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(24) TARRANT COUNTY PHYSICIAN
January/February 2021 continued from page 23
And especially when lives are at stake,
never again should physicians have to
fight a war on two fronts—caring for
severely ill patients in a raging pandemic .
. . while at the same time battling a public
relations war that questions the legitimacy
of our work and our motives.
This is unacceptable . . . and we will
not and cannot continue to work in this
atmosphere.
While we have seen the best of
physicians in 2020 . . . we were reminded
again of the power of the AMA, the TMA,
the TCMS, and of the entire Federation
community working on our behalf and
being our voice when it mattered most.
Our organizations created tools and
resources—all grounded in credible
science and evidence—to help us
respond to this historic crisis.
We pushed the administration to
accelerate production for testing and
PPE. TMA and TCMS kept our practices
supplied with life-saving equipment.
Our medical organizations helped
establish a financial lifeline for struggling
physician practices, securing tens of
billions of dollars in financial support,
grants, and interest-free loans to infuse
practices with much-needed capital to
survive this pandemic.
Organized medicine was a leading
national voice in support of science,
evidence, and data as the surest path
through this pandemic, launching a major
public health campaign to encourage
everyone, everywhere to “Mask Up.”
All of us should be proud of how
organized medicine has stood up for
physicians this year.
As with every hero’s story, we must
learn from the trying times we have
experienced. We must grow and move
forward because that is what a hero is
asked to do.
That is what physicians are expected
to do.
That is what we expect of ourselves.
All of us are eager to see an end to this
pandemic. And with encouraging new
reports about vaccines nearing approval,
there is tremendous excitement about
what the new year will bring.
But we are not there yet. All of us
need to continue to do our parts. We
need to constantly remind everyone to
wear masks, wash hands, and physically
distance. We need to remain steadfast
and focused until the very end.
We should not underestimate the fight
in our opponent. Every time we feel like
we have COVID-19 on the ropes, here
and abroad, we see it roaring back.
We have to remain strong and follow
where the science leads us.
The next few months will be buzzing
with anticipation about the post-COVID
world that will emerge.
Regardless of when that day arrives
. . . and when normalcy returns,
whatever that will look like . . . our AMA,
specialty, state, and county societies will
play a critical role in shaping the health
system of the future.
A system that ensures that everyone
has access to the affordable and
meaningful coverage they need.
A system that relies on science,
evidence, and data to guide our
approach to public health and prevention.
A system free of the historic barriers
to care . . . and ensures that all patients
stand on equal footing.
A system that supports and integrates
a revitalized public health infrastructure.
A system that protects the patientphysician
relationship from outside
influence at all costs.
And a system that prioritizes physician
health and wellness . . . and eases
administrative burdens that take us away
from what we do best . . . caring for our
patients.
Despite the challenges of this past
year, and they have been extraordinary,
I continue to believe in the power of
organized medicine to fix the persistent
problems in our health system.
I believe in science and evidence to
light our way.
And I believe in the strength and
resolve of physicians to take on any
challenge . . . and rise to any moment.
The hero’s journey is our journey. And
we are exactly where we are meant to
be.
As with
every hero’s
story, we
must learn
from the
trying times
we have
experienced.
We must
grow and
move
forward
because
that is what
a hero is
asked to do.