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| Alnoor A. Malick, MD, FACAAI |
Welcome to the AMA Corner managed and prepared by Alnoor A. Malick, MD, FACAAI, the College's Delegate to the AMA House of Delegates, to keep you abreast of important AMA news and developments impacting allergy-immunology.
The health of your practice vs. your own personal health
In his recent blog, AMA President Cecil B. Wilson, MD, remarked, "As physicians, we prioritize the health of others. Our patients' health comes first. It takes precedence. It's the foremost thing on our minds. It's the epitome of what we accomplish each day as physicians and why we chose our work in this profession. But what about us — the health of physicians? Unfortunately, this tends to get lost in the shuffle. This is not a criticism but an observation. And I know this firsthand. While I make a valiant effort to practice what I preach, it's hard to find the time for my morning walk and a little life reflection. Throw family, friends, the life of being AMA president (or the life of practice), a BlackBerry, maybe a social life, and some personal interests into the mix, and the focus on one's personal health becomes a challenge."
This could be one of the most difficult tasks we face as physicians. However, there is help. For three days this fall, one can focus on striking a healthy balance between caring for patients and maintaining one's own personal health. The AMA, in collaboration with the Canadian (CMA) and British Medical Associations (BMA), will host the AMA-CMA-BMA International Conference on Physician Health 2010, "Physician Health and Resiliency in the 21st Century," Oct. 3–5 at the Swissotel Chicago.
With regard to the health of our practices, "The economic downturn has more physicians giving serious thought to dropping insurers who pay too little or create too many hassles," according to a story by American Medical News. "Experts say that deciding which insurer to drop and then, if appropriate, actually taking them off the rolls requires careful analysis and handling." Read the rest at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/08/09/bica0809.htm.
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