FMDA was founded in 1990 to help medical directors, attending physicians, physician assistants (PAs), advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs), and other health care practitioners in postacute care navigate their way through the continuum of care.

• FMDA is the official state affiliate of the Columbia, Maryland-based, American Medical Directors Association (AMDA).
• FMDA is a Specialty Society of the Florida Medical Association (FMA).
• FMDA promotes the education of its membership in issues pertaining to long-term care (LTC), with a special emphasis on scientific, legislative, regulatory, and Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.
• Membership in FMDA links you to physicians, PAs, and ARNPs and opens dialogues for problem-solving and information sharing. Networking opens opportunities to become familiar practicing in postacute care, and helps you build relationships with and gain support from our practitioners.
• FMDA represents nearly 350 medical directors, attending physicians, physician assistants, and advanced registered nurse practitioners in Florida’s postacute care continuum.
• As the scope of operation for postacute care facilities continues to evolve and expand to accommodate an aging population, practitioners face many new and complex challenges. FMDA is the only organization in the state of Florida devoted to practitioners in all specialties practicing in skilled nursing units, subacute, hospice, home care, assisted living facilities, as well as in continuing care retirement communities.
• FMDA hosts a highly-successful and nationally-recognized annual educational program and trade show every October, which features the newest trends and challenges from some of the top long-term care experts in the country.
• This annual educational program is the only conference of its kind in the country which offers educational
  accreditation for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, consultant pharmacists, directors of
  nursing, licensed nurses, and nursing home administrators.
• Because of the high caliber of this conference, it attracts attendees from dozens of other states in the country.
• FMDA publishes a dynamic, statewide newsletter titled Progress Report — winner of the Apex Award for
  Publishing Excellence.
• “FMDA CareerCenter,” its online job board, will be introduced in April 2006.
• “FMDA NEWS CLIPS” is a regular e-mail news service for local, state, and national health care news with an
  emphasis on long-term care, geriatrics, and skilled nursing care. FMDA sends its members real-time news clips straight from the actual news sources. Stay on top of legislation, regulations, reimbursement issues, as well as industry trends, with news stories that have been selected to meet the unique needs of its members.
• Annual update on Medicare billing strategies.
• Annual update on Medicare comparative performance reports for physicians practicing in postacute care.
• Discounted member registration fee for educational programs — including the annual program.
• Listing as an expert witness, upon request.
• Assistance in earning AMDA’s medical director certification.

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Advocacy:

• Networking with the other acute care and postacute trade and professional associations.
• Advocacy in Tallahassee on behalf of the members of FMDA.
• Representation in the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association.
• Providing testimony at public hearings and in front of the Florida Legislature on issues important to physicians in long-term care such as the availability and affordability of liability insurance, “Granny Cams” in nursing homes, and other hot button issues.

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Futures in Geriatrics:
FMDA takes an active role in outreach efforts to residents, interns, fellows, and young-career physicians with an interest in long-term care. It recently started offering $1,000 educational grants for medical students, interns, and residents in geriatrics, internal medicine, and family practice who participate in poster presentations at its Annual Program.

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Florida Medical Directors Association
200 Butler Street, Suite 305
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
(561) 659-5581; Fax: (561) 659-1291
E-mail: ian.cordes@fmda.org