Candidate Statements for NYACP Governor-Elect
Upstate Region
What do you see as an "existential challenge" to our specialty over the next 3-5 years, and how would it be best for Internal Medicine to meet that challenge?
How will your experiences, skills, and background help to support and advance the New York Chapter over that same time frame?
Harvir Singh Gambhir MD, FACP, CPL, CPHQ, FHL, FHM
Moving forward from the pandemic, we are still facing challenges in expanding our workforce, creating a sense of belonging in clinical and organizational medicine, promoting the well-being of our team, nurturing the next generation of mentors and leaders, and ensuring diverse representation within the healthcare team. As we lay the foundation for our future, we must be committed to nurturing the development and mentorship of medical students, residents, fellows, and early career physicians. Through innovation and strategically engaging and developing healthcare team members in clinical and organizational activities, the aim to foster a culture of belonging and ensure that each member is genuinely appreciated. Additionally, seek to build a diverse workforce that incorporates a range of perspectives. It's critically important to have the support of current leaders to foster a culture of belonging and inclusivity.
I had the privilege to join NYACP as a resident and gained invaluable experiences and took on various leadership opportunities. Now, I'm eager to pay it forward by nurturing and guiding medical students, residents, and fellows through committee work. As a mid-career physician, I aspire to bridge the gap between early career physicians and leadership to foster the next generation of leaders and mentors. In my role as a Governor, my main focus is to advocate for membership, well-being, provide support to foreign medical graduates, empower women, and support as many members as possible on their journey to fellowship for American College of Physicians.
Kellin King, MD, FACP
I am increasingly frightened by the prospect of an end to outpatient Internal Medicine as we know it. Our nation is currently facing a physician crisis with high rates of burnout and retirement amongst current physicians as well as a lack of incentives for young physicians to choose a specialty in primary care. Rather than investing in physicians, health systems and our legislature hope to increase access to non-physician providers given a belief that these providers are more available and also less expensive. I believe that such decisions are shortsighted and our patients will suffer the consequences.
There is ample evidence that non-physician providers, lacking the highly specialized training of physicians, not only struggle with more complicated care and diagnoses but are biased towards ordering unnecessary and costly tests and procedures. Now more than ever, physicians need to educate our patients, legislators and healthcare administrators on why such a future is not in the best interest of American healthcare. By bringing our voices together, ACP allows our collective voice to be heard.
I am currently using my role as Chair of NYACP’s Health and Public Policy Committee to advocate and foster relationships for primary care change and protection at the state legislative level. As Governor, I believe that I would be in an even better position to engage and expand our membership as well as to lead our chapter on the national level so that we might harness our collective creativity and voices for primary care.