Rural Caucus
Leadership

Rural Caucus Give Smaller Component Societies
 a Larger Voice

Through the creation of the LSMS Rural Caucus, efforts are underway to improve the infrastructure and to provide support to rural component societies. The goals of the LSMS Rural Caucus are to assist rural component societies in the coordination of regular meetings, provide education about available resources, and improve communication with the LSMS. Through the efforts of the Rural Caucus, the goal is that the voice of the LSMS will carry farther and deeper into the rural areas of the state and enhance advocacy for all members. The Rural Caucus consists of component societies which have 6 or fewer delegates to the LSMS House of Delegates.

At the 120th LSMS House of Delegates, David E. Post, MD, President of East & West Feliciana Medical Society, introduced Resolution 99-110 to create the LSMS Rural Caucus. The resolution was approved, and Dr. Post was charged with the task of forming the caucus. Dr. Post began this effort by sending a letter asking rural component society presidents to serve on the LSMS Rural Caucus Coordinating Council. The letter also asked the presidents to include names of other physicians who would be appropriate to serve on the council. To date, 31 members have agreed to participate. It is the objective of the Caucus to broaden representation and to include rural physicians all across Louisiana.

Dr. Post learned firsthand the unique challenges facing the rural physician since being elected to serve as president of a rural parish society. He quickly realized that creating an organizational structure to conduct regular meetings without support personnel or sponsorship for educational programs was going to be a difficult task. He reasoned that other rural parish societies faced similar challenges, and that they might be better equipped to overcome them by working together. Dr. Post would like to put an infrastructure in place for the caucus that will ultimately improve rural patient care delivery, provide CME activities designed to meet needs of the rural physician, offer opportunities for social networking and enhance job opportunities in the rural communities.

So, if you are in a rural LSMS parish society with less than 6 delegates we need YOU! Let your voice be heard and help the LSMS serve you better. Express your interest in the LSMS Rural Caucus by contacting Cathy Thompson, LSMS Membership Development Coordinator at cathyt@lsms.org or 800-375-9508.

David E. Post, MD Chair,
LSMS Rural Caucus Coordinating Committee