In the Journal: Change: Looking Back, Looking Ahead
In the May edition of the Journal, our 2020-2021 President Chad Rodgers, MD, reflects on the past year and what it means for medicine going forward.
“Before the pandemic, we had certainly become accustomed to the rapid changes in health care and to the idea that change is a new constant. It has felt like it has come in waves with the adoption of electronic health records, HIPPA, health care expansion, new ICD codes, electronic prescribing, increasing
telehealth, and so on. Then came the tidal wave.
Almost 20 years ago as I was beginning practice, a close colleague and friend was doing disaster preparedness for an insurance company. I had not known much about the Spanish flu of 1918, but to wrap my mind around another potential pandemic was just not possible. I was busy taking care of patients
and trying to tend to the business and politics of medicine. But he stated that there will be another pandemic, lots of people will get sick, and lots of people will die.
I became president of the Arkansas Medical Society just as the pandemic and “lockdown” were beginning. I have been honored to serve on the AMS board and executive committee through the years because I believe we do good work to deliver the best medicine in our rural state, meet the challenges of delivering that care, and to always make patients our priority. It was my time to serve, and I am thankful to you all.”
Continuing reading the May issue of the Journal here.