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Urologic Specialty Societies

SESAUA | FUS | In Memoriam


Southeastern Section of The American Urological Association

by Ernest Costantino, Jr., M.D

The Southeastern Section of the American Urological Association was founded in 1931 through the efforts of Montague L. Boyd, M.D. of Atlanta, Georgia. Until then urologists from.the area met during the annuaLmeetings of the Southern Medical Association and the Florida Medical Association. Earlier attempts to form a local branch of the American Urological Association were opposed by some physicians including Owsley Grant, M.D. of Louisville, who was Chairman of the Urological Section. of the Southern Medical Association at that time. Dr. Grant opposed the formation of a branch society of the AUA on the grounds that it would interfere with the growth and functioning of the Urological Section of the Southern Medical Association.

In October 1931 the roster of the American Urological Association included forty-four members of the AUA residing in the southeastern states, including thirteen in Florida. On October 14, 1931, after considerable preparation and direction from the Secretary of the American Urological Association, Dr. Montague Boyd wrote to all members of the AUA residing in the southeastern states requesting that they meet for the purpose of establishing a branch of the AUA. A petition was drafted to establish the Southeastern Branch Society with the following signatures appearing on that application: George H. Day, John E. Hall, Roy J. Holmes, and E. Clay Shaw, of Miami; Louis M. Orr, of Orlando; Charles E. Barnett, of St. Petersburg; James L. Estes, E. S. Gilmer, and Arthur R. Knauf, of Tampa; R. W. Blackmar and B. Woolsey of Jacksonville.

A letter from Dr. Gilbert Thomas, Secretary of the AUA dated June 20, 1932, notified the membership that the Executive committee of the AUA unanimously voted to grant a charter to the members of the Association living in the southern states for the organization of a Southeastern Branch. The first meeting of the Southeastern Branch met on November 18, 1932, in the Colonial Room of the Tutwiler Hotel, Birmingham, Alabama. The first scientific meeting of the Southeastern Section was held in the Biltmore Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia, in December 1934.

A roster of the Southeastern Branch in 1936, showed a membership in Florida of eighteen regular members and six associate members. Notable among those added were Dr. Maximilian Stern of Daytona Beach (recently from New York), Dr. Robert B. Mciver of Jacksonville, Dr. W. L. Fitzgerald of Miami, and Dr. Gideon Timberlake of St. Peterburg.

Dr. Louis M. Orr of Orlando, Florida, was a founding member and director of the American Board of Urology which was incorporated in 1935. A number of prominent urologists, including Dr. Louis Orr, Dr. E. Clay Shaw, Dr. Roy Holmes, Dr. Milton Coplan, and Dr. James Estes applied for board certification. Certification was given to these doctors on the merits of their reputation without the required examination.

Equitable Representation for The SESAUA In the AUA

By the 1980’s there was a troublesome disparity in the ratio of Executive Committee representation to the actual dues paying membership among the various Sections. In 1983 the section memberships were as follows:

Mid-Atlantic512
Northeastern402
New England377
South Central782

New York513
Southeastern1,236
North Central1,033
Western861

Because the business of the AUA and the selection of the Presidential Candidate is conducted largely by the Executive Committee, where each section has equal representation regardless of size, there was a concern that committee appointments and other business favored the smaller sections and not the general membership. Every section, no matter how large the membership, has two representatives to the AUA — one representative and one alternate. Even though the Northeast Section, for example, had fewer urologists in their area, they had more representation in the AUA on financial committees, the Executive Committee, as scientific speakers at the AUA meetings, and membership on the Executive Committee Board of Directors. The basic issue was equal representation for the membership in the affairs of the AUA. Florida with its large membership in the AUA was influential in drawing attention to the representation issue and even considered forming its own section in the AUA.

In 1983 Dr. W. Lamar Weems of Jackson, Mississippi, was President of the SESAUA. His efforts, over a period of fourteen years, were largely responsible for restoring a more equitable representation for the dues paying members of the AUA. In 1983 at the Annual Meeting of the AUA in Las Vegas, Nevada, Dr. Weems proposed a change in the bylaws that would give the larger sections more equitable representation on the Executive Committee. His action caused the Executive Committee in 1985 to ask Dr. J. Tate Mason, to appoint a commission to evaluate the organization and function of the AUA. Based on its study, the commission was to recommend to the Executive Committee any changes which might improve the Association. Dr. Weems’s proposal for the bylaws change was withdrawn at the AUA meeting in New Orleans in response to the assurance that the “Tate Mason Commission” would conduct a study and make recommendations.

In 1986 the “Tate Mason Commission” report was given to the Executive Committee. The Commission’s report verified the need for more equitable representation on the Executive Committee. The Commission recommended t.tiat the composition of the Executive Committee and the Nominating Committee be increased by one representative for each 500, or major fraction thereof, of AVA active, voting, dues paying members within the Section.

The Executive Committee agreed and, then, passed and approved this recommendation. The changes never occurred.

In 1987 the Executive Committee passed a motion made by Dr. Charles F. McKiel to rescind the action taken in 1986 on proportional representation. The defeat of proportional representation was more because of its disruptive effect on the developing hierarchies in each section, rather than on its democratic merits.

In 1995 Dr. Lamar Weems, Dr. Lloyd Harrison, and Dr. James Seabury formed a Special Committee to Study Proportional Representation and in 1996 presented their recommendations to the AVA Board of Directors Meeting (formerly the Executive Committee). The recommendations were favorably received, and the final language of the AVA bylaw amendment changes were then approved by the SESAVA in 1997. These were passed at the 1997 AVA business meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. The changes included giving the SESAVA representative on the AVA Board of Directors two votes and the larger sections, which have 800 or more voting AVA members, an additional elected representative for each 800 voting members or a major fraction thereof on several of the AVA Committees. The AVA Board of Directors also formulated a compromise that would basically give the SESAVA two presidential slots for every one the smaller sections are allotted. Proportional representation still remains a contentious issue and elusive goal. Proportional representation may have to wait until the year 2016, when the AVA plans to change the geographic boundaries of the sections and to rename the sections.


Florida Urological Society

by Ernest Costantino, Jr., M.D.

For many years Florida was the only state in the Southeastern Section of the AUA without a state urological society. Before 1948 urologists in Florida were represented only by the SESAUA. There was no state society that could represent Florida in the SESAUA. Organized medicine in the state was largely controlled by the Florida Medical Association. Specialty societies were included in the FMA, if they adhered to the requirements of the FMA. The major mandatory requirement was that the specialty society present a scientific program at the annual meeting of the FMA at least once every three years. The requirement continued until 1997. The arrangement was beneficial to the FMA but provided little advantage for the specialty societies. The state’s urologists attended the annual meeting of the FMA and presented a scientific program, as required, and they sometimes met informally as a group. Dr. Robert Mciver, a urologist from Jacksonville, saw the need for a Florida Urological Society, which would give the state’s urologists meaningful representation in the SESAUA, the AUA, and the State.

In 1948 the Florida Medical Association met at the Ponce de Leon Hotel in St. Augustine, Florida. A. Fred Turner, M.D. of Orlando, who was at the meeting, recorded the following recollections:

“Among the urologists present was Dr. Robert Mciver of Jacksonville, who had the idea of forming a urological society for the State of Florida. The word was passed around about a Urology organizational meeting in the hotel. It was to be the first meeting of the Florida Urological Society. About a dozen urologists attended. This small number was a significant portion of the few urologists in Florida at that time. There were no medicalschools in the state at that time. It was the day of the ‘Urology Tycoon,’ and they controlled urology in Florida. Dr. E. Clay Shaw of Miami was boss in south Florida, Dr. Louis Orr of Orlando was boss in central Florida, and Dr. Robert Mciver of Jacksonville was the boss in north Florida. So, when Dr. Mciver nominated a slate of officers, the action was tantamount to its election. My associate, Louis Orr, M.D., was in the hotel but spumed the meeting, thinking such an organization ridiculous. Dr. Orr was boss in central Florida and was later President of the American Medical Association. Dr. Russ Carson of Fort Lauderdale was associated with him before I joined forces. Dr. Orr didn’t think Fort Lauderdale would support a urologist and said Russ would starve down there.”

At the first meeting of the Florida Urological Association, Milton M. Coplan, M.D. of Miami, was elected the first president, and A. Fred Turner, M.D. of Orlando was president-elect. Dr. Coplan worked seriously to establish the new society. He stressed the importance of urological radiology and established the pyelogram program as part of the annual meeting. Dr. Turner, an avid tennis player, organized the first tennis tournament and made it an annual event. The annual tennis tournament was so popular that the SESAUA included one in their annual meetings. Dr. Turner also organized those events.

Urologists known to have attended the first meeting were Dr. Robert Mciver, Dr. H. Newman, and Dr. Brown from Jacksonville; Dr. H. Lawrence Smith and Dr. W. A. VanNortwick, who were in preceptorial training in Jacksonville with the preceptor, Dr. Mciver; Dr. A. Fred Turner, of Orlando; and Dr. Milton M. Coplan of Miami.

For the first several years, the Florida Urological Society met only at the annual meeting of the Florida Medical Association. Dr. Turner related that, “Somewhere along the line someone called an ‘Interim Meeting’ in the fall, and this is now the Society’s only important meeting.”

For many years the Florida Urological Society continued the custom of having its annual meeting in the spring in conjunction with the FMA. In addition, the Executive Committee had an interim business meeting in the fall, which was attended by some of the general membership and also included a scientific program. Up until the 1980’s, much of the business meetings consisted of the election of officers, interaction with the SESAUA, approval of new members, and the discussion of upgrading the Florida Relative Value Fee Schedule.

Minutes of the fall interim meetings and the spring annual business meetings are available from the years 1960 through 1996. They include the following entries and events:

At the annual business meeting May 1967:

“Dr. Webster called to the podium Dr. Milton Coplan and presented him the organization’s first certificate of merit in the form of a plaque. The inscription on the plaque read as follows:

THE FLORIDA UROLOGICAL SOCIETY
honors
MILTON M. COPLAN, M.D.
for exceptional and outstanding services to the Society, the specialty of Urology, and the public.
Presented at Miami Beach, Florida May 13, 1967

“Dr. Coplan has, undoubtedly, contributed more to this organization than any other member, and much of its success may be attributed to his steadfast interest and devotion to the future of the Florida Urological Society.”

At the annual business meeting of May 1971:

“Dr. John Harper discussed the feasibility of starting a ‘Round-Robin’ Florida Urological Newsletter. A considerable amount of favorable discussion followed. Dr. Russell Carson stated that he had found this to be a very valuable and stimulating source of information. Dr. Goddard felt that every member should be given the opportunity of contributing to this at least once per year. Dr. Coplan subsequently moved, seconded by Dr. Thomley, that such a Newsletter as discussed by Dr. Harper be started upon a weekly basis with alphabetical rotation of the contributor each week, and that each participant be expected to pay for the publication of his own issue. (In view of publication cost projected by Dr. Harper this cost would be approximately $38.00 per issue.) The motion met with unanimous approval.”

(Editor’s note: The early newsletter struggled for some years, and evolved into the quarterly publication, The Florida Urologist, which is currently edited by Dr. James E. Kaelin, 1997.)

At the annual business meeting of May 1967:

“Two of our auxiliary members received plaudits for their activities in regard to the forthcoming AUA Meeting in Miami. Eleanor Carson and Jane Hewit are already making plans for this first AUA meeting in Florida.”

(Editor’s note: From May 13 to May 16, 1968, the AUA held its annual eeting for the first time in Florida, in Miami Beach. Dr. Russell Carson was largely responsible for bringing the meeting to Florida.)

By the 1960’s the pyelogram program was a regular part of the annual meetings. It was invariably conducted by Dr. Coplan and prizes were given for the best presentations. By 1973, the pyelogram program was called the Milton Coplan Pyelogram Hour, and Dr. Coplan had donated the “Wise Old Owl Trophy” which is awarded with the prizes.

In 1973 during the fall interim meeting, the Executive Committee observed that the fall meeting was the most popular meeting with the membership and had the best attendance. Dr. Tom McLaughlin made the motion: “That the Executive Committee recommend to the general membership the sending of a letter to the Florida Medical Association to inform the FMA of our desire and intent of changing the timing of our Annual Meeting to the fall, and to inform the FMA that we would plan to continue to hold a Scientific Meeting in May in association with the Annual FMA Meeting. Motion seconded by Dr. Evans, after discussion motion passed.”

President John I. Williams welcomed the members to the first Fall Annual Meeting on October 18, 1974. The FUS continued having an interim meeting during the spring at the Annual Meeting of the FMA. In 1985 after the Florida Medical Association moved its Annual Meeting to the fall, the Executive Committee of the FUS discontinued the regular spring interim meeting with the FMA.

With Fidel Castro’s revolution many Cubans moved into Florida, giving the State a distinctive Hispanic culture and identity. In 1987 the Florida Urological Society was pleased to install a Cuban-American, Dr. Manuel J. Coto, as the first foreign-born president of their society. Dr. Coto was born in Cuba and attended medical schools in Havana, Cuba, and Madrid, Spain. He made two especially notable contributions during his presidency. Dr. Coto changed the financial sponsorship of the Annual Meeting from one vendor to multiple vendors. Previously, the meetings were sponsored by one or two vendors, such as Eaton or Bard, and the membership was only exposed to their products. The concept of multiple vendor sponsors was an instant success. Beginning with 25 vendors at the Annual Meeting in 1988, the number has increased each year. Secondly, Dr. Coto formed the Society’s first Medicare Part B Committee. This committee meets with Medicare officials in Jacksonville on a regular basis and negotiates reimbursement and utilization issues for urologists in the State of Florida. It has been the Society’s most important committee. Dr. Coto appointed the following members to the first committee:

Edward Ackerman, M.D., Chairman, Winter Park Manuel J. Coto, M.D., Orlando Leonaidas W. Dowlen, M.D., Coral Gables Raleigh W. Rollins, M.D., Tallahassee James E. Kaelin, M. D., Jacksonville John D. Welch, M.D., Sarasota Robert J. Harvey, Jacksonville

Dr. Edward Ackerman remained Chairman of the Medicare Committee for ten years. As a forceful, effective representative of urology in negotiations with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, the Medicare intermediary for the state, he slowed the erosion of the private practice of urology in Florida. Dr. Ackerman has earned special recognition for his service on the Medicare Committee.

In 1988 Robert Harvey, Executive Director of the Florida Urological society, designed the Society’s logo, depicting an anatomical drawing of the kidneys and urinary tract on the background of the State of Florida.

In 1994 Dr. Tom Brown, Bylaws Committee Chairman, reported his findings concerning the qualifications of osteopathic urologists and what would be required for them to become active members of the FUS. At that time there were only 17 osteopathic urologists in the State, and the FMA had osteopaths as active members. Dr. Brown made a motion to accept osteopathic urologists as active members of the FUS, provided they met the qualifications set by the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery. The motion passed unanimously but required a change in the bylaws and a vote by the general membership. In 1995 the membership approved the bylaw’s change. Dr. George Warner was the first osteopathic physician to join the FUS.

In 1995 the Florida Urological Society incorporated and received a 501C (6) determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service.

In 1996 the Centennial Committee of the American Urological Association asked the state societies to prepare individual histories in conjunction with the AUA’s Centennial History scheduled to be published in 2002.

To meet with the request of the AUA, as well as to celebrate the Golden Anniversary of the Florida Urological Association, President W. Paul Sawyer appointed Dr. Ernest Costantino, Jr. to prepare this History of Urology in Florida.

The Florida Urological Society’s fifty years of accomplishments have clearly defined its mission to provide:

  • affordable, high quality scientific programs
  • members with the opportunity to evaluate new technology by meeting with multiple vendors
  • effective state representation to the SESAUA and the AUA
  • enjoyable and stimulating meetings, which also promote fellowship
  • leadership for the resolution of economic issues, a role of the FUS still in evolution.

From that small group of a dozen or so urologists at its first meeting in 1948, the Florida Urological Society’s membership has grown to 420 members in 1997.


In Memoriam

David Marsh Drylie, M.D.

by Zev Wajsman, M.D.

Dr. David Drylie died unexpectedly on April 11, 1997, while attending the AUA convention in New Orleans. We were all shocked and saddened by the untimely death of a longtime member and leader of the Florida Urological Society. Born on December 5, 1931, he received his undergraduate education at Emory University, his medical degree at Bowman-Gray School of Medicine, and completed his residency in urology at the University of Florida from 1960 to 1963. Prior to that, he served as a Captain in the US Air Force from 1957 to 1959. His entire academic career was developed at the University of Florida, and in 1971 Dr. Drylie assumed the position of Professor and Chairman of the Division of Urology at the University of Florida, College of Medicine. He eventually stepped down after twenty-three years of service as Chairman in the Division of Urology. Dr. Drylie’s many contributions included scientific publications and public service. His most distinguished roles included: President of the Florida Urological Society from 1983 to 1984 and President of the Southeastern Section of the American Urologic Association, the largest Section in the Association, from 1989 to 1990. He represented the Southeastern Section with distinction as a member of the Board of Directors of the AUA. In 1996 Dr. Drylie orchestrated and organized one of the best, if not the best, American Urological Society Meetings ever, in Orlando, Florida. We have lost a distinguished urologist, and we will miss him dearly.