Collier County Medical Society members represented Southwest Florida physicians at the 2026 Florida Medical Association (FMA) Annual Meeting and House of Delegates, held July 31-August 2 in Orlando. Serving as delegates, they advocated on behalf of their colleagues and helped ensure that the interests of Collier County physicians were represented in statewide policy discussions.
This year’s CCMS delegation included CCMS President and Delegation Chair Dr. Glenn Groat, along with Drs. Mazen Albeldawi, Jose Baez, Alexandra Grace, Erik Hiester, Tam Mai, Sonal Sura, Rafael Haciski, and Michael McGee.
In addition, CCMS members Drs. Rebekah Bernard and Catherine Kowal participated as delegates through their service on the FMA Board of Directors.
During the Annual Meeting, FMA members also elected physician leaders to statewide offices. Dr. Bernard was re-elected as FMA Treasurer, a position that includes service on both the FMA Executive Committee and the FMA Board of Governors. Attendees also celebrated the installation of Dr. Alma Littles as the FMA’s new president.
Prior to the meeting, physicians from across Florida submitted online testimony on resolutions and Board of Governors reports scheduled for consideration by the House of Delegates. Those proposals were further reviewed in onsite reference committee hearings before the full House debated and voted on the committees’ recommendations during the final session. CCMS will share the FMA’s official report once it is released.
The Annual Meeting also featured the David A. Paulus, MD Poster Symposium, showcasing research by resident and student physicians from across the state. Congratulations to the CCMS resident physician members who presented their work: Drs. Hussain Ali, Alondra Diaz Diaz, Brooke Norton, Carlos Ojeda, Brian Rodriguez, Tasha Shah, and Stachyse Stanis.
CCMS encourages all members to join or renew their FMA membership. A stronger FMA membership in Collier County means a larger CCMS delegation at future House of Delegates meetings and a stronger voice in shaping healthcare policy across the state.