Make the Physician Voice Heard Through Resolutions

Jim Braibish • January 28, 2020

Deadline approaching for Missouri convention resolutions

Are there issues of concern to you on which organized medicine should be taking action? Public health issues? Insurance matters? Practice concerns? The resolutions process gives physicians a chance to present topics for consideration by organized medicine.

Each year, resolutions are submitted by local medical societies and individual members to the Missouri State Medical Association and Kansas Medical Society conventions. The MSMA convention will be held April 3-5 in St. Louis; the KMS convention will be held September 25-26. Many resolutions approved by MSMA and KMS are forwarded to the American Medical Association meetings for further consideration; others are implemented at the state level.

KCMS encourages members to participate in the resolutions process by presenting ideas for resolutions. If you would like to have your resolution introduced by the Medical Society at the upcoming MSMA meeting, please submit your idea by Tuesday, February 11, to Emily Whalen, director of membership and events, at ewhalen@kcmedicine.org. If you prefer to submit your resolution directly to MSMA, the deadline for submitting resolutions to MSMA for inclusion in convention materials is Tuesday, February 18, at 5 p.m . More information on MSMA resolutions and how to submit.

Here are the topics of resolutions approved by MSMA in 2019:

  • Age restriction on youth tackle football
  • Health care needs of children of incarcerated parents
  • Creation of MSMA Women Physicians Section
  • Support for bleeding control training in schools
  • Sexual health education in Missouri public schools
  • Abolishing prior authorization requirements for opioid use disorder treatment
  • Supporting common sense climate change legislation
  • Study of physician and trainee suicide
  • AMA delegate term limits

Need tips on how to write a resolution? See MSMA resolution writing guidelines

Watch for information on Kansas resolutions prior to the KMS convention.

Skyline view of Kansas City, Missouri, including Union Station, with a field in the foreground under a cloudy sky.
By Micah Flint December 18, 2025
As we finish 2025, I am humbled and honored to be your incoming Kansas City Medical Society president. I want to thank Dr. Sarah Hon for her leadership and mentorship over the past year, and our executive director, Micah Flint, for his administrative support. Our medical society began with the Jackson County Medical Society in 1881, later merging with Wyandotte and Johnson County Medical Societies to become the bi-state Kansas City Medical Society in 2018. We have led health initiatives including Tobacco 21 legislation, Medicaid expansion, the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid crisis, and physician wellness. Our society is currently advocating for a speaker’s bureau, promoting suicide awareness at our local hospitals each fall, and leading vaccine education efforts in our community. As we move into 2026, our healthcare environment continues to change rapidly. With new medications and procedures, hospital mergers, EMRs, AI, scope-of-practice changes, hospitalists, and the rise of employed physicians, there are many challenges but also opportunities to lead in our healthcare communities. We must support one another to thrive and flourish. I ask that you stay involved and active in our organization as we plan networking and CME activities for 2026. Continue reaching out to colleagues as we learn from one another.
January 6, 2025
I consider it a sincere honor to serve as president of the Kansas City Medical Society this year. As we look forward to this new year, we celebrate our previous accomplishments and look for new ways to meet the challenges of our ever-changing healthcare environment. As we recognize our recent successes, I want to take the opportunity to thank Dr. Greg Unruh, our immediate past president, for his excellent leadership, and I look forward to his continued partnership, providing much-needed wisdom and experience to our board of directors as well as a leadership council. I am also deeply appreciative of Micah Flint, our executive director, now in his third year with the Society. As a board, we are prioritizing key areas where we believe the Society can make a difference for physicians and the communities we serve. With this in mind, we will continue our focus on wellness, advocacy, and expand our opportunities for in person social and educational gatherings. Our journal connects us in a variety of valuable ways, and we will continue its publication and expand its distribution. Under the directorship of Karole Bradford, the Society’s Foundation continues to do invaluable work. We celebrate those accomplishments and the charitable care they provide to our community’s vulnerable population. We are grateful for our individual members and corporate sponsors and welcome your suggestions of how the Society can best serve physicians and our community. Please mark your calendar for the Society’s upcoming events and consider inviting physician colleagues to join you as we gather to learn and support one another.
September 18, 2024
Kansas City area hospitals turn out for Physician Suicide Awareness Day: September 17th, 2024