MSMS Board: Focused on Future of Medicine

The physician leaders of the Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) Board of Directors have identified five high priority issues that are essential to the future of medicine in Michigan.  MSMS’s Future of Medicine initiatives and collaborations are focused on these key issues:

Viability of Primary Care - In addition to creating a special Task Force on Primary Care and incorporating the issue into such ongoing efforts as the Physician Organization Council and the Committee on Health Care Quality & Economics, MSMS leadership is scheduling meetings with Michigan’s major payers to advocate for primary care incentives, as well as advocating at the capitol on issues that directly affect primary care (Medicaid funding levels, tax policy, scope of practice, GME funding).

Quality & Safety - Among the ongoing efforts in the areas of quality and safety, MSMS is working with Medical Advantage Group and its LEAN contractor to identify best practices throughout the state. MSMS leaders also are supporting the efforts of the Michigan Health and Safety Coalition, as well as educating members on several different quality initiatives, such as MPRO, MQIC, Keystone, and Patient Safety Culture.

Medicaid - The Board of Directors sees the viability of Medicaid as absolutely essential to the health of Michigan’s patients. Medicaid has been a long-standing priority of MSMS, as demonstrated in its continual efforts to protect funding, coverage and reimbursement, as well as its frequent meetings with Michigan Medicaid and advocacy at the capitol. MSMS has been working diligently to preserve access to patients even as the program remains sorely underfunded. Also, the Medicaid program will see an influx of new patients as health care reform rolls out, and this safety net program must be fixed because what exists is not sustainable, and cannot be expanded in its present state. Making Medicaid a strategic priority will allow the Board to direct additional resources to this key issue.

Health Care Resources Stewardship - Health care stewardship was identified by MSMS leadership as a key component to improving health care outcomes across the widest spectrum of patients. MSMS will build off of work from the past year and identify the most effective organizations and initiatives and build off of them to help Michigan’s patients make informed health care decisions and improve health care delivery, in an effort to reduce overall health care costs, but not at the expense of quality and safety.

Child Obesity - Strengthening coalitions, supporting the governor’s 4x4 recommendations for public health, and working to ensure that children had access to healthy foods in child care and school settings were among some of the actions taken by the MSMS Board and its FOM leaders.

Click above to view a video message about the Strategic Objectives from MSMS Board Chair James Grant, MD.

Michigan physicians certainly recognize that health care is at a point of departure. The status quo threatens everyone: Patients. Payers. Physicians. Other providers. We all know things need to change. We seek a more cohesive system down the road. The MSMS Board of Directors' Strategic Objectives to define the Future of Medicine key off of the comprehensive report MSMS commissioned that queried stakeholders--some of the best minds in business, labor, government, consumer groups, hospitals, nursing, insurers, health plans, long-term care and law. The consensus was clear: we need to change direction now and physicians must help lead the way.

If you have questions about the MSMS Future of Medicine strategic objectives, please contact MSMS Board Chair James D. Grant, MD, or MSMS Executive Director Julie Novak at 517-336-5735 or jnovak@msms.org. For information on the work of the committees contact Director, Health Care Delivery Rebecca Blake at 517-336-5729 or rblake@msms.org.