Page 6 - Mecklenburg_Medicine_September-2016

President’s Letter are so many regulations we are obliged to fulfill. For people who
prefer to be in control, this is somewhat of a bitter pill. Whatever
Where do we find respite in our daily lives? Do we acquiesce we can do that allows us to continue as the helmsman in directing
under the guise of “progress,” or should we at times rage patient care, not only is vital for patients, but for our own health,
against the never-dying light and noise? I’m certain you already as well.
have found some ways to decrease the extraneous noise: being
outdoors, device-free family meals, staring down a 4-footer with Shut the door. Pause. Smile. And hear that which is truly important.
more break than you wish.
“We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and
Let me propose another place you might not have considered: restlessness. We need silence to be able to touch souls.”
the exam room. It is a confined space, usually with no more
than three people present. The EHR, or paper chart, is there, but — Mother Teresa
you control your interaction with it. If office policy is followed, 1. George Orwell, 1984.
cell phones are quieted and rarely disturb. You are literally
and figuratively walled off from the questions, labs and pre- Trivia question:
authorizations, and what noise emerges is a direct result of you In the movie “Godfather II,” there is a scene where the young
and your patient. It is the distillation of medicine in its purest
form — you with your patient taking care of his or her needs. Fredo Corleone has pneumonia. What ancient therapy do the
Everything else, if only for a while, has melted away. ladies ministering to him employ in hopes of a cure?

I know all of you find your time with patients the most Answer on page 10.
rewarding aspect of medicine — many of you personally have
told me so. I believe it is why many of us chose this profession. NCMS Board Meeting, Mixer
For me, when I shut the exam room door, the pleasures and and Educational Session
challenges of medicine alone are at the forefront. I’ve always told
myself that when I no longer feel that magic, it will be time to The North Carolina Medical Society Board
step away from clinical care. of Directors met in Charlotte on July 15 at the
Ballantyne Resort. The MCMS was well-represented
Many aspects of health care are beyond our control, and there at the Board meeting by several of its Board
members and past-presidents. Several pertinent
Election of New Officers topics, such as Medicaid expansion, were discussed.
and Directors for 2017 After the Board meeting, there was a mixer open to
MCMS members and guests. The following day, an
Ballots for the election of MCMS officers and directors Opioid Prescribing Educational Session for CME credit
will be sent by email to MCMS members who have an email was held and was well-attended by MCMS members.
address on file with the MCMS office.Those who do not have
an email address on file will receive a copy by U.S. mail.

Return your marked ballot by email to meckmed@
meckmed.org or by U.S. mail to Mecklenburg County
Medical Society, 1112 Harding Place, Suite 200, Charlotte,
NC 28204. If returning by U.S. mail, write“BALLOT”on the
outside of the envelope. Ballots must be received no later
than December 1.

Ballots will be counted by an MCMS accountant and
teller(s) appointed by the MCMS Board of Directors.
Election results will be posted in the January issue of the
Mecklenburg Medicine magazine.

6 | September 2016 • Mecklenburg Medicine