There’s not an organization that does not promote teamwork and togetherness amongst its people. I know we’ve all heard quotes supporting teamwork, working together, corporation, etc., so I’m certain this isn’t new to you. But have you considered the true meaning of working together and possibly the science behind it?

I want to use the American Medical Association (AMA) as a prime example of why working together is very important. At the turn of the 20th century, healthcare in America needed to change and there were many stakeholders in the game. Medical Doctors, Osteopathic Doctors, Pharmacists, Chiropractic Doctors, Public Health Practitioners, the list goes on.

One organization stood out and took charge in developing the industry into what we know today, that organization is the American Medical Association. A review of history shows that this body worked together to champion what their desires were for the profession, as well as for the healthcare industry. Independent physician organizations in different states came together to build a coalition with national representation to ward off competition, hence the AMA.

The AMA’s approach included eliminating competition by creating propaganda about them, creating an educational system for licensure to ensure ‘quality’ and ‘continuity’ of care, forming an association to increase collective bargaining power with several levels of government, streamlining the educational system to a select group of individuals and schools to control supply of doctors, and creation of several subsectors of medicine to cover all aspects of health needed to eliminate supposed competition. Today, healthcare is what it is because the AMA stood their ground, warded off competition, built modern medicine around them and held strong to their coalition. There is strength in numbers, there is strength is togetherness, there is strength in teamwork; teamwork is never overrated.

#Life