Councils/Committees

Sign up to Serve on a MedChi Committee.

Browse the committee listing below to find your special interest in organized medicine. Volunteer to serve on a committee. Along the way you will be networking with colleagues and helping to strengthen the organization. Even if you live far from Baltimore, you can still participate.  Committee meetings offer conference call capabilities. 

  • Help us be Your Advocate.
  • Help us be Your Resource.
  • Volunteer to work on issues that affect Your Profession.

To serve on a council or committee, you must sign MedChi's Conflict of Interest policy statement.  Send an email to Erin Krell with any questions and the committee you want to serve.

2011/2012 MedChi Councils

BYLAWS COUNCIL

The Bylaws Council is made up of the Bylaws, Rules and Regulations Committee, Joseph Snyder, M.D., chair.  The committee drafts amendments to the bylaws and the rules of MedChi as needed or as directed by the House of Delegates or Board of Trustees.  It reviews, approves, disapproves, or alters amendments submitted to it by the component societies, council or House of Delegates.  The committee reports all amendments to the bylaws of MedChi to the House of Delegates with the call to session.  The committee also serves as an advisory committee on all matters pertaining to the Bylaws and Rules of MedChi.  (There is a specific requirement for geographic representation.)

Chair:  Joseph Snyder, M.D.
Staff:  Stephen H. Johnson, ext. 3313  

Bylaws, Rules & Regulations Committee
Chair: 
Joseph Snyder, M.D.                          
Staff:  Stephen H. Johnson, ext. 3313

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COMMUNICATIONS COUNCIL              

The function of the Council on Communications shall be to advise and guide the publications and communications efforts of MedChi.  The Council shall ensure that MedChi communications are consistent with the policies and strategies of MedChi and shall make recommendations to the Board of Trustees and the Chief Executive Officer of MedChi so as to achieve those goals and otherwise maximize the performance and benefit to MedChi of all the publications and communications of MedChi.

Chair:  Bruce M. Smoller, M.D.
Staff:  Debbie Sciabarrasi, ext. 3303
Staff:  Susan D’Antoni, 301-921-4300

        Maryland Medicine, The Maryland Medical Journal 
        Editorial Board
        Editor/Chair:  Bruce M. Smoller, M.D.
        Staff:  Susan D'Antoni, 301-921-4300

        Publications Committee
        Chair:
        Staff:

        Public Relations Committee
        Chair:
        Staff:

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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (Click here to view)

The Legislative Council is made up of the Boards and Commissions Committee, Steve Rockower, M.D., vice chair; the Health Insurance Committee, Gary W. Pushkin, M.D., vice chair; the Public Health Committee, Brooke Buckley, M.D., vice chair and the Regulatory Committee.  The council and its committees study and decide on MedChi's position on all health-related legislation submitted to the Maryland General Assembly.

Co-Chair:  James J. York, M.D.
Co-Chair:  Brooke Buckley, M.D.
Staff:  Stephanie Wisniewski, ext. 6001

        Boards & Commissions Committee
        Vice Chair:
  Steve J. Rockower, M.D.                          
        Staff:  Stephanie Wisniewski, ext. 6001

Health Insurance Committee
Vice Chair:
  Gary W. Pushkin, M.D.                          
Staff:  Stephanie Wisniewski, ext. 6001 

Public Health Committee
Vice Chair:
  Brooke Buckley, M.D.                          
Staff:  Stephanie Wisniewski, ext. 6001

Regulatory Committee
Vice Chair:
Staff: 
Steve Johnson, ext. 3313

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MEDICAL ECONOMICS COUNCIL

The Medical Economics Council provides advocacy services in both the private sector (payers) and the public sector (regulatory).  The council is made up of the Payer Relations Committee, the Information Technology Committee and the Products and Services Committee.

The Payer Relations Committee, Charles Samorodin, M.D., chair, evaluate the challenges physicians face on a day-to-day basis with insurance companies.  The Payer Relations Committee works with individual carriers and the Maryland Insurance Administration to resolve these problems.  The committee informs physicians and their practices of these problems through MedChi's weekly List-Serve and other written publications.  The committee also educates physicians throughout the state on methods for working with the carriers.

The Products and Services Committee, Vinu Ganti, M.D., chair, monitors opportunities and vendors  who provide office services and equipment for the physician office.

Chair:  H. Russell Wright, M.D.
Staff:  Russ Kujan, ext. 3322

Payer Relations Committee
Chair:
  Charles Samorodin, M.D.
Staff:  Russ Kujan, ext. 3322

Products/Services Committee
Chair: 
Vinu Ganti, M.D.
Staff:  Debbie Sciabarrasi, ext. 3303

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MEDICAL POLICY COUNCIL

The Medical Policy Council is made up of the Disaster Preparedness Committee, the Disparities in Health Care Committee, the Committee for Ethics and Judicial Affairs, the Health Finance Committee, the Public Health Committee and the Quality Committee.

The Disaster Preparedness Committee, Cynthia Webb, M.D., chair, studies the role of MedChi in disaster preparedness for the State of Maryland in order to develop recommendations for preparing Maryland physicians and other practitioners for public health disasters, including terrorist actions, and for utilizing MedChi and other professional organizations toward that end and coordinating physician efforts with voluntary professional agencies.

The Disparities in Health Care Committee, Dianna Abney, M.D., chair, focuses on issues related to the IOM report on disparities in the delivery of health care to citizens of Maryland.  It has also developed an educational component for medical staff meetings.

The Ethics and Judicial Affairs Committee, Robert Phillips, M.D., considers questions of medical ethics, especially as they relate to social policy issues, interprofessional relations, hospital relations, confidentiality, advertising, communications with the media, fees and charges, record practice matters and professional rights and responsibilities. 

The Public Health Committee, Jeffrey Kaplan, M.D., chair, identifies public health issues of importance and work with MedChi to develop policies and activities that address these issues, in order to enhance the health status of our community.  Areas of current concern are access to care, environmental issues, Maternal and Child Health, health promotion and diseases prevention and communicable diseases.

The Quality Committee, Ron Orleans, M.D., chair, learns the needs of community practitioners to help  them improve delivery of care in their office.

Chair:  Ramani Peruvemba, M.D.
Staff:  Stephen H. Johnson, ext. 3313  

Disaster Preparedness Committee
Chair:
  Cynthia Webb, M.D.
Staff:  Joyce Duffy-Bilanow, ext. 3312

Disparities in Health Care Committee
Chair:
  Dianna E. Abney, M.D.
Staff:  Sandi Rowland, ext. 3336

Ethics and Judicial Affairs Committee (Click here to view
Chair:
  Robert Phillips, M.D.
Staff:  Joyce Duffy-Bilanow, ext. 3312

Public Health Committee
Chair:
  Jeffrey Kaplan, M.D.
Staff:  Sandi Rowland, ext. 3336

Maternal & Child Health Subcommittee
Chair:
  Lillian R. Blackmon, M.D.
Staff:  Sandi Rowland, ext. 3336

Prescription & Non-Prescription Drugs w/ Possible Abuse Potential Subcommittee
Chair:
  Marcia D. Wolf, M.D.
Staff:  Sandi Rowland, ext. 3336

Quality Committee (Click here to view
Chair:
  Ronald J. Orleans, M.D.
Staff:  Stephen H. Johnson, ext. 3313

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OPERATIONS COUNCIL

The Operations Council oversees and advises on issues related to the operations of MedChi.                         

The Continuing Medical Education Review Committee (CMERC), Ambadas Pathak, M.D. and Laurel G. Yap, M.D., co-chairs, provides oversight, review and direction for the MedChi Accredited Provider Programs, which in turn is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).  It provides accreditation, accreditation maintenance, program development and assistance for continuing medical education programs of various organizations in the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia.

The Committee On Scientific Activities (COSA), Steven F. Crawford, M.D., chair, provides oversight, evaluation and content validation for the jointly sponsored and directly sponsored CME programs of MedChi.  MedChi is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.  The committee reviews all applications for jointly sponsored or directly sponsored CME programs and reviews all submissions for the Maryland Medical Convention.

The Finance Committee, Chinnadurai Devadason, M.D., chair, advises and counsels the Board of Trustees regarding MedChi's financial investment program and develops a budget for the organization.  The chairperson of the committee shall be the treasurer of MedChi.

The Membership Committee, Brian Avin, M.D. and Shannon P. Pryor, M.D., co-chairs, focus on issues related to recruiting and retaining MedChi members.

The Performing Arts Medicine Committee, Alan J. Sweatman, M.D., chair, was formed in the early 1980's to provide a forum where the medical and performing arts communities can formulate a comprehensive approach to injury prevention and treatment and to the education of the performing artist.  Committee members include physicians, performing artists, teachers, physical therapists and other helping professionals.

Co-Chair:  Audrey Corson, M.D.
Co-Chair:  David Safferman, M.D.
Staff:  Debbie Sciabarrasi, ext. 3303 

CME Review Committee (CMERC)
Co-Chair:
  Ambadas Pathak, M.D.
Co-Chair:  Laurel G. Yap, M.D.
Staff:  Frank C. Berry, ext. 3307

Finance Committee
Chair:
  Treasurer - Chinnadurai Devadason, M.D.
Staff:  Carl Graham, ext. 3326

Membership Committee (Click here to view)
Co-Chair:
  Brian Avin, M.D.
Co-Chair:  Shannon P. Pryor, M.D.
Staff:  Anita Williams, ext. 3323

Performing Arts Medicine Committee
Chair:
  Alan J. Sweatman, M.D.
Staff:  Joyce Duffy-Bilanow, ext. 3312

Personnel & Compensation Committee
Chair:
  Treasurer - Chinnadurai Devadason, M.D.
Staff:  Debbie Sciabarrasi, ext. 3303

Committee on Scientific Activities (COSA)
Chair:
  Steven F. Crawford, M.D.
Staff:  Frank C. Berry, ext. 3307 

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SUBSIDIARIES  

MMPAC
Chair:
Mark S. Seigel, M.D.
Staff:  Stephanie Wisniewski, ext. 6001

MedChi Agency
Chair:
J. Richard Lilly, M.D.
Staff: Ron Fisher, ext. 4424

Alliance
President:
  Mano Nava
President-Elect:  Gail Johnson
Staff:  Erin Krell, ext. 3304

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MEDCHI NETWORK SERVICES

MedChi Network Services was introduced in 2011 by the Maryland State Medical Society and is being offered for no cost and no obligation.  Our goal is to help practices make good decisions and access state and federal subsidies and get the most out of health information technology.

Information Technology Committee (Click here to view)
Chair:  George H.A. Bone M.D.
Staff:  Craig Behm, ext. 3344

MEDCHI CENTER FOR A HEALTHY MARYLAND

Formerly the MedChi Foundation was established in 1976 as an affiliate of MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society to promote and support the medical society's charitable, public health and educational activities.  These activities help fulfill the medical society's mission to serve as the state's foremost advocate for physicians their patients and the public health.  Additionally, the Center is working with the Alliance to MedChi to collaborate on activities that promote the goals of both organizations and in support of MedChi.

President: Thomas E. Allen, M.D.
Staff: Sandi Rowland, ext. 3336  

Physician Health Committee
Chair:
Stanley Platman, M.D.
Staff: Michael Llufrio, ext. 5412

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SECTIONS

Medical Students
Chair:
 Alex Skog
Staff: Anita Williams, ext. 3323

Residents & Fellows
Chair:
Haroon Hameed, M.D.
Staff: Anita Williams, ext. 3323

Young Physicians
Co-Chair:
  Michele Manahan, M.D.
Co-Chair:  Rob Thomsen, M.D.
Staff:  Anita Williams, ext. 3323

IMG
Chair:
  Jeffrey R. Kaplan, M.D.
Staff:  Neilson Andrews, ext. 3317

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If you wish to write, call, fax or e-mail any of the MedChi leadership, please direct your communication to Erin Krell, or call MedChi at 410-539-0872.