RECAP: 2017 Advocacy Conference and Annual House of Delegates Meeting

The Medical Society of New Jersey held its 4^th Annual Physicians’ Advocacy Conference and Annual House of Delegates Meeting on Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6, 2017 at the Crowne Plaza Princeton. More than 100 physicians, exhibitors, health care professionals and influencers attended this year’s conference.

The two-day event began on Friday evening with the Officer’s Dinner, a private ticketed event for select conference attendees. On Saturday morning, Dr. Joseph P. Costabile, 224^th President of the Medical Society of the New Jersey (pictured below), delivered welcoming remarks, kicking off the conference.

His remarks were followed by a keynote address from New Jersey’s Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno (pictured below).

Following the keynote, a number of highly-respected, subject matter experts addressed various issues of importance to the physician and health care community through different workshops. This year’s speakers and their presentation topics include:

• Tim Norbeck, CEO of The Physicians Foundation – Trends in Physician Practice

• Stephen P. Goldstein, MD, DABFP, CAQGM, DABHP, Chief Medical Officer at Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice – Defining Goals of Care: Patient Communication Imperatives from Diagnosis through End of Life

• Paul G. Mathew, MD, FAAN, FAHS, Board Member for the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS) – Understanding the Metrics and Goals of Maintenance Certification

• Michael A. Tutty, PhD, Group Vice President of Professional Satisfaction & Practice Sustainability at the American Medical Association – Understanding and Preventing Physician Burnout

• Kevin Joyce, Vice President of Insurance Networks at Atlantic Health System – How Do Tiered Networks, Analytics and New Payment Models Impact Your Practice and Your Patients

MSNJ’s House of Delegates meeting followed the workshops, where all delegates were present for the swearing in of the new 225^th President of the Medical Society, Dr. Christopher Gribbin (pictured below).

Among some of the key issues addressed during this year’s House of Delegates Meeting are:

• Adoption of policy clarifying that reports on physicians to the National Practitioner Databank be related to professional competency in the provision of, or withholding of, care that results in harm to a patient. The policy also requests that reports that currently reside in the databank be removed if not related to the actual provision, or withholding of care.
• Adoption of policy supporting federal legislative efforts to create medical liability reforms.
• Recognition that the PennEast Pipeline is a serious threat to the health and safety of the citizens of New Jersey and recommendation that the legislature and/or the appropriate regulatory agencies not approve the pipeline.
• Approval of a study of pre-authorization problems experienced by physicians and patients for care delivered in both network and non-network settings. This study is to include pre-authorization approval rates, denial rates, time to disposition and total number of services and medications subject to pre-authorization by insurers.

The conference concluded on Saturday evening with the Capital Club Reception.

This year’s conference would not have been possible without support from our 2017 Exhibitors and Sponsors – we are very grateful to have your continued support year after year, and thank you for being a part of this year’s successful event.