More than 100 physicians, residents and medical students donned white coats at the SC State House in March for the South Carolina Medical Association’s annual Physician’s Day event.
The SCMA advocacy team, led by Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Policy Counsel Holly Pisarik, set up meetings with both House and Senate members for physicians to provide critical feedback about the impact of current healthcare legislation — and its unintended consequences — on patient care.
Dominating the conversation was the importance of physician-led healthcare and the essential role of unparalleled physician education and training on a healthcare team. Proposed legislation from Senator Tom Davis (SB44 and SB45) would eliminate physician-led healthcare in South Carolina, allowing nurse practitioners and physician assistants to practice independently, dramatically changing the way healthcare is delivered in South Carolina to the detriment of patient safety.
“Physicians have always known how to study hard, how to work hard. This Physician’s Day at the State House was especially exciting because the large turnout of physicians and medical students shows we’ve learned to advocate with that same passion,” explained Dr. M. Mayes DuBose, president of the South Carolina Medical Association. “It was a true cross-section of South Carolina physicians at all levels of training.”“Both patients and
physicians in our state are unhappy with the current trajectory of our healthcare system, and our overwhelming presence today indicates our commitment to being part of the course correction,” DuBose continued. “At the heart of today was our passion for caring for our patients and protecting them from potentially harmful legislation.”
Data-driven facts about physician-led care can be accessed through the SCMA Myths vs. Facts sheet, or learn more details at scmedical.org/protect patients.
