Reimagined, Resolute & Resourceful
Nancy L. Belcher, Ph.D., MPA | CEO of KCMS
KCMS is proud of the work we completed in 2020. Throughout the pandemic, we have tried hard to listen and respond quickly and efficiently to your needs. The KCMS Board of Trustees understands the wisdom of reimagining the role of the medical society and even shaking off tradition if it gets in the way of progress. As a result, KCMS is providing for our doctors and their patients in new and exciting ways.
Most recently your KCMS staff took resolute action and partnered with PHSKC and the WA-DOH to ensure that all physicians and their 1a staff were able to receive their Covid-19 vaccines expeditiously. Over 25K non-affiliated physicians and staff have been vaccinated. Other frontline healthcare providers included dentists, nurses, physical therapists, naturopaths, optometrists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, midwives, and more...
While KCMS is a physician-only organization, we felt strongly that ALL frontline healthcare providers needed access to vaccines. So, we did just that. I want to thank my amazing staff for working for weeks and weeks without a day off to ensure that all 1a's were taken care of. Kudos!
Rewinding a bit, at the beginning of March I was talking to a buddy at Expedia about the shocking lack of PPE. From that chat, KCMS started its unprecedented PPE effort. From there your resourceful staff took on one opportunity after another, and it just continued to snowball. KCMS has worked non-stop to help you continue your lifesaving work. Specifically:
- Sourcing tailors and collecting donations to make and distribute tens of thousands of PPE units (including masks, gowns, 3D shields, gloves, and hand sanitizer),
- Collecting and distributing telehealth equipment by the thousands,
- Independently working with Regence Insurance for telehealth billing parity (other insurance plans then followed),
- Providing a unique and internationally recognized CME, "Racism in Medicine," that welcomed 500 attendees from around the world (thank you, Johnson & Johnson),
- Creating a new scholarship for Underrepresented Minority medical students, Please consider donating today - any amount is welcomed,
- Lobbying for so many issues that I'm leaving that to James in the next section, and
- Finishing out 2020 with a bold, effective vaccine distribution effort that was hugely successful. When so many doctors and other frontline providers were left wondering, "Who is going to help me and my staff?" KCMS did.
Covid-19 continues its toll, but like you, KCMS remains strong. We look forward to 2021 - a year of reimagined, resolute and resourceful loyalty to you and your needs.
Please share all that KCMS is doing with your colleagues & encourage them to join! We are a membership-based organization that depends on member fees to survive. We ask each of you to consider asking several colleagues to join. Please feel free to share my contact information. I'd be delighted to talk to them.
By the way - our membership fees are a fraction of other similar organizations, and we've made our application process and dues payment easy! Check it out
HEREThank you for the opportunity to serve you. It is truly an honor.
All my best,
Nancy
nbelcher@kcmsociety.org
