Five Minutes with Shelley Glover, MD

LYNNE JETER

Five Minutes with Shelley Glover, MD | Lake Sumter Medical Society, Shelley Glover, Women's Care of Clermont, Florida Medical Association Foundation, We Care of Lake County, Second Harvest

Clermont OB/GYN Brings Broad Prospective of Health Issues to LSM

When Shelley Glover was a young child, she spent a good deal of time at the ENT office because of problems she experienced with chronic throat and ear infections.

"I looked up to my doctor and wanted to be like him," said Glover, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Women's Care of Clermont, an all-female clinic established in 2001 "for women by women," and 2009 president of the Lake Sumter Medical Society, a medical organization established in 1978 and comprised of area doctors of medicine (MD) and osteopathic medicine (DO). "Once I reached high school and was able to work at a hospital during my summer vacation, I knew that medicine was for me. I thought I wanted to be a pediatrician at first, but once I completed medical school, I found that I was best suited for OB/GYN."

After graduating from Columbia University, and one of the nation's top five medical schools, the University of California-San Francisco, Glover earned a master's degree in maternal and child health from the University of California-Berkeley. She specializes in hormone imbalance and menopausal issues.

Armed with a broad prospective of health issues, Glover was very attentive when attending her first Florida Medical Association (FMA) meeting after moving to Central Florida in 2000. Realizing the importance of healthcare providers having a voice concerning organized medicine and physician issues in the political arena, Glover became a member of the LSMS Board of Governors in 2001 and president two years later.

"I'm proud to represent the Lake Sumter physicians on a local, state and national level," said Glover, a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Gynecologists.

The Orlando Medical News spent a few minutes with Glover, who also serves as president of the FMA Foundation and We Care of Lake County, and shares a daughter, Mia, with her husband, Mark, about the role the medical society plays on the political stage, its impact on her practice, and priorities and hot-button issues for LSMS members.

How has the medical society impacted your practice?

The medical society provides support for physicians including myself that is needed when you are running a small business. As a member of the society, I am able to take advantage of an excellent health plan, which covers both me and my employees. The medical society sponsors meetings which expand both my medical and business knowledge. My office manager also attends meetings that provide pertinent information for running a successful medical practice. The society keeps me abreast of the latest changes politically and how they will affect healthcare for my practice and my patients.

How does the medical society plan to attract new members?

Greater exposure! We are mounting a marketing plan to increase membership through a newly designed Web site; increasing exposure through community projects including Second Harvest and We Care of Lake County; partnering with vendors to give members more leverage and benefits; getting information into local newspapers spotlighting local physicians and their practices, passions and pastimes; and by offering our first annual golf tournament at Mission Inn. We will hold our annual Expo tradeshow in November, and will continue to offer weekly e-newsletters and quarterly magazines.

What role do you see local medical societies playing in the medical paradigm?

Keeping an ear to the ground. As grassroots organizations, we have the privilege of hearing, first-hand, the challenges of working physicians and their patients. It is our duty to gather support and voice concerns. These are difficult times, physicians are forced to make hard choices, patients are caught in the middle, and no one seems to have answers. The local medical society has an incredible responsibility to keep local physicians focused, to encourage their passions and to unite them as a single voice.

What are your priorities as president? What hot-button issues particular to Orlando and also nationally must be addressed?

Ensuring that the LSMS physicians and their patients' concerns are heard by our legislators on a state and national level. Keeping the LSMS physicians abreast of the healthcare changes politically, which will affect their practices and their patients. Listening closely to the physicians of Lake Sumter County to understand and address their needs as the society moves forward.

How does working closely with the FMA benefit your organization?

The FMA has its finger on the pulse of state and national hot topics, and is quick to share with the county medical societies. Equally important, the FMA plays a critical part in supporting the administration of the local organizations, providing quick answers, significant advice and regular oversight in issues critical to physicians statewide.