For over two centuries, Essex County doctors pioneered new healthcare delivery strategies that shaped New Jersey medicine. Many of these policies were adopted as national polices by the American Medical Society. The struggle to deliver excellence in healthcare and to preserve the sacred doctor-patient relationship required working with politicians and the business community. Heated battles ensued. Medicare and Medicaid Legislation in the 1960s provided new corporate entities with government funding to develop national hospital systems and insurance packaged health care, such as HMOs and PPOs. Arthur Ellenberger, who led the Essex County Medical Society for fifty years, was a brilliant political strategist. He shaped the fight for doctors in these new times. He retired at the end of 2008, with the Great Recession. Obamacare was now in legislation and the Essex County Medical Society needed to regroup in its fight for patient rights.
Dr. Prystowsky reorganized the Essex County doctors in this fight. Before taking office, he helped initiate the February 27th 2009 hearing held by Essex County and state legislators for problems in health care delivery. Also present at the hearing was Congressman, Frank Pallone, one of the authors of Obamacare. Over the summer of 2009 he met with his officers and committees to form a comprehensive strategy that would give the doctors a voice in the pending Obamacare legislation. He also reached out to doctors who were struggling to keep their offices open in the midst of insurance cutbacks, loss of patient visits, and competition with powerful medical corporations. The very nature of the sacred doctor-patient relationship and the delivery of excellent personalized healthcare was on the line. He instituted a special day, “Founders Day,” to remind doctors of the rich history in the society’s fight for patient care for over two centuries. He also produced a documentary movie that would be released, commemorating the bicentennial of the society and the 250th year of the Medical Society of New Jersey in 2016.