The Moral Agency of Physician Organizations: Meeting Obligations to Advocate for Patients and the Public.

The close of the American College of Physician's (ACP) centennial year is an opportune time to reflect on the organization's important role in professional development and advocating for sound health policy. Organized medicine provides a professional home where members can participate in scholarly activities and access guidance that will help them to be better doctors. Professional organizations also serve patients by improving physicians' knowledge and skill, being a public repository of health-related information, and advocating for improvement of public health. High-functioning medical professional organizations, such as ACP, also function intentionally as moral agents through well-designed efforts to advocate for patients and the public.