Central Oregon Medical Society Meeting Survey
May 2005
1. Current Medical Society meetings are held at SCMC – Bend. Would you like a different venue, such as a theater or restaurant? YES 22 NO 55
If so, where?
Restaurant x7 (not Ernestos)
Awbrey Glen x2, Bend Golf & CC, Scanlon’s, Broken Top, McMineminns
Rotate – Sunriver Restaurant, Tower Theatre;
Redmond occasionally “I am in Madras, so Redmond sometimes would be nice.”
2. Current meetings are held the first Monday of the month. Would you like an alternate day? YES 17 NO 62
If so, what day? Tuesday 3; Wednesday 5; Tuesday 5; Friday x 2
3. Current meetings are every month. Would you like the meetings to be less frequent? YES 46 NO 38
If so, how often? Quarterly x 14 Every two months x 24
4. Current meetings begin at 6:30 PM for cocktails and 7:00 PM for dinner. Would you like a different time? YES 10 NO 74
If so, what time?
Cocktails 7 Dinner 7:30 Cocktails 5:30 Dinner 6 x 5 Cocktails 6 Dinner 6:30 x 3
5. The current meeting format includes dinner. Would you like to continue the dinner meeting format? YES 80 NO 2
6. Currently, spouses are invited to most meetings. Would you like to continue to invite spouses? YES 80 NO 4
As long as significant others or occasional guests are included for single members;
Only occasionally but not routinely;
Every other meeting;
Although inviting spouses is a nice idea, I think this is what is attractive to the retired set.
Spouses do inhibit real debate, which some meetings need for excitement. ½ with and ½ without spouse is good.
OK if pay same dues.
7. Would you like meetings and our Society open to mid-level providers e.g. physician assistants and nurse practitioners? YES 47 NO 34
I won’t come if you do.
Huge mistake politically to include them.
Not on a regular basis but occasional joint meetings with their associations could be beneficial to all groups.
8. Would you attend more meetings if childcare was available? YES 14 NO 61
I don’t have children, but think this would be a good idea.
9. What topics would you like to see presented?
Medical 56 Political 54 Leisure 42 Arts 37 Recreational 43
Other Environmental; Educational; Volunteer Medical Work
Medical Business; Bias towards medical topics of community wide concern with occasional presentations from all the other categories; Mental Health in Doc’s; Substance abuse – new stuff; Advanced in pharmacology; Travel medicine/Relief efforts in 3rd world; Science
We must continue a medical political format to keep members informed (Bill Lee)
Some real information on how the system might be fixed.
The more “hot or controversial” political topics the better. I would really enjoy hearing speakers on topics like biofuels, local land use planning, salmon crisis, etc
Meaningful tort reform and/or a solution to the strangling malpractice issue.
(Gary Frei)
The Society should focus on substantive issues, medical politics, health care reform ideas, our community as it is now. It is just a dinner club mostly attended by retired doctors. It should be more relevant to the needs of our community.
More of invited doctors who are involved in other issues such as CEO search or political campaigns.
Relevant topics that impact MD’s daily practice.
Reforming the Medicare/ Medicaid system to allow access and adequate
reimbursement so that physicians will participate willingly (Gary Frei)
Need to get back to more business, political, economic, community lectures.
Get OMA here 2–3x a year to discuss with our representatives current medical or economic issues at local, state, national & local issues (T. Muller)
Out of town speakers: Ronal Reugaris’ son, the pilot that flew solo around the world in his light weight plan (Dick Barton?)
Estate planning. I would be happy to provide the name and phone number of the president of the MP Co. Med. Soc if you would like to talk to him.
Fewer political topics.
Medicine has become so specialized that theme may be a problem with local MD’s (etc) speaking; perhaps special speakers (at a cost!) would help?
A continued effort to find talented speakers.
Let each medical group in town pick a speaker and be responsible for its associates to show up for it.
Work towards a solution to the physician power shortage that is now upon us- so
that when we are old there will be someone trained as well as we were to take care of us in the manner that we take care of our patients now (GaryFrei)
Unlike most of my colleagues, I do try to attend and like meeting up with my old friends, the retired docs.
I think the focus should be on socializing, and very short or no speakers.
As much as I like input and socializing with retired docs, the COMS has turned into a “retired docs” club. It does not seem relevant to active practitioners. I see no point in staying late for this
Current mix is ok.
10. Currently, you are notified of meetings by email. Is this the optimal way to notify you of meetings? YES 69 NO 7
Fax x2; Mail x4; Mail and Email
Make sure you have everyone’s email address.
The savings of e-mail isn’t worth it, Lack of mail at home is primary reason attendance has fallen.
11. Would you come to a meeting other than the regular monthly meetings, if a
special out of town speaker was available? YES 64 NO 8
Depends on speaker
12. Do you especially like it when one of our own physicians is the featured speaker?
YES 40 NO 27
If they are well prepared.
If they are good. The methamphetamine presentation was outstanding.
13. The Society’s Holiday Party is currently held in November. Would you be more or less likely to attend if the party was held in January? MORE 29 LESS 36 SAME 12
I would rather see it in early December.
Why not December
I would come if could bring children.
12.a. Would you prefer a dance or listening band at the Holiday Party?
Dance 25 Listening 36
Contemporary Dance Band, no jazz
If you could find a band that would provide both, they should be available, but need to keep volume down.
Bands are expensive and poorly used.
12.b. Where would you like the Holiday party to be held?
SCMC-B 7 Bend Golf & CC 19 Broken Top 39 Other 5 (Awbrey Glen)
14. Finally, what changes would you like to see made to encourage your and other physician’s attendance?
Meeting content, purpose, focus ...... [Cf. 9. Preferred Topics}
Meeting organization and attendees
If annual calendar is available this would help out a lot with attendance, better planning.
More active practitioners to dilute the retirees.
“Emphasize attempts at attracting younger MD’s. Involve spouses of younger to get them to see value of COMS. The group is much older than it was 25 years ago. Involvement of new and younger physicians should be a high priority. (Bill Lee)
It would be nice to meet some of the newer physicians in town. Are we making any efforts to invite those who have not yet joined?
It is important to pay attention to the actively practicing physicians – more than us retired physicians. It is not good that COMS is becoming a “retired physician” organization. Ron Carver (retired)
Anything to attract younger MD’s probably means keeping dues affordable.
“I am retired, from Salem (Marion-Polk Co. Med. Soc.). Several years ago, they did two things which resulted in a dramatic increase in attendance. 1) Provided baby sitting, child care for children up to approx. age 12. 2) Out of town speakers [see below] P.S. – Retired members did not have to pay for dinner.” (Bob Kuhl 504-1289)
Meeting venue & amenities
Different venue besides SCMC.
Picnic with kids. Outdoor venue. Baseball game etc.
We’ve tried a lot of things over the years and I haven’t got a magic solution. The best attendance in my years was with speakers well known for geology and Oregon recreation.
An occasional bone to those outside Bend, such as an occasional meeting in Redmond would help (Doug Lieuallen)
Rotate sites in Central Oregon if you want attendance by non-Bend providers.
Could 1 – 2 meetings/year be held at SCMC Redmond?
Monday is a bad night of the week for any meeting!
I would like music during the cocktail and dinner hour by local musicians from the Central Oregon Symphony. This might get the younger docs. Thanks for your efforts (Tom Wendel)
Maybe COMS should sponsor friendly competitions among members, such as athletic events. For example, the “COMS Bicycle Challenge” an amateur race between clinics or groups with money raised going to charity.
Family obligations, conflict
The single most important factor that prevents me form coming is having small children
Would be better if meeting stopped by 8:15 to 8:30.
I like the meetings with no speakers.
Consider childcare; family activity; no speakers; finish on time 8:15 to 8:30; use for family with children.”
I would love to come more often, but between work/kids/home I have no time. Childcare would really help. (Dedrick)
“With 3 children age 4 and under, it is prohibitively expensive (time and money) to hire a babysitter an drive 1 hour each way to attend a COMS meeting. (Gary M. Plant, Madras)
Wait till kids graduate – sorry, it’s tough to do both.
Meeting announcements
Printed glossy invitations addressed to residence (ie into spouses hands) may help get bug-in,
May need to send info in the mail to get to everyone.
Miscellaneous
As a past president (‘83) I can tell you these are now new problems. (Doug Lieuallen)
It is time to stop the "greet, meet and eat club". This group needs to focus ALL of their time, money and energies into: tort reform, medicare, workforce … (Gary Frei)
Let's stop the wining and dining of retired physicians at the expense of the
practicing physicians who have no time to attend these meetings as they are
working. If I could stop paying dues to this group I would have done so long
ago. (Gary Frei)
I wish I knew.
As a spouse who frequently attends, I like meetings at SCMC, however, they never have enough help. Service is slow! Coffee should be on the table before dinner.
Nothing in particular. I just think people are increasingly busy, and there are too many things competing for our time. (Scott Letourneau)
I think you are doing a good job and its difficult to think of ways to increase attendance when people are just not interested. (Steve Rogers)
Good Survey (Steve Adam)
Good luck.
“5-5-2006
Dear COMS Board of Directors:
It is time to stop the "greet, meet and eat club". This group needs to focus ALL of their time, money and energies into:
1) Meaningful tort reform and/or a solution to the strangling malpractice issue.
2) Reforming the Medicare/ Medicaid system to allow access and adequate
reimbursement so that physicians will participate willingly.
3) Work towards a solution to the physician power shortage that is now upon us- so
that when we are old (fast approaching) there will be someone trained as well as
we were to take care of us in the manner that we take care of our patients now.
4) Let's stop the wining and dining of retired physicians at the expense of the
practicing physicians who have no time to attend these meetings as they are
working. If I could stop paying dues to this group I would have done so long
ago.
Thank you.
Gary J. Frei, MD