Building Relationships to Benefit Patient Care
As the son of a family practitioner, Dr. Jerome Aya-Ay noticed that doctors throughout his home state of West Virginia knew each other. They relied on each other to solve problems.
A family physician who trained at Spartanburg Regional Hospital, Aya-Ay remained in the area to practice family medicine. He quickly realized that as a family physician, he needed to refer to other providers for specialty care for his patients. That’s when he understood the value of joining the Spartanburg County Medical Society, a group of more than 116 independent practitioners working to build camaraderie among physicians in the county.
“You want to put a name with a face, and this is a great way to do that,” he explained.
Dr. Aya-Ay, former Society President, and current Trustee to the South Carolina Medical Association (SCMA), enjoys the casual meetings that connect members over food and drink. That’s when he gets to know other members and learn about their backgrounds and philosophies so he can comfortably refer his patients to them. Members also confer on projects and challenging cases.
“I want to know who I’m sending my patients to,” he said. “I just want to build that relationship so that way, when my patients need these specialists, I know them. They’re good people, they’re members of the community, and they’ll care for you like they would care for one of my family members.”
In late summer, Dr. Aya-Ay had a patient in the ER sitting in waiting room with a cardiac event. A quick text to a fellow member who was a cardiologist got the patient seen quickly and could have saved his life. Also, this summer, Dr. Aya-Ay saw a patient running a bread stand at a farmer’s market, and the man looked unwell. The patient allowed Dr. Aya-Ay to look at his stomach and he noticed distension, prompting a call to Tanya Tang, D.O., the society’s current President who is also a nephrologist.
“The more you talk, you realize the common bond you have and that builds a stronger relationship and ultimately a stronger medical community,” Dr. Tang noted.
“It’s really old school, but it is effective and beneficial for patients,” Dr. Aya-Ay added.
The Spartanburg County Medical Society was established in 1866 to bring together physicians in Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union counties. The society serves South Carolina District 3 of the SCMA, promoting the science and art of medicine for the betterment of public health unity, harmony, and the welfare of the medical profession.
The Spartanburg County Medical Society hosts monthly happy hours at local venues. Each is sponsored by a different member. In addition, there are other fun events like annual picnics, an annual fundraising gala, and the biannual Docs That Rock event that draws more than 1,000 attendees and raises money for the Children’s Cancer Society. Docs That Rock highlights bands that include at least one physician in the group.
The Spartanburg County Medical Society works closely with the SCMA, partnering on continuing medical education courses and sharing presentations at the statewide organization’s annual meeting. Several members also hold statewide roles with SCMA.
Dr. Aya-Ay encouraged other area physicians to join and remain up-to-date on legislation, state practice guidelines, and scope of practice requirements.
“It’s really important to protect our patients and protect the profession of medicine,” he explained. “The state dictates the way we practice medicine, and if needed, we have to develop resolutions to bring change at the state level or oppose changes that are being suggested.”
One such change is the movement to expand the scope of practice for nurse practitioners and physician assistants and enable them to practice independently rather than under the supervision of a physician.
On the local level, the society works closely with the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, by hosting welcome events and offering scholarships – $2,500 in annual scholarships for a medical student, as well as a $2,750 scholarship for a nursing student committed to practicing in the county.
The society also created Spartanburg Women in Medicine to enable women physicians to connect on pertinent issues and topics.
Mark Your Calendar
Spartanburg County Medical Society Events
SCMS Gala December 6, 2024
Join us for our annual membership celebration. Dress is black tie optional. Enjoy dancing, drinks, and delicious appetizers. During the gala, new board members will be elected, board awards will be presented, and we’ll hear about plans for the upcoming term. We will also share our Physician of the Year Award.
SCMS Legislative Event on February 3, 2025
Learn about the pertinent issues facing physicians in the state of South Carolina. We will hold panel discussions with our legislators and share our organization’s official position on these issues. Enjoy food and drinks as you witness the exchange of ideas with our representatives.
To learn more about Spartanburg County Medical Society, visit https://www.spartanburgmedicalsociety.com/contact.
To become a member, visit https://www.spartanburgmedicalsociety.com/welcome.
