Physicians are constantly meeting the needs of others. But on occasion, physicians find themselves in need, particularly when it comes to matters of practice management, legal arrangements, financial planning or information services. For local physicians, help can be found nearby at the Jefferson County Medical Society (JCMS). "We can get involved at a grassroots level," says Executive Director Martha Wise. "We're the closest contact and can get our members mobilized and involved. For example, five members of our board of directors are members of the county board of health. So we're very involved in public health from that aspect." The largest county medical society in Alabama, the JCMS received its charter in 1877 from the Medical Association of the State of Alabama. Over the years, membership has grown to around 2,700. Wise estimates that 75 to 80 percent of the physicians in Jefferson County are now members of the JCMS, and as the society has expanded, so has its scope of services. "We try to be responsive to whatever our members suggest," says Wise. "It's kind of a fluid organization, and we try to come up with things we can offer our members that will benefit them." Membership in the society is especially beneficial to young physicians just starting their practices. Not only can the JCMS assist with staffing an office, but it can also assist with staff training. The society offers insurance coding classes for medical office personnel and a discount purchasing plan for coding books. The JCMS also operates answering and paging services. Currently, around 2,000 members take advantage of the answering service, and about 1,700 JCMS pagers are in use. When insurance payment issues become a problem, the society can help. The JCMS also works with the Birmingham Bar Association in regard to physicians being called as expert witnesses in court cases. One of the biggest advantages of being a member of the Jefferson County Medical Society, says Wise, is the organization's service as a two-way conduit of information between physicians and their patients. With its mediation services and medical ethics committee, the JCMS works hard to resolve problems between patients and their physicians on a non-litigious level. For a patient looking for a doctor, the JCMS can offer referrals by location, education, specialty or other patient specifications. "One of our main goals is to foster relationships between physicians and patients," says Wise. Another important function of the JCMS is its legislative and lobbying efforts. Each January, a delegation travels to Washington, D.C., to educate lawmakers on current medical issues. Members also get involved in public issues on the local level. But for all its influence in the halls of government, the JCMS also encourages practical hands-on involvement among its members. When last year's hurricanes left many in need of medical care, the JCMS didn't waste any time getting involved. "Within 48 hours after Katrina, we had people on the Gulf Coast," Wise says. Probably the most ambitious project the JCMS has ever considered is working with the Birmingham Regional Council of the Alabama Hospital Association to form a countywide communications network among medical providers. Now in its early planning stages, the network would link participants in a system of information sharing, resulting in more efficient patient care. "We're looking at forming a regional health information organization that would ultimately be networked across the state, then across the country," says Wise. "It's a tremendous project." While the advantages offered to practicing members by the JCMS would seem to be enough, the society also fulfills a unique niche for its senior members. Once a month, a group of retired physicians meets to discuss "old times" and the history of medicine. According to Wise, the sessions are quite popular with 25 to 30 people participating on a monthly basis. So whatever the needs or desires of its members, practicing or not, Wise and her staff are constantly at work to make things happen "We're proactive in a lot of ways," she says, "but we're responsive, too. We do whatever we can do to address needs."