KMS Newsletters
September 17, 2025 Newsletter
2025 Kansas Physician Leader Forum
No-Cost Statewide Event | Open to All Physician Leaders and Aspiring Leaders. Co-Hosted by the Kansas Medical Society and Kansas Hospital Association.
Join physician leaders from across Kansas for a powerful day of learning, connection, and discussion on the most pressing issues shaping health care today. This forum offers a unique opportunity to engage with peers, gain insights from experts, and explore strategies to strengthen leadership across hospital, clinic, and health system settings. We suggest layered business casual attire. A continental breakfast and cozy lunch will be provided. See below for further event details and registration information.
Event Details
Kansas Medical Society
623 SW 10th Ave Topeka, KS, 66612
Friday, November 7th, 2025
8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Event Highlights
AI-Powered Future of Health Care
Barry Chaiken, MD, MPH will explore how artificial intelligence is transforming patient care, operations, and innovation. He offers practical frameworks for adopting AI while preserving the human touch essential to quality care.
Advocacy and Policy Updates
Hear from KMS and KHA leaders on key state and federal policy developments, upcoming legislation, and how health care professionals can effectively engage in advocacy to shape the future of care delivery.
Physician Workforce Panel Discussion
Experts including Mark Meyer, MD, Lynn Fisher, MD, and Jennifer Bacani McKenney, MD, FAAFP will discuss efforts to address Kansas’ health care workforce shortages and expand access to care, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
Communication: The Other Vital Sign
Leadership and communication skills are vital for effective teamwork and patient outcomes. This interactive session, led by Trey Burton focuses on tools and strategies to strengthen collaboration, reduce stress, and enhance leadership impact.
Registration
In depth event details including, the agenda, hotel accommodations, and more are included in the brochure. Please register no later than October 31st, so we can adequately prepare for your arrival.
To utilize the resources scan or click the corresponding QR code below.
Registration Brochure
2026 Advocacy Day & Physician Day at the Statehouse
On behalf of the Kansas Medical Society, we would like to invite you to our upcoming annual Advocacy Day on January 21st, 2026. You will join physicians from across the state, of all specialties to learn about issues impacting the house of medicine. This opportunity is a great chance to connect with your legislative leaders and guide decision-making to generate support for policies on critical issues.
We are excited to report that legislative, physician, and statewide leaders as well as our Governor have been invited to speak that morning.
A physician’s priority is their patients. The Kansas Medical Society's mission is to ensure patient care remains physician-directed. KMS advocacy is steadfast in ensuring lawmakers are well-educated all year on the issues affecting the practice of medicine. Whether you view advocacy as a responsibility or an option, your community participation, leadership, and our collective voice are essential to the House of Medicine’s continued leadership in health care.
Event Details
Kansas Medical Society
623 SW 10th Ave Topeka, KS, 66612
Wednesday, January 21st, 2026
7:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Registration
To register click or scan the QR code below.
Deadline to register is Monday, January 19, 2026 at 5pm.
National Physician Suicide Awareness Day
September 17th is recognized nation wide as National Physician Suicide Awareness Day. The main goal is to bring attention to the crisis of physician burnout. It is a call to action to provide safe and helpful resources, so a physician's mental struggles don't escalate to a mental health emergency.
Through our Professionals' Health Program - also known as PHP - we protect the health of Kansans and promote medical excellence. We do this by seeking early identification, rehabilitation, and treatment of physicians affected by mental/emotional disorders, physical health, substance use disorders, disruptive behaviors, and other life circumstances that affect medical competency. Denial that a respected healthcare provider could be impaired or struggling can sometimes lead to a fatal outcome. Immediate action can save a career and potentially a life.
Listed below are warning signs and potential resources for you to utilize. Use the clickable links and phone numbers below to go straight to the resource.
Warning Signs
A person might be suicidal if he or she exhibits behavioral changes. This is of greatest concern if the new or changed behavior is related to a painful event, loss or change. People who take their lives exhibit one or more warning signs, either through what they say or what they do.
TALK - Be concerned if a person talks about:
- Killing him/herself
- Feeling Hopeless
- Having no reason to live
- Being a burden to others
- Feeling trapped
- Unbearable pain
BEHAVIOR - Behaviors that may signal risk, especially if related to a painful event, loss, or change:
- Increased use of alcohol or drugs
- Looking for a way to end their lives, ex. researching methods
- Withdrawing from activities
- Isolating from family and friends
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Visiting/calling people to say goodbye
- Giving away prized possessions
- Aggression
- Fatigue
MOOD - People considering suicide often display one or more of the following moods:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Loss of interest
- Irritability
- Humiliation/Shame
- Agitation/Anger
- Relief/sudden improvement
Source: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Wellness Resources
Who to Contact - Free & Confidential:
- Kansas Medical Society - Professionals' Health Program
- Website: https://kmsonline.org/php
- Phone: (785) 231-1306
- National Suicide Prevention & Crisis Lifeline - 24/7/365
- Website: https://988lifeline.org/
- Chat: https://chat.988lifeline.org/
- Phone: 1 (800) 273-8255 or 988
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
- Website: https://www.nami.org/
- Chat: Text "NAMI" to 62640
- Phone: 1 (800) 950-6264
- Physician Support Line *Psychiatrist available 8AM-1AM every day. No appointment necessary.*
- Website: https://www.physiciansupportline.com/
- Phone: 1 (888) 409-0141
Therapy & Wellness:
- Psychology Today Therapist Database
- PeerRxMed
The Happy MD:
- Website: http://www.thehappymd.com
- YouTube: The Happy MD
Federation of State Physician Health Programs (FSPHP):
AMA Steps Forward:
Reccomended Reading:
- Physician Suicide Letters Answered, Pamela Wible, M.D.
- Why Physicians Die by Suicide–Lessons Learned from Their Families and Others Who
Cared, Michael F. Myers, M.D.
December 14, 2025 Newsletter
A Message from KMS Executive Director
Since its founding in 1859 the Kansas Medical Society has been driven by a mission which at its core is founded on unwavering advocacy for the medical profession and a commitment to continually strive to improve the environment in which physicians practice medicine. By giving collective voice to physicians’ concerns and principles, particularly in the arena of public policy, we have an opportunity to be a force for positive change for the profession, and by extension, for the patients they serve.
Without question there are societal, political and economic headwinds facing healthcare in our country. It can feel like we’re in a latter-day Dickens novel (“it was the best of times, it was the worst of times….”). In spite of a healthcare system that in many respects is remarkable for its many individual successes, there are also seemingly intractable problems of high cost, access, burdensome regulations, intrusive control of the profession by government and private payors, and on and on.
In fact, to call this sprawling, complex healthcare universe a “system” implies that it was designed to function in the way it does. The truth is that the system we have wasn’t the result of some grand design or plan. It just evolved over time, with individuals and organizations responding to economic incentives, public demands, or government dictates, many with unintended consequences.
The recent pandemic had immense impacts on every corner of our country, and probably nowhere more pronounced than in healthcare. In addition to the more than one million American deaths and extraordinary economic costs, it also sowed widespread, pernicious seeds of doubt and loss of trust in established institutions, science, government, media and experts in all callings, including medicine.
As a result, though already highly polarized, our politics, both nationally and here in Kansas, have become even more painfully partisan and contentious, making reasonable compromise on many issues, including health policy, exceedingly difficult to navigate and achieve. We see that in numerous legislative issues including the role of public health, the provision of certain medical services that are socially controversial, efforts to authorize non-physician providers to practice medicine and surgery, spending for Medicaid, and the challenge of how to sustain rural health systems, to name just a few.
Another issue that has been relatively dormant for some time but is showing some troubling signs of life is that of professional liability, as I’ll delve deeper into in the issue highlight below. Because of the reforms to the tort system that our legislature enacted as a result of KMS’ advocacy years ago, Kansas has enjoyed a very stable professional liability environment, with relatively low malpractice premiums, and very few large damage awards. That could be changing, as juries - perhaps because of the post-pandemic loss of trust in established institutions such as medicine – seem more willing to assess large damage awards to plaintiffs who sue physicians and hospitals. In the year just ended there have been two multi-million dollar jury verdicts in Kansas medical malpractice cases. If our cap on non-economic damages (“pain and suffering”) is eroded or lost altogether, the liability environment in our state will significantly worsen, resulting in more litigation and much more costly liability insurance. If we have to engage the legislature again to restore balance to the system, it will be a very difficult task, as the trial lawyers will vigorously oppose any reform efforts.
It is precisely for issues such as this, and the others mentioned above, that KMS exists. To be your unwavering advocate and strive to improve the environment in which you practice medicine. We will continue to seek solutions and find workable compromise where warranted, while remaining true to ethical principles and the high standards of the profession we are privileged to serve.
2026 Advocacy Day & Physician Day at the Statehouse
On behalf of the Kansas Medical Society, we would like to invite you to our upcoming annual Advocacy Day on January 21st, 2026. You will join physicians from across the state, of all specialties to learn about issues impacting the house of medicine. This opportunity is a great chance to connect with your legislative leaders and guide decision-making to generate support for policies on critical issues.
We are excited to report that legislative, physician, and statewide leaders as well as our Governor have been invited to speak that morning.
A physician’s priority is their patients. The Kansas Medical Society's mission is to ensure patient care remains physician-directed. KMS advocacy is steadfast in ensuring lawmakers are well-educated all year on the issues affecting the practice of medicine.
Our collective voice is essential to the House of Medicine’s continued leadership in healthcare.
Event Details
Kansas Medical Society
623 SW 10th Ave Topeka, KS, 66612
Wednesday, January 21st, 2026
7:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Registration
To register click or scan the QR code below.
Deadline to register is Monday, January 19, 2026 at 5pm.
Click Here to view a list of our 2026 Advocacy Day Specialty Society Partners & Corporate Sponsors
Issue Brief: Medical Malpractice Update
Over the coming months we are going to focus some attention on the professional liability issue in Kansas; going back a few decades up to today, and what the coming years will portend if the reforms that physicians fought so hard for are weakened or lost altogether.
The chances are pretty good that whenever you see a group of physicians in conversation, the usual topics are about family, a favorite college sports team, an interesting clinical case, or the frustrations of practice (prior auth, difficult patients, administrative hassles, call schedule, etc.). What you are unlikely to hear is any conversation about professional liability (medical malpractice) problems or claims. However, that could be changing as some concerning trends around the country may be finally arriving in our state.
The principal reason you don’t hear much about medical malpractice threats is because Kansas many years ago enacted a series of legal reforms that fundamentally changed the liability landscape. Before the reforms were fully in place, the liability environment had deteriorated to the point that it was in a full blown crisis. The number of companies even willing to write medical malpractice policies in our state had dwindled to just two, and the policy costs physicians paid were in the top quartile in the entire country. The number of lawsuits against physicians was increasing at a scary pace, and large jury verdicts and claim settlements, particularly for “pain and suffering” (noneconomic) damages were a significant contributing factor.
When it looked increasingly like the liability insurance market was headed for collapse in the late 1980’s, KMS felt that it had an obligation to make sure that professional liability insurance would always be available to Kansas physicians and their affiliated providers. As a result KMS formed KAMMCO, a mutual insurance company (100% owned by its policyholders). Its mission was simple: be a financially strong, trusted insurance partner and advocate for Kansas physicians and their affiliated providers, stand by their members and defend good medicine, and build a company that will be there for future generations of Kansas healthcare providers. It is worth noting that in all of the ensuing legislative battles and resultant litigation over the reforms which were essential to creating the system we have today, only one insurance company, KAMMCO, participated fully and financially, as an advocate for the reforms being sponsored by KMS and the hospital association. No other liability insurer has ever stepped up to help KMS and the provider community enact and maintain the tort reforms.
There were several reforms to the tort liability system that were eventually enacted over several years, and virtually all were vigorously opposed by the state’s trial lawyers, who mounted a sustained, statewide campaign against the reform efforts. The most important and effective reform enacted was a limit on the amount of noneconomic (“pain and suffering”) damages that could be awarded in personal injury cases, such as medical malpractice lawsuits. It took several years of bitter legislative battles, then defending the reforms in court cases attacking its constitutionality, until finally the Kansas Supreme Court twice upheld the cap on damages, first in 1990 and then again in 2012. Those decisions by the Court had a very positive effect on the medical malpractice environment. The cost of insurance came down, insurers re-entered the Kansas market, case filings and claim payouts stabilized and the state’s physician community finally experienced a sustained period of relative calm from a medical malpractice standpoint, which endures today due to the durable reforms enacted a couple of decades ago.
Then, in 2019 the Kansas Supreme Court appeared to reverse its earlier decisions upholding the cap on damages. In a motor vehicle personal injury case the Court struck down the cap on noneconomic damages, but the decision was structured in such a way that there was some question whether it applied more broadly to medical malpractice cases, or just to other personal injury cases. If it does extend to medical malpractice cases, that will have immense implications for physicians, hospitals and the entire healthcare community. As of today, the Court has not had an opportunity to provide further clarification as to the extent of its most recent ruling.
Next Month's Issue Brief:
What’s at stake with recent cases which could challenge the constitutionality of the noneconomic damages cap.
2026 Communication Adjustments
Over the past several weeks, you have likely received both electronic and mailed communications regarding your 2026 membership dues, ballots for the Board of Trustees and officers, and the proposed amendments to the KMS Constitution. This year brought substantial updates to our membership database as well as introduced the launch of our online Member Portal. These improvements were designed to modernize your experience and streamline renewals, event registration, and information management. With these changes we felt multiple methods of communication were necessary to ensure accuracy, continuity, and full transparency throughout the process. We sincerely appreciate your careful attention to these materials and your engagement in the decisions that guide the future direction of our organization.
We recognize that significant system enhancements can create temporary challenges, and we want to express our deep gratitude for your patience and understanding as we work to identify and resolve the inevitable wrinkles. Your willingness to adapt and your continued support have played an essential role in helping us refine these processes, so they function as smoothly and efficiently as intended. Please know that our staff is always available to assist you and would love to hear feedback. We remain committed to providing timely, attentive service and to ensuring that your experience as a KMS member is consistently positive, professional, and reflective of the respect we hold for those we serve.
CONTACT OUR OFFICE
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: (785) 235-2383
March 30, 2025 Newsletter
March in Kansas always yields unpredictability. The weather ranged from a blizzard to 80 degrees in the span of one week and we have had dust storms and delightful days in between. It seems appropriate that the sky outside the statehouse is only as unpredictable as the politics beneath the dome.
The session was largely defined by three priorities shared by the Kansas House and Senate leaders: completing a constitutionally required budget, passing property tax relief, and outlawing gender reassignment procedures, and treatments for minors. While they achieved these objectives during their abbreviated schedule, many other proposals were left on the table. The legislature returns on April 10th for a two-day session to wrap up any remaining priority legislation and to consider veto overrides if necessary.
As we head into the session each year we prepare for all outcomes, we consider our principles, priorities, and the politics likely to affect policy discussions. The 2025 session was uniquely defined by the leaders’ decisions to revamp the budget process and shorten the legislative schedule. Additionally, lawmakers were tasked with reducing the state budget and scaling back programs funded by an influx of COVID and other federal stimulus money. Legislative staff revisors who must write every proposal that is to become law so that it attaches to the appropriate statute, had to balance the entirety of the new budget process with all of the other requests from lawmakers, associations, and individuals seeking bills and amendments at any point in the process. As a result, very few proposals were drafted or could be appropriately amended within the timelines unless compromise had already been agreed to, or leaders pushed the issue.
Though we did not expect to see scope of practice issues pursued by legislative leaders, political winds changed, and HB 2223 became a major focus in the final weeks of the session.
HB 2223 as introduced would allow optometrists to perform certain surgical procedures, including the use of lasers, and to prescribe drugs without any limitation. Additionally, the bill included an unprecedented provision that would authorize the Board of Examiners which regulates optometric practice to approve any additional procedures not specifically prohibited within the bill—functionally ceding legislative authority over further scope of practice expansion to the state agency that regulates optometrists KMS opposed HB 2223 from its inception and has consistently argued that the bill does not adequately protect Kansas patients, and the professions should instead continue to meet to discuss modernizing the Optometric Practice Act without compromising quality and standards. Though legislative leaders had assured us the bill would not advance this session, it was nevertheless taken up by the Health Committee and quickly sent to the full House of Representatives where it passed 97-24. This was undoubtedly influenced by the constant presence of optometrists in the statehouse each day, as well as the many months they spent prior to the session inviting legislators into their practices and training programs. In addition, many legislators supportive of the bill faulted the lack of compromise between the professions over the last several years.
The Kansas Medical Society consistently opposes proposals that allow nonphysicians to independently practice medicine and surgery without physician supervision and without commensurate training, education, and regulations to protect patients. While some viewed this bill as being just a disagreement between Ophthalmologists and Optometrists over the medical and surgical care of the eye, the wider precedent for the House of Medicine at large should not be overlooked. If a regulatory board is allowed to unilaterally expand medical and surgical privileges for the nonphysicians it regulates, patients will be harmed and standards will be diluted.
To that end, KMS requested an amendment to HB 2223 that would have required new procedures or technologies to be reviewed by the existing Interprofessional Advisory Committee (IPAC). The IPAC exists to make recommendations to the Optometry Board on clinical or practice-related issues, including procedure coding matters and appropriate treatments for ocular diseases and conditions. The IPAC is composed of three optometrists and three ophthalmologists and is chaired by a non-voting optometrist. Under our amendment, the Board of Examiners could not approve the use of new technologies and procedures without an affirmative recommendation from the IPAC. The optometrists agreed to our requested amendment and we both testified to this before the Senate Health Committee in the final week of the session. The chair ultimately decided not to work the bill, but it will remain alive next session and certainly has gained momentum.
Much like the presence of the optometrists’ factoring into the unexpected advancement of this bill, your voices in explaining the dangers of this bill gave legislators pause. Thank you for taking the time to weigh in and we must continue to actively pursue individual relationships with legislators beyond the confines of the legislative session and issues.
As reported earlier, SB 67 also advanced early in the session but was able to be amended significantly from its original version. The bill would have allowed CRNAs to independently practice medicine without restriction, except by prohibiting surgery for the purpose of placing a medical reservoir. As amended at the request of KMS, the bill was limited to prescriptive authority and the ability to order durable medical equipment, which is exactly what the other categories of APRNs were granted two years ago. The bill has passed the House and Senate and awaits the Governor’s signature.
Outside of the scope of practice, a liability reform bill that we have supported for several years finally emerged. SB 54 would allow the disclosure of for-profit third-party funding for litigation. Across the nation, hedge funds and other for-profit entities have begun advancing money to plaintiffs or law firms to cover litigation costs as an “investment” with the hopes of excess verdicts and financial gains. SB 54 would allow the funding source to be disclosed to the jury. The bill passed the House and Senate and also awaits the Governor’s approval.
All in all, the session took some unexpected turns, but the Kansas Medical Society was successful in helping lawmakers respect professional distinctions that protect Kansas patients. Though the session is over, our work will continue as we work with professions to find agreements that do not compromise our principles. We also continue to educate lawmakers in the summer months as well as listen to their concerns and priorities for the coming year.
Though the session can feel a little like a whirlwind, leaving behind a bit of a mess to navigate—it is always a pleasure and a privilege to advocate on your behalf. There are some prevalent narratives that we must continue to unravel. Access is not a substitute for quality. Proficiency in a procedure is not equivalent to a comprehensive medical education. The Kansas Medical Society and each of our members are providing patient access at the highest quality, protecting and serving Kansas patients every day.
Thank you for your work and for allowing the Kansas Medical Society to advocate on your behalf.
KMS Member Portal
Manage your KMS Membership, pay KMS and County dues, and contribute to KaMPAC here.
Click the link below to login:
NOTE: If you are a member of the Medical Society of Sedgwick County, click here to pay your dues.
KMS Member Portal Test
Welcome to the new KMS Member Portal
Manage your KMS Membership, pay KMS and County dues, and contribute to KaMPAC here.
Click the link below to login:
NOTE: If you are a member of the Medical Society of Sedgwick County, click here to pay your dues.
