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meeting in particular when the vaccines had recently become available. We were all being bombarded by questions from patients, friends, and family members about how to get their vaccine. Members shared what
they had learned, and which resources had been the most helpful in getting the necessary information. Now that
our eyes have been opened regarding our virtual meeting capabilities, we will need to determine the optimal balance for future meetings as society re-opens and we are able
to gather again. We will continue to work to leverage the benefits technology can offer to help us connect and complete the amazing work we do for our patients and community.
The pandemic is not the only source of great change we
are undergoing as a society. The pandemic highlighted racial disparities as it disproportionately killed members
of our black and brown communities. The murder of George Floyd and far too many other black citizens lead
to massive Black Lives Matters demonstrations across the country and the world. Systemic racism and social injustice have profound impacts on the health of our patients from minority groups. I led the charge as we joined the AMA and other physician organizations in proclaiming the health impact of police brutality and calling for societal change. Our members displayed our unity with the White Coats for Black Lives demonstration, and we proudly shared their photos and messages on our social media platforms. Governor Whitmer mandated implicit bias training for all licensed physicians. We are working to develop a resource that would provide a meaningful and impactful means to not only meet this requirement, but
in fact educate physicians on health disparities. There is
a national movement to end injustice, and the voice of physicians is a vital element to ensure that the undeniable impact on the health and wellbeing of our black and brown patients is at the forefront of the conversation. These are only the beginning steps toward achieving equality for Wayne County Medical Society. I am humbled and grateful for the incredible work that many of our members have already accomplished. We are forging alliances with other organizations working for these common goals, including the Wayne State School of Medicine and School of Law and community organizations, initiating a coalition for social justice. We are finally addressing these issues to overcome centuries of racism and inequality, and I am confident that the accomplishments of the Wayne County Medical Society and our members will have a profoundly positive impact.
The past year has brought unprecedented challenges, and the Wayne County Medical Society has emerged stronger and more resolute. I would like to take a moment to express my profound gratitude to our board members for your efforts and accomplishments. We made wellness services
available to our members, and we are redoubling our efforts to ensure members are aware of these services and utilize them when needed. We are also developing our social
media presence
to reach our
members in new
and innovative
ways. We reassessed our editorial process for the Detroit Medical News to deliver content that focuses on the
needs of our members. We adapted our resolution review process to meet the needs of a virtual House of Delegates meeting twice. We have expanded the involvement of our inspirational medical students to enhance our committee work. We have accomplished incredible feats working with our legislature, including the recent passage of prior authorization reform legislation in our Michigan Senate, which is the culmination of efforts from our members and leaders. We responded to the ever-changing demands for our financial health as a society. We performed so well that we were able to repay some of our debt from before the pandemic. We even updated our bylaws to reflect
the changes necessary for our society to function during the pandemic. Thank you once again to the incredible physicians serving as leaders in our society for all of these accomplishments.
When I reflect on the past year, I could not be prouder of the Wayne County Medical Society. Our response to the hardships we faced fills me with optimism for what’s to come. There is still a great deal of uncertainty surrounding many aspects of our lives and exactly what life will look like after the pandemic. But I’m ready to toast the new normal. I still miss some aspects of the old normal, like social gatherings and the ability to freely hug friends and loved ones. But the old normal was also fraught with racism, sexism, inequality, homophobia, transphobia, classism, patriarchy, xenophobia, and numerous other maladies that have plagued our society for far too long. Now is our time to shape the new normal. What exactly does the future hold for Wayne County Medical Society? I don’t know. But I do know that the future is bright, and we will continue
to accomplish amazing things. With that, I could not be happier to pass along the presidency to the very capable hands of Dr. Alireza Meysami. I am elated to join the ranks of the past presidents and support the continued success of the Wayne County Medical Society of Southeast Michigan.
Second Quarter 2021
Detroit Medical News 15
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