Elizabeth Kanof, MD has taken the podium at the 2011 NCMS Annual Meeting to recognize the graduates of the NCMS Leadership College Class of 2011, including:

• Joanne Bell Allen, MD – Wrightsville Beach
• Sheila G. Allison, MD - Durham
• Holly Biola, MD – Durham
• Cynthia J. Brown, MD – Asheville
• Craig Burkhart, MD, MS – Chapel Hill
• Patti Forest, MD  – Durham
• Pankaj Gupta, MD, FACS – Cary
• Carmelo A. Hernandez, MD – Brevard
• Frank A. Hobart, MD – Wilmington
• Alfred Mina, MD – Lake Junaluska
• William L. Porfilio, MD – Burlington
• Smita Sampat, MD – Roanoke Rapids
• Jessica Scott, MD, JD – Raleigh
• Vipul Shah, MD – Cary
• Michael J. Thomas, MD PhD – Raleigh
• Paul Trani, MD – Hendersonville

The 2011 NCMS Annual Meeting is underway in Raleigh this weekend. Outgoing President John Mangum, MD is welcoming delegates to the House of Delegates and reflecting upon the year’s successes and issuing challenges for the future including improvement to quality and maintenance of the patient-centered medical home.  Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) offers unique model for the state of North Carolina to move forward in coordinated care for both primary care services as well as specialties. 

The development of a statewide Health Information Exchange will also prove meaningful in the future of medicine in North Carolina. Getting the HIE up and running in North Carolina with continue to be a priority of the Medical Society in the coming year to help better serve our patients and their needs in traveling across various points of care.

Finally Dr. Mangum discussed the 2010 Legislative Session with the House of Delegates. The passage of medical liability reform was a great success for the health care community this year, including the override of the Governor’s veto of SB 33 – Medical Liability Reforms. Key features include a cap on non-economic damages and provisions for actual medical evidence.

Dr. Mangum closed his remarks by challenging the physician community to continue to fight to maintain the gains of this year and move the NCMS forward in serving the community and the patients of North Carolina.

Physicians from across North Carolina began arriving today for the 2011 NCMS Annual Meeting at the Raleigh Marriott City Center. The NCMS House of Delegates (HOD) convenes for its first session on Saturday at 9:00 am. Officers, At-Large and Regional Members of the Board, and AMA Delegates and Alternates for 2012 will be nominated and elected at that time. Following the session, two Reference Committees will hear comments on Reports and Resolutions and make recommendations that will be considered by the HOD during the second session, which starts at 9:00 am on Sunday. NCMS Speaker Michael P. Moulton, MD, Wilmington, and Vice-Speaker Docia E. Hickey, MD, will preside during the HOD sessions.

NCMS President John R. Mangum, MD, Sanford, will address the House Saturday morning, providing a review of key accomplishments during the past year, including the highly successful initiative to gain medical liability and tort reform legislation during the 2011 legislative session.

NCMS President-Elect Robert W. Monteiro, MD, New Bern, will deliver his inaugural address to the House on Sunday. He will be installed as the 158^th President of the Medical Society on Saturday night, when the NCMS will also present its E. Harvey Estes, Jr., MD, Physician Community Service Award, John Huske Anderson Award and the Presidential Award.

Delegates will be considering eight Reports and ten Resolutions, along with any late Resolutions that might be filed during the first session on Saturday. Among the items is Report A – Restructuring of NCMS Annual Meeting and House of Delegates, which recommends changes designed to further streamline the governance process, control costs, and improve the efficacy of NCMS advocacy on behalf of physicians and their patients. These changes are also reflected in recommendations made in Report G – NCMS Strategic Plan, the organization’s primary guide to meet the current and growing needs of physicians in North Carolina.

A summary of HOD actions and highlights from the Annual Meeting will be featured in next week’s Bulletin and at http://www.ncmedsoc.org/. Updates will be available throughout the meeting @NCMedSoc on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/) and on the Doctor to Doctor Blog.

Join us for the 2011 NCMS Annual Meeting, which is scheduled for Friday, October 21 – Sunday, October 23, 2011, at the Raleigh Marriott City Center. For more information on the 2011 NCMS Annual Meeting and House of Delegates, visit www.ncmedsoc.org/annualmeeting or contact Richard Skinner, rskinner@ncmedsoc.org, (919) 833-3836 ext. 158. 

Click here to register online now for the meeting.

Download a schedule of events and registration form.

Hotel Accommodation Update:

If you have not yet made your hotel reservations for the upcoming NCMS Annual Meeting, you’re in luck! The deadline to make discounted room reservations at the Raleigh Marriott City Center has been extended to Tuesday, October 18.

Make your hotel reservations online here; or call the Marriott at 1-800-228-9290; be sure to mention that you are attending the NC Medical Society’s Annual Meeting to obtain the discounted rate. For more information on the hotel accommodations for the Annual Meeting, including directions and parking details, click here.

Some unique prizes are waiting for lucky winners in the 2011 NCMS FOUNDATION Raffle Drawing. Make a donation of $100 or more through October 20, 2011, online (click Donate to the Foundation tab), at the Annual Meeting registration desk, or the House of Delegates meeting on Sunday, October 23. Click here for details.

Hotel Accommodation Update:

If you have not yet made your hotel reservations for the upcoming NCMS Annual Meeting, you’re in luck! The deadline to make discounted room reservations at the Raleigh Marriott City Center has been extended to Tuesday, October 18.

• Make your hotel reservations online here;
• or call the Marriott at 1-800-228-9290; be sure to mention that you are attending the NC Medical Society’s Annual Meeting to obtain the discounted rate.
• For more information on the hotel accommodations for the Annual Meeting, including directions and parking details, click here.

NCMS Annual Meeting Information:

• To obtain more information on the 2011 NCMS Annual Meeting and House of Delegates to be held from October 21-23, 2011, visit www.ncmedsoc.org/annualmeeting or contact Richard Skinner, rskinner@ncmedsoc.org, (919) 833-3836 ext. 158. 
• Click here to register online now for the meeting.
• Download a schedule of events and registration form.

In accordance with the NCMS Bylaws, all resolutions to be considered by the House of Delegates at its annual meeting in October must be submitted at least forty-five (45) days before the first meeting of the House of Delegates.

The deadline for Resolutions has been extended to Monday, September 12, 2011.

All resolutions from component medical societies, sections or medical specialty organizations must bear the signature of two officers of each respective organization. Otherwise, the resolution will need to be submitted by an individual delegate. Resolutions arriving after the deadline will be considered late resolutions, and in order to be considered the business of the House will have to be presented by a delegate at the first session of the House of Delegates for approval by two-thirds of the delegates present at the meeting of the House of Delegates and meet the criteria for late resolutions (i.e., urgency and importance to the goals and objectives of the NCMS).

All resolutions should be mailed to Robert W. Seligson, EVP/CEO, NCMS, PO Box 27167, Raleigh, NC 27611 and submitted electronically to lcarter@ncmedsoc.org. For more information, contact Linda Carter at the headquarters office.

County medical societies and specialty societies are asked to submit your 2011 Delegates for the NCMS House of Delegates Meeting, October 22-23, 2011, in Raleigh. Please send the names of your delegates to Jennifer Soboleski, jsoboleski@ncmedsoc.org, as soon as possible. Your participation and prompt response are greatly appreciated as we strive for a very successful 2011 Annual Meeting.

For more information on the Annual Meeting or to register, visit www.ncmedsoc.org/annualmeeting.

County medical societies and specialty societies are asked to submit your 2011 Delegates for the NCMS House of Delegates Meeting, October 22-23, 2011, in Raleigh. Please send the names of your delegates to Jennifer Soboleski, jsoboleski@ncmedsoc.org, as soon as possible. Your participation and prompt response are greatly appreciated as we strive for a very successful 2011 Annual Meeting.

2011 NCMS Annual Meeting and House of Delegates
October 21-23, 2011 ~ Raleigh Marriott City Center

500 Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh, NC

The NCMS Annual Meeting is fast approaching — reserve a hotel room soon to take advantage of reduced rates in the NCMS Annual Meeting room block at the Raleigh Marriott City Center. The deadline for reservations is October 1, 2011.

Click here to make a reservation online or contact the Marriott at 1-800-228-9290 (be sure to mention that you are attending the 2011 NCMS Annual Meeting). 

For more information, including directions to the Marriott and parking details, click here, or contact Richard Skinner, rskinner@ncmedsoc.org, (919) 833-3836 ext. 158.

Over the weekend of August 26-27, the NC Spine Society held its 2011 Annual Meeting.  In addition to the CME session, the Society addressed evolving issues of participation in ACOs, revisions to the Medicaid program’s policy on spine surgery, and two recent Blue Cross Blue Shield policies affecting spine surgery.  The Society also elected the following slate of officers for 2011-2012:

President                     -         Joshua Patt, MD, Charlotte

President-Elect                      Leo Spector, MD, Matthews

Vice President             -          Paul Kim, MD, Charlotte

Secretary-Treasurer     -        Charles Haworth, MD, Lumberton

Henry Elsner, MD, was recognized for his service as 2010-2011 NCSS President and the 2012 NCSS Annual Meeting was announced for August 17-18 in Charlotte.

The 2011 Annual Meeting of the North Carolina Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons runs September 16-18 at the Grove Park Inn Resort in Asheville. Register early to ensure availability.  Click here to register online.

To download a registration brochure, visit http://www.eyemd.org/. For more information, contact the NCSEPS at 919-833-3836 or ncoph@medsoc.org.

A limited number of rooms are still available. Please call the Grove Park Inn at 800-438-5800; reference Group Code 68626y. For assistance with available accommodations, contact Nancy Lowe at 919-833-3836 or nlowe@ncmedsoc.org.

This year’s meeting features 13.25 hours of CME and covers a wide range of topics, with featured speaker Lisa Arbisser, MD, making presentations on “Complication Avoidance in Complex Cartaract” and “Comprehensive Strategy for Unplanned Vitrectomy.”

Other scheduled presentations will cover topics such as oculoplastics, retina, pediatric ophthalmology, cornea, glaucoma, stem cell research applications to ophthalmology, Medico-Legal Guidelines and Malpractice, and informed consent. 

JCAHPO is offering an ophthalmic tech program on September 16 and 17; visit http://www.jachpo.org/ for details.

In accordance with the NCMS Bylaws, all resolutions to be considered by the House of Delegates at its annual meeting in October must be submitted at least forty-five (45) days before the first meeting of the House of Delegates. The deadline for submission of resolutions is September 7, 2011.  

All resolutions from component medical societies, sections or medical specialty organizations must bear the signature of two officers of each respective organization. Otherwise, the resolution will need to be submitted by an individual delegate. Resolutions arriving after the deadline will be considered late resolutions, and in order to be considered the business of the House will have to be presented by a delegate at the first session of the House of Delegates for approval by two-thirds of the delegates present at the meeting of the House of Delegates and meet the criteria for late resolutions (i.e., urgency and importance to the goals and objectives of the NCMS).

All resolutions should be mailed to Robert W. Seligson, EVP/CEO, NCMS, PO Box 27167, Raleigh, NC 27611 and submitted electronically to lcarter@ncmedsoc.org. For more information, contact Linda Carter at the headquarters office.

Take part in this year’s NCMS Annual Meeting, to be held October 21-23, 2011, at the Raleigh Marriott City Center in downtown Raleigh. Hotel and meeting registration details are now available online at www.ncmedsoc.org/annualmeeting. For more information, please contact Richard Skinner, rskinner@ncmedsoc.org, (919) 833-3836 ext. 158.

In accordance with the NCMS Bylaws, all resolutions to be considered by the House of Delegates at its annual meeting in October must be submitted at least forty-five (45) days before the first meeting of the House of Delegates. The deadline for submission of resolutions is September 7, 2011.  

All resolutions from component medical societies, sections or medical specialty organizations must bear the signature of two officers of each respective organization. Otherwise, the resolution will need to be submitted by an individual delegate. Resolutions arriving after the deadline will be considered late resolutions, and in order to be considered the business of the House will have to be presented by a delegate at the first session of the House of Delegates for approval by two-thirds of the delegates present at the meeting of the House of Delegates and meet the criteria for late resolutions (i.e., urgency and importance to the goals and objectives of the NCMS).

All resolutions should be mailed to Robert W. Seligson, EVP/CEO, NCMS, PO Box 27167, Raleigh, NC 27611 and submitted electronically to lcarter@ncmedsoc.org. For more information, contact Linda Carter at the headquarters office.