You only get one year as Board President, and I imagine every person who serves hopes that he or she manages to accomplish something that leaves a lasting mark. In thinking over all I have done since assuming the role of President in November 2017, one achievement rose to the top, although it likely went unnoticed by the physicians, PAs and other medical professionals NCMB licenses.

In May, Board Members participated in an intensive workshop during which we reviewed and revised NCMB’s mission statement, and developed, for the first time, a vision statement and organizational values. The Board voted in September to formally adopt these words, which provide important insight into NCMB’s purpose, as well as the principles that guide its work.

I should pause here and note that NCMB’s statutory purpose of public protection has not and will not change. The Board exists to regulate medicine “for the benefit and protection of the people of North Carolina,” as stated in N.C. Gen. Stat. §90-2(a). The revised mission statement describes how the Board fulfils this mandate: The North Carolina Medical Board protects the people of North Carolina, and the integrity of the medical profession, through just and vigilant licensing and regulation. The vision statement goes a bit further, describing the state the Board ultimately seeks to reach: NCMB will be a proactive and progressive leader that addresses emerging challenges in medicine.

In fact, the Board has been working diligently for the past several years to stretch and grow from a regulator solely focused on its core responsibilities of licensing and regulation to one that is actively involved in health care across North Carolina and actively develops strategies to address the most pressing issues in medicine. I hope this is at least somewhat evident to licensees in the work NCMB has done related to opioid prescribing (our proactive opioid investigative program that uses data mining tactics to identify inappropriate prescribing, for instance, and our statewide training initiative that provided free controlled substances CME to prescribers across NC) and other matters. NCMB has developed a thriving presentations program over the past few years, showing its commitment to hearing directly from physicians and PAs in their communities about the issues of most concern to them. The Board was a partner in developing a recent wellness conference in Raleigh that convened health care leaders to discuss institutional drivers of burnout. These are just a few examples that demonstrate the Board's efforts to be more "proactive and progressive".

The new vision statement is a promise by the Board and its staff to continue asking how we can do more and be better for patients and for the medical profession. Visit the Mission & Mandate page on NCMB's website.

In closing, I’d just like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to serve as Board President. It’s been an honor and a pleasure.

Dr. Lietz’ s term as Board President ended on Oct. 31; He will continue to serve as a Board Member through Oct. 31, 2019.