What an exciting whirlwind it’s been since being inaugurated as the 2022-2023 KMA President! For those of you who don’t know me, I am Dr. Monalisa Tailor, and I am an internal medicine physician with Norton Healthcare in Louisville. I’ve been involved with organized medicine since I was a medical student, and getting to serve as your KMA President is an honor and a privilege.
While it was wonderful to see so many faces in person during the KMA Annual Meeting a few weeks ago, I’m looking forward to meeting with many of you over the next year and working together to rejuvenate medicine.
To say that the last two and a half years have been a challenge would be an understatement. For those of us working in healthcare, the COVID-19 pandemic has left an indelible mark on our lives. Stress and burnout are at an all-time high in our profession, while mistrust and misinformation among our patients could be considered an epidemic in itself. Now more than ever, we need to come together as physicians to combat these issues and reinvigorate ourselves so that we can continue to provide the best care for the people of the Commonwealth.
As your KMA President, I plan to spearhead a number of patient education initiatives, so that Kentuckians can become more health literate and live longer, healthier lives. For physicians, I plan to spearhead CME sessions on topics like trauma informed care as we navigate this new normal.
I’m also looking forward to being a part of initiatives that will provide education to our members, including through the KMA’s new “CME Guarantee” program. This will allow our physicians to receive access to at least 30 hours of Category I Continuing Medical Education credit each three-year cycle at no cost. These sessions will provide the opportunity for physicians to connect and learn from one another, as well as discuss ways we can better serve and collaborate for our patients. This issue of Kentucky Health eNews contains a new section dedicated to sharing current and upcoming CME opportunities as part of the CME Guarantee, with links to register or view with just a click. I encourage you to check out the offerings available each issue.
Throughout all of these efforts, I’m also looking forward to highlighting in particular the women and people of color who are “rejuvenating medicine” through their work and leadership. As the youngest KMA President in history, as well as the first woman of color, I am honored to use my platform to lift up the diversity of our membership and celebrate what these individuals bring to their patients, practices, and communities.
I’m so proud of the work of the KMA, particularly over these last few (very challenging) years. I am excited to build upon that success and continue to strengthen our Association. Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your President.
