Group photo of SCMS delegation at the recent FMA Annual Meeting (left to right): Raaj Popli, M.D., Charles Chase, D.O., Sanjiv Kapil, M.D., Thomas Kelley, M.D., and Tanya Agard, M.D.

 New SCMS President Addresses Member Concerns Regarding Tumultuous Industry Change

LAKE MARY—Thomas Kelley, MD, a family medicine physician practicing at South Seminole Primary Care in Longwood, is moving into the fourth quarter of his leadership post with the Seminole County Medical Society (SCMS), a non-profit organization that represents more than 200 physicians in Seminole County.

Kelley’s goals of increasing membership and the level of participation of SCMS members are being met, and dialogue is robust on controversial issues in healthcare at the local level as it relates to the state and national level.

Orlando Medical News chatted with Kelley, a Medical College of Georgia graduate who completed a family medicine residency—he was chief resident—at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Jacksonville. He spent a decade on the faculty of Atlanta Medical Center’s Family Medicine Residency Program before joining his father, Lawrence Kelley, MD, in the Longwood practice.

Could you share members’ primary concerns?

We’re entering an unprecedented time of change in the practice of medicine, and many of my colleagues have concerns about the future of our profession. In my opinion, the two major factors driving some of the uncertainty are the increasing impact of technology systems and the still-evolving impact of the Affordable Care Act.

It seems that information technology systems are being adapted very rapidly by most healthcare organizations, and they're having a huge impact on the way we have traditionally implemented patient care. Each of the three major hospital systems in our county is using a computerized physician order entry system. Some physicians have expressed frustration at having to learn three different platforms, and questions have been raised regarding the impact this has on patient care. We recently addressed their concerns during a meeting of the Seminole County Patient Safety Council.

There was a fair consensus that challenges indeed exist as these systems are fine-tuned, but there have been some initiatives facilitated by the information technology platforms that have already improved quality and patient safety. One example would be the increased awareness and implementation of orders to prevent venous thromboembolism as a result of computerized reminders. The potential to further impact the quality of care we provide through technology systems should encourage each of us to work closely with our hospitals to identify concerns and propose solutions to any challenges encountered.

How is SCMS addressing these member concerns?

Recently, SCMS also partnered with the Central Florida Association of Physicians from the Indian Subcontinent (CAPI) to offer an electronic health record (EHR) symposium sponsored by the University of Central Florida. Most of our members understand that EHRs continue to represent the standard of documentation in the outpatient setting as well. As many of us strive to receive the benefits of meeting the “meaningful use” criteria, the conference was a great help in providing much needed information to our members.

How are SCMS members working with the Florida Medical Association (FMA) and Florida Hospital Association (FHA) on shared issues?

All of us would agree there’s a lot of uncertainty regarding the current climate of healthcare reform. It seems as though the changes that have been initiated have done little to address our concerns about the cost of practicing defensive medicine, and very little was included to limit the potential for baseless malpractice lawsuits. As a result, our members have expressed interest in strengthening the voice of physicians in this debate. Our society remains an active participant in the work of the FMA, and I have recently challenged all of our members to join the FMA Political Action Committee as the most effective agent to represent our concerns in Tallahassee and Washington. The recent victory regarding accountability of expert witnesses in malpractice cases is an excellent example of why the organization is worthy of our support.

Our members have also expressed interest in learning more about the evolving nature of relationships between hospitals and physicians. This topic came up during one of our membership meetings earlier in the year and was addressed very effectively by our keynote speaker, Kim Streit, from the FHA. As increasing changes are implemented that affect reimbursement for services provided, it’s clear that physicians and hospitals will need to work together more closely to improve quality of care, patient satisfaction and prevent readmissions and harm events. As hospitals increasingly seek to employ physicians and ACOs are formed to meet these challenges, we all have an interest in making certain these relationships have a foundation in trust and cooperation.

Please share the importance of the society’s outreach projects, particularly the Haiti medical mission trips.

The SCMS is also a very service-oriented organization. We support local students who have an interest in healthcare by offering two scholarships (through the Dr. Luis Perez and Dr. Willie Newman scholarship programs) to the community each year. Many of our members also volunteer their time both locally and internationally. Most recently, I returned from a weeklong medical mission trip to Haiti sponsored by Dr. Ralph Gousse. We treated nearly 500 patients in three different remote locations during our time there. This was my second trip, and I brought my wife and two teenage sons (Cliff and Ryan) with me this time. I can't emphasize enough the impact I believe the experience had on my children, and we’re all looking forward to returning. Dr. Gousse’s organization (Haiti Help Med Plus) is always coordinating future trips, and he could especially use the help of primary care physicians, general surgeons and anesthesiologists in future efforts. Basic medications and medical supplies, as well as equipment in good working order, are needed. If anyone is interested, contact Dr. Gousse through his organization’s website, haitihelpmed.org.

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