A Message from the President

Delaware County Medical Society

Ryan M. Mascio, DO

 

To our DCMS members and colleagues,

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I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself as the new President of the Delaware County Medical Society. My name is Ryan Mascio, DO. I am a local Pediatrician, employed in the Primary Care Network at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). I am also a US Army veteran, having served as a Medical Corps officer in a variety of roles caring for America’s smallest heroes. 

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First, I want to thank Dr. June Elcock-Messam for her exceptional leadership as President over the past two years. She helped to revitalize the DCMS and keep us relevant within the county and local medical communities. 

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I am not one for hyperbole or sensationalism, but I believe I am taking over as President of the DCMS in a truly unprecedented time. The political climate, attacks on science, the emergence of Artificial Intelligence, uncertainties of local health systems, increasing and worsening physician burn out - these are all things that are staring physicians in the face every single day. I will be the first to say that these issues in front of us provide both obstacles and opportunities. Most importantly - and my priority - is to continue to advocate for our physician members of the DCMS. 
 

Despite the current political climate, the DCMS will continue to remain an apolitical, non-profit entity focused on advocating for physicians and helping them to provide the highest quality of care to the residents of Delaware County and surrounding counties in which we serve. We will continue to pursue scientific facts and evidence based medicine. We have a membership base that spans the political spectrum - everyone will be treated with respect and without judgment.

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Locally, we are at the heart of for-profit entities directly impacting healthcare systems. The Crozer Health system continues to struggle because of the misguided and immoral actions of Prospect Medical Holdings. But most importantly, the physicians in the health system continue to fight high levels of burnout and moral injury. The patients serviced by this safety-net health system are also feeling the impact of service closures. The DCMS will stand steadfast in support of our physician colleagues in the Crozer Health system; we will continue to advocate for and with them. 

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Physician burnout and moral injury continues to be one of the biggest obstacles and stressors for us as physicians. Often recognized, but not often afforded viable options to intervene, this is something that I would like to tackle during my two year term. We will continue to work with our members, colleagues and outside stakeholders to develop programs and outlets for physicians to manage their burnout and actually see some improvement in reducing these stressors. 

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I have created an email for our members and colleagues to allow for direct contact with me. Please feel free to reach out to me at DCMSPresident@gmail.com. My goal is to provide an open door approach for our members to be able to connect and dialogue without judgment. I do my best to take the Ted Lasso approach - “Be curious. Not judgmental.” We are always looking for more active members and also executive board members. If you have any interest in becoming more active, please do not hesitate to reach out. 

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Thank you for your commitment to the DCMS and I look forward to serving you over the next two years and continuing to advocate for the physicians and patients of Delaware County.
 

Ryan M. Mascio, DO

President - Delaware County Medical Society

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