Doctors’ Day is essential for our physicians’ recognition as the primary healthcare providers for this country’s people.  Let’s thank and honor our doctors!

The celebration of Doctors’ Day began in Barrow County, Georgia on March 30, 1933. It became National Doctors’ Day through a proclamation by President George Bush in 1991. The following is an excerpt from Proclamation 6253 – National Doctors’ Day – 1991. 

“More than the application of science and technology, medicine is a special calling, and  those who have chosen this vocation in order to serve their fellowman understand the tremendous responsibility it entails.”  

In addition, Dr. Elmer Hess, a former president of the American Medical Association, wrote:  “There is no greater reward in our profession than the knowledge that God has entrusted us with the physical care of His people. The Almighty has reserved for Himself the power to create life, but He has assigned to a few of us the responsibility of keeping in good repair the bodies in which this life is sustained.” “Accordingly, reverence for human life and individual dignity is both the hallmark of a good physician and the key to truly beneficial advances in medicine.”

Doctors’ Day occurs every year on March 30th. Here’re some suggestions to get you thinking about what your alliance could do this year or next to “Honor Your Doctor”. 

You and your alliance could:

• Place excerpts from the proclamation on social media, in newspapers, on billboards, and other methods of community communication.
• Coordinate blood drives with the Red Cross to assist in replenishing the nation’s blood reserves. The Red Cross would be the working arm to schedule and set up the blood drive; your alliance would create the excitement and invite community members to help with the blood  shortage by honoring their doctor.
• Distribute Doctors' Day Products as part of Doctors’ Day celebrations and festivities.

Alliances, we have a small window to accomplish this exciting task, so let’s get going! 

On March 30, 2023 we will celebrate the 90th year of Doctors' Day. To plan for this tremendous occasion we’re establishing an SMAA committee to define the celebration, do you want to help? If you’d like to serve on this committee please contact Jennifer Price, at jprice@sma.org  by May 1, 2022. We’ll have several Zoom meetings for your ideas and to create the plan.

-Shirley Becker, RN