Thank Your Physician on “National Doctor’s Day”

National Doctors’ Day is March 30, 2015.

The Western Carolina Medical Society (WCMS) honors and thanks the physicians across Western North Carolina for their commitment to exceptional medical care and for their advocacy on behalf of their patients.

“Doctors’ Day is a way of saying thanks to the physicians who work tirelessly every day to keep their patients and our community healthy,” notes Miriam Schwarz, CEO of WCMS. “We are privileged to have some of the most skilled physicians in the country right here in our own mountains, and Doctors’ Day is just one small way we can honor them for their hard work and dedication to the health of our community. The next time you see your physician, please say thank you or send them a thank you card and let them know how much you appreciate them. It will mean the world to them.”

The first Doctors’ Day observance was on March 30, 1933 in Winder, Georgia. Eudora Brown Almond, wife of Dr. Charles B. Almond, decided to set aside a day to honor physicians. This first observance included the mailing of greeting cards and placing flowers on graves of decreased doctors. The red carnation is commonly used as a symbolic flower for National Doctors’ Day. On March 30, 1958, a resolution commemorating Doctors’ Day was adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives. On October 30, 1990, President George Bush signed a resolution designating March 30 as National Doctors’ Day.

Since the days of the Hippocratic Oath, the physician has been held in high esteem as healer, a trusted confidante and patient advocate. The relationship between physician and patient is invaluable during times of crisis. Technological breakthroughs have done much to advance the science of medicine; however, the patient-physician relationship remains the fundamental tenet of medicine.

Hospitals and medical societies regularly take part in celebrating the role physicians play in their communities. Here in western North Carolina, for example, Cherokee Indian Hospital physicians in Swain County and Park Ridge Hospital physicians in Henderson County will be celebrated by their respective institutions. The Western Carolina Medical Society staff will be involved in both of these events.

“Doctors do more than keep you healthy,” notes Schwarz. “Our doctor works hard to improve the well-being of the community as a whole. We set aside March 30 as a special day to demonstrate our appreciation for the role of our area’s physicians.”

Formed in 1885, Western Carolina Medical Society is a voluntary professional association of over 750 physicians throughout Western North Carolina. WCMS is the physicians’ voice advocating for the health of the physician, the patient, and the community, through strengthening the physician-patient relationship. WCMS also improves access to quality healthcare, decreases disparities in health, and promotes health and wellness.

For more information about the Western Carolina Medical Society or Doctors’ Day go to www.mywcms.org or contact Megan Hare.