DJP Update 11-8-2012 – Election 2012; AMA Interim Meeting Honolulu; AAPS Meeting San Diego – The Book!
Location: Writing most of this while flying at altitude 38, 235 feet over Pacific Ocean en route to Honolulu for AMA Interim Meeting. Now at the hotel!
Election 2012
It was the best of times,
it was the worst of times,
it was the age of wisdom,
it was the age of foolishness,
it was the epoch of belief,
it was the epoch of incredulity,
it was the season of Light,
it was the season of Darkness,
it was the spring of hope,
it was the winter of despair,
we had everything before us, we had nothing before us,…
So said Charles Dickens at the start of A Tale of Two Cities. I first read that as a child when I noted the book in the small library of my maternal grandparents in a cottage they had in Abita Springs, Louisiana. The past is prologue for the future.
That sentiment certainly holds true in the immediate post-election period. Democrats, Liberals, and Progressives are elated with the triumph of President Obama. But be careful about hubris. Remember Ozymandias.
Republicans, Conservatives, and Libertarians are wondering how could Governor Romney lose with his successful business experience and managerial skills, including the 2002 Winter Olympics rescue from financial distress, in addition to being a successful governor.
Consider the continued accumulation of national debt.
Consider the unemployment? What is the real number if one adds in those whose have given up looking for a job?
Consider the failure of this Administration to answer questions about the slaughter of 4 Americans in Benghazi with the appearance of actions or lack thereof bringing to mind the Keystone Cops. Why was the most powerful military in the world not able to send timely help over a period of 7 hours when heroes and the powerful assets were available and the attack was being monitored as it occurred? And don’t forget the warnings before the attack. No photo ops during this disaster but photo ops for just about everything else. Many in the national press should hang their head in shame for lack of investigative reporting and allowing this to be put off until after the election. The story will come out and a few intrepid reporters will win awards. But in the meanwhile, what do our brave military think as they confront a clear and present danger and venture into harm’s way every day? Do they wonder if those who have the ultimate go or no go power will not focus in situations when time is of the essence? Do they wonder if they will be allowed to remain in harm’s way for some political agenda? Those are valid questions that need debate and answers.
Consider the failure to produce a budget, and no Senate Democrat or Republican voting for the President’s proposed budget.
Consider Solyndra bankruptcy and claims of crony capitalism.
Consider Fast and Furious with another brave American killed and still the questions not answered. No results of investigations until after the election. Wouldn’t it be important to know the answers about Fast and Furious AND Benghazi before voting? I think so. Too bad for America. The finger-pointing will start soon. Transparency is critical for the leaders of our great Nation.
Consider the lack of real plan to get us out of this mess of borrowing and spending.
Enough of this. Perhaps many of you will consider it a waste of time. But I worry greatly about our land of liberty. The proclamations from our government appear all show and no action plans. It brings to mind the Brownian motion I describe as a lack of leadership in ON LEADERSHIP. Let us hope that the Administration and Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, focus on America during the next 4 years and put principles above politics.
I have not been writing as many DJP Updates as some of you have noted. My reason is the Twitter universe. It forces a person to be pithy (140 characters) and it is an excellent way to follow breaking news and share your views. I recommend it to you.
Go to my Twitter postings @DJPNEWS and you can see the recent tweets about the election, Benghazi, and other items I consider important. One posting today is about some species of rats who never get cancer. Lots of potential for humans with more research on the gene that kills cancer!
DJPNEWS
Potential! Find Wired UK Ian Steadman: “Why Blind Mole Rats Don’t Get Cancer” Gene prevents #cancer – 2 other species: cells suicide if ca.
11/8/12 7:33 PM
I also wrote that PPACA gets a reprieve for now.
DJPNEWS
Election = #PPACA reprieve. Voters get consequences: price-fixing, gov mandates, regs, + taxes = loss of access to care. #LearningHardWay
11/7/12 6:20 PM
You may find it interesting to contrast what we will talk about at this AMA meeting with the topics discussed at the 69th Annual Meeting of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) in San Diego. I presented there as I previously mentioned to you. AAPS just released videos and mp3 audio of all of the talks. You can view/hear the presentations for no charge. Check out the topics if you don’t have time to view videos or listen to mp3s now.
Go to: http://www.aapsonline.org/index.php/site/article/aaps_2012_annual_meeting_videos/
I continue to believe that the sad state of AMA membership, perhaps 15% of physicians in America are full dues paying members, is due to a feeling that AMA does not represent those in private practice. (I await AMA to release the breakdown of AMA members: How many members total? How many reduced dues (students and residents)? More physicians are becoming employed and believe the employer handles all advocacy.
Certainly, AMA support of PPACA was a big factor in the drop in membership. And what did that yield? Still price-fixing with SGR and now the IPAB of PPACA. Sort of like the results of Solyndra. And the reasoning that more Americans are covered? With what? One is the expansion of Medicaid, the failed program that price-fixes below the cost of delivering care and leads to the majority of specialists not taking referrals of Medicaid patients. And multiple millions still uninsured. No doubt others strongly will disagree with my comments. But that is the advantage of living in America. We can express our opinions. And time will tell which view is correct. Don’t bet on PPACA.
I believe you will see organizations, many new, vying for membership of doctors in America with the pitch that AMA doesn’t represent them. Doctors are looking for the next Dr. Ed Annis. Dr. Annis was a hero to me. He understood liberty and the absence of coercion. I miss his counsel. Again, time will tell if AMA emerges again to be a voice leading the way for ethical science-based medicine or will it be considered a go-along with the politicians in order to have a “seat at the table.”
But make no mistake, the people who come to these meetings are serious and want to do right for their patients. My association with AMA over many years has given me the opportunity to make new friends across this great Country and to learn from many of the staff of AMA, talented people who know how to carry out a mission. But we have to make sure we, the House of Delegates and the Board and EVP, have the vision and courage for success.
Onward to a successful meeting!
Now an update on the book! Thanks to all who have purchased a copy of my new book! The reviews are coming in for The Little Red Book of Leadership Lessons and I am pleased with the multiple 5-Star reviews at Amazon. Book signings at the AAPS meeting and at my speech to the GAMPAC at the Annual Meeting of MAG were a great success.
http://onleadership.us/pages/red-book-reviews.php
Here are a few more quotes from the book:
PAGE 56:
Courage is needed for action. Knowing what to do without action is akin to Brownian motion, purposeless shaking in the same location. It is not leadership. Leadership is movement toward the goal.
–DJP, ON LEADERSHIP
Never mistake motion for action.
–Ernest Hemingway
I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.
–Leonardo Da Vinci
The person who embodies leadership for me is Nelson Mandela.
Mandela inspired the world with his strength and courage in leading the fight against apartheid. . . . Many great leaders show courage, but Mandela, who was imprisoned for 27 years, coupled that courage with compassion and the ability to forgive.
—Melinda French Gates, Letter to DJP, June 25, 2007
PAGE 60:
Any man can shoot a gun, and with practice he can draw fast and shoot accurately, but that makes no difference. What counts is how you stand up when somebody is shooting back at you.
—Louis L’Amour
PAGE 184:
Can hospitals incent staff to be more efficient by enhancing coordination and collaboration? Gain sharing engages physicians in targeted cost-reduction initiatives by rewarding them with a percentage of cost savings. . . . It has it advocates, but I agree with Donald Palmisano, a past AMA president, surgeon and attorney, who said, “First off, a physician has an ethical and fiduciary responsibility to do what’s in the best interest of the patient. I think it’s insulting to think that giving me an additional amount of money will make me do what I’m supposed to do.”
—Floyd D. Loop, MD, heart surgeon and CEO Cleveland Clinic 1989-2004, Leadership and Medicine
PAGE 204:
The power which a multiple millionaire, who may be my neighbor and perhaps my employer, has over me is very much less that that which the smallest functionaire possesses who wields the coercive power of the state, and on whose discretion it depends whether and how I am to be allowed to live or to work.
—Fredrich von Hayek, The Road to Serfdom, 1944
———–
HOPE YOU WILL PLACE AN ORDER FOR THE BOOK! Makes a great gift too!
To those in the New Orleans area, The Garden District Book Shop is having a book signing for The Little Red Book of Leadership Lessons on Tuesday, November 27, 2012, 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
2727 Prytania St.
New Orleans, LA, 70130
Phone: 504-895-2266
Also, the owner, Britton Trice, takes orders for signed copies and I drop by and sign. He then mails the books to the purchaser.
For those at this Honolulu meeting, look me up to sign your book. I sit with the Louisiana Delegation.
Thanks for your consideration!
Donald
Some past selected DJP Updates can be found at: www.DJPupdate.com
Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD
Intrepid Resources® / The Medical Risk Manager Company
5000 West Esplanade Ave., #432
Metairie, LA 70006
USA
504-455-5895 office
504-455-9392 fax
DJP@donaldpalmisano.com
www.donaldpalmisano.com
www.onleadership.us
(Author of ON LEADERSHIP (2008, 2011 2nd edition) and THE LITTLE RED BOOK OF LEADERSHIP LESSONS (2012 & in bookstores and AMAZON now!)
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