State Network News,
August 2003, Issue 47

Message from AMDA's House of Delegates Chair

Many of you certainly remember the bellhop who was a mainstay on lots of TV shows four to five decades ago, the diminutive gentleman who was cute, but surely a commercial.

Shown full or half-frame and crying in a loud voice, "Caaalllll fooooorrrrr…." the brand of a popular cigarette, he got the attention of--and also caught the fancy of--many viewers who responded by going out and purchasing a pack or carton of what he was hawking. Well, so imagine me, your duly chosen Chair of the House of Delegates, appearing virtually before you and crying in a loud voice, "Caalllll fooooorrrrr State Chapter input!" Let that capture your fancy, and look, listen and respond as those viewers of yore did, by acting on the thought. Now is a perfect time to call or send in questions or items for AMDA business. The Board of Directors will be meeting in September and will consider items needing addressing at this time. Also, as many of you proceed with your state meetings over the next few months, please solicit items for consideration at the national level, whether it is a referral to staff, to an AMDA Committee, or in the form of a resolution to be considered at the House of Delegates meeting next March.

As AMDA members, we hear time and time again that input from the grassroots membership is critical for the activities of the organization as a whole. As AMDA members, we are given multiple opportunities--through our state chapters and by working at the national level in a variety of ways--to provide that input. Why, then, is such input so sorely lacking, at least via this channel? Well into my second year now as Chair of the House, and having observed this phenomenon continually, the question intrigues me. Is it due to apathy? If so, what can we do to treat it? Is it due to poor communications? If so, shame on all of us in this day of universally available email and cell phones, to say nothing of the good 'ol U.S. Postal Service. Is it due to resignation or despair, a feeling that it is of no use to try to give input? If so, shame on us at the leadership level for letting that feeling arise and survive. Or, maybe there's just no need. But, no news is not good news. Silence is not golden. Silence on the part of the grassroots membership, via the state chapters or otherwise, is basic non-communication.

"Caalllll fooooorrrrr State Chapter feedback!" Let us hear what you're thinkin'...

Alva S. "Buzz" Baker, MD, CMD
Chair, House of Delegates

In This Issue of State Network News:

Winter Management Conference
AMDA's 2003 Winter Management Conference will include the last offering of the current Core Curriculum on Medical Direction as well as an Advanced Course.

Chapter News
News and updates from the State Chapters.

AMDA Gears Up for the 2004 Annual Meeting
Mark you calendar for the 2004 AMDA Annual Symposium, Making the Desert Bloom: Creating Excellence in Long Term Care, to be held March 4-7 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Medical Liability Solutions Priority for States in 2004
Searching for solutions to medical liability reform and reducing health care costs will figure prominently in the states' legislative agenda for the fiscal year 2004, according to a recent survey. Also, Senate May Consider Liability Reform in '04.

Clinical Affairs Update
The Multidisciplinary Medication Management committee is working on a new tool kit for management of antithrombotics and anticoagulants in the long term care setting.

Medicare Conferees Consider Regulatory Reform
House and Senate conferees began reconciling differences between the two Medicare Reform bills; a a final bill may come in early October.

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