Weather Alert: MSV meetings for 2/5 - 2/6 cancelled

4 February 2010

Dear Colleague:

Because the latest statewide weather forecasts are predicting snow in Northern Virginia Friday and Saturday, a combination of sleet and snow for points west and southwest of Richmond both days, and a mix of sleet and snow in Richmond late Friday through Saturday, we have reluctantly decided to cancel the MSV Board Meeting this Saturday as well as the Strategic Alignment Task Force and Boards Orientation meetings scheduled for Friday. Though this cancellation is a disappointment to me and, I'm sure, to all of you who have generously juggled your professional and personal schedules weeks in advance to accommodate these meetings, I feel it is the prudent thing to do when weighing individual safety against the benefits of gathering in spite of the weather.

We will be sending you an email by the end of this week outlining alternative plans for all of these meetings. These plans will most likely entail scheduling a weekday evening conference call for the MSV Board later this month, shifting the Boards Orientation to Friday, April 23 (day before MSV Board meeting), and possibly holding a conference call for the Strategic Alignment Task Force (SATF) in late February/early March as well as a SATF gathering on April 23 at MSV if need be.

Please know that both staff and elected leadership at MSV have worked tirelessly since the beginning of this year to ensure that our advocacy efforts on behalf of our members continue to be as effective as possible. In particular, the effort on the part of staff, elected leadership and members during this year's General Assembly Session has been outstanding. It's been my privilege to witness this superb teamwork and be an active participant in it.

Although we are delaying important governance functions, please rest assured that your Medical Society continues to hit on all cylinders as tireless advocates for physicians and the practice of medicine. The Executive Committee and Advisors for MSV, the MSV staff, the Task Forces and Committees, the Boards and staff of all MSV entities are engaged, meeting regularly, and delivering on their appointed missions, roles, and duties. That said, I know how critically important the role of the Board (of each respective entity) is and that that is where the rubber needs to hit the road. While I am sad that we will not be together this weekend to review our important work and chart our shared vision for the future, I know that it can wait for a safer, more conducive environment.

Together we are making a real difference!

Sincerely,

Dan Carey, MD