HJNO Nov/Dec 2021

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  NOV / DEC 2021 49 in-person events have been held to pro- mote the mission of MASELA to the phy- sician community. Collaterals have been developed to assist in membership mar- keting efforts outlining MASELA’s mission and priorities. And, a social media strategy was launched recently and includes graph- ics and messaging to various physician segments to encourage engagement. A few of these messages are included in this ar- ticle. Another initiative focused on the de- velopment of relationships with hospi- tal/healthcare system staff to make them aware of MASELA and to ask for their sup- port in promoting MASELA to their physi- cian community. Creating Value for Physicians and Patients The backbone of MASELA will be the development of value, which encourag- es engagement by physicians throughout Southeast Louisiana. Much effort has been dedicated to creating value with a few of these initiatives highlighted below: • COVID Update Series: MASELA continues to offer “COVID Update Calls” for phy- sicians throughout Southeast Louisiana and has since the beginning of the pan- demic. Fourteen calls have been coor- dinated, featuring public health experts and specialists in many areas of medi- cine. To date, there have been more than 2,500 unique physicians to participate in these calls. JPMS, OPMS and MASE- LA initiated these calls long before other educational efforts were being provided to the medical community. MASELA re- mains in contact with public health au- thorities and will offer additional calls as needed to keep physicians up to date on the latest diagnosis, treatment, surveil- Tanya Busenlener, MD Co-President Medical Association of Southeast Louisiana lance and prevention strategies. • AdHoc Committee Development : MASELA established multiple ad hoc committees for the purpose of engaging physicians in the organization and to bring value to physicians and to our community. These ad hoc committees are: • Women in Medicine. • Early Career Physicians Com- mittee. • Medical Education, Aca- demic Physicians & Physi- cians-in-Training Committee. • Private Practice Committee. • Employed Physicians Commit- tee. • Legislative & Regulatory Com- mittee. • Member Education. Committee leadership has been cho- sen, and orientations are underway. • Physician Well-being Program Develop- ment : The challenges of practicing med- icine, the pandemic and Hurricane Ida have brought considerable challenges that physicians must face each day in caring for their patients. To this end, MASELA is developing a complimentary, confidential coun- seling program patterned after many other successful programs across the country. This program is upstream of physician impairment and is focused on enhancing professional satisfaction. Foundational work is being completed. An advisory group is being formed to customize this model to the Southeast Louisiana area to ensure its effective- ness. In addition, peer groups are being considered as another benefit to physi- cian members to share their challenges with colleagues. • Celebrating Physicians : MASELA has ini- tiated two programs to celebrate phy- sicians and their dedication to patients, including “The Proud to be a Physician Campaign,” which was launched in March in conjunction with Doctors’ Day. MASELA encourages physicians to tell their stories about why they are proud to be physicians and whether there was a defining moment that they remember and wish to share. For more informa- tion, go to MASELA’s website: masala. org. What’s Ahead for MASELA in 2022? MASELA is a shared vision of Jefferson Parish Medical Society and Orleans Par- ish Medical Society. It is a vision to create a new organization that would be unified, stronger and more able to serve physi- cians. MASELA’s board of directors and staff have built the foundation to achieve this vision in 2022 and beyond. MASELA invites all area physicians to join the organization, get engaged, give back, and benefit personally and profes- sionally from this engagement. TOGETHER, we can make a difference for ourselves and for our patients. Join us in this journey. If you are already a member of MASELA, thank you! If you are a physician, and you are not yet a member, we need you! Please hover over this QR code with your cell phone camera. Or, go to masela.org/join. Or, call MASELA at 504-302-1900. n