AMA's health advocacy agenda, our own Sacagawea

AMA Leader Commentary. By Cecil B. Wilson, MD, March 5, 2007.

AMA LEADER COMMENTARY

A few words about current events in medical practice

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A message to all AMA members from Cecil B. Wilson, MD, chair of the AMA Board of Trustees.

Driving with an in-car navigation system continues to be one of those "Wow! Gee whiz!" experiences for me.

One such system not only maps the route, it also speaks ordinary language -- understanding up to 680 verbal commands.

It has more than 7 million entries and instantly can display the route from where you are to where you're headed. It even plots a new route if you go astray or take a wrong turn.

It is a natural for women, who already understand the importance of direction. It is a face-saving aid for men who are, or at least are accused of being, congenitally gender-handicapped by a predisposition not to ask for directions.

Someone once pointed out that the Lewis and Clark expedition would have failed miserably but for the guidance of Sacagawea, a Shoshone woman who knew the territory well and pointed the expedition in the right direction. Those bold enough to ask for directions demonstrate the Sacagawea effect in their lives.

The AMA employs the Sacagawea effect, having developed its own navigation package, our health advocacy agenda.

In just a few phrases, we have mapped out where we want to go and how to get there, targeting all our efforts along a disciplined path.

The ultimate destination is reform of the U.S. health care system with a goal of providing access to quality, affordable health care for everyone.