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PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
Why BCMS membership
and participation is
important to me
By James L. Humphreys, MD
2015 BCMS President
This month’s San Antonio Medicine theme is about mem- hand in hand with the TMA lobby team. You may have
bership in our broad-based physician support organizations heard me mention this before and, more likely, mention it
at the local and state levels. In conjunction with that, I want frequently and at tiresome length, but if you don’t invest time
to share a few thoughts of my own about why these groups in monitoring potential legislation you will come to regret it.
are important to me. I can assure you as a first-hand witness that there are lots and
lots of groups who want healthcare to be very cheap, or better
Physician practices are something of a fragmented lot by yet free, and that demand that healthcare cost savings come
their nature and mine is no exception. Outside of my own directly out of our fees. These groups get bills filed every two
partners and a few fellow physicians I see at hospitals, my ex- years when our state legislature is in session and without the
posure to other doctors in the community would be highly lobbying efforts of the county medical societies and the TMA
limited if not for the networking activities I have available to to make sure our side of the story is heard, I absolutely believe
me through the BCMS. The range of colleagues I have got- that the practice of medicine in Texas would be in a much
ten to know, work with and learn from has grown exponen- sorrier condition for everyone, physicians and patients alike.
tially because of the opportunities for collaboration that
became available to me through BCMS membership and The benefits of being a member over my years of practice
committee participation. This is equally true at the state level are very obvious to me when I reflect on the topic and my
where attending TMA meetings and joining committees medical career has been very much richer and more fulfilling
opened up whole new opportunities for me to share new per- because of the time I invest in both the BCMS and the TMA.
spectives and work collectively with a lot of smart doctors I hope that you all find a similar value in your membership
from across Texas. and that we will continue to be strong together.
There are lots of benefits to membership - from car buying James L. Humphreys, MD, is the 2015 president of the Bexar
programs to insurance plans and practice management tools County Medical Society. He is a pathologist with Precision
- but the biggest membership value to me is the legislative Pathology in San Antonio.
advocacy provided on behalf of all Texas physicians by the
TMA and, in our own backyard, by the BCMS which works
8 San Antonio Medicine • October 2015
