I am grateful and humbled to serve as the 176th President of PAMED. First, I would like to thank my predecessors for laying a great foundation over the past several years. I approach my role with a sense of humility, gratitude and optimism, knowing that our profession would not exist without “the patient”. So, my focus will be on patient beneficence, and my slogan will be physician autonomy to deliver great patient outcomes and professional healing.

My goal will be to work diligently and innovatively to position PAMED as the premier state society that proudly promotes us as “Physicians First”. For too long, 3^rd parties have forced us to become providers, data-entry clerks, prescribers, and risk managers. They have divided us based on specialty, geography, gender, type of practice, etc. Others have arbitrarily decided on the value of our services. Our noble service has been commoditized.

This has successfully kept us from uniting with one voice, to the detriment of our profession and our patients. Our profession has been ailing for over 2 decades. Similarly, our patients and communities have continued to spend ever-increasing portions of their paychecks towards so-called “coverage”, while not benefitting from the expense. Nearly 30 years of clinical practice experience in urban, rural and suburban America, has provided me with a keen sense of where our profession should be, if we are to restore our role as Healers – of our patients and of our profession. I am convinced that gratitude for our profession, optimism about the future and innovative actions will heal our profession and empower our patients.

I encourage all PA physicians to engage with me and PAMED, as we will collectively practice our philosophy of Physicians First. 

Sincerely, 

Arvind Cavale, MD, FACE, FCPP, PCEO

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