Dr. Albert Ray’s SDCMS Inaugural Address
It is with great excitement that I begin my term as the 137th president of SDCMS. I didn’t get here by myself, though.
One of my late brother’s friends from New York City, where I grew up, wrote to me recently saying, “If only the Medical Society were able to go back in time and spend a few days with you on the lower-east side of Manhattan, they would truly understand how much you have accomplished.” The early death of my beloved older brother, Stanley, from kidney failure in 1959, and the constant love and guidance provided to me by my dear parents, grandmother, and family, inspired me to pursue a career in medicine as a physician.
The support of my loving wife, Cheryl, and my wonderful children, Heather, Erin, and Samantha, over these many years has been overwhelming, and I apologize to you for the many days and nights that I had to spend away from our home in the pursuit of the work of medicine.
To my Kaiser Permanente family, I am honored to be the first Permanente physician to hold this seat as president of SDCMS. The Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG) began in 1953, and, coincidentally, I am wearing cufflinks this evening given to me by my daughter, Heather, made of New York City subway tokens that are no longer used, but that began their use in that same year, 1953. This will remind me always that getting here was well worth the wait!
I stand on the shoulders of such leaders as Dr. Bill Sperling and Dr. Jeff Krebs who, as past leaders of this society and my fellow partners, laid the groundwork for my advancement. At Kaiser Permanente, we always remain committed to access to healthcare for all Californians. My appreciation also goes out to the leadership of this society, its board of directors, its members, its dedicated staff, and all of my patients and friends that I have had the privilege to know and to serve.
Special thanks go to Dr. Ted Mazer, who has been a most superb leader during the18-month marathon transition term in a personally trying and emotional period for him and his family. You have served as a role model for us all, and you will be a most difficult act to follow. And, to our executive director, Tom Gehring, I will simply say you are the greatest. We have the best CEO and staff of any medical society in California, bar none. My appreciation goes out to our political leaders here tonight who have helped us to improve the health of all Californians, as well as all the other organizations that work with and aid SDCMS and have supported this event.
As members of SDCMS, we remain “Physicians United for a Healthy San Diego.” As our leaders and colleagues have told me time and time again, in order to be politically effective, we must leave our individual differences behind and present ourselves to the public with one voice. How different we are from the Monterey County Medical Society, presently voting to secede from the California Medical Association. The latest [June] edition of San Diego Physician reflects our great diversity and our differing modes of practice, from solo to very large group. Listen to the words of Dr. Henry Gibbons, former president of CMA, in his farewell address in 1858. “We are a heterogeneous mass, an array of incompatibles; no country in the world is supplied with physicians so diverse in character. The physicians of California know less of each other than the physicians of any other land, and they care less for each other. Everyone is for themselves, and one thinks the best way to raise themselves is by treading down others. One thing, however, is palpable, that no availing remedy can be so effective as the organizing and cherishing of medical associations in every possible locality.”
During my presidency, we have much work to do, and I sincerely need your help. In the United States, we rank 37th in the world in healthcare outcomes, despite paying twice as much for supplying that care. Approximately 43 million or 16 percent of the U.S. population is uninsured medically. In California, our governor and several legislators have set bold initiatives for healthcare reform on the table. The national presidential campaigns are in full swing with each proposing their own solutions. One thing is certain: If we, as physicians, do not come up with a unifying solution, it will be imposed upon us. We should heed the words of Sir Winston Churchill: “Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing, after they have exhausted all other possibilities.”
My priority as president will be to bring together physicians, patients, purchasers, insurers, and legislators to achieve meaningful healthcare reform. We must take advantage of this window of opportunity. At the present time, we have a “sick” care system, not a “health” care system. Healthcare is expected to account for one dollar of every five dollars spent in the United States by the end of the decade. Spending on healthcare will continue to outpace the overall economy. By 2016, it will total four trillion dollars from the present two trillion dollars. Issues with physician reimbursement, doctor dissatisfaction, preventive care, information technology, regulation, pay-for-performance, coverage for uninsured, and care for undocumented individuals will stir the debate.
I would like to ask you to continue your involvement through service to this Medical Society and its foundation, leaving our differences aside. The Reverend Martin Luther King said it best: “Service is the rent you pay for the space you occupy on this earth.” As human beings, it is our nature to give up on the struggle if the battle ahead seems too difficult. Let us not be discouraged with our continuing efforts and past experiences with healthcare reform. Instead, let us be inspired by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, who said, “First they ignore you; then they laugh at you; then they fight you … then you win.” In that light, we thank all the leaders in attendance who have served as role models for us to emulate.
Finally, to the physicians, remember that every day when we interact with patients, we are still doing sacred, holy work. I cherish that awesome moment when I enter my patient’s presence and relate to them as a teacher and healer, just like every physician has done in the noble history of our profession from ancient times. In the words of my religious tradition, from doctor and philosopher, Moses Maimonides, “O God, you have entrusted us with the life and death of all living creatures.” Let’s work together to bring that trust to reality as members of SDCMS and as “Physicians United for a Healthy San Diego.” Thank you.