HJNO Mar/Apr 2025

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  MAR / APR 2025 55 Bill Daly, MD President MASELA I am honored to serve as the new pres- ident of MASELA (The Medical Society of Southeast Louisiana). As a native New Or- leanian, I attended Tulane University Med- ical School and completed my anesthesia residency at Ochsner Medical Center, where I continue to practice today. Since completing a residency in 1992, I have been deeply involved in organized medicine, serving on the boards of both OPMS and MASELA, leading OPMS as its president, and contributing to the efforts of LSMS to advance the interests of our physicians. I firmly believe that organized medicine is the most effective way for us to work together to enhance our practice en- vironment and improve patient care sys- tems. It is truly an honor to lead this out- standing organization, and I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to advocate for the future of our profession. As we move forward, we will continue to build on the successes of the past year. Here are just a few highlights from 2024: • Under the leadership of Richard Pad- dock, MD, we achieved key advocacy wins in the Louisiana Legislature. We successfully reformed prior autho- rization requirements to reduce the clerical burden on both physicians and patients and played a crucial role in preventing the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana-Elevance merger. • We hosted collaborative meetings with MASELA, OPMS, and JPMS, ad- dressing timely topics in medical care delivery and policy. • We supported legislation to expand coverage for GLP-1 medications, in- crease access to RSV vaccines for pregnant women, and strengthen oversight of our medical delivery sys- tem. We are excited to host the annual Cele- bration of Medicine on March 21, honoring physicians who have gone above and be- yond in serving their patients and commu- nities. Awards will be presented in the cat- egories of Public Health Leader, Physician and Patient Advocate, Medical Role Model, and Physician Well-being Champion. Together, we will continue to advocate for a stronger, more patient-centered healthcare system while supporting the physicians who make it all possible. Our medical societies are vibrant, grow- ing organizations dedicated to serving both our patients and the physicians in our community. We offer numerous opportu- nities for those who want to play an active role in shaping our healthcare delivery system—ensuring it remains safe, cost-ef- fective, and patient-centered. While we are committed to driving meaningful change, our impact is stron- gest when we work together. If you are interested in joining our efforts, we en- courage you to get involved. Please reach out to our executive director, Tara Leg- endre Winton, at twinton@masela.org or 504-302-1900, or visit www.masela.org/ Get-Involved to learn more. We look forward to another year of ad- vocacy, collaboration, and service to our patients and the medical community. n