San Francisco Medical Society Blog

4/17 Legislative Lobby Day: Meet California Legislators and Gain Leadership Development Skills

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 16:56:07 GMT

All SFMS members are invited to participate in the 2012 CMA Legislative Leadership Conference/Lobby Day.

Join more than 400 physicians, residents, and medical students from across California as they convene in Sacramento to lobby their legislative leaders as champions for medicine and their patients.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

9:30 am to 5 pm

Sacramento Convention Center

The morning includes speeches from a number of key legislative leaders, including lunchtime keynote speaker California Governor Jerry Brown. Other exciting speakers include:

California Attorney General Kamala Harris
Former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez
Former Senate Republican Leader Jim Brulte
Los Angeles Times political reporter Anthony York

Click here for a flyer with more information. A tentative agenda can be viewed here.

Please note this is a member-only event, and registration fee is waived for all SFMS members. To register, please contact info@sfms.org or (415) 561-0850.

Hotel Details

CMA has secured a discounted rate of $159/night for members at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento for 2012. Online reservation instructions are available here. Reservations can also be made by calling (800) 325-3535 or (916) 447-1700 – ask for the California Medical Association corporate rate.

Save the Date: 4/17 Legislative Leadership Conference/Lobby Day

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:58:09 GMT

Join SFMS for the CMA Legislative Leadership Conference on April 17 in Sacramento. We’re excited to announce California Attorney General Kamala Harris and Governor Jerry Brown as special guest speakers. SFMS members have the unique opportunity to gain advocacy training and network with colleagues throughout California at this annual event.

Legislative Day is offered at no cost to SFMS members.

Please email SFMS at info@sfms.org or call (415) 561-0850 if you would like to attend this event. The morning includes speeches from a number of key legislative leaders. Attendees will go to the Capitol in the afternoon to meet with legislators on health care issues. The meetings will be scheduled and coordinated by local county medical societies.

Medical students and residents

Funding may be available to offset travel expenses to participate in the event. We will be organizing a vanpool for participants. Please contact SFMS for more information.

Hotel Details

Sheraton Grand Sacramento is extending a discounted rate of $159 for conference participants. Online reservation instructions are available here. Reservations can also be made by calling (800) 325-3535 or (916) 447-1700 – ask for the California Medical Association corporate rate.

143rd SFMS Election Results

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:04:30 GMT

2012 Officers (one-year term)

President-Elect Shannon Udovic-Constant, MD

Secretary Jeffrey Beane, MD

Treasurer Lawrence Cheung, MD

Editor Gordon L. Fung, MD

2011 President-Elect Peter Curran, MD will automatically succeed to the office of President. 2011 President George Fouras, MD will automatically succeed to the office of Immediate Past President.

Board of Directors (three-year term, 2012-2014)

Andrew F. Calman, MD

Arti D. Desai, MD

Roger S. Eng, MD

Jennifer Gunter, MD

John Maa, MD

Richard A. Podolin, MD

Elizabeth K. Ziemann, MD

Nominations Committee (two-year term, 2012-2013)

Diana I. Bojorquez, MD

Chunbo C. Cai, MD

Jill M. Guelich, MD

Yi Brenda Shue, MD

Delegates (Two-year Term, 2012-2013)

Young Physicians Section Delegate Arti D. Desai, MD

Young Physicians Section Alternate Mason Spain Turner, MD

AMA Delegate H. Hugh Vincent, MD

AMA Alternate Robert J. Margolin, MD

Delegates to the CMA House of Delegates

Delegates: Stephen E. Follansbee, MD; Jennifer Gunter, MD; Leslie M. Lopato, MD; George P. Susens, MD

Alternates: William S. Andereck, MD; Gary L. Chan, MD; Roger S. Eng, MD; George A. Fouras, MD; Katherine E. Herz, MD

List of SFMS Resolutions Submitted to 2011 CMA House of Delegates

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:16:09 GMT

By Stephen Follansbee, MD and Steve Heilig, MPH The California Medical Association can be a formidable force in Sacramento health policy. The CMA House of Delegations meeting, scheduled for October this year, is the opportunity for physicians to guide the CMA on important issues and set the priority for these efforts. Your elected SFMS delegates have introduced a roster of policy resolutions to be debated at the meeting. As your representatives, we thought you might like to see what we will be addressing – along with the many other resolutions introduced from other delegations throughout the state. The SFMS is a relatively small but relatively “loud” presence each year, with a good track record of successful policies; here is our list. In November we will publish a scorecard on what we were able to get adopted; and then the real work begins in the halls of politics, translating these words into something that benefits patients, the public, and physicians all over our state – and beyond as some of these would then be referred on to the AMA.

SFMS Proposed Policies for 2011 (authors in italics):

Reduction of Subsidies of Tobacco in Films (Fung): Did you know that the movie industry gets big tax credits for filming, including when they portray tobacco use? UCSF researchers have shown this is true – that taxpayers subsidize tobacco marketing, in effect – and we hope to stop that. Unethical Rebates from Pharmaceutical Companies (Susens): Some drug makers still offer money to doctors who prescribe their products. Some doctors take that money. This is against ethical codes and we hope to stop that. Deceptive Pregnancy ‘Crisis/Counseling’ Centers (Lopato): As reported in the Chronicle, certain “clinics” are in fact “pro-life" centers which seek to divert women from considering abortion with misinformation and fear. We would require full disclosure of what is and is not offered at such places. Regulation of Electronic Cigarettes (Fouras, Aragon): These nicotine delivery devices may have their place as harm reduction, but they need more regulation for both users and the public, and this resolution would require that. Supporting The California Cancer Research Act (Margolin): The CRCA will be on the ballot, increasing tobacco taxes for cancer research, and we ask the CMA to join the full-court press to help it pass in this "no new taxes” era. Clinical Research - Banning "Seeding" and Similar Marketing Trials (Susens): Pharmaceutical companies do marketing in the guise of “research” even after the medication is approved, with unwarranted cost and safety implications; we hope to stop that. Healthy Food Marketing for Children (Desai, Schickedanz, Udovic-Constant): The obesity epidemic too often starts in childhood, and better “selling” of healthy food is indicated; this would encourage that on various fronts. Opposing Legal Prohibition of Circumcision (Tabas): This intrusion was blocked from the state ballot, but will likely be back, and we want CMA and AMA on record in opposition for next time. Firearms and Censorship (Follansbee): Another intrusion, courtesy of the gun lobby, prohibits Florida physicians from even talking with patients about the risk of guns in the home. We hope to stop this there and before it spreads. Contraception as a Fully-Covered Health Insurance Benefit (Silverman, Desai, Myers): This has now been adopted as national policy, but attempts to overturn it are already promised. We want CMA and AMA on record in support of full coverage. Increasing Organ Donation via Presumed Consent (Follansbee, Margolin): The waiting lines for organs get longer, and more people die while waiting. It is time for some changes in organ policy and we are asking CMA to weigh in, based upon evidence, ethics, and what some other nations are doing. Clinical Sense and Costs at the FDA; Generic vs. Brand Medications (Susens): When a generic medication mysteriously goes back to “brand," and the price skyrockets, that seems wrong, and we think the FDA should take a closer look. Vision Screening for School-Aged Children (Leung): Too much pediatric poor vision is missed, and schools may be a good place to screen for that and refer to early intervention. Emergency Department Overcrowding (Maa, Curran): When emergency departments get too crowded, some hospitals have “triaged” based on financial considerations. That’s not good; there must be better ways, and we'll ask CMA to try to find them. As you can see, it's a full and diverse roster. As already mentioned, there will be much more from other delegates around the state; any CMA member can propose a resolution, and perhaps we can help you bring good ideas forward next year. As for this year, stay tuned. Stephen Follansbee is an SFMS past-president, chairs the SFMS delegation to the CMA, and is an infectious disease specialist at Kaiser San Francisco and a clinical professor at UCSF. Steve Heilig is on the SFMS staff.

Opportunity for SFMS Members to Provide Online Testimony on Resolutions and Reports

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:02:21 GMT

The Calfornia Medical Association's annual House of Delegates (HOD) will convene in Anaheim October 15-17. The HOD is CMA's legislative body, which establishes the policies that govern the association. SFMS will be sending a delegation to represent San Francisco physicians at this event. At this year's meeting, physicians from across the state will debate and set policy on important health care issues including vaccinations, disaster preparedness, health information technology, and peer review. During the three-day meeting, the 500 delegates will address more than 100 resolutions on these and other key issues that affect the practice of medicine. CMA invites all members to visit its online forum to discuss or comment on the resolutions and reports that will be considered by the delegates. To participate in the online discussion, log into your web account and click on "My Account" at the top of the page. Once there, you will see a button on the left side called "House of Delegates." To provide online testimony on resolutions and reports, click on the "Resolutions and Reports" tab, and then click on the "Post Comment" button below any of the resolutions on which you wish to provide testimony. You can also download the reports and resolutions in both Word (.doc) and Acrobat (.pdf) formats by clicking on the "Documents" tab. Written testimony will be accepted until October 7, 2011.

Leadership Development Opportunity for Medical Students

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 08:00:55 GMT

UCSF medical students are invited to attend the 6^th Annual California Medical Association Medical Student Leadership Conference, September 10, at the UC Davis School of Medicine. With the theme “Developing Leaders for a Healthier California,” the 2011 conference focuses on how advocacy and leadership skills can be used to improve children’s health and begin reversing childhood obesity. Participants will be able to:

Hear from nationally recognized physicians and elected officials leading the efforts to implement health care reform and improve the health of California’s children;
Gain skills in grassroots advocacy to effectively influence policy; and,
Learn about the latest practices to improve patient safety.

Registration is free to all California medical students. Reimbursement for travel expenses may be available through your school CMA/AMA campus chapter or SFMS/CMA. Please contact SFMS for further information regarding eligibility and funding.