Welcome! I am glad that you are taking the time to learn more about IMPACT and the important role that it plays in advancing positive medical issues in the State of Tennessee. We, as physicians, do not have a great deal of time to get involved in the political process, but membership in IMPACT provides a quick, effective way for us to make our collective voices heard.

As distasteful as it appears to some of us, the reality is that political action committees (PACs) exist and are utilized by many professions to have their voices heard. The sad truth is that bankers, lawyers and teachers understand this truth and embrace the political reality by contributing to their respective PACs...Physicians do not!

I am not saying that IMPACT is not powerful or that physicians do not contribute at all. IMPACT is relatively powerful and many of us do contribute. However, only 9% of TMA membership is a member of IMPACT! Only 9% of us understand that trial lawyers out-contribute doctors more than 15 to 1. Insurance companies rally together to contribute at huge levels. Even chiropractors and optometrists give at rates above physicians!

We cannot expect to continue winning our battles on Capitol Hill if we do not support and fight for our proponents in the Legislature. It is vital to our professional health to keep our friends in office and financially support opponents of legislators voting against our issues. We must be assertive in our political actions and we cannot do that without more widespread support from Tennessee physicians.

IMPACT membership is not about partisan politics. In fact, party affiliation does not play a role in deciding who will or will not receive a contribution from IMPACT. The most important factors are whether the legislator or opponent supports pro-organized medicine issues, whether they serve on a committee that will take up physician issues or whether they are in minority or majority party leadership roles.

Please take the time to join IMPACT today. The health of your profession may just depend on it!

Sincerely,

Kenneth L. Moore, MD
Chairman