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Keyur Vyas, MD, FACP, ACP Governor

Keyur Vyas, MD, FACP, ACP Governor

As we continue to be in the full heat of summer, it is hard to believe that we are less than 1 month away from our annual Arkansas Chapter meeting on September 11th in downtown Little Rock at the Marriott hotel. This will be my last chapter meeting as Governor, and I am proud that we have seen the attendance at our meeting grow and break records each of the last two years. I anticipate that this year will be no different. We have had a record number of poster abstract submissions by students and residents across the state, and we will have our largest poster session to date. Our program planning committee led by Dr. Roy Kamoga, has put together an excellent day of talks to keep us up to date on new advances in topics like Nephrology and Critical Care, mixed with plenty of opportunities to network and recharge with our colleagues from around the state. Dr. Marion McCrary, Governor of the North Carolina ACP Chapter and Chair-elect of the ACP Board of Governors, will be giving our keynote address on how to participate in advocacy as a busy physician. We will present chapter awards and cap the day with a rousing Doctor's Dilemma trivia challenge featuring resident teams from around Arkansas competing to represent our chapter at the national ACP meeting. I am excited for the meeting, and I hope you will join us in Little Rock and encourage your partners and friends to come as well.

Keyur S. Vyas, MD FACP FIDSA
Governor, Arkansas Chapter of the ACP

 ACP 2026 Arkansas Scientific Chapter Meeting

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Meeting Info & Registration

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 Legislative Request

Please urge your members of Congress to support legislation that strengthens the physician workforce and stabilizes Medicare physician payment.

Background

The United States continues to face growing physician workforce shortages, while Medicare physician payment has failed to keep pace with the rising cost of providing care. During the August congressional recess, members of Congress will be meeting with constituents in their home districts, making this an important opportunity to urge your lawmakers to:

  • Strengthen and stabilize the Medicare physician payment system by supporting the Patients First Act of 2026 (H.R. 9693): The Patients First Act of 2026 strengthens and stabilizes the Medicare physician payment system by 1) establishing a hybrid payment model for independent primary care practices 2) providing more predictable annual Medicare payment updates that better reflect the cost of providing care and 3) replacing MIPS with a new quality reporting program. These reforms would protect seniors' access to their physicians by strengthening physician practices and improving the long-term stability of the Medicare physician payment system. See the action alert and read ACP's letter of support for more details.
  • Protect physician access to visa programs by supporting the H-1Bs for Physicians and the Healthcare Workforce Act (H.R. 7961): This legislation would exempt physicians and other health care professionals from the $100,000 H-1B visa fees that went into place in September 2025. International medical graduates make up one-quarter of the U.S. physician workforce and are essential to caring for patients, especially in rural and underserved communities. Removing this visa fee barrier would strengthen the physician's workforce and protect patients' access to care. See the action alert and read ACP's letter of support for more details.

Action Requested

Please email, call, or meet in person with your members of Congress urging them to cosponsor these important physician workforce and Medicare payment bills. If you call or meet with your members of Congress, please fill out this form so we can track your points. Messages sent through ACP's legislative action center will automatically be tracked. A sample email message for you to personalize, as well as a one-pager, call script, and meeting request guide are available on the August Recess 2026 page.

This action is part of the Advocates for Internal Medicine August Recess Grassroots Challenge. Any messages sent to legislators will not only help communicate the importance of these issues but also earn points for your state in a friendly competition among ACP advocates.

Please contact Aleah Jensen with any questions about this campaign. Thank you for taking action!

***If you aren’t already a member of the Advocates for Internal Medicine Network, you can join at https://www.acponline.org/node/291480 to receive legislative updates on key issues and easily engage in outreach with our congressional leaders. 

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 Arkansas Medical Society Regional Meetings

The Arkansas Medical Society (AMS) is hosting a series of regional meetings across the state, bringing together medical students, residents, and physicians to connect, learn, and build a stronger medical community.

Your participation—whether in person or virtually—would add tremendous value to these conversations.

The upcoming regional meetings are:

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