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New ‘Top Docs’ features Sens./M.D.’s Dean Burke, Kay Kirkpatrick & Ben Watson
The latest edition of the Medical Association of Georgia’s (MAG) ‘Top Docs’ program addresses the 2021 state legislative session, and it features three MAG members who serve in the Georgia General Assembly – including Sens. Dean Burke, M.D. (R-Bainbridge), Kay Kirkpatrick, M.D. (R-Marietta), and Ben Watson, M.D. (R-Savannah).
Sens. Burke, Kirkpatrick, and Watson discuss…
– How the pandemic has affected the legislative process 
– What state lawmakers are doing to address the pandemic  
– Their goals for this year’s legislative session
– Key health care legislation that lawmakers will consider in 2021  
– The best ways for physicians to participate in the legislative process 
Sen. Burke is the chair of the Senate Insurance Committee. He represents Senate District 11, which includes Colquitt, Decatur, Early, Grady, Miller and Seminole counties – along with portions of Mitchell and Thomas counties. Sen. Burke also serves on the Senate Health & Human Services, Human Services, Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee, Rules, and Ethics committees. A graduate of the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Dr. Burke is the chief medical officer at Memorial Hospital and Manor in Bainbridge. Contact Sen. Burke at dean.burke@senate.ga.gov or 404.656.0040.  
Sen. Kirkpatrick is the chair of the Senate Veterans, Military and Homeland Security Committee. She represents the 32nd District, which includes East Cobb and Sandy Springs. Sen. Kirkpatrick also serves on the Senate Health & Human Services, Insurance and Labor, and Judiciary committees. She was an orthopaedic hand surgeon in Atlanta for over 30 years – having served as Resurgens Orthopaedics’ president. It is also worth noting that she is a district coordinator for the MAG Medical Reserve Corps. She has a medical degree from the University of Kentucky. Contact Sen. Kirkpatrick at kay.kirkpatrick@senate.ga.gov or 404.656.3932. 
Sen. Watson is the chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations, Public Safety, and Transportation committees – and he is an ex officio member of the Insurance and Labor and Veterans, Military and Homeland Security committees. Sen. Watson represents District 1, which includes portions of Chatham and Liberty Counties and all of Bryan County.He has been a primary care physician in Savannah since 1988 – practicing internal medicine with a specialty in geriatrics. He has a medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. Contact Sen. Watson at ben.watson@senate.ga.gov or 404.656.7880.  
The other physicians in the Georgia General Assembly include Sen. Michelle Au, M.D. (D-Johns Creek) and Rep. Mark Newton (R-Augusta).
Between downloads and live listeners, ‘Top Docs’ has now reached more than 1.8 million listeners and viewers – which includes people in all 50 states and more than 80 countries. MAG has won four awards for the show, including an American Association of Medical Society Executives Profiles of Excellence Award, an American Society of Association Executives Silver Award, and two Health Information Resource Center Digital Health Awards.
The MAG Insurance Agency sponsors the ‘Top Docs’ show. MAG and MedPro Group – the nation’s largest and highest-rated health care liability insurance carrier – offer an industry-leading medical malpractice solution for physicians in Georgia. Click here for details and to get a quote on a MedPro policy, keeping in mind that MAG members qualify for a MAG premium credit. Contact Ryan Larosa at rlarosa@maginsuranceagency.com with questions.
In addition to the video recordings that are available on Facebook, ‘Top Docs’ is available as a podcast on AppleGoogleSpotifyStitcher, and iHeart Radio.
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The views of the guests who appear on ‘Top Docs’ are theirs and are not necessarily consistent with MAG’s policies or positions. Contact Tom Kornegay at tkornegay@mag.org with questions about MAG’s ‘Top Docs’ show.  
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