President's Message Spiro Spanakis, DO

President's Message

Spiro Spanakis, DO

As I begin my term as president of the Worcester District Medical Society, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, I realize the true value of being a member of such a wonderful organization. There is so much to be thankful for, even in these turbulent times.

For those of you who have been longtime members of the society, this is a time to build on established relationships to learn how others are coping with the pandemic and share ideas on sustaining medical practices. Care model paradigms have completely shifted and are likely to remain affected in the long term. In collaboration with the Massachusetts Medical Society, we will continue to serve as a node of information for our members and advocate for protections of physicians as they serve the public in this time of crisis and other similar situations in the future. For example, we are supporting the passage of a bill that would provide liability protections for health care workers during the pandemic, providing civil immunity from liability for physicians practicing in unprecedented times under unprecedented practice conditions.

I look forward to the time when we can gather together again, share our experiences and support each other as colleagues and friends. These relationships and interactions form the core of the value of membership in organizations such as WDMS.

It is an honor to assume the role of president of WDMS from Dr. Sahdev Passey. On behalf of all of our members and staff, I want to thank him for his exemplary leadership during the past two years. Among the many accomplishments during his term, the 225th Anniversary Gala raised more than $25,000 to support our scholarship fund. Events like the Gala help medical students follow their true passions and enter the specialties that meet their callings as physicians, and nothing could be more important to a successful medical career.