YPS Section Leadership
 

Albert HSU, MD, Columbia
​Chair, MSMA YPS
Nita Kohli, MD, MPH, St. Louis
MSMA YPS Member
Young Physician Leaders at the AMA (A-18)
By Nita Kohli, MD, MPH, and Albert Hsu, MD

One of the most interesting issues at the American Medical Association Annual Meeting is the encroachment of private equity in medicine.  Corporate America is trying to figure out where to put their money, as the stock market is overheated, the interest rates are too low in banks, and many investors are turning to healthcare.

Approximately 14 percent of private equity acquisitions are now in healthcare, and these private equity groups often bundle multiple medical practices and then rapidly “flip” them.  The largest dermatology group in the USA is now owned by a Canadian retirement fund, and while such practices may be great for revenue generation, there is a potential loss of healthcare dollars to non-healthcare entities that have little incentive to reinvest in their healthcare practices.

The potential threats by private equity (“If you don’t sell to us, we will open 20 offices in your catchment area to compete against you”), and the profit-models of private equity firms may result in high-pressure RVU production guidelines, in which physician groups lose all autonomy and essentially become indentured servants. 

Obvious concerns includd “profit over patients” in highly-leveraged private equity environments, as well as fears about when those firms go bankrupt (where doors are locked, records aren’t retrieved, and patients are abandoned with no continuity of care).

While some decried the general increase in corporate ownership of physician practices today (with predatory practices, under-bids and subsidies, and playing fields skewed against risk-averse physicians), others pointed out the unique features of private equity, in which ownership “flips” frequently. An example was given of one dermatology group being owned by four different groups within an 18-month period!

Still others brought up the fact that some money behind these private equity groups may come from hospitals and Pharma and insurance companies – and that such inherent conflicts of interest may be masked by using private equity groups. 

​Multiple physician specialties including dermatology, orthopedics, OB/Gyn, and radiation oncology indicated the urgent need for the AMA to draft model contract language for when private equity groups take over medical practices.  A resolution on this issue was passed by the AMA, and we look forward to a report back next June.

Other advocacy and public policy issues that were addressed by the AMA-YPS include:
  • Prohibiting retrospective ER coverage denial and returning to prudent layperson standard for emergency services
  • Insulin affordability
  • Physician burnout and wellness challenges
  • Advancing gender equity in medicine and advancing the goal of equal pay for women in medicine
  • Reducing disparities in obstetric outcomes, maternal morbidity, and prenatal care
  • Clarifying federal enforcement of medical marijuana laws from the Department of Justice
  • Integrating drug price information into EMRs
  • Augmented intelligence in healthcare
  • Legalization of interpharmacy transfer of electronic controlled substance prescriptions
  • Maintenance of certification
  • Economic credentialing
  • Survivorship care plans
  • Handling hazardous drugs
  • Alcohol use and cancer
  • Treating opioid use disorder

​If you or someone you know is a young physician who may be interested in getting involved in the MSMA-YPS and/or AMA-YPS, contact MSMA Director of Marketing Stephen Foutes at stephen@msma.org or 800-869-6762, and/or visit the AMA-YPS webpage at https://www.ama-assn.org/yps-annual-overview.


Albert Hsu, MD                                                          Nita Kohli, MD, MPH
Reproductive Endocrinologist                            Dermatologist
Chair, MSMA-YPS                                                    Member, MSMA-YPS
​Columbia, Mo.                                                            St. Louis, Mo.
alhsu@alum.mit.edu                                              neecoli@hotmail.com 


​Important Meeting Dates:

2018 American Medical Association (AMA) - Young Physicians Section Meeting; November 9-13 at the Gaylord National Harbor Hotel in National Harbor, Maryland
(AMA-YPS interim meeting is primarily held on Fri 11/9-Sat 11/10)
 
2019 MSMA annual meeting; April 5-7 at the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center: http://www.msma.org/
Young Physician Section Governing Council
The YPS Governing Council currently consists of five voting members, the current council is as follows:
 
Chair:                
Albert Hsu, MD
Specialty: Reproductive Endocrinology
Columbia, Mo.

Vice Chair:       
Kirsten Dunn, MD
Specialty: Internal Medicine/Primary Care
St. Louis, Mo.

Secretary:        
Fasuyi Omofolarin, MD
Specialty: Family Medicine
Rolla, Mo.
Treasurer:        
Ramona Behshad, MD
Specialty: Dermatology
St. Louis, Mo.

Councilor:        
Ramona Behshad, MD
Specialty: Dermatology
St. Louis, Mo.

Vice-Councilor:
Sarah Lovinger Florio, MD
Specialty: Internal Medicine
Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Each year, the YPS has a delegate and an alternate delegate to represent the section during the House of Delegates. To learn more, scroll down.

2018 YPS Delegate:    
Kirsten Dunn, M.D.
Specialty: Family Medicine
St. Louis, MO
Young Physician Section Delegate and Alternate Delegate Overview
 
The MSMA Young Physician Section (YPS) is allowed one delegate and one alternate delegate to serve on the MSMA House of Delegates (HOD) each year. The HOD meets annually at the MSMA Annual Convention. The 2019 Convention will be held April 5-7 at the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center.

The YPS Delegate must be a member in good standing with MSMA. They will be the voting member for YPS within the House of Delegates. The Alternate Delegate must also be a member in good standing with MSMA. The Alternate Delegate will stand in for the Delegate if they are unable to attend the Annual Convention.

Responsibilities of Delegate:
  • Be the voting member for the YPS at the MSMA House of Delegates.
  • Review the Delegate Handbook prior to attending the MSMA Annual Convention. The Handbook will be mailed to Delegates in advance of the Annual Convention. All resolutions submitted by the February 1 deadline will be included in the handbook.
  • The YPS Delegate will be expected to attend:
  • Opening Session of the House of Delegates to be held Friday, April 5, at 8 a.m. at the Convention Hotel.
  • At least one Reference Committee meeting. The Reference Committee meetings overlap, so a delegate will not be able to attend the entire time of both Committee meetings. Reference Committee A will meet at 10 a.m. and Reference Committee B will meet at 10:30 a.m., both on Friday, April 5.
  • YPS Program and Business Meeting on Saturday, April 6, (time is TBA).
  • Second Session of the House of Delegates to be held Sunday, April 7 at 8:15 a.m. at the Convention Hotel.
  • Delegates MUST register at the Registration Booth and identify themselves as a Delegate. The Delegate will then receive the Delegate’s badge. Each Delegate elected to the House of Delegates by his/her component medical society or section will be included on a Delegate’s List at the MSMA Registration Desk.
  • Only duly elected Delegates have the privilege of the floor at meetings of the House of Delegates. A Delegate may request the privilege of the floor for any other individual, and the Speaker may grant or deny privilege for the non-Delegate to speak.

Proceedings of the House of Delegates are conducted in accordance with Sturgis Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure, 4th Edition.
The 2017 Resolutions and their actions can be viewed here.