Take Back Our FMA

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

As we are getting ready for our Annual Meeting in Hollywood I want to use this opportunity to share some of my frustrations and suggestions regarding the sad state of affairs of our FMA.

As a member and humble servant of our FMA since 1994, after years of service on several committees, Chair of the CME committee, Delegate to the AMA, and representing the FMA on state level and contributor to educational initiatives throughout Florida I have reached a point of where I cannot stay silent anymore.

Our FMA is in crisis! Those of us who do not want or cannot see it must wake up!

What are the problems?

1. Continuous and intractable infighting within our leadership which has shattered our FMA into factions spearheaded by “leaders” who resemble chieftains jealously guarding their tribal territory (FMA vs. FLAMPAC etc.). As a result our FMA has lost its standing among members and non-members alike.
2. A Board of Governors comprised of members who DO NOT resemble the face of our FMA. Women now constitute over fifty percent of all physicians but only TWO women are represented in leadership positions. International Medical Graduates and Minorities constitute more than thirty percent of all doctors but NO designated positions are allotted for them.
3. The leadership style of former and current FMA leaders resembles an authoritarian directive driven modus operandi. Critical, constructive and open discussion is being discouraged and even suppressed. Critics are being shouted down and criticism is being frowned upon if it does not represent the “official” party line.
4. Ideological knuckleheads are being promoted to leadership positions because they endorse a paradigm of political thinking that fits into the black-and-white world view of our leaders. For example, in a pamphlet authored by one of those “aspiring leaders” medical information technology is being depicted as the devils cure for our health care system because they “ ..do provide easy to manage information to the government and others who use the data to rate doctor’s compliance.” I invite the clueless author to visit practices which have successfully implemented such systems and reaping the benefits. Furthermore the author alleges that “ real solutions to the economic problems of cost control may lie in economic empowerment of consumers through tax-protected HSA’s linked to high-deductible health insurance.” Such” solutions” may suit a certain segment of our populations but it will provide for most others the final nail in their coffin of financial unmanageability. Driven by libertarian paranoia such positions will move our FMA toward the extreme political spectrum unable (or unwilling) to reach consensus with other healthcare participants (i.e. employers, government, insurance companies)

5. Aggressive membership recruitment drives have been conducted within certain counties WITHOUT inviting or informing the local county medical societies. The intent was and IS to siphon valuable membership dues from local physicians into the FMA coffers. Now, with dwindling FMA membership we suddenly witness the revival of the “ unity principal” to reunify our organization. What’s the motivation? $$$$$ and not unity!
6. Removal of our EVP Sandra Mortham is being celebrated as the panacea of all of our problems! Interestingly, the details of her departure are still being concealed in a cloud of secrecy. How naïve or stupid can a leadership be to make us believe that? The above listed problems are related to the system and structure of our FMA and not the result of the action or inaction of ONE person! I want to thank Sandra for all the years of her dedicated services!



I guess the above litany of complaints is enough for now and will definitely provide sufficient gun powder for those who want to fire or neutralize a critic like myself.
Well, make my day and go ahead!
But I have not given up on our great Florida Medical Association still comprised of dedicated and hard-working men and women whom I love and respect.
CMS executives who have dedicated their professional lives to their organization.
Fellow colleagues who work hard to improve education and medical care within our profession. Committed doctors who silently but persistently work in various committees to improve the relationship with the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the management of their respective hospitals, consumer and employer groups, unions and diverse state entities.
Let’s rise from the ashes and work together to accomplish the following goals:



1. Wrestle our FMA from those “leaders” who consider their leadership positions as the reward for time served.
2. Establish a “Take Back Our FMA Now” initiative to reform our organization and return it to whom it belongs: the members.
3. Force the present leadership to drop their photo ops and speeches and meet those they supposedly represent: our members. Compel them to meet with member and non-members throughout our State of Florida and LISTEN to their needs and wants.
4. Measure our leader’s quality by assessing their ability to tolerate criticism, their capacity to base their opinion(s) on facts and reason, and their willingness to reach a solution based on compromise.HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT THEY DO NOT WHAT THEY SAY THEY WILL DO!!!
5. Restructure and rejuvenate our Board of Governors to reflect the diversity of the physician’s workforce.
6. Establish or re-establish relationships with other organizations and healthcare entities to influence their decision making and strive towards common interests based on practicality and reason and not on ideology and political correctness.
7. Reunify our FMA first before we consider reunifying organized medicine.
8. Demand the cessation of petty infighting and identify those who fan the flames of discontent.



Those proposals may be considered as the lofty ideas of an angry individual.

I want to emphasize that I am motivated by the dedication for the continuous existence of our great organization and not solely by anger.

But anger helps to express what I really feel.

If my suggestions fall on calcified and deaf ears then I will continue raising my voice!I will NOT STOP until CHANGE occurs

I know that colleagues and friends may hurry to distance themselves from me but some will stand by.

Some may call for my ouster from committee positions but I do not care. I care for the future of our FMA and not the bruised EGO of some FMA head honcho.

I urge you to start taking back our organization from the political apparatchiks and return it to the docs in the trenches.

Ask questions and DEMAND answers!

Now is the time to change. Are you ready?


And by the way if you choose to respond to this e-mail please have the virtual balls and integrity to identify yourself.



Yours truly,



Bernd Wollschlaeger,MD

E-mail: info@miamihealth.com

Phone: (305) 940-8717