There will be more physicians than ever before climbing aboard buses, trains and planes to attend MSSNY’s State Legislation Day on Tuesday, March 4. Everyone is feeling that it is time to take their complaints out of their office to a higher office— namely, our legislators in Albany.
Dr. Mark Gold, an OB-GYN from Lenox Hill who has been practicing for 26 years, called MSSNY earlier this week to say that his hospital’s entire OB-GYN staff of 70 physicians and auxiliary personnel are “on the bus” literally and figuratively. Dr. Gold said, “We must realize that we are all in this together and on the same team. We are getting our patients involved and some of our sister hospitals. We are at our breaking point and change must happen now!”
To date, we have 17 buses filled and we have more reserved for March 4.
Physicians in New York are suffering with the escalating med-mal insurance premiums and the overall practice environment. The average age of New York physicians is approaching 55 years. There are shortages of physicians in many areas of our state. Our retention of medical students and residents training in New York is 13% at best. Given the wide differences between lawyers and physicians, political action is the only way physicians can level the playing field. These problems are creating a “perfect storm” for real change.
Your Doctor will be there, too.
