Welcome to the El Paso County Medical Society – A Community of Physicians Serving El Paso & Teller Counties since 1879
My First 90 Days, Mike Ware, EVP
Taking over for a championship-caliber quarterback is never easy, though that’s the experience I am fortunate to find myself in. For thirty-four years, Carol Walker led the El Paso County Medical Society in contributing to its over 100 years of success, and now I’ve taken the ball and will keep moving our organization down the field.
Health care is changing: electronic health records are more prevalent; Medicare and insurer payments haven’t kept pace with the cost of practicing medicine, putting more and more pressure on practices; the pace of new state and federal regulations is forcing physicians to spend more time on paperwork and less time doing what they do best, treating patients. And one thing has stayed the same - trial lawyers want to weaken our tort reforms.
Since my family and I moved here three months ago, I’ve spent a lot of time talking with our members and staff, reading reports, meeting with community leaders, and generally trying to learn all that is the El Paso County Medical Society. What have I learned?
Colorado Springs has a unique, collaborative culture
I’ve worked with over one hundred county medical societies during my eleven years advocating for physicians. There is a collaborative ethos here that I’ve seen in few other places. Of all the communities I’ve worked with, this is the only one where I’ve seen all the major health care players in the same room and not fight. In most communities, these groups would be maneuvering against each other. Here, they are focused on building a stronger health care community. Instead of fighting over their corner of the sandbox, they’re building a better one.
Our physicians are community focused
Physicians worldwide care about their community, but it’s very evident here. There is a willingness to move beyond the needs of each physician’s practice, and focus on how to improve the health care system in our community. Most communities talk about it, but we’ve made it happen.
You are served by a dedicated and innovative Board and staff
They are passionate, focused, forward thinking, and, most of all, committed to building an amazing health care community in the Pikes Peak region.
El Paso County Medical Society is strong and vibrant, and the only way to remain so is to stay ahead of the changing health care environment. We must anticipate our members’ future needs, while still meeting their current ones. This takes courage. It takes leadership. And it takes a commitment to sustained effectiveness that few organizations have.
For example, General Motors watched as the American auto industry changed around it. In spite of overwhelming evidence, including its own internal data, that more and more Americans no longer wanted GM cars, it kept making the same cars, using the same commercials, and ignoring the same evidence. It was a textbook case of Freudian insanity. Without a federal bailout, who knows what would have happened to the company.
Like the US auto industry, our industry is changing. Ensuring El Paso County Medical Society never faces a similar situation as GM takes leadership. And that leadership will show over the coming months as we launch additional member benefits and find better ways to serve you.
I’ve learned a lot in three months, more than I can outline here, and I’ll keep learning. What I’ve found so far, however, shows an organization – both physicians and staff – that is committed to our community, focused on serving our members, and driven to make the Pikes Peak region a great place to practice medicine.