MSSNY Calls SCOTUS Ruling on Vaccination Requirement for Health Care Workers “An Important Win for Our Collective Public Health”

For Immediate Release 
December 14, 2021

 

MSSNY Calls SCOTUS Ruling on Vaccination Requirement for Health Care Workers “An Important Win for Our Collective Public Health”

 

Statement Attributable to:
Joseph R. Sellers, MD, FAAP, FACP
President, Medical Society of the State of New York 

“The Medical Society of the State of New York has strongly supported the requirement for all health care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19.  It is an important win for our collective public health that the U.S. Supreme Court has denied a request to block New York’s vaccination mandate for health care workers that does not include an exception for religious objectors.

“We are confident that the Supreme Court ruling signifies another step toward bringing this pandemic to an end. We once again encourage every eligible New Yorker to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19.”

# # #

Founded in 1807, the Medical Society of the State of New York is the state’s principal non-profit professional organization for physicians, residents and medical students of all specialties. Its mission is to represent the interests of patients and physicians to assure quality healthcare services for all.  

Media Contact:
Roseann Raia | Communications / Marketing
Medical Society of the State of New York
865 Merrick Avenue
Westbury, NY 11590

516.488.6100 x302 | rraia@mssny.org

Congress Must Take Immediate Action to Prevent Medicare Physician Payment Cuts

Media Alert Banner

For Immediate Release 
December 7, 2021 

Congress Must Take Immediate Action to Prevent Medicare
Physician Payment Cuts

Statement Attributable to:
Joseph R. Sellers, MD, FAAP, FACP
President, Medical Society of the State of New York 

“With only a few weeks to go before an enormous 10% cut in Medicare physician payments goes into effect, it is imperative for the US Congress to take action before the end of the year to prevent this cut which could have disastrous impacts on seniors’ continuing access to their physicians.

“The cut is prompted by a number of policies that are expiring at the end of the year. The implications of this potentially precipitous cut was made more clear by last week’s report that overall Medicare spending on physician services dropped a staggering 14% in 2020 (Medicare spending on physician services declined $13.9 billion in 2020 | American Medical Association (ama-assn.org), further highlighting the fragility of many community-based physician practices across the country.

“We thank the many members of the New York Congressional delegation who recently joined a letter to Speaker Pelosi and Leader McCarthy urging action to prevent these cuts, but we are nearly out of time.   We urge immediate action to help ensure that community-based physicians will still be able to provide the health care services that are expected and deserved by our patients.”

# # #

Founded in 1807, the Medical Society of the State of New York is the state’s principal non-profit professional organization for physicians, residents, and medical students of all specialties. Its mission is to represent the interests of patients and physicians to assure quality healthcare services for all.  

Media Contact:
Roseann Raia | Communications / Marketing
Medical Society of the State of New York
865 Merrick Avenue
Westbury, NY 11590
516.488.6100 x302 | rraia@mssny.org

 

MSSNY Welcomes Mary Bassett, MD, MPH as NYS Department of Health Commissioner

Media Alert Banner

MSSNY Welcomes Mary Bassett, MD, MPH as NYS Department of Health Commissioner

Statement Attributable to: Joseph R. Sellers, MD, FAAP, FACP President, Medical Society of the State of New York

“MSSNY extends a warm welcome to Dr. Mary Bassett as she begins her tenure today as New York State’s Health Commissioner. Our member physicians look forward to working closely with Dr. Bassett to address the health needs of all New Yorkers.

“Dr. Bassett joins New York State at a uniquely challenging time in history and we are confident that her wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of public health will help her to guide New Yorkers through to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic—and future public health challenges.

“During her years as commissioner of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Dr. Bassett worked to tackle racial, ethnic, and economic health inequities. We look forward to working with her to address those needs throughout the State in our shared fight for quality, accessible, and affordable health care for all New Yorkers.”

# # #

Founded in 1807, the Medical Society of the State of New York is the state’s principal non-profit professional organization for physicians, residents and medical students of all specialties. Its mission is to represent the interests of patients and physicians to assure quality healthcare services for all.
 

Media Contact:Roseann Raia | Communications / Marketing
Medical Society of the State of New York
865 Merrick Avenue
Westbury, NY 11590
516.488.6100 x302 | rraia@mssny.org

Press Releases 2021

Press Releases 2021

December 21, 2021 Medical Society Supports Gov’s Plans for State COVID-19 Mandate for School-Aged Children

December 14, 2021  MSSNY Thanks Richard Gottfried for his Many Years of Service and Wishes him Well in Retirement

December 14, 2021 MSSNY Calls SCOTUS Ruling on Vaccination Requirement for Health Care Workers “An Important Win for Our Collective Public Health”

December 7, 2021 Congress Must Take Immediate Action to Prevent Medicare Physician Payment Cuts

December 1, 2021 MSSNY Welcomes Mary Bassett, MD, MPH as NYS Department of Health Commissioner

October

October 30, 2021  Medical Society Supports Court Decision to Uphold Governor Hochul’s Healthcare Worker Vaccination Requirements.

October 29, 2021  MSSNY Applauds FDA Emergency Use Authorization of Pfizer Vaccine for Children 5-11

October 12, 2021 MSSNY Opposes U.S. Northern District Decision to Continue to Permit Religious Exemptions to State’s Healthcare Worker COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements

October 8, 2021 “No Surprises Act” Puts Insurance Co Profits Over Patient Care

October 1, 2021 Surprise Billing Legislation Interim Final Rule: MSSNY Calls for Prioritizing Patient Care Over Insurance Profits

September

September 29, 2021   MSSNY Applauds Gov. Hochul’s Appointment of Mary Bassett, MD, MPH as NYS Department of Health Commissioner

September 28, 2021    MSSNY/AMA Statement re Gov Hochul’s Vaccine Mandate

September 23, 2021  MSSNY Statement Regarding Resignation of Dept. of Health Comm. Howard Zucker, MD

September 14, 2021   MSSNY Opposes Northern District Decision to Permit Religious Exemptions to State’s Healthcare Worker Vaccination Requirements 

September 10, 2021  MSSNY Calls on Biden Administration to Simplify COVID-19 Vaccination Process for Physicians

August

August 23, 2021    MSSNY Statement on FDA Full Use Authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine

August 16, 2021 MSSNY Applauds NYS COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate for Healthcare Workers

August 11, 2021 MSSNY Congratulates Incoming Governor Kathy Hochul

No July Press Releases Published

June

June 15, 2021     New York State Reaches 70 Percent Adult COVID-19 Immunization

May

May 3, 2021 Joshua M. Cohen, MD, MPH, FAHS, Elected Assistant Secretary of the Medical Society of the State of New York

May 3, 2021 Frank Dowling, MD Elected Secretary of the Medical Society of the State of New York 

May 3, 2021 Howard H. Huang, MD Elected Assistant Treasurer of the Medical Society of the State of New York

May 3, 2021 Maria A. Basile, MD Elected Vice Speaker of the Medical Society of the State of New York

May 3, 2021 Mark J. Adams, MD, MBA, FACR Elected Treasurer of the Medical Society of the State of New York

May 3, 2021 William Latreille, MD Elected Speaker of the Medical Society of the State of New York

May 3, 2021 Paul Pipia, MD Elected Vice President of the Medical Society of the State of New York

May 3, 2021 Parag Mehta, MD Elected President-Elect of the Medical Society of the State of New York

May 3, 2021 Joseph R. Sellers, MD, FAAP, FACP, Elected President of the Medical Society of the State of New York

April

April 7, 2021       MSSNY Thanks NYS Assembly and Senate Leadership and Governor for Restoration of Health Care Cuts That Had Been Advanced in Executive Budget 

March

March 31, 2021 Medical Society Urges Governor Cuomo to Stay Strong on Public Health Restrictions to Keep COVID in Check

March 29, 2021 Medical Society Calls on Governor and State Legislature to Restore Cuts to Excess Medical Malpractice Program

March 19, 2021 Medical Society Applauds Decision Protecting Public Health by Upholding Law Providing for Vaccination Requirements

March 17, 2021 Legislature for Advancing One-House Budget Proposals Re: Restore Health Care Cuts

February

February 18, 2021 State Med. Societies Urge Biden Admin..& State Govs to Facilitate Distribution of Vaccine to Comm-Based Physicians

February 17, 2021 Troy Oechsner Named Executive VP of Medical Society

February 3, 2021 I’s Time for COVID-19 Vaccines to be Distributed to Community-Based Physicians

January

January 20, 2021 New York Physicians: From Healthcare Heroes to Healthcare Zeros

January 12, 2021 MSSNY Welcomes Governor Cuomo’s Efforts to Expand Telehealth Services in New York

January 10, 2021 Docs Upset by Nixing Due Process When Patients Make Unproven Allegations

January 4, 2021 MSSNY Stands Ready to Support NYS in COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Effort

Surprise Billing Legislation Interim Final Rule: MSSNY Calls for Prioritizing Patient Care Over Insurance Profits

Media Alert Banner

For Immediate Release
October 1, 2021 

Surprise Billing Legislation Interim Final Rule: MSSNY Calls for Prioritizing Patient Care Over Insurance Profits 

Statement Attributable to:
Joseph R. Sellers, MD, FAAP, FACP
President, Medical Society of the State of New York 

“While MSSNY is continuing to review the HHS interim final rule implementing aspects of the federal No Surprises Act, we are concerned by what appears to be a gross deviation from what was enacted by Congress last year.  In implementing the Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) process for resolving patient surprise medical bills – a process that New York physicians has strongly supported for many years – HHS has clearly sought to put its thumb on the scale in favor of multi-billion-dollar insurance companies.

The health of our patients is our priority. MSSNY is very concerned that if these rules are implemented as proposed by HHS, it could have significant adverse consequences for timely specialty care provided at hospital emergency departments–which will reduce health care options for our patients. We urge that there be revisions to this rule by HHS to more accurately reflect the balance that was struck to protect patients in the No Surprises Act passed by Congress last December.”

###

Founded in 1807, the Medical Society of the State of New York is the state’s principal non-profit professional organization for physicians, residents and medical students of all specialties. Its mission is to represent the interests of patients and physicians to assure quality healthcare services for all.  

Media Contact:
Roseann Raia | Communications / Marketing
Medical Society of the State of New York
865 Merrick Avenue
Westbury, NY 11590
516.488.6100 x302 | rraia@mssny.org

 

New AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force Urges Action to Help Patients

Media Alert Banner

For Immediate Release 

New AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force
Urges Action to Help Patients

September 29, Westbury, NY— The Medical Society of the State of New York and the American Medical Association today released new recommendations as part of the AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force to help end the nation’s drug-related overdose and death epidemic.

The recommendations are focused on actions physicians can take as well as those policymakers and public health officials must take. This includes broad efforts to remove barriers and improve access to evidence-based care for patients with pain, a substance use disorder (SUD) or mental illness, as well as increase access to multiple harm reduction strategies. The new Task Force also will work to more directly address the changing drug overdose epidemic, focus on removing racial, gender, sexual orientation and other health-related inequities.

“The nation’s physicians must continue to lead by example to help our patients with pain, SUDs and mental illness,” said Task Force Chair Bobby Mukkamala, MD. “But removing barriers requires more stakeholders to join us. This new Task Force is making clear the opportunity we have to reduce mortality and improve outcomes, but we also will be clear with policymakers that failure to adopt our recommendations will prolong the epidemic and our patients’ suffering.”

Highlights of the recommendations include:

  • Support patients with pain, mental illness or a substance use disorder (SUD) by building an evidence-based, sustainable and resilient infrastructure and health care workforce rather than continuing a crisis-driven approach that has led to multiple unintended negative consequences, including one-size-fits-all strategies, continued stigma and widespread gaps in data, evidence-based treatment, and prevention efforts.
  • Support coverage for, access to, and payment of comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, multi-modal evidence-based treatment for patients with pain, a substance use disorder or mental illness. Additionally, coverage, access and payment should directly address racial, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic and economic inequities as well as social determinants of health. This includes removing barriers to evidence-based treatment for SUDs, co-occurring mental illness and pain.
  • Broaden public health and harm reduction strategies to save lives from overdose, limit the spread of infectious disease, eliminate stigma and reduce harms for people who use drugs and other substances.
  • Improve stakeholder and multi-sector collaboration in an effort to ensure that the patients, policymakers, employers, and communities benefit from evidence-based decisions.

“These recommendations are vital for our patients who are in pain, have a mental illness diagnosis, or have a substance use disorder to receive compassionate care that is evidence-based treatment and addresses the barriers that patients face in getting the care that they need. MSSNY, as a member of the AMA’s Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force, is pleased to support these recommendations as we believe that they will help improve health outcomes for our patients,” said MSSNY President, Joseph Sellers, MD, FAAP, FACP.

Read the full Tas Force recommendations

# # #

Founded in 1807, the Medical Society of the State of New York is the state’s principal non-profit professional organization for physicians, residents and medical students of all specialties. Its mission is to represent the interests of patients and physicians to assure quality healthcare services for all.

Media Contact:
Roseann Raia
Communications / Marketing
Medical Society of the State of New York
865 Merrick Ave.
Westbury, New York
516-488-6100 ext 302
rraia@mssny.org

MSSNY Applauds Gov. Hochul’s Appointment of Mary Bassett, MD, MPH as NYS Department of Health Commissioner

Media Alert BannerFor Immediate Release 
September 29, 2021 

 

MSSNY Applauds Gov. Hochul’s Appointment of Mary Bassett, MD, MPH as NYS Department of Health Commissioner

 

Statement Attributable to:
Joseph R. Sellers, MD, FAAP, FACP
President, Medical Society of the State of New York 

“MSSNY is thrilled to welcome Dr. Mary Bassett as New York State’s new Health Commissioner, and we look forward to working closely with her to address the health needs of all New Yorkers. We are confident that Dr. Bassett is the right person at the right time to see New York State through to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic—and that her wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of public health will guide New Yorkers through future public health challenges.  During her years as commissioner of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Dr. Bassett worked to tackle racial, ethnic, and economic health inequities.  We look forward to working with her to address those needs throughout the State in our shared fight for quality, accessible, and affordable health care for all New Yorkers.”

# # #

Founded in 1807, the Medical Society of the State of New York is the state’s principal non-profit professional organization for physicians, residents and medical students of all specialties. Its mission is to represent the interests of patients and physicians to assure quality healthcare services for all. 


Media Contact:
Roseann Raia | Communications / Marketing

Medical Society of the State of New York

865 Merrick Avenue

Westbury, NY 11590

516.488.6100 x302 | rraia@mssny.org

AMA, MSSNY Strongly Support Governor Hochul’s Efforts to Require Health Care Workers to be Vaccinated Against COVID-19

Media Alert BannerFor Immediate Release
September 28, 2021

 

AMA, MSSNY Strongly Support Governor Hochul’s Efforts to Require Health Care Workers to be Vaccinated Against COVID-19

 

Statement Attributable to:
Joseph R. Sellers, MD, FAAP, FACP
President, Medical Society of the State of New York

Gerald E. Harmon, M.D.
President, American Medical Association

“The American Medical Association (AMA) and Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) strongly support Governor Hochul’s efforts to require health care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The path to ending the pandemic must be based on science, and vaccination is an indispensable part of the solution. AMA, MSSNY, and the physicians we represent understand that there are many who are confused and uncertain. We remind everyone with questions or concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine to turn to their trusted physicians to guide them. We will continue to work with Governor Hochul and her Administration to help promote vaccination for all as a key to ending this pandemic.”

# # #

About MSSNY
Founded in 1807, the Medical Society of the State of New York is the state’s principal non-profit professional organization for physicians, residents and medical students of all specialties. Its mission is to represent the interests of patients and physicians to assure quality healthcare services for all. 

 

About the AMA
The American Medical Association is the physicians’ powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that convenes 190+ state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care. The AMA leverages its strength by removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises, and, driving the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in health care. For more information, visit 
ama-assn.org

 

Media Contact:
Julie Vecchione | Vice President, Communications
Medical Society of the State of New York
865 Merrick Avenue
Westbury, NY 11590
516.488.6100 x340 |jvecchione@mssny.org

 

 

New York State Reaches 70 Percent Adult COVID-19 Immunization

Media Alert Banner

For Immediate Release
June 15, 2021 

New York State Reaches 70 Percent Adult COVID-19 Immunization

Governor’s Vaccine Distribution and Implementation Task Force Member and NYS Medical Society Immediate Past President Reflects on Reaching Important Milestone and Calls for Continued Vaccination Efforts

Statement from Bonnie Litvack, MD
Immediate Past President, Medical Society of the State of New York
Member, Governor’s Vaccine Distribution and Implementation Task Force
“As of today, 70 percent of the adult population in New York have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. As we hit this important milestone, I am reminded of the resilience, the resolve, and the forbearance of my fellow New Yorkers. We were once at the epicenter of the pandemic and now—in true New York fashion—we have pulled together, stayed strong, and achieved 70 percent immunity.

“When Governor Cuomo established the Vaccine Distribution and Implementation Task Force in September 2020 to advise and set up operations for the state’s COVID-19 vaccination program, it was my hope—and that of the entire Task Force—that we would one day achieve this important milestone.

“But the fight is not over. My hope going forward is that as cases continue to decrease, more New Yorkers will see what can happen when we work together to get vaccinated.

“As variants increase, it is more important than ever for every eligible citizen to roll up their sleeves—and get the COVID-19 vaccination.”   

Statement from Joseph Sellers, MD
President, Medical Society of the State of New York
“I am extraordinarily proud of my colleague, Dr. Bonnie Litvack, for the important work she has done as a member of the Governor’s Vaccine Distribution and Implementation Task Force,’ said MSSNY President Dr. Joseph Sellers. “I know that her hard work will continue as we aim to get 100 percent of New Yorkers fully vaccinated.”

# # #

Founded in 1807, the Medical Society of the State of New York is the state’s principal non-profit professional organization for physicians, residents and medical students of all specialties. Its mission is to represent the interests of patients and physicians to assure quality healthcare services for all.


Media Contact:
Roseann Raia | Communications / Marketing

Medical Society of the State of New York

865 Merrick Avenue

Westbury, NY 11590

516.488.6100 x302 | rraia@mssny.org

 

 

 

 

1 2 3 4