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Reporter-at-Large: At the MSMS 2022 House of Delegates
Richard E. Burney, MD
Kalamazoo, MI. 5/1/2022. The Michigan State Medical Society held its 2022 House of Delegates meeting at the Radisson Hotel and Suites April 30 and May 1, 2022. This was the first in-person meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic precluded such meetings two years ago. In the interim, two virtual meetings were held but the amount of business that could be done was limited. Delegates felt that the lack of personal interaction detracted from their ability to meaningfully engage in the business of the House. For this year’s meeting, health precautions were taken: delegates were required to show proof of full COVID vaccination or negative COVID test within 72 hours; masks were required at all sessions and social distancing was enabled where possible. The delegates abided by the mask mandate without protest, although by the final session some faces were visible. Delegates celebrated the return of personal interaction.
The Washtenaw County Medical Society was repre- sented by Drs. Hopper, Gray, Szocik, Nnodim, Eccles,
Threat, Mitchiner, Koopman, Walden, and Burney. Drs. Hopper, Gray, Threat, and M-1 Charlotte Kreger served on reference committees.
The House of Delegates by the Numbers
By my rough count adding the numbers in the Del- egate Handbook, 192 delegates and alternates were eligible to attend the session: 137 from county medical societies; 19 from the Medical Student Section; 27 from specialty societies; 9 at-large. The final attendance numbers were 120 delegates from counties and 35 board members; 40 MSMS and county staff also attended. (I don’t know how that compares to prior years.)
Also, by my count, 5 reference committees considered 66 resolutions or board reports on prior resolutions. Physicians from 8 counties submitted 41 resolutions. Kent County submitted 16 resolutions, by far the most of any county. Washtenaw submitted 8 and joined with
8 Washtenaw County Medical Society BULLETIN SUMMER 2022