Keeping Our Stick on the Ice
“Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.”
This was the advice that Walter Gretzky passed on to his son, hockey hall-of-famer, Wayne Gretzky.
While this advice has been overused by corporate CEOs (especially in Canada) and on motivational posters, it still resonates. I do find my interpretation of this quote changing over time. I used to think that “The Great One” had some sort of preternatural ability to know what was about to happen on the rink. As I’ve gotten older, I now realize that Mr. Gretzky put in many, many hours studying and watching tape. By doing this homework off the ice, he could better anticipate any game scenario.
Both WCMS and NSMA are doing our homework too so that we can be ready for where the puck is headed in the next few months. At the federal level, we’re keeping an eye on the proposed changes of the American Health Care Act and what impact that will have on our patients and our community. At the state level, our governmental affairs committee is meeting weekly to review all of the proposed legislation that affects how we care for our patients and healthcare in Nevada.
Our not-as-new executive director, Mary Ann McCauley is working feverishly to get WCMS up to speed. We recently had an incredible meeting with many of the WCMS past presidents who shared their vast wisdom and brought up some new great ideas. We’re excited about new partnerships with the University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine and getting medical students, residents and fellows more involved with organized medicine. Finally, we are organizing a long-term planning meeting at the end of March where we hope to continue to work on improving WCMS and increasing membership.
One of the ways you can get more out of your WCMS membership is to get involved with your committees. It’s a great way to learn more about topics you are interested in and you also get to work with your WCMS colleagues. See our committee descriptions on Page X. If you are interested, contact Mary Ann, [email protected], and she’ll connect you the appropriate committee chair.
Keep an eye out for a WCMS sponsored community event on heart issues in athletes in early May. Finally, as you may have noticed, our newsletter has taken on a new fantastic look. We hope you like the new format!