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PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE

Innovative Leadership/Business Program:
BCMS is Fighting for You

By Adam Ratner, MD, 2019 BCMS President

Ignorance is Not Bliss

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been watching the political Another amazing example, I just learned of a physician who
battles between the forces that are trying to control and profit signed a personal loan guarantee for a financially unstable prac-
from our ability to practice medicine and our TMA/BCMS and tice in which he wasn’t even a shareholder. The practice ulti-
allied specialty society advocacy teams as they fight for us in mately failed, and the hapless employee physician had to help
Austin. Most of us take for granted the physicians and medical bail out the partners.
society staff who are fighting for our ability to heal our patients Because we have not been properly trained in these practical
with as few impediments and as much freedom as possible. business, cultural, and leadership skills, many of us have become
The complexity of these existential political and economic is- relatively easy marks for those who want to take advantage of our
sues reminds me how poorly prepared most of us are not only to work ethic, compassion, and too often, our ignorance.
fight these political battles but also to advocate for ourselves on Under the visionary leadership and stewardship of our imme-
an individual, day-to-day, level. Very few of us likely received ad- diate past-president, Dr. Sheldon Gross, and Executive Director,
equate practical training in the real-world, rough and tumble, busi- Steve Fitzer, BCMS last year created a successful physician lead-
ness of medicine. ership program. This program has received rave reviews from our
In this context, the knowledge of the business of medicine first class of participants. Although there is a nominal fee for the
includes basic leadership, professionalism, financial literacy, the course, it compares favorably with courses costing thousands of
creation and maintenance of desirable practice culture, legal dollars more. One of the current class members was so excited
and human resource basics, ethics, and basic negotiation and by the BCMS course that he will be enrolling in a formal MBA
political skills. program.
It astounds me how many physicians sign employment agree- We are planning to extend and expand this program where ad-
ments with outrageously unfavorable terms to the physician with- ditional business skills will be taught. If you’re interested in sign-
out consulting with an appropriately specialized attorney or even ing up for the next course starting in the fall or have any specific
reading it. The true culture of practices is often first reflected in topics you want addressed, please let our Executive Director,
the employment contract. Why would an otherwise intelligent Steve Fitzer, know (steve.fitzer@bcms.org).
physician believe that a corporation that offers an unfair employ-
ment agreement would somehow be a great place to spend most Dr. Adam Ratner is President of the Bexar County Medical Society and
of one’s working and waking life? serves as Professor and Assistant Dean of the University of the Incarnate
Even if we can avoid a practice with an unfavorable culture, Word School of Osteopathic Medicine and Chair of The Patient Institute.
most physicians don’t realize we have more bargaining power than
we realize but haven’t been trained to negotiate effectively. Along
the same lines, many of us practice leaders are not trained to find
optimal win-win solutions when we negotiate with potential hires,
vendors, hospitals, and third-party payers.

8 San Antonio Medicine • May 2019