On behalf of the NCMS Board of Directors, I would like to update you on the many projects our society has advanced on behalf of northern Colorado physicians this quarter.

• Volunteers from your Board of Directors have interviewed five candidates for northern Colorado districts of the Colorado General Assembly this election cycle and made recommendations for endorsement to COMPAC, the bipartisan political action committee of the Colorado Medical Society. We used these opportunities to educate candidates on medicine’s top issues and answer their questions. It is the first step in developing relationships with our elected officials and letting them know we are a resource on health care policy now and in the future.
• We have been closely following developments in changes regarding physician peer assistance services. NCMS supports the Colorado Medical Society’s strong advocacy to maintain confidentiality in the program, as this encourages physicians to seek services without fearing repercussions to their medical licensure. The new contract removes confidentiality protection for physicians and could discourage physicians from seeking care, ultimately harming patient safety.
• We launched a book club to build camaraderie among members in a non-medical environment. NCMS board member Sean Pauzauskie, MD, led the first discussion in August and we just announced our book and discussion date for September: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, with discussion on Monday, Sept. 14.
• NCMS leaders joined CMS Chief Executive Officer Bryan Campbell in meetings with leadership at UCHealth and Kaiser Permanente to discuss ways to better work together and support employed physician members. A meeting with Banner is also scheduled.
• An independent CPA firm audited NCMS’s financial records and found that we are in a good position compared with other Colorado nonprofits.
• Your board of directors voted at our Aug. 5 meeting to undergo a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) workshop later in the fall presented by Nita Mosby Tyler, MD, chief catalyst and founder of The Equity Project. We hope the workshop for the board will provide perspective on bias and structural racism as we seek to better serve northern Colorado physicians and our diverse patient populations through programming and education.
• We are planning a virtual legislative night in October before ballots are mailed.

Thank you for your membership and engagement with NCMS, and for our work to better the health of our community.

Claire Murphy, MD
NCMS President