Prospective Members
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| Benton Franklin County Medical Society |
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The Benton Franklin County Medical Society, founded in 1946, is a professional membership organization
for physicians in Benton and Franklin County dedicated to providing continuing medical education to local
physicians, promoting patient wellness, improving public health, and advocating for policy changes that will
make your job of practicing medicine easier. Our Board of Directors and CME Committee are a very active
team of physicians who volunteer a considerable amount of time to help ensure these goals.
Advocacy
BFCMS maintains close contact with our local legislators in part through our relationship with the
Washington State Medical Association. This contact allows us to educate and influence our representatives
when medical issues affecting your practice are debated and voted on in the state legislature. Interested
physicians are also invited to attend the annual WSMA Legislative Summit, held in Olympia each January.
These face to face meetings with our legislators are invaluable in having your voice heard in Olympia.
Additionally, BFCMS members who also maintain membership with the WSMA are invited to help establish
WSMA policy at the WSMA Annual House of Delegates Meeting as a BFCMS delegate. This meeting is
held each fall and alternates between Spokane and Tacoma.
Education
• The Benton Franklin County Medical Society Annual CME Seminar provides an opportunity for you to
receive 12 Category I CME credits close to home. For this two day medical symposium, we recruit regional
and national speakers who are experts in their fields. As a member, you receive a $100 discount on
registration fees for this event.
• Monthly general membership meetings- Free of charges to members. We offer 6 meetings annually
and feature speakers lecturing on a variety of information or entertaining topics.
• Additional educational events are offered throughout the year for little or no cost. These could include
practice management topics, coding seminars, etc.
Member Communications
BFCMS members receive our monthly newsletter, The Society Pages, focusing on timely topics, regional
and national health issues. New members are also highlighted along with membership directory changes
and upcoming events.
Our membership directory is produced annually and distributed to member physicians. Members are also
listed on our website where patients can easily search for them.
Networking
We provide many opportunities for physicians to meet with other physicians for business and social purposes.
We are one of the few places in the medical environment where physicians from all specialties and types of
practice can come together for collegial purposes, legislative efforts and community health projects. Our
annual Society Ball, held each January, is just one example of a social activity offered free for members
and your guest.
Referrals
The BFCMS office receives numerous calls daily from patients who need a referral for a new physician or
help finding a specialist. We provide referral information for member physicians only.
Patient Complaints
The Grievance Committee receives and mediates complaints and grievances from the public against
physician members.
General Source of Information
BFCMS serves as a general source of information for your medical practice. If we are not able to provide
you with an answer, we will link you to the source that can.
We are excited to offer you an opportunity to become a member of the Benton Franklin County Medical
Society. Please complete the enclosed membership profile and return it to our office. If you have any
questions, please don’t hesitate to contact myself or Nicole Austin at the BFCMS office at 582-2866.
Sincerely,
Donald Dicken MD
President
Membership Profile
for physicians in Benton and Franklin County dedicated to providing continuing medical education to local
physicians, promoting patient wellness, improving public health, and advocating for policy changes that will
make your job of practicing medicine easier. Our Board of Directors and CME Committee are a very active
team of physicians who volunteer a considerable amount of time to help ensure these goals.
Advocacy
BFCMS maintains close contact with our local legislators in part through our relationship with the
Washington State Medical Association. This contact allows us to educate and influence our representatives
when medical issues affecting your practice are debated and voted on in the state legislature. Interested
physicians are also invited to attend the annual WSMA Legislative Summit, held in Olympia each January.
These face to face meetings with our legislators are invaluable in having your voice heard in Olympia.
Additionally, BFCMS members who also maintain membership with the WSMA are invited to help establish
WSMA policy at the WSMA Annual House of Delegates Meeting as a BFCMS delegate. This meeting is
held each fall and alternates between Spokane and Tacoma.
Education
• The Benton Franklin County Medical Society Annual CME Seminar provides an opportunity for you to
receive 12 Category I CME credits close to home. For this two day medical symposium, we recruit regional
and national speakers who are experts in their fields. As a member, you receive a $100 discount on
registration fees for this event.
• Monthly general membership meetings- Free of charges to members. We offer 6 meetings annually
and feature speakers lecturing on a variety of information or entertaining topics.
• Additional educational events are offered throughout the year for little or no cost. These could include
practice management topics, coding seminars, etc.
Member Communications
BFCMS members receive our monthly newsletter, The Society Pages, focusing on timely topics, regional
and national health issues. New members are also highlighted along with membership directory changes
and upcoming events.
Our membership directory is produced annually and distributed to member physicians. Members are also
listed on our website where patients can easily search for them.
Networking
We provide many opportunities for physicians to meet with other physicians for business and social purposes.
We are one of the few places in the medical environment where physicians from all specialties and types of
practice can come together for collegial purposes, legislative efforts and community health projects. Our
annual Society Ball, held each January, is just one example of a social activity offered free for members
and your guest.
Referrals
The BFCMS office receives numerous calls daily from patients who need a referral for a new physician or
help finding a specialist. We provide referral information for member physicians only.
Patient Complaints
The Grievance Committee receives and mediates complaints and grievances from the public against
physician members.
General Source of Information
BFCMS serves as a general source of information for your medical practice. If we are not able to provide
you with an answer, we will link you to the source that can.
We are excited to offer you an opportunity to become a member of the Benton Franklin County Medical
Society. Please complete the enclosed membership profile and return it to our office. If you have any
questions, please don’t hesitate to contact myself or Nicole Austin at the BFCMS office at 582-2866.
Sincerely,
Donald Dicken MD
President
Membership Profile