It’s been a remarkable seven years here in Southern Nevada. And, now, it’s time for an exciting new chapter not only for me but the medical organization that advocates for so many of the compassionate and fearless professionals in our community — the Clark County Medical Society.
In 2009, I moved to Las Vegas from New York City, where I had my own medical practice and was an active member of our local medical society. In 2010, I joined Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada as a breast surgeon and am now in the sixth year of doing what I love alongside such an inspirational core of oncologists, hematologists, pulmonologists and fellow surgeons.
Through a variety of community-minded positions I am proud to be a part of, I work with hundreds of patients each year. At CCCN, I am an advocate for breast health and working with the latest in clinical research and most effective treatments to create individualized plans where the patient’s personal needs come first. Additionally, I am the director of the breast care center at Summerlin Hospital, which has provided women in our community with access to breast health services including mammography technology, modern imaging and biopsy capabilities in one location. I also serve as the co-chair of the cancer committee and the breast tumor board, where surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists and other health care professionals come together in a collaborative environment to discuss some of the more challenging breast tumor cases and the best possible treatment options.
Reflecting on when I first arrived in Nevada, one of the very first things I did as a professional was join CCMS. I am so proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish thus far and was incredibly humbled to recently be voted the president-elect of such an impactful organization in our community.
Among my proudest accomplishments that I’ve been a part of thus far with CCMS is connecting independent practitioners and smaller medical groups with money-saving resources. Our organization has helped connect them with discounted practice insurance, assisted with business and financial administration and has advised on IT management. Physicians with larger medical groups may have teams that focus on these items, but for these smaller groups and solo practitioners, this is a big part of their business that they need help with.
Looking ahead, I have a vision for CCMS and the thousands upon thousands of lives we touch each year. As doctors and physicians, we take care of our patients and our community — from education, to awareness and prevention. At the core of my goals as the incoming president of CCMS, is to ultimately help doctors be doctors.
Physicians across our community — and throughout the United States — are faced with legislative issues, practice management and the business of medicine on top of caring for their patients. There are many layers to the medical world — records, mandates, meaningful use, government and insurance requirements, deductions and reimbursements, malpractice insurance, expectations with health care reform and much more.
At CCMS, we want to help them understand and grasp the challenges ahead, while also advocating on their behalf. Through proactive efforts and education, our doctors can focus on what they love to do — taking care of patients, providing treatments, participating in the latest research and clinical trials as well as finding cures to ailments that impact people around the world.
As president of CCMS, I look forward to helping bring more educational opportunities to our local physicians — not just in terms of quality but also convenience. We want to help make continuing education materials more accessible, whether it’s at local meetings, within an online database or via teleconferences. The goal is to have physicians spend less of their time tracking down what they need so they can focus on expanding their medical knowledge and caring for their patients.
As a medical community, we certainly face our share of unique challenges. But, that should never overshadow the fact that Southern Nevada is home to some of the finest doctors and specialists in the U.S. as well as the world. We collectively serve thousands of patients from across the globe that travel to Southern Nevada for their treatment and wellbeing.
As president of CCMS, I look forward to further uniting our medical community and bringing educational opportunities to the forefront.