HJNO Sep/Oct 2025

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  SEP / OCT 2025 43 Lindsay York, MD, MPH JPMS President Inside the LSMS Annual Meeting: Resolutions, Leadership, and Advocacy Reese Newsome, MD, opened the Friday session of the House of Delegates. Former LSMS presidents in attendance included Richard Paddock, MD, and Susan Bank- ston, MD, both unanimously voted to be inducted into the LSMS Hall of Fame. Highlights of the resolutions passed in- cluded: 1. Endorsement of equal payments for facility fees for in-office and hospital-based procedures. 2. Opposition to any legislatively mandated CME requirements for physicians. 3. Clarification of how any letters of support from the LSMS will be ap- proved. 4. Support to require vendors who provide EMR services to provide 180 days’notice should they plan to withdraw services. A special audio-visual presentation was made during the House of Delegates ses- sion to commemorate the 50th anniver- sary of the Louisiana Medical Malpractice Act (Act 817 of 1975) that established the malpractice cap in Louisiana and the asso- ciated medical review panel review. General Session: The morning general session began with Conrad Meyer, JD, presenting a review of the legal and technical issues pertaining to physician unionization. He described the mechanisms needed to establish union eligibility within a group and the steps to subsequent creation of the union. Several examples of successful physician union- ization were described, mostly by resident physicians but also by practicing physician groups. Steen Trawick, MD, was installed as the new LSMS president at the inauguration luncheon. He stressed his desire to get to know as much as possible about all of the constituents of the LSMS so that he might serve the organization more effectively. The afternoon general session was led by Frank Opelka, JD, from the Louisiana Department of Insurance. He reviewed the department’s role in regulating insurance products in the state and pointed out that less than 15% of the insurance/coverage products in the state are subject to signif- icant state oversight (most have primarily federal oversight). The Saturday morning education ses- sions started with a review by Conrad Meyer, JD, and Beau Haynes, JD, of the im- portant components relating to physician contracts and compensation. Emphasis was placed on the need to have all import- ant aspects of the employment agreement in writing. In the next session, Kenneth Rhea, MD, from LAMMICO highlighted the impor- tance of good patient communication by the physician and all members of the of- fice staff. Good communication is a driver of patient loyalty and satisfaction and de- creases the risk of malpractice claims. The final education session focused on physician advocacy as an increasingly im- portant activity. This session was led by Marina Bowen from LSMS and featured John Poole, MD, from the AMA, and Susan Bankston, MD, and Matthew Giglia, MD. This session emphasized the need for phy- sicians to identify and to get to know their local state representatives and senators — all politics are local. John Cole, MD OPMS President Physicians for Prevention This summer marks the debut of Phy- sicians for Prevention, a physician-led vaccine awareness initiative committed to delivering authoritative, evidence-based information to the public. Through dy- namic digital media across widely used platforms, the campaign will confront misinformation head-on, address prev- alent misconceptions, and underscore the irreplaceable role of vaccines in safe- guarding both individual and community health, particularly among children and older adults. Anchored by the trusted voices of local physicians, Physicians for Prevention will spotlight those on the front lines of care as they speak directly to the lifesaving val- ue of immunization. Backed by charitable foundations and professional leadership, this effort fills a critical void left by the re- treat of broader state and federal vaccine outreach. Strategic partnerships with lo- cal healthcare organizations, community stakeholders, and public health leaders will extend the campaign’s reach and am- plify its impact. More details, resources, and opportunities for engagement will follow as we unite to fortify Louisiana’s health through prevention. n To join MASELA, go to masela.org/join.