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BCMS NEWS

He’s back!

STEVE FITZER

RETURNS

TO BCMS

After a five-year retirement, Steve Fitzer has rejoined Medical Association. He said it is important to keep the
the Bexar County Medical Society as its CEO/Executive society’s back-office operations from eclipsing the real
Director. mission of the society: The Bexar County Medical Soci-
Fitzer first joined the medical society in 2003 to manage ety is the organization that serves and represents the
it back from a financial precipice. “Those were very dark physicians of Bexar County in obtaining quality health-
times for the society financially,” he said. “The society was care for their patients and the public.
out of money, and the business was poorly structured.” With government initiatives on the horizon, especially
When Fitzer left BCMS in 2008, the society was in the the Affordable Care Act, physicians need to concentrate
best financial shape it had been in for decades. on their practices and not have to worry about what is
When asked why he returned, Fitzer said: “I hadn’t ever going on with the management of their society. “We will
planned to come back to work again full time. But after enable that,” Fitzer said. “Seeing the society return to
five years of playing golf, doing consulting and contribut- an era of cooperation, goodwill and brotherly love is re-
ing a lot of hours to church work, I knew I needed a chal- ally important to me. The society must play its part in
lenge. When I received the call to see if I would consider the community with confidence and assurance that they
climbing back into the same chair again, I could not say have the backing of their fellow physicians as well as the
no. I was ready. I love the society and don’t think I will BCMS staff.”
ever retire again unless I become either physically or men- Fitzer invites all physician members to visit the society,
tally unable to do the job. I am very glad that so many of support and get involved in its activities, and invite non-
the staff and managers that I had worked with before are members to join. “The society is whatever the members
still here. I feel very fortunate.” make it,” he said. “We’re here to help them.”
Fitzer said county medical societies in Texas are the best Steve Fitzer may be reached at (210) 301-4383 and
in the country, thanks to their cooperation with the Texas steve.fitzer@bcms.org.

10 San Antonio Medicine • February 2014