems from many different perspectives. Dr. Tailor has set a sterling example, and one that has made me a better, more inclusive, and more understanding leader. I would not be where I am today without her example. Monalisa, I cannot thank you enough.
As I pass the torch to our next President, Dr. Evelyn Montgomery-Jones, I do so with full confidence that our KMA will continue to thrive. We are a strong and vibrant community, united by our shared values and our commitment to the highest standards of medical practice. Because of these values, our KMA will continue to be a leading voice for physicians and patients in the years to come.
Thank you for the privilege of serving as your President. It has been an honor to work alongside you and for you.
