On March 9, 2008, the first Joint Surgical Advocacy Conference was held in Washington D.C. The goal of the Conference was to educate participants to the issues related to surgery that Congress is addressing. The Conference also was designed to teach surgeons how communicate with our legislators about our concerns. As the new chapter President, I was one of the first to sign up. It just seemed the right thing to do. It would be my second trip to D.C.

For one and a half days, we were taught how Congress works, how to get our point across, and what to avoid. Then we were turned loose in Congress!

It was very humbling and exciting to walk the halls of the Capitol, to be in offices of our Senators and Representatives and to talk to the decision makers. It was also very enlightening. Members of Congress must be “experts” in all the issues that come before them, but of course that is impossible. Instead, they depend on their Legislative Aides who meet with constituents to gather information and opinions and present it in one cohesive package to the Legislator. Usually, we met with the healthcare aide or specialist and presented our data and personal stories. Of course, the next day the insurance companies and lawyers also met with the same people and presented their side of things. Everyone seems to have the right answer, and that is where things get complicated, and that is why it seems nothing ever gets done.

The two biggest lessons I learned about doctors and lawmakers are that the lawmakers think doctors don’t care about legislation, and that we are cut from a very different cloth. Doctors are perceived as apathetic because we don’t get involved to the extent that other groups do. We complain to each other during Grand Rounds and in the hallways, but when it comes to communicating our issues to the right people, the people who can do something other than just complain back, we fall short.

Not enough of us leave our offices and go talk to our legislators like we need to. I was told by a Congressman that six letters or emails on an issue is considered an avalanche of input! Those of us that do take the time learn lesson number two – we are very different types of individuals. Doctors, especially surgeons, are used to doing things, and quickly. Now. Today. Yesterday. We are comfortable making life and death decisions with limited information. Legislators, on the other hand need to work things out over longer periods of time, and only after digesting lots of information. Of course, they also need to make many more people happy at one time, frequently people with conflicting interests. That is why we think they don’t do anything, and why we feel frustrated after talking to them. Instead, we need to learn the rules of their game and play appropriately.

After agreeing to go to Washington, I got the invitation to go to Doctors’ Day in Hartford on March 14. I looked at my calendar and immediately said I couldn’t go because it was too much time out of the office (sound familiar?) I am in private practice in general surgery in Stamford, and my rent and utilities and staff salaries really don’t care about Doctors’ Day. After a few days and emails, the light bulb in my head started to slowly get brighter. Of course, I had to go- that was lesson number one from my DC trip. Another day in the office would have to be sacrificed for the common good. Or would it?

My Fridays are half filled with office visits and half with surgeries. I thought both would disappear into the ether that Friday until I looked at my calendar over the next few days. My staff knows that their unwritten first priority is to protect me, (usually from myself!) And that is exactly what they did. None of the morning appointments disappeared. A few showed up earlier in the week, some the next week, but none disappeared. The same with the surgeries – no one ever always fills their blocks, so there is room for a rescheduled case or two. Hartford was my second foray into politics in one week, and was worth every minute away.

They say “all politics is local”, and it is easy to see why. Your representatives are there to work for you, your neighborhood, your patients, and how much more local can you get than that? Of course, once elected, they still need to know what you need, what you want. That’s your job - to keep telling them what needs to be done. Talking to your legislator face to face is clearly the best way. It doesn’t have to be on Doctors’ Day in Hartford or DC. It can be at home, in a diner over coffee (I think they drink more coffee than we do!), or during a community function. Can’t manage that? Email them. All their emails are on the web click here. If that’s even too much, wait for the ACS to tell you when it needs your assistance. Follow the links in the email and then send the pre-written letter out. No matter how busy you are, you can spare two minutes a month to fight for patient access, professional liability insurance reform and reimbursement.

The next time you find yourself asking “Where are the societies in all this?” know that the CTACSPA and its leaders are doing what we can, with the resources we have. We coordinate our efforts with other societies, the Connecticut State Medical Society and the ACS to be even more effective.

I was there. I’ll look for you next time.

Philip R Corvo MD, MA, FACS

Goals and Objectives

Click Here to download Dr. Corvo's Goals and Objectives

Dear Colleagues:

Thank you for the confidence you have expressed in me by electing me as your President. As my term gets underway I am writing to highlight the goals that I have set with the Executive Council. I encourage you to visit our website, www.ctacs.org, to read about each objective in detail.

• Working Closer with CSMS Thanks to the joint efforts of both of our Executive Directors over the past 18 months, the Chapter’s relationship with CSMS expand dramatically. We will continue to work with CSMS on legislative issues and on the follow-up work for the Summit on Emergency Care that the Chapter convened last year. As well, we are moving forward to better engage our residents in organized medicine by paying their county and state medical society dues.
• Increase Exposure to Young Surgeons I have appointed Dr. Alexander Palesty of Saint Mary’s Hospital to serve as Chairman of the Young Surgeons Committee with the goal to reinvigorate this very important part of the Chapter. Amongst the plans for the YSC is to pair up new Chapter initiates with a longer tenured Chapter member as a mentor.
• Enhancing the Chapter’s Financial Position First and foremost, we are not in any financial difficulty. The Council has held discussions with regards to our future capital needs and I want to implement a plan to assure our financial health continues. The Chapter has two revenue sources, dues and annual meeting exhibitors and sponsors. While dues continue to remain strong we need to work harder to expand vendor support of the Chapters activities.
• Formalizing the Committee Structure I would like to see our standing committees become more formal in nature. I plan to ask each committee chair to review its charge, establish 2 or 3 meaningful goals and develop a plan to achieve them. I also would like to see each committee develop a succession plan. Overall, I believe our committee leaders do an excellent job. However, I think that the organization would benefit from a more formalized structure that is conducive to growth.

Over the past 10 years the Chapter has changed dramatically in its relationship with the College, the State Medical Society, our Legislators and our Vendors. We have made great strides through the tireless efforts of our volunteer leadership and our professional Executive Director. I look forward to building on the work of my predecessors during my time as your President.

Sincerely,

Philip Corvo, MD, MA, FACS
CTACSPA & CTACS President