PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH THOMAS TRAWICK, JR., MD Thank y, Dr. Clark. I appreciate y and am h ed to follow y. It will be my privilege to represent each of y as the 145th President of the Lisiana State Medical Society.
I want to start by thanking Dr. Clark for his service to our society. For 11 years, Dr. Clark has served the LSBME as the representative of the LSMS and this year, for the second time as president of the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners. We are so blessed to have such a sel ess servant who gives so much of his time to furthering our society. Your service on the LSBME has been invaluable for all of these years and we are proud to have you representing the LSMS on this board.
And it takes time for you to realize who your giants may be. You may know them in the most mundane way only to grow up and nd out what they did for you but you never knew. I have three people that I’m going to tell you about. Growing up in Monroe, LA, Dr. John Cooksey was my Ophthalmologist, his daughter, Karen and his family were dear friends that we went to church with. Dr. John was a humble, quiet man and I had no idea of his impact on Medicine or the story that I would learn many years later. My Aunt Mary, sister to my dad, was married to Dr. Harry Winters and they lived in Caldwell Parish. He was a strong in uence in my decision to become a physician. I always knew Aunt Mary was connected with politics, but never understood her in uence on our profession. Dr. Donald Palmisano, a surgeon from New Orleans and former President of the LSMS and AMA, was truly larger than life to me. His obituary described him as a true renaissance man and as a young physician in the medical society, that is the way I remember him. What do the 3 of these unlikely individuals have to do with me and Act 817? This is where it gets interesting. At the 40-year anniversary, Dr. Palmisano addressed our House of Delegates in Baton Rouge and shared the history. I met him afterwards and told him thank you for his work. He credited Dr. Cooksey, my eye doctor, for traveling to Indiana and crafting this legislation for our state. As I walked o , he tapped me on the shoulder and said he just heard who I was and asked was my aunt, Mary Lou Winters? I shockingly told him yes and he said, “Well, then you need the rest of the story.” Dr. Palmisano shared that for months, he and Dr. Cooksey traveled the state meeting with physicians and key legislators. Finally, it came before committee and there was one senator that was a hold out. If this bill could just get out of committee, the Senate and House would pass the bill and Governor Edwards would sign it, but it looked like it was going to die in committee because it lacked the one vote needed to get out. He said, “we had to call in reinforcement, we had to call our secret weapon, Mary Lou Winters.” All of you have heard Maria say, ALL POLITICS ARE LOCAL. Back in the 70’s, legislators had phones on their desks and the phone campaign from physicians and especially the auxiliary of the LSMS was spectacular. Dr. Palmisano said it was fun to watch the legislators
I would like to introduce my family table…
At this time, I would like to recognize the sta of the LSMS – Je Williams...Executive Vice President and CEO
Maria Bowen...VP, Governmental A airs
Lauren Bailey...VP, Legal A airs
Amy Tyrell...Director of Membership - Thank her for picking up the running of the Annual Meeting. Terri had a lot in motion, but Amy is the reason we’ll pull it o !
Kristen Broussard...Manager, Medical Group Engagement
Magan Alfred...Membership Coordinator
Jeremy Lapeyrouse...HealthSync Director
As many of you know, I am a North LA Boy! Not sure if the accent gives it away or not, but I grew up outside of Monroe and I have lived in Shreveport for the last 34 years. Many of you probably have referred to Shreveport as South Arkansas or East Texas. In preparing for this address, I have learned that Shreveport has a very rich history with the LSMS. The very rst president of the LA State Medical Association, in 1878, hailed from Shreveport. Shreveport was the home town of the rst Female President of our society, Dr. Pattie Van Hook in 1992. We have the FIRST Surgeon General of the Louisiana Department of Health from Rayville, LA, and Deputy Surgeon General, Dr. Wyche Taylor Coleman, from Shreveport. In our 145-year history, I will be the 22nd president from Northwest LA. North LA has contributed much to our society. As you just heard in the rst session of the HOD, Act 817, Louisiana’s Medical Malpractice Act turns 50 yrs old, this weekend! One of my favorite LSMS stories that’s special to me, relates to its 40th Anniversary. Before telling my story, I think that it is important to recognize some of the physicians that are here with us today that were part of that legendary legislation – Dr. Pat Breaux, Dr. Larry Braud, Dr. Mike Ellis, Dr. Je White. In becoming President of the LSMS, I feel like I’m standing on the shoulders of giants. I hope for those of you who are young and just getting involved that you can one day say the same about all of us.
6
7
J LA MED SOC | VOL 177 | FALL 2025
J LA MED SOC | VOL 177 | FALL 2025
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software