Physician formed and physician led, the Arkansas Medical Society was created by our predecessors to help ease the burden, to increase our reach as individuals, to look out for our interests … to make us better physicians.
AMS is dedicated to improving health care in Arkansas and helping physicians focus on caring for their patients. Whether you want to get fully involved in the process or simply support the mission, the Society is here for you – your advocate, your support system and your source for health care news and resources.
A Bit of History
The Arkansas Medical Society was formed in 1875 by a small group of physicians who recognized that physicians needed to work together collectively in order to improve health care. Through the years, the society has grown to become one of the most respected and influential health care organizations in Arkansas.
Organizing Medicine
The Arkansas Medical Society was founded on the principle that by combining our efforts, we all become a powerful force for physicians and their patients. At the AMS Annual Session and Fall Meeting, members come together to review the year’s goals and activities, plan for upcoming tasks and elect new officers. The Annual Session is held each spring and the Fall Meeting is held every other year.
Your Advocates
The AMS governmental affairs team diligently represents your interests at the state Capitol and in Washington.
AMS members serve on various task forces, boards, commissions and committees relative to health care issues. AMS also retains knowledgeable legal counsel as a source of beginning reference for physicians, their offices and the society.
For Your Practice
The Arkansas Medical Society has the tools and resources to help individual physicians, clinic staff and large groups improve the business side of medicine. Staff members work diligently to stay up-to-date in all areas of practice management and can provide the help you need with contract negotiations, billing, coding, problems and concerns with insurance payers, personnel issues and more. We continually strive to keep abreast of changes that can impact your practice. Help is just a call (501-224-8967) or click away.
AMS also provides educational programs. The most popular event, the Annual Insurance Conference, is specifically designed to provide updates from the major insurance payors to help address concerns about claim processing, coding and other billing or administrative issues. Other educational opportunities including webinars and online CME are also available and can be found on the calendar.
Insurance Benefits
AMS Benefits, Inc. is a one-stop shop for physician-focused insurance. As a wholly owned subsidiary of the Arkansas Medical Society, AMS Benefits, Inc. is dedicated to providing comprehensive, quality insurance coverage for physicians, their families and their practices.
State Volunteer Mutual Insurance Company (SVMIC), is the exclusively endorsed carrier chosen by the Arkansas Medical Society for medical malpractice professional liability insurance. SVMIC is the state’s largest writer of medical professional liability coverage with a history of over 25 years of providing support to the Arkansas Medical Society and its related programs. If you chose SVMIC as your professional liability carrier, they are your business partner and provide a full range of professional practice resources for their physicians, practice administrators and their staff. Visit their website at www.svmic.com.
Publications
AMS members receive the award-winning Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society, published quarterly, with content that is member-focused and contains timely feature articles, updates on practice management, insurance, legislation, health policy, as well as member news, and leadership updates, member profiles, and medical school news. AMS Chart Notes e-newsletter is sent regularly to members and contains timely information relating to physicians and the practice of medicine in our state. Members also have access to the online AMS Membership Directory. This valuable resource is widely used by physicians, office staff, hospitals and other health care professionals.
Improving Arkansas
The call to improve health care involves touching the lives of all Arkansans in need. AMS has the opportunity to specifically work towards becoming a better state through its foundations, created to serve physicians, patients and medical students.
