Taking Our Seat at the Table: The Practicing Physicians of America

This is a call to action for all 860,000 physicians in the United States of America.  Can you remember a time when practicing physicians played a vital role in healthcare reform? No, because it’s never happened. We are a crucial piece of the puzzle, and our expertise is needed to find a way to deliver quality, affordable healthcare to the citizens of our great nation. Our current system is on the verge of collapse. If we cannot get the attention of our legislators, we have no way to save it. 

The voices of practicing physicians on the front lines of medicine have been silenced for too long.

We cannot afford to wait for others to confer power, voice, or authority upon us. History shows that authority is claimed, not conferred, and we must claim authority over our own field before pharmaceutical and insurance companies wrest it away from us. Practicing physicians must have a seat at the healthcare reform table.

The Practicing Physicians of America (PPA) will be hosting a town hall meeting at the Library of Congress in the Jefferson Room on February 2, 2017 at 8:30am. PPA is a consortium of grassroots physician-led groups that have been collaborating on the issue of patient-centric healthcare reform for years. This is a unique and historic moment for us to come together as physicians and speak on behalf of our profession and our patients.

We invite lawmakers, health policy experts, and representatives of the administration to join us for six brief presentations, followed by panel discussion with lawmaker participation. Presentation topics include: MOC reform, quality reporting pitfalls, reforming the mental health system, responsible public health, improving patient care by helping the healers, and the impact of social media on the current landscape. 

Given the short notice, we welcome lawmakers to stop in at the event or contact us if interested in our stopping by their office for a short meeting. This can include photo opportunities for us to promote National Womens' Physicians Day, February 3, 2017.

Physicians must stand up and be counted. Our time is now. Practicing physicians can deliver valuable insight and novel perspective on how to enact change. We must give the power to make healthcare decisions back to the patient and their doctor, rather than to the insurance and pharmaceutical industries.

The historical perspective of healthcare reform has never included the one occupation at its core: practicing physicians. We must organize, speak up, and take action. It is time to shine a light on the healers of America who want to heal our broken healthcare system. Contact your representative today and invite them to join Practicing Physicians of America at the Library of Congress on February 2, 2017. All questions and responses are directed to one of our fearless leaders, Marion Mass, MD at marion@practicingphysicians.org. #healthcare #MOCreform #ACA #PPA