--
Myer S. Bornstein, MD, MMM, FACOG, FACPE, CPE
-----Original Message-----
From: ob-gyn-l@obgyn.net [mailto:ob-gyn-l@obgyn.net] On Behalf Of Gerald P.
Rodríguez
Sent: Friday, August 08, 2003 10:26 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list OB-GYN-L
Subject: Dr. Hale and the AMA
I sent to following letter to the editor of "ACOG Today" today.
gpr
>----- Original Message -----
From: Gerald P. <mailto:geraldpr@cybermesa.com> Rodríguez
To: mwiseman@acog.org
Sent: Friday, August 08, 2003 8:23 AM
Subject: Dr. Hale and the AMA
I find it amusing that Dr. Ralph Hale, our Exec. VP comes on strongly
pro-AMA, in a piece written for the August 2003 issue of ACOG Today, urging
ACOG members to support the AMA. He bemoans the fact that 3,000 ACOG
Fellows have dropped their AMA membership.
Only two years ago, the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG)
proudly announced through its President, Dr. Gerson Weiss, that the ABOG had
dropped its association with the AMA. This schism occurred because the AMA
refused to go along with a name change requested by ABOG. It wanted to
change from "ABOG" to "ABOG:WH." The "WH" stands for Women's Health. There
were other reasons stated including among them were such silly issues as the
AMA support for physicians rights to join labor unions, and the firing of a
controversial and politically active editor of JAMA.
I wrote several letters to both Drs. Weiss and Norman Gant, the Executive
Director of ABOG pointing out that ABOG, while having a vital role in our
specialty, dare not speak for me or any other Diplomate of the Board on
political issues. ABOG (unlike the AMA) is not, I pointed out, a
representative or democratic organization. In essence I said that the Board
should stick to its charter function of testing and certifying those having
knowledge and skills worthy of being labeled "Board Certified." Dr. Weiss
never bothered to respond while Dr. Gant argued that the ABOG did indeed
have every right to resign from its AMA association. This stance by ABOG
certainly said to its Diplomates: "Quit the AMA."
As far as I know, the ABOG's position is still anti-AMA. I also find no
sign that ACOG ever expressed any public consternation over the ABOG/AMA
breach. Thus, I find Dr. Hale's sudden love affair for that stogy and
irrelevant organization, called the AMA, of interest.
Gerald P. Rodríguez, M.D., FACOG
Santa Fe
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