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Cover Story: A Pledge to Impact
the Medical Profession “Time is Brain”
Barbara Montford, M.D., DCMA President
Two million brain cells die every minute during
Continued from page 1
Overall, her main goal is to lead a more a stroke. “Time is Brain.” This is a phrase embraced
remains committed to others by address- diverse, inclusive, and representative by the EMS professionals at Century Ambulance
ing the challenges that doctors face association of physicians for Miami Dade Service when treating a patient suffering from a
through an organized body of medical County. stroke. But what exactly is a stroke and what are
professionals. She believes that physi- “As individuals we are diverse—from the symptoms? It’s when brain cells begin to die
cians need to learn to advocate for their different races, creeds, genders, cultural, because blood flow to the brain is cut off.
patients and profession as a group and socioeconomic and employment back- Symptoms of a stroke are often sudden. One could
encourages colleagues to join the grounds – but we are united as physi- experience weakness in the face or limbs, often on
DCMA. “Together, we can be a part of cians at the table to ensure we have input one side of the body. There could be symptoms of
the solution and accomplish things at an into solutions that address our profes- confusion or speaking and understanding become
accelerated pace,” she said. sion and ultimately quality of patient problematic. A person’s vision can be impacted
Her presidential platform specifically care,” Montford emphasized. along with dizziness and loss of balance. Even
exemplifies her beliefs. Its foundation is severe headaches can be a symptom.
an aggressive passion to undertake goals Professional Guidance Manual As frightening as the thought of a stroke can be, BY FRAN MIRMINA, JR.,
that address opportunities to effect Another of her main objectives is to there is hope. There has never been a better time to ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
change including: the rights and obliga- develop a manual to guide physicians in be alive until now, to receive medical care for a
tions that the credentials MD or DO navigating the world of medicine today. stroke. The advances in technology and the logistical processes are saving and pre-
entail; social engagement in the commu- Today physicians interact not only with serving quality of life for countless stroke patients. The focus of Century
nity locally, regionally and nationally; patients, but with multidisciplinary cli- Ambulance Service is to bridge the very gap when a person suffers from a stroke
guidance regarding the roles of physician nicians, hospital executives, governmen- and when they can begin to receive treatment. Since their start in the early 1980s,
leadership and allegiance with employ- tal agencies and community organiza- Century has partnered with several of Florida’s leading Primary and
ers; and, launching a pilot program to tions. Clinical skills are the primary Comprehensive Stroke Centers. Century’s clinical staff is trained in Advanced
partner with other professional groups of foundation of a patient care plan but lay- Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) in the event there is ever a need for an intervention
organized medicine to offer mutual ering on an understanding of other influ- for urgent treatment of cardiac arrest, stroke, and other life-threatening medical
membership and leverage those affilia- ences and relationships provides credible emergencies. Many of Century’s paramedics are leaders in their field by advancing
tions to make the profession stronger. knowledge and motivation to achieving a in Critical Care training in preparation for scenarios that may result in invasive
Montford said, “As leaders we need to lifelong satisfying career. out-of-hospital care.
engage in community issues where we According to Dr. Montford, “Chall - It is with great honor and enthusiasm that Century Ambulance Service joins the
can impact a solution.” She intends to enges regarding balancing patient care ranks of the EMS community in Broward County. It is their goal to bring the same
involve DCMA in projects such as the and paperwork, professional stressors, mission, vision, and values that gave Century its start in Northeast Florida down
Travon Martin Foundation, local police reimbursement, workloads, employ- to the residents of South Florida.
associations or the University of Miami ment, and multi-disciplinary supervi-
needle exchange program spearheaded sion, are just a few of the many issues For more information, please contact Century Ambulance at (754) 206-2567.
by Dr. Hansel Tookes to share collective that doctors deal with and we need to be
knowledge and provide support of exist- savvy in order to advocate for ourselves
ing programs to better the health and and provide some control over our pro-
welfare of local communities and those fessional and personal futures.”
who live there.
“Never in our history has there been Mutual Membership Pilot
such a diverse menu of challenges and Finally, as stewards of professional
opportunities on the physician table,” practices, Montford proposes a DCMA The n
she explained, “Medicine is not only a pilot program to strategically partner ew taxx act brings sweeeping
science and an art, but it is also a busi- with other professional societies via joint
ness with many influencers.” membership in order to leverage mutual
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For example, Dr. Montford is vocal advocacy efforts to make a greater impact
about legislation and governmental regu- on the practice of medicine now and for
lations. She believes House Bill 21 regu- future generations. The A CA individual manndate repeal and the new pass--through income
lations regarding controlled substances The DCMA is the organization of
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has potential to restrict medical care by choice for physicians who advocate for nationwide.
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grouping certain prescriptions for chron- patients and for the quality and sustain-
ic illness in with opioid curtailment and ability of the practice of medicine. Its
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can infringe on patient care. mission is to support its members in all
“We need to appreciate the honor of aspects of the practice of medicine; to ǯ
Ǥ
having patients place their trust in us by serve physicians and their patients by
taking aim at regulatory issues that neg- establishing and promoting ethical, edu-
atively impact their care,” she explained. cational, and clinical standards for the
medical profession, and to advocate the
Collegial Support highest principle of all, the integrity of
She also espouses mentoring and net- the patient/physician relationship.
working opportunities for members to As President, Dr. Montford is dedicat-
reflect diversity goals and professional ed to working with the Board and
representation and to drive competency Management to fulfill its mission and
to future generations. She aspires to elevate the organization to the next level.
increase representation from African-
American and Haitian-American medical For more information, call
communities in the DCMA and promote (305) 324-8717 or email
the involvement of women doctors in the abosch@miamimed.com
different activities throughout the year.
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