President Donald Trump's recent nomination of Georgia Representative Tom Price, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and a member of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, for secretary of HHS has put AAPS in the national spotlight. Here are 10 things you should know about the American Association of Physicians and Surgeons.
1. AAPS' motto is "omnio pro aegroto," which, in Latin means "all for the patient." The organization sees its physicians' mission to protect patients. A statement about the society's mission states: "We must continue to guide, educate and support our patients through these confusing and turbulent political times. We must challenge the interference in our profession as this interference is unlawful, immoral and outside the bounds of the U.S. Constitution."
2. Since its founding in 1943, members of AAPS have dedicated themselves to the patient-physician relationship and the practice of private medicine as a whole.
3. The AAPS legal team takes it upon itself to defend member physicians it believes have been mistreated by either healthcare programs or hospitals.
4. AAPS News is a monthly newsletter filled with political, legal, and practical information sent out to all member physicians.
5. AAPS strives to promote physicians' ability to freely practice medicine according to Hippocratic principles.
6. The organization sees EHRs as "the great interloper" since they create medical databases and share encrypted data. "Not only are these databases in violation of privacy, but they are a useful gear in the rationing-of-care machine," Dr. Woofter wrote in the mission statement. "Shared data is electronically compiled for the purpose of creating treatment guidelines and profiling."
7. Membership dues and contributions make up all of AAPS' funding.
8. In early January, AAPS endorsed Florida Supreme Court Justice Charles Canady for nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court by then-President-elect Donald Trump.
9. AAPS President, Melinda Woofter, MD, practices dermatology in Granville, Ohio.
10. In a white paper, the organization promotes expanding opportunities for charitable care instead of relying on "universal coverage." One option it supports is qualifying physicians for protection from malpractice liability in exchange for providing charity care at qualified clinics.
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