TCMS IN ACTION

Seasons of Change

Fall is my favorite season. This year, I am looking forward to welcoming our 35 medical students as they start their advocacy journey through the TCMS Dr. Pete Dehnel Public Health Advocacy Fellowship. I am excited to spend Saturdays with our physicians tabling at local neighborhood health events in the Twin Cities. And I cannot wait to share the next chapter of our organization’s story with our members, partners, and the greater public health community.

What’s Ahead

When the East Metro and West Metro Medical Societies merged in 2010 establishing Twin Cities Medical Society, our inaugural president Dr. Ed Ehlinger had a vision for a new kind of medical society, one that acted as a bridge between the medical profession and public health. At the beginning of this year TCMS announced our intention to become a medical association wholly focused on public health. Throughout the year, the TCMS Board has worked hard on the next steps as our organization continues our evolution to live into our mission as a new kind of medical society to meet the shifting realities in public health. Through these conversations we have adopted a new name: ABH— Advocates for Better Health—which reflects an evolution in our mission and the vision of the organization toward physician and medical student advocacy dedicated to healthier, more equitable communities. Our new name and brand represent our desire for ABH to have a more direct, immediate impact on Minnesota’s most pressing healthcare issues. Our members will be focused on making real change that improves the lives of our patients, and everyone in our communities. The TCMS Foundation Board of Directors, our philanthropic arm, has also embraced this evolution and will become ABH— The Foundation. ABH initiatives will advance the health of our Minnesota communities while at the same time promote physician well-being. ABH will accomplish this by fostering connections between our member advocates and providing ways for physicians and medical students to collaborate and grow in advocacy together.

Members of the TCMS Board and staff gathered for an informal, outside get (re)acquainted dinner in July.

Staff: Front: Nancy Bauer, Kate Feuling Porter, Amber Kerrigan, and Patrick Jones. Back: Becky Timm and Lucy Faerber.

BECKY TIMM, MA, CEO

Your Voice Counts

In this issue of MetroDoctors, you will read many outstanding articles about how your vote impacts our health. This

Board: Standing (L): Jennifer Kuyava, Ryan Greiner, Cora Walsh, Tyler Winkelman, Sruthi Shankar, Riley Shearer, Alex Feng, and Caleb Schultz. Seated: Hannah Lichtsinn and Zeke McKinney. theme complements our invitation for you to have a voice. We invite you to be a part in the shaping of ABH and our future priorities in public health as well as the professional and personal support for our physician community. We want to hear from you! We’ve created a survey that will guide our strategic direction. There are three options for your voice to be heard: scan the QR Code; access the survey via this link: https://bit.ly/TCMS toABH; or visit our website: www. metrodoctors.com. Please complete the survey by September 12, 2022. All voices are strongly encouraged to participate and share thoughts on public health trends and how we can work together to make real change.

Let’s Connect

I am thrilled to be at the organization’s helm during this exciting time of change and reprioritization. These initiatives will not only create meaningful change and advance the health of our communities, they will also support the health and well-being of our physicians while reconnecting them to their role as community healers. As COVID-19 has made abundantly clear, we are all deeply connected when it comes to health. Please reach out to me about the transition to ABH—Advocates for Better Health, the survey, or other items of interest.