Page 10 - Delaware Medical Journal - February 2018

PRESIDENT’S PAGE
Mark B. Thompson
“The mind of man is capable of anything — for in it contains all the past as well as all the future.” – Joseph Conrad
This quote, one of my favorites, is most

on my role as Executive Director of the Medical Society of Delaware (MSD). I am honored to take the helm of this Society with its rich and illustrious history. It is my goal to assist the members and the MSD staff in shaping and articulating
the organization’s vision as a robust professional society that provides value for Delaware’s physicians well into the future.
I believe this quote is symbolic of our membership and the committed team here at MSD. We share a profound respect for MSD’s past, however, we must look forward to the future. I cannot think of a more dynamic and challenging time in health care, but with these challenges come opportunities, and I believe that physicians are the ones best suited to have the most positive impact on meaningful health care reform and quality initiatives at both the state and federal levels.
Throughout my professional career, I have long embraced a management and leadership philosophy that emphasizes staff and team development through:
• Open and transparent communications, which develop trust and credibility.
• Providing MSD staff and physician members with the necessary tools and educational resources to be successful and assist them in their professional growth.
• A collaborative, team-based approach that helps to achieve strategic, and objectives.
• Reward and recognition incentives that empower staff to take pride in their work and in the organization we all represent.
As the son of a physician, I intimately understand the challenges and demands
that you, our members, face — regardless of your specialty, location, employment status (independent practice or employed), gender, or years of practice. A priority will also be placed on retaining and recruiting members and enhancing MSD’s overall value proposition of “Making Physicians’ Lives Easier.”
As your Executive Director, I fully appreciate and respect the needs and time constraints of physicians across the state and I will continue to be present in all three counties. I will gladly meet with physicians anywhere and anytime to be of assistance in confronting the multiple issues that unfortunately take you away from your priority of caring for your patients. I eagerly look forward to working with each of you to advance the Society’s mission and to craft the pathway for the future. After all, the Medical Society of Delaware is YOUR organization! I believe Abraham Lincoln said it well: “The best way to predict your future is to create it.”
It is truly an honor to have the opportunity to serve as your Executive Director and to help physicians lead the way to a healthier you have shown in me, the responsibilities you have entrusted to me, and for your support in advancing the Medical Society of Delaware into the future.
CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR
■ MARK B. THOMPSON, MHSA is the Executive Director of the Medical Society of Delaware.
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Del Med J | February 2018 | Vol. 90 | No. 2