Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Winter 2017-18 - 12

LEGISLATING MEDICINE
continued from page 9

Thank you for affording me the opportunity
to offer my perspective on the role that state
government has in the oversight of competent,
caring, and comprehensive patient care. I
certainly welcome the chance to respond, as well
as being given the ongoing ability to engage in a
productive dialogue regarding important issues
that face members of the medical field.
As a bit of background, in addition to
serving as a state representative, I am also a
licensed Pennsylvania Emergency Medical
Technician. In this role, I have attended yearly
EMS continuing education conferences. At
these events, I hear from medical professionals
on a number of shared concerns. My specific
hands-on training as well as my personal life
experiences have helped hone my appreciation
for the outstanding job that the medical
community does on a day-to-day basis.
Rest assured that I, too, am concerned
with maintaining patient confidentiality,
promoting wellness, and preserving the
doctor-patient relationship. Furthermore,
as I am very well aware that the passage
of many of the pieces of legislation
that come before me have unintended
consequences, I make a concerted
effort to solicit and review the various
viewpoints from a variety of informed
sources prior to any vote I cast. I believe
this approach maximizes positive outcomes,
while minimizing unanticipated results.
Reviewing the questions posed as part
of the Statement of Principles on the Role
of Governments in Regulating the PatientPhysician Relationship, I would agree that
it is my goal to promote treatment options

based on clinical effectiveness and professional
standards of care, and that advisory clinical
guidelines provided by unbiased professional
societies would certainly be a welcome
addition to the decision-making process. I
also believe that flexibility based on specific
patient circumstances would be invaluable to
incorporate into any treatment plan and that
public health policy goals should not trump
individual choice.
I also find it abhorrent for the state to
engage in any attempt to force medical care
upon a patient - without regard to his/her
needs or life circumstances - and particularly
when that effort is against the wishes of the
patient and/or medical staff. Finally, I agree
that a timely appeal process must be available to
address these specific instances.
As noted in the Statement, an evolution of
knowledge is inevitable, and any statutory and/
or regulatory standards are likely to require a
revamping as new research becomes available. If
these directives become unwieldy and inflexible,
the quality of care deteriorates. Thus, as a state
representative, I must remain cognizant of the
need to avoid imposing unduly burdensome
mandates that serve no therapeutic purpose or
create a hardship for the individuals involved.
Again, I thank you for the opportunity to
comment on the role of state government in
the medical care arena and for the fine work
healthcare professionals provide to society. I
welcome your feedback, and I look forward to
keeping vital lines of communication open.
- Representative Mark Gillen

Collaborative efforts are necessary between legislators and medical professionals in
order to achieve the common goal of ensuring that citizens have access to quality care
and services that will enable them to maintain their health and overall well-being.
A prime example of what can be achieved when the legislative arena melds with
the medical field is the ongoing efforts to combat the heroin and opioid epidemic that
is plaguing our communities. Through concerted work between the legislature and
medical community, Pennsylvania has passed numerous laws to address this issue and
curtail the growing number of fatalities related to opioid abuse.
Here's what I always stress to my students during the first week of class: The
British statesman Winston Churchill said it best in 1947: "Many forms of government
have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that
democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst
form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to
time...." Similar to the medical field, the legislative world is not perfect, however, we
continue to make advancements that will benefit all.
- Senator David G. Argall
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Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Winter 2017-18

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Winter 2017-18
