Special Message on COVID-19 from KCMS President Dr. Betty Drees

The coronavirus pandemic is a serious threat like none we have experienced in our lifetimes. Highly contagious, COVID-19 can be deadly, especially to older adults. If current containment efforts are not successful, a large influx of sick patients could overwhelm our health care system as it has done in Italy. Studies of the last pandemic of this proportion—the 1918 influenza—have shown that social distancing was the most effective containment measure.

Whether or not you are involved in the direct treatment of COVID-19 patients, we all have a role to play in this crisis. As physicians, our patients, family and friends look to us for guidance on how to respond. We should be unified in emphasizing that that complacency is not an option. People should follow the directives of our local public health officials as well as the CDC and the World Health Organization.

Special thanks to our local public health leaders, including KCMS members Dr. Rex Archer (KCMO Health Department) and Dr. Lee Norman (Kansas Dept. of Health and Environment), for their strong leadership. Also thanks to you in primary care, emergency medicine and urgent care who are on the front lines treating patients every day.

Together, we can and will manage through this crisis.

Betty Drees, MD, FACE, FACP

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS:

Coronavirus Resources

Lessons from 1918: Social Distancing Was Most Effective Preventive Measure

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Letter from the President 2025

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.