(Philadelphia, PA) – Dell R. Burkey, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care for the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS), has been elected the 145th president of the Philadelphia County Medical Society (PCMS). The official inauguration will take place June 23, 2006, at the Philadelphia Country Club in Gladwyne, PA. Founded in 1849, PCMS is one of the oldest medical societies in the state, boasting over 3,500 members, including residents and medical students.

The purpose of PCMS is to unite with similar societies to form and maintain the Pennsylvania Medical Society; to elevate and maintain the standards of medical education; to uphold the ethics and dignity of the medical profession; and to protect the rights and interests of physicians.

Following 20 years in private practice, Burkey has spent the past six years as a clinical assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care within UPHS. Over that time he has also served on various committees not only for PCMS, but for the Pennsylvania Medical society as well, most notably as chairman of the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s Political Action Committee (PAMPAC).

“I’m comfortable in a leadership role, especially where politics are concerned,” said Burkey. “My experience with PAMPAC should help in dealing with the two biggest threats to Philadelphia’s physicians -- liability and reimbursement. The only way you can change these two aspects is through the political process, which I am prepared to do.

Burkey’s responsibilities will not end in the political arena. Besides presiding over the society’s meetings, Burkey will act as liaison to local physicians seeking assistance on a variety of topics. He will also be instrumental in fostering collaborations among physicians and securing and administering grant funding.

“It certainly is a daunting task,” Burkey said. “This position will give me access to inner circles of different segments of the society. I will be involved in a variety of ways not only locally, but on a state level as well. I hope the information I receive on these different levels can be used to evaluate and inform the society’s doctors on the best way to proceed as a group. It’s a complex position and to assure success you need someone with a lot of experience. I feel very up to the task.”

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