PRESIDENT’S LETTER | Sion Roy, MD

It Has Been My Honor to Serve as Your President

The spring of 2020 has been incredibly challenging for everyone in LA County, California, our nation, and the rest of the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a vast impact on our society in so many ways including in terms of public health, the economy, social norms and restrictions, and education. The virus itself has had an immense impact in LA County with immense morbidity and Thank you to the mortality. More than half of COVID-related deaths in

LACMA staff for everything you do on California have occurred in our county, and the virus is particularly lethal on the behalf of physicians and elderly. As our healthcare patients in LA County. system and society have Working with you has dramatically changed over the course of a very short truly been an inspiration. period of time, LA County physicians have confronted so many novel barriers to caring for their patients, including lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), lack of proper telehealth infrastructure for remote visits, and an inability to perform the routine care on patients that is the bread and butter of what we do.

At LACMA, we have recognized the challenges that physicians have faced, and we have taken robust action on behalf of our physicians and patients. We have invested $125,000 in helping physician practices obtain PPE so that physicians and their staff can safely treat their patients. In addition to financial assistance, we have obtained and distributed thousands of KN95 masks and shields ourselves to hundreds of physician practices with drive-through PPE distribution events in Torrance and Santa Monica. We have also assisted physicians in obtaining access to telehealth systems at an affordable price. LACMA has also done extensive legislative advocacy over the past few months on behalf of our physicians and patients. We have virtually met with almost all of the LA County legislative delegation, both individually and as a group, and have worked closely with the LA County Department of Public Health. We have advocated for robust economic relief for physician practices so that they can remain open and maintain access to care for their patients. Additionally, we have fought for more efficient PPE distribution practices and improved access to childcare during the pandemic for healthcare workers. Finally, we have tried to convey accurate information to both physicians and the general public. We’ve created two new websites, hosted multiple town halls, and have had a large presence in the media.

Finally, this past week, our nation has witnessed further turmoil with the horrific murder of George Floyd that has resulted in nationwide protests.

At LACMA, we are committed to addressing the systemic racism present not only in our justice system, but in our healthcare system as well. The COVID-19 crisis has clearly revealed the racial inequities in access to care that exist in Los Angeles County and our society at large. CDC data shows that the death rates from COVID-19 are substantially higher among black and Hispanic Americans than other races. In the coming weeks, we will announce a collaborative effort with our Patient Care Foundation to help minority- and women-owned practices, as well as practices that predominantly serve minority populations, which have faced daunting challenges during the pandemic with inadequate support. LACMA will be proud to step up to this task to help preserve access to care for the most vulnerable, mostly minority, Angelenos.

It has been my honor to serve as your president through these difficult times. Thank you to the LACMA staff for everything you do on behalf of physicians and patients in LA County. Working with you has truly been an inspiration. Congratulations to my friend, Dr. Diana Shiba, as she begins her presidency in July!