TBMS Membership

TBMS Membership

Letter from Dr. Jim Cook, Membership Chair

Dear Fellow Physician:

We would like to be among the first to welcome you to Bay County and to congratulate you on your choice of community. You will find this area to be very rewarding personally and professionally, and it is a wonderful place to raise a family with manifold outdoor recreational opportunities.

In terms of medicine, Bay County has earned an excellent reputation for care and capability. We are the referral center for many surrounding counties in all directions by dint of our geographic distance from Pensacola, Tallahassee, and Dothan. We look forward to your enhancing that reputation with your talents and industry in your practice which will help us all.

The Florida Medical Association is viewed as one of the bellwether medical societies in the nation along with Texas, California, and New York. We are the source of many new ideas in medicine which are then carried by our strong delegation to the AMA meetings for implementation. Indeed the chairman of the AMA Board of Trustees is a former President of the FMA, and we have many Floridians in other AMA offices. Organized medicine is one of the most democratic societies in the world and your participation is solicited to assist in serving our great profession

You will find that the Bays Medical Society is at the forefront of organized medicine in our State with local representation to the Board of Governors for over fifteen years. Our local Society is very active with a large volume of Continuing Medical Education which culminates in our October Annual Meeting which is the envy of the Panhandle. Our Society traditionally does free physical exams for schoolchildren each August which is the source of much goodwill. Our Bay Cares program documents the free care given by our members throughout the year so that the medical profession and our physicians may be recognized for this largesse. And with every meeting of physicians for the benefit of our profession we become stronger in the fights against bureaucracy, mediocrity, decreasing reimbursement, overzealous legislative efforts, frivolous lawsuits, and overwhelming paperwork.

The Bays Medical Society meets on the first Tuesday of most even-numbered months at 6:30 PM at the St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club. We would invite you to come as our guest and hope you decide to join us in promoting our wonderful profession.

Sincerely,
James T. Cook, III, M.D.
Membership Chairman

Some of the many benefits of joining The Bays Medical Society include:

	Promote the honorable discipline of medicine with a positive voice to the community and beyond.
	Be an advocate for patients to promote public health through informed patient advocacy and encouragement of high standards in medical care, ethics, and education.
	Participate in many educational events, including continuing medical education, government updates, social issues, and more. Members receive discounted registration fees.
	Be part of the voice of medical and osteopathic physicians in public forums, local and state government.
	Promote local healthcare initiatives, such as BayCares indigent care program.
	Participate in local events, such as the annual Dr. Byron McCormick Free Athletic School Physicals program.
	Partner with local, state and federal agencies to coordinate volunteer efforts in the event of disasters.
	Utilization of grievance committee to assist with patient complaints.
	Monitor and evaluate community health care needs, and actively participate in solutions.
	Periodic social events for you, your family, and your office staff.
	Receive regular updates of news relevant to the local medical community.
	Website opportunities to advertise your practice.
	Free notary service for physician members.
	Physician address labels printed on your labels.
	Coming Soon - links to your practice on the website, discounts for products and services, development of local programs and much more.

As our membership expands, we will strive to understand your needs and aggressively seek opportunities to improve the ever-changing dynamics that physicians face in their day-to-day practices. Members are encouraged to share their ideas and suggestions on how the Society can continue to meet these challenges.