Page 37 - CANNABIS NEWS FLORIDA JUNE 2020

Five Physicians Receive

Quality Designation

Through Miami Medicine

BY ANTONIO MESA, DO
The experience with
COVID-19 has shown that, in
many places, quality has
become progressively less
important while cost-contain-
ment has become increasingly
more important, frequently
with unfortunate results for
patients. Even the federal gov-
ernment has defined cost-con-
tainment as a quality measure
for medical care and tied physi- Dr. Elizabeth Dr. Rafael Fernandez, Jr.
cian reimbursement to these Etkin-Kramer
measures. How this helps indi-
vidual patients is unclear, but
most patients tend to be reluc-
tant to trade cost-containment
for quality, especially when the
benefits of cost-containment go
to some nebulous entity like the
healthcare system rather than
directly to them. Patients want
to know whether their physi-
cians can provide true quality of
care.
In recent issues of Miami Dr. Jorge Marcos Dr. Rudolph Moise
Medicine, the official journal of
the Dade County Medical Association, we’ve been discussing
problems with the various quality designations promoted by
a wide range of organizations. We stressed the importance of
using criteria that are a valid reflection of physician quality.
Equally as important, we noted the value of using criteria
that other physicians who are directly involved in patient
care consider useful.
In the Spring 2020 issue, we announced the first five
physicians to merit a Quality Designation. The quality crite-
ria reviewed included educational background, board certifi-
cation or eligibility, leadership positions held, publications
and lectures, honors and awards received, and community Dr. Lauren Shapiro
service. The Quality Designation recognizes a physician’s
status among his or her peers that can also be used by
patients as a reliable guide to finding quality healthcare. The honor is awarded by the
Editor-in-Chief of Miami Medicine.
The five physicians named in the Spring issue cover a broad range of specialties includ-
ing primary care, surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology. Each physician chosen has
demonstrated a long-term commitment to education, patient care, and service to the
community. You can read their complete bios in Miami Medicine at miamimed.com/jour-
nal. In future issues, we will announce additional physicians who merit a Quality
Designation.
Congratulations to the following physicians: Elizabeth Etkin-Kramer, M.D.; Rafael
Fernandez, Jr., M.D.; Jorge Marcos, M.D.; Rudolph Moise, D.O., M.B.A., J.D.; and Lauren
Shapiro, M.D.

Dr. Antonio Mesa is President of the Dade County Medical Association and Miami Medicine
Editor-in-Chief. For more information, contact the DCMA at (305) 324-8717.

4 June 2020 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News