New Hanover and surrounding counties are represented at the Town Hall meeting underway in Wilmington at the New Hanover Regional Medical Center.  As the meeting convened, physicians  expressed their disappointment in the Governor’s veto of SB 33-Medical Liability Reforms. However, there is a commitment to action on behalf of the medical community to encourage legislators to overrride the veto when the General Assembly reconvenes in Raleigh later this month.

“We are disappointed, obviously,” said NCMS President-Elect and Legislative Cabinet Chairman Charlie Monteiro, MD, attending from New Bern.  “But the Governor doesn’t have the last word. We are pleased that we have the opportunity to work with the NC General Assembly to make this balanced, thorough legislation a reality.”

NCMS General Counsel Steve Keene, JD, presented information about the main provisions of the bill and recommended actions for local physicians. Keene emphasized that the most important communications about this legislation need to come from the medical community. Physicians were encouraged to talk to local legislators either by email, phone, or in person. The New Hanover-Pender Medical Society has scheduled a meeting with Rep. Suzi Hamilton and other meetings are in the works.

“This is the time,” said Dr. Monteiro. “Even physicians who have never made a single contact with a legislator need to take action now.”   Other Town Hall comments included:

–Questions included how to get to the Capwiz email tool. Physicians can go to the main page of the NCMS website, www.ncmedsoc.og, and click the article on the veto.

–Physicians were complimentary of their local legislators and commented that they were looking forward to continuing meaningful dialogue with them. They plan to thank them for the work they have done on this legislation so far.

–Attendees asked if there were other areas of the state they could target with contacts. The NCMS will publish a list of legislators to contact statewide.