Dear Colleague,
I invite you to take part in the 2011 North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) Annual Meeting and House of Delegates, scheduled for October 21-23, 2011 at the Raleigh Marriott City Center in downtown Raleigh.
The theme of this year’s meeting is “A Strong Voice in Historic Times.” With the recent passage of landmark medical liability reform legislation in our state, these are indeed momentous times for the profession of medicine. The Medical Society has worked tirelessly for years to achieve this victory for you. The changes brought about with this new law will help to make health care more affordable and will draw more talented physicians to North Carolina, improving care and access for our patients. What makes this liability reform win even more meaningful, though, is the way in which it came to be: through the dedicated efforts of committed leaders and the combined voices of thousands of physicians, PAs, and North Carolina citizens working together to effect change.
This demonstration of the power of organized medicine should be a lesson to all about the importance of getting involved in decision making for the future of your profession. The NCMS Annual Meeting is the perfect platform for diving into policy discussions that will affect the direction of health care and the treatment of our patients. The meeting also offers opportunities for education, with events such as the General Session, “Practice Preparation for Health Information Technology,” and with the NCMS PAC luncheon, which will review this year’s legislative achievements.
More than anything, though, the NCMS Annual Meeting is a chance to foster relationships with peers and to celebrate the accomplishments of the past year. I personally invite you to the Presidential Inauguration and Reception on Saturday, October 22, where I will pass the gavel off to President-Elect Charlie Monteiro, MD, who has graciously offered himself as our official spokesman for our Annual Meeting marketing. I appreciate his humor and dedication in urging as many people as possible to attend this important event.
All of the details you need to participate in this year’s meeting can be found online at www.ncmedsoc.org/annualmeeting. I hope you will come celebrate this historic year with us.
John R. Mangum, MD
President, NC Medical Society
