Georgia State Medical Association (GSMA)
End-of-the-Year
e-Newsletter 2019
Greetings to members of the Board of Directors of the Georgia State Medical Association, Inc., members-at-large, friends, and stakeholders of the Georgia State Medical Association, Inc.

As we continue to enter the last month of December 2019, we want to emphasize the theme of our presidency: Collaboration: Creating value through the input of ideas for innovation for transformational leadership for the benefit of our members, patients, stakeholders including members of the legislature for the State of Georgia.

In this communication, I want to strengthen our resolve to continue our drive to engage all of the component chapters of the Georgia State Medical Association, Inc. with teleconferences and an actual visit to the chapter meetings in the state. In addition, I have had the opportunity to reach out to the Middle Georgia Medical Society, the Columbus-Fort Benning Medical Society, and the Atlanta Medical Association, Inc., without excluding reaching out to Dr. Hillson in Augusta coming up next month. Moreover, the opportunity to connect with our stakeholders is usually within 5 to 6 degrees.

I am deputizing each of our members to feel free to promulgate the benefits of being a member of the Georgia State Medical Association, Inc. Besides getting the chance and opportunities to meet and relate to outstanding African American medical doctors whose specialties cover the gamut from Ophthalmology to Cardiology to gastrointestinal diseases and surgery, our organization has multiple specialties as well as a very close affiliation with the Morehouse School of Medicine, in Atlanta, Georgia.

The GSMA, Inc. remain committed to eliminating healthcare disparities and increasing healthcare equity and healthcare access. The recent discussion of Medicaid waivers in the State of Georgia will go a significant part of the way in decreasing healthcare disparities and increase healthcare equity and healthcare access. I hope that this type of expansion of Medicaid in Georgia will help to bolster the support of the rural hospitals in South Georgia. Many rural hospitals have faced and are continuing to be bombarded by mounting operational losses with declining revenue in view of the slow expansion and late implementation of the Georgia Medicaid Expansion Act. All of us should be pushing for the onset of the Medicaid Expansion ACT of Georgia to aid and to succor the viability of the urban and rural hospitals in Georgia.
As practitioners, whether in private practice, academic centers, or in medium to large corporate groups, we should encourage our patients and our communities to sign up for the Affordable Care Act if they qualify after open enrollment. For example, I aware that my church home as well as others, have been promulgating the availability of the opportunity to sign up for enrollment in the Affordable Care Act and in Medicare.

With the view to highlight the upcoming 2020 celebration of the 125 th Anniversary of the founding of the National Medical Association, Inc., we are currently planning a symposium for the Spring of the first quarter in 2020, dealing with milestones and breakthrough initiatives in the last quarter of the 20 th century, the present state of healthcare, and where do we go, and what do we want the healthcare system to be like in terms of discovery, innovations, and the delivery of healthcare in the next half of the 21 st century.
Socioeconomically and politically, let me urge each of you to defray your dues to your local medical society, to the Georgia State Medical Association, Inc., and to the National Medical Association, Inc. before the weekend of December 31, 2019.  Moreover, our GSMA is one of the largest state components of the National Medical Association, Inc.: our delegate votes count in the influencing of the directions and affairs of the National Medical Association, Inc.

As this calendar year comes to a close, I want your continuous input of ideas and your willingness to lead and shepherd new initiatives for the benefit of our members, patients, and our communities in which we are privileged to render care.
Embrace fortitude with the willingness and alacrity to do what is morally right. Take action to be a good finder whenever there is an adversity trying to thwart and block our pathway to success. Be willing to grab opportunities not only for the benefit of your enlightened self-interest, but also for the improvement and the aid to our fellow brothers and sisters who may need a helping hand-the latter representing the synecdoche. Tenacity and persistence are tools that make the weak strong and the mighty and powerful humble. In our quest for greatness for our GSMA, let us maintain a positive mental attitude with hope and the desire to always do your best work with FAITH.

May your aspirations and dreams become a fruitful reality for you and your family in the days to follow and that you will be resolute about doing uncommon good for the common good in 2020.

Sincerely,
Dr. SR Wilkes
Shelby R. Wilkes, M.D./ President/ Georgia State Medical Association, Inc.

Key words and phrases: Collaboration, innovation, transformational leadership, expansion of Medicaid, eliminating healthcare disparities and increasing access to healthcare, NMA 125 th Anniversary, symposium in the Spring of 2020—Healthcare-Gems from the past and presence, with projections for a bright future.
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Upcoming Events
Sunday, January 5th, 2020
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Join us in Augusta from all over the state to meet, greet, and welcome prospective and current GSMA members! If you know a physician in the Augusta area, invite her, bring him, come meet them.

Location: 3652 J. Dewey Gray Circe, Augusta, GA 30909

Let's come together to support Stoney Medical Society like never before.
Executive Director's Notes
By Kimberly D. Williams, PhD
This holiday season we celebrate the power of community, collaboration, connectedness, and commitment to positively impact the practice of medicine!
We appreciate every member, supporter, and industry partner who helped us thrive this year.
It is this collective dedication among our stakeholders that continues to inspire advocacy, shape health care policy, and drive innovation.
For this next year, I wish you success, joy, peace and hope!

2020 Legislative Session: January 13 General Assembly convenes;
GSMA Priorities will be outlined next month

Annual Membership Dues Update
With less than three weeks remaining in this year, We look forward to the new and exciting events and programs happening in 2020. 

We recognize that there are some Georgia physicians who have been active either with their local society or the National Medical Association (NMA), but have not been active with the state society, the Georgia State Medical Association (GSMA).

So that we can help bring everyone together on all levels as we prepare to host the National Medical Association's 125th Anniversary celebration in Atlanta in 2020, we have implemented the following membership initiative:

  • Any Georgia physician who has never been a member of the Georgia State Medical Association (GSMA) can just pay an additional $50/year to their local society (in addition to what your local dues are) to be members of both their local society and GSMA. The physician will be able to do this for only their first 2 years of GSMA membership. 
  • The local society president should then forward that $50 to GSMA for each of their members. 
  • After the two year timeframe, that physician can still pay the reduced rate of $562.50 for an additional 3 years new member dues. 

We are aware that some local societies are currently collecting 2019 Dues. Please indicate to us when you forward the $50 to GSMA, whether the dues are for 2019 or 2020 dues.

If you have other questions, please contact us. Pay Membership Dues HERE
Regional and State Local Societies and Affiliates
Georgia is one of eight states that incorporate NMA Region III.
Georgia has six local societies/chapters that incorporate GSMA.
Region III Annual Conference
April 24-26, 2020
" 125 Years NMA - Medicine from the 19th Century to the 21st Century and Beyond "
The Ben Hotel
West Palm Beach, FL

Invite Sponsors Now! See letters below.
Participant Registration - Coming Soon!
more information coming soon
GSMA Annual Conference
June 17-20
"Navigating Medicine in the 21st Century"
Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront
23 Ocean Lane, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928

Make your room reservations NOW by calling Omni central reservation 1-800-843-6664.  Special rates $287.
Use group code  061320GASTATEME .

Atlanta Medical Association, Inc. (AMA)
Frank K. Jones, MD, President
"NMA 2018 Large Association of the Year"
Heritage Fund of Atlanta Medical Associate Scholarship & Awards Gala
FEBRUARY 1, 2020
6:30 PM
ATLANTA AIRPORT MARRIOTT GATEWAY

This event is the major fund-raiser for the Heritage Fund, which will present scholarships to deserving minority students at Morehouse School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College and Howard University College of Medicine. The scholarship funds are distributed equally to each institution.
Atlanta Medical Association and the Morehouse School of Medicine Alumni Association Holiday Soiree
Darrell Amos, MD (Dallas, TX) Frank Jones, MD, Warren Hutchings, MD, and B. David Blake, MD, GSMA, AMA and MSM graduates!

Middle Georgia Medical Society (MGMS) (Macon)
Kimathi Blackwood, MD, President
Mentoring Event
Holiday Party
L-R
Aditi Dave, Mercer SNMA-MAPS Co-President ; Obi Emerole, MGMS Holiday Party Host; Sage Carson, Mercer SNMA-MAPS Co-President; Warren Hutchings, MD MGMS CEO and Co-Host
Local Meetings held at  Wingate by Wyndham Macon :
January 19, 2020
March 15, 2020
May 17, 2020
September 20, 2020
November 15, 2020 
Griffin Jordan Medical Society of SW Georgia (Albany)
Devell R. Young, MD , President


Columbus-Ft. Benning Medical Society
Gary N. Dawson, MD
President
South Atlantic Medical Association (SAMA) (Savannah)
Rita Livingston-King, MD
President
Stoney Medical Society (Augusta)
*See the above information for the Sunday, January 5th event!
W. Joseph Hillson, MD
President 
NMA Celebrates 125 Years
Call for Artifacts and Memorabilia!!
NMA will celebrate its 125 th  anniversary August 1-5, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia, the birthplace of our illustrious organization!   The highlight will be our grand celebration and fundraising at the convention. As we prepare for this milestone, we want to collect artifacts, memorabilia, and stories that will  help us visually and verbally tell the rich story of African American physicians and NMA from 1895 to 2019 . Please search your attics, basements, storage units, under the bed, etc. for  items such as documents, artwork, convention program books (prior to 2000), convention bags, photographs, early medical instruments and much more.  Additionally,  we want your personal stories – what has NMA meant to you .

Leading up to the convention, the monthly NMA newsletter will highlight historical facts from some of the NMA's local, State, and Regional societies and associations. The NMA 125 Committee needs your support as we plan the most outstanding celebration you have ever witnessed at an NMA Convention and Scientific Assembly! We look forward to seeing you in Atlanta on August 1 -5, 2020!

Your assistance is required in several ways,  click here  to read/download how you can be of assistance help and how to notify NMA 125 Committee of memorabilia you have found .