Dear Colleagues,
From time to time, your Society addresses issues impacting our specialty in what have been termed "White Papers," very carefully researched and stated for your consideration. Within the last two years, one such Paper was addressed to and delivered as testimony before the Bipartisan Commission on the Reform of Medicare. More recently, we offered a position statement on Collective Bargaining with comment by a long-time labor organizer.
This issue of STS News offers another White Paper. It is the product of a subcommittee of the STS Standards and Ethics Committee. This subcommittee, chaired by Dr. Richard Sanderson, consisted of Drs. Thomas Egan, Stanley Nolan, and William Sasser. Mr. Robert Portman, of the law firm Jenner and Block, provided legal opinions. The subcommittee reviewed, and then developed a position statement concerning, practice relationships between cardiothoracic surgeons and cardiologists. The employment of cardiac surgeons by cardiologists was particularly noted.
This issue is one of increasing concern to many in our specialty; hopefully, this will help you to work through those concerns. Your Council approved this Paper and made it Society policy. Please review our position very carefully, and give it the serious thought that it deserves. As always, I look forward to your comments.
Yours sincerely,
Jack M. Matloff, MD
STS President 