18 minute read
HOUSE OF DELEGATES
CMA ELECTS NEW OFFICERS AND ESTABLISHES POLICY ON MAJOR HEALTH CARE ISSUES
The California Medical Association (CMA)
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recently convened its 151st annual House of Delegates (HOD) meeting in Los Angeles. During the first in-person meeting of the HOD since the pandemic, more than 500 California physicians gathered to debate and establish broad policy on current major issues that have been determined to be the most important issues affecting members, the association and the practice of medicine.
The association also installed its new officers, including new CMA President Donaldo Hernandez, M.D., an internist who is one of the longest-serving hospitalists in Santa Cruz County.
The major issues the delegates focused on this year were:
Physician Workforce: Our state is facing a physician shortage that has reached crisis proportions, and the COVID pandemic has placed additional pressure on an already strained system. And, as California continues to grapple with longstanding workforce challenges, the Dobbs decision is creating new ones, particularly for medical students and residents in states that restrict or ban abortion services. The delegates discussed policies to expand and strengthen the physician workforce so that every patient has timely access to affordable, quality care. Health Care Reform: In 2019, the Healthy California for All Commission was formed and charged with developing a plan to move our state toward a unified financing system for health care delivery. CMA’s commitment to universal access remains steadfast, but CMA strongly believes that the health care system must be funded in a way that is sustainable, so that health care coverage is not simply an empty promise and that all patients have equal access to quality care. The delegates discussed and debated a set of principles to ensure that any health care reforms will delivery highquality, affordable and evidence-based care to all.
Mental Health: Over the last five years, California has committed to investing billions of new dollars into improving mental health services for all Californians across all delivery systems. The scope of these investments is sweeping, and implementation of many of the initiatives, along with growing the state’s mental health workforce, will take years to accomplish. Delegates heard from Diana Ramos, M.D., the newly appointed California Surgeon General and longtime CMA member and delegate about California’s efforts to improve and expand mental health care.
Elections
Santa Cruz Internist Donaldo Hernandez, M.D., Takes Office as CMA’s 154th President
Santa Cruz internist and hospitalist Donaldo M. Hernandez M.D., FACP, was installed as CMA’s 154th president.
“As we emerge from the mire that was the pandemic, I think it’s clear that we cannot go back to the system that existed before the world shut down,” said Dr. Hernandez. “Business as usual left too many behind, left too many gaps, and left too many of us asking, ‘Is this what I signed up for?’”
Dr. Hernandez has long been a tenacious agent for change, and as president his goal is to position CMA at the forefront of change and innovation.
“I believe that an energized and engaged physician community is the best path toward a reimagined and integrated care delivery system, insulated from political gamesmanship and special interests,” said Dr. Hernandez. “A system that focuses on relationships – particularly the core relationship between patient and physician – is the solution for affordable and equitable care delivery.”
“Physicians are the only segment of the care delivery infrastructure that swore a sacred oath to uphold a values-based construct as we care for our fellow humans. Adherence to that oath positions us to truly lead the necessary transformation of health care. The path forward must be physician-led and patient-focused.” Born in Southern California, Dr. Hernandez received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley; his medical degree from the University of California, San Diego; and completed his internal medicine residency, and a fellowship in general internal medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance.
Dr. Hernandez is one of the longest-serving hospitalists in Santa Cruz County and is currently a shareholder in the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, considered one of the highest quality hospital medicine programs in Central and Northern California.
Dr. Hernandez has been a member of CMA and the Santa Cruz County Medical Society (SCCMS) since 2003.
Prior to joining the CMA Executive Committee as President-Elect, he was elected to two terms as SCCMS president, then served on the CMA Board of Trustees for 10 years, representing the geographically and ethnically diverse District 7, which includes Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. He has also served since 2016 as chair of CMA’s Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Donaldo Hernandez, M.D., CMA President Donaldo Hernandez, M.D., CMA President Donaldo Hernandez, M.D., CMA President Donaldo Hernandez, M.D., CMA President
Redwood City ob-gyn Tanya W. Spirtos, M.D., was named CMA president-elect. She will serve on the CMA Executive Committee in that role for one year before being installed as president at the conclusion of next year’s annual meeting.
Dr. Spirtos is a board-certified obstetriciangynecologist in full-time practice in a group of six physicians, now part of foundation model Packard Medical Group/Stanford Medicine. She is also on the active medical staff of El Camino Hospital and Sequoia Hospital.
Dr. Spirtos earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Chicago and her medical degree at Northwestern University Medical Center. She completed her residency at Los Angeles County Medical Center/University of Southern California and is a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
She was a member of the Board of Trustees of Sequoia Hospital Systems from 2003-07 and served on the Community Board of Directors of Sequoia Hospital from 2007-15. She has also been an adjunct clinical faculty of Stanford University Medical School since 1995, with an academic appointment as adjunct clinical assistant professor from 2006-14.
Since 2010 she has served at the Arbor Free Clinic with Stanford medical students and has been recognized for exemplary contributions in teaching. Despite this—and her participation on various health boards—she receives 100% of her compensation from patient care.
Dr. Spirtos has been a member of the CMA and American Medical Association (AMA) since 1985, and is a member of both the San Mateo County Medical Society and Santa Clara County Medical Association—the latter of which she served as president from 2005-06. She was elected to the CMA Board of Trustees in 2009 and continues to serve on the CMA delegation to the AMA. Since 2016, she has served on the CMA Executive Committee, first as vice speaker of the House of Delegates, then as speaker.
She lives with her husband, Elias Eleftheriades, in Redwood City, where they are both active in the Greek community and culture. Her children, Michael and Alexandra, born in 1989, have grown up surrounded by the practice and profession of medicine.
Alex is currently an ob-gyn resident at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas; Mike is a practicing lawyer with Cleary Gottlieb Steen and Hamilton in New York City in the division of mergers and acquisitions.
Los Angeles Family Medicine Physician Jack Chou, M.D., Elected CMA Speaker of the House
Los Angeles family physician Jack Chou, M.D., was elected the new speaker of the CMA House of Delegates. He previously served three years as vice speaker.
Dr. Chou has split his clinical time between primary care, urgent care and hospitalist duties at Kaiser Baldwin Park Medical Center since 1999. He has been the physician-in-charge for the Family Medicine Department at Kaiser Baldwin Park Medical Center, Family Medicine Medical Office Building since 2006. Dr. Chou became the Chief of Service of the Family Medicine Department in July 2018, overseeing five medical office locations.
Dr. Chou is a partner of the Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG) and is the Regional Chair for Health Information Management and Regional Co-Chair for Scanning Oversight Committee at SCPMG.
Since medical school, Dr. Chou has embraced leadership at all levels – local, state and national. Dr. Chou has been a member of CMA and the Los Angeles County Medical Association (LACMA) since 1992 and he has been an AMA member since 1996.
Dr. Chou has served as a member of the CMA House of Delegates since 2001. He was elected to represent LACMA on the CMA Board of Trustees in 2010 and served on the CMA Council on Ethical Affairs from 2011 to 2016. Dr. Chou is also active in his local, state and national specialty societies, including serving as president and speaker of the California Academy of Family Physicians Congress of Delegates. Dr. Chou was raised in a small rural town in Taiwan and later earned his Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of Miami, Florida, and his medical degree from the University of Southern California. He completed his family medicine residency at Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills.
Dr. Chou and his wife, Kathy, are proud parents of twin daughters, Sarah and Samantha, and son, Nathan. He spends most of his free time dedicated to traveling with his family as part of his children’s education.
San Francisco Dermatologist Lawrence Cheung, M.D., Elected CMA Vice-Speaker
San Francisco physician Lawrence Cheung, M.D., was elected the new vice-speaker of the CMA House of Delegates.
Dr. Cheung has been a dermatologist in solo private practice for 17 years. As a part of his practice, Dr. Cheung conducts and serves as principal investigator for clinical trials. He also serves as a volunteer dermatology preceptor at St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco.
Dr. Cheung has been a member of the CMA Board of Trustees since 2020, after having previously served as chair of the CMA House of Delegates District VIII Delegation and as a member of the CMA Council on Science and Public Health. He also previously served on the Board of Directors for San Francisco Health Plan as a mayoral-appointed San Francisco County Commissioner.
Dr. Cheung has been a member of CMA and the San Francisco Marin Medical Society since 2006. He is also a member of the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Society for Dermatological Surgery.
THE FULL 2022-2023 CMA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE INCLUDES: THE FULL 2022-2023 CMA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE INCLUDES: THE FULL 2022-2023 CMA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE INCLUDES:
Donaldo Donaldo Hernandez, M.D. Donaldo Hernandez, M.D. President Hernandez, M.D.
PresidentPresident
Tanya Tanya Spirtos, M.D. Tanya Spirtos, M.D. President-Elect Spirtos, M.D.
President-ElectPresident-Elect
Shannon Shannon Udovic-Constant, M.D. Shannon
Udovic-Constant, M.D. Chair, Board of Trustees Udovic-Constant, M.D.
Chair, Board of TrusteesChair, Board of Trustees
Sergio R. Sergio R. Flores, M.D. Sergio R.
Flores, M.D. Vice-Chair, Board of Trustees Flores, M.D. Vice-Chair, Board of Trustees Vice-Chair, Board of Trustees
Jack Chou, M.D. Jack Chou, M.D. Speaker of the House Jack Chou, M.D.
Speaker of the HouseSpeaker of the House
Lawrence Cheung, M.D.
Lawrence Cheung, M.D. Vice-Speaker of the House Lawrence Cheung, M.D.
Vice-Speaker of the House Vice-Speaker of the House
Robert E. Wailes, M.D. Robert E. Wailes, M.D. Immediate Past President Robert E. Wailes, M.D.
Immediate Past President Immediate Past President
Awards and Honors Awards and Honors Awards and Honors
Ferndale Physician Donald Baird, M.D., Receives CMA’s Plessner Award Ferndale Physician Donald Baird, M.D., Receives CMA’s Plessner Award Ferndale Physician Donald Baird, M.D., Receives CMA’s Plessner Award
Ferndale family physician Donald Baird, M.D., received CMA’s most prestigious award, the Frederick K.M. Plessner Memorial Award. The award honors the California physician who best exemplifies the ethics and practice of a rural country practitioner. Dr. Baird has served indigent and underserved patients in Humboldt and Del Norte counties for 46 years. He has enjoyed a full-time practice in primary care, which once included OB and
Ferndale family physician Donald Baird, M.D., received CMA’s most prestigious award, the pediatrics, but is now primarily focused on Frederick K.M. Plessner Memorial Award. The adults with subspecialty interest in psychiatry award honors the California physician who best including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia exemplifies the ethics and practice of a rural and autism. country practitioner. “During multiple attempts at retirement I've Dr. Baird has served indigent and underserved done some volunteer work in the third world, patients in Humboldt and Del Norte counties which has been very rewarding, but I also for 46 years. He has enjoyed a full-time practice realized we have our own needs right here in in primary care, which once included OB and this community,” said Dr. Baird.
pediatrics, but is now primarily focused on Ferndale family physician Donald Baird, M.D., adults with subspecialty interest in psychiatry received CMA’s most prestigious award, the including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia Frederick K.M. Plessner Memorial Award. The and autism. award honors the California physician who best exemplifies the ethics and practice of a rural “During multiple attempts at retirement I've country practitioner. done some volunteer work in the third world, which has been very rewarding, but I also Dr. Baird has served indigent and underserved realized we have our own needs right here in patients in Humboldt and Del Norte counties this community,” said Dr. Baird. for 46 years. He has enjoyed a full-time practice in primary care, which once included OB and pediatrics, but is now primarily focused on adults with subspecialty interest in psychiatry including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and autism. “During multiple attempts at retirement I've done some volunteer work in the third world, which has been very rewarding, but I also realized we have our own needs right here in this community,” said Dr. Baird.
Delegates to annual convention lend their voices to pressing issues
BY JO ANN KIRBY
Dr. Ramin Manshadi was elected by District VI to the Board of Trustees when the California Medical Association’s House of Delegates convened in Los Angeles on October 22nd and 23rd. He was one of seven local physicians serving as delegates among more than 500 delegates who represent nearly every specialty and region of the state. Other delegates from SJMS include Drs. Lawrence Frank, Raissa Hill, Robin Wong, Richelle Marasigan, Jim Halderman, Philip Edington, and resident, Dr. Annie Haji Datoo who were all there to discuss the most pressing issues facing the medical community.“Ultimately, the delegates from my district have put their trust in me to be their voice,” Dr. Manshadi, a cardiologist who has been practicing for the past 22 years in Stockton and Lodi, said of winning the election to the board of trustees. “I have to serve them well.”
The annual gathering gave Dr. Manshadi and our other delegates the chance to hold important conversations about the state of health care and they DR. RAMIN MANSHADI
were able to identify top priorities by listening to others and sharing their own stories. On the official agenda were three critical issues: physician workforce, health care reform and mental health. The goal of the annual meeting is for the California Medical Association to form broad policy on the most important topics. To that end, the CMA solicited comments from members in advance to help guide the organization to
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craft actionable reports for the 2022 session.
Not surprisingly, recruiting physicians to the Valley remains a pressing need and our delegates were more than happy to address the state of the physician workforce. “For example, Merced does not have experts in women’s health, and they have to send their patients to other cities,” Dr. Manshadi said. “We have increased our graduate medical program in the area, but we have to further our work on coming up with strategies to get the graduates to stay in the Central Valley.”
Dr. Frank, a nephrologist, has been serving as a delegate for 13 years and echoes the need for more doctors, citing a shortage of primary care physicians as did Dr. Marasigan, who specializes in family medicine. She said growing the physician workforce is one of the most important topics that was discussed at the convention. “It is important that CMA policy helps to address the need to protect the existing physician workforce and help it grow in a way that also supports the needs to California’s diverse population,” Dr. Marasigan, of HT Family Physicians, said.
Dr. Wong believes health care reform was a most pressing issue and he learned that “Despite multiple modes of medical practice, physician can work together to achieve the best care for their patients.”
Other national topics such as abortion were also a topic of conversation among delegates in light of the recent Supreme Court decision in Roe vs. Wade. Ophthalmologist Philip Edington said one thing he took away from the convention is that the “CMA is proactive in addressing access to care and abortion rights.”
For Dr. Annie Haji Datoo, an internal medicine resident at St. Joseph Medical Center, serving as a delegate for the first time was an eye-opening experience that highlighted the necessity of getting involved. She was impressed by the careful attention delegates paid to topics such as abortion and mental health. “There is a lot of unfinished business,” she said, adding that more medical students, residents and fellows should get participate in these conversations. “It is critical to involve every level of doctors in training. We do have a voice, let’s use it.”
Dr. Marasigan has been serving as a delegate for three years now and has found the experience worthy. “I wanted to be able to participate in the resolution process and represent our colleagues of District VI. I wanted to stay informed about current issues and preserve the voice of fellow physicians in the ever-changing health care system,” Dr. Marasigan said. “I have learned so much regarding the policy-making process and how important it is for the CMA’s House of Delegates to debate the various important issues that help shape the future of medicine for the best.”
Going forward as a member of the CMA’s board of trustees, Dr. Manshadi says that in addition to the growing the number of physicians in our area there are two other matters he would like to see addressed.
Dr. Manshadi said that the disproportionately high numbers of MediCal patients in the Valley makes it important to raise MediCal reimbursement rates to at least comparable to MediCare rates and he said that the strategies to mitigate health inequity are important.
“There will be many policies, rules, governance questions, and decisions that the board of trustees has to consider and work as a team to implement to maintain the integrity of physicians and their practices while simultaneously delivering quality care to our patients,” Dr. Manshadi said of his new role. “I hope to be an integral part of this team.”
GET INVOLVED! Delegates and alternates are the cornerstone of the California Medical Association’s democratic process. Their actions can help shape not only CMA’s policy agenda, but statewide health policy that will go on to impact millions of Californians. The San Joaquin Medical Society is currently recruiting for the position of Alternate Delegate. This position requires 4-6 virtual meetings per year and attendance at the October House of Delegates conference. For more information about the position and/or to be considered for the position of alternate delegate, please contact Lisa Richmond, at Lisa@sjcms.org.
DELEGATES Lawrence Frank, MD
Nephrology San Joaquin General Hospital
Ramin Manshadi, MD
Cardiology Manshadi Heart Institute
Raissa Hill, DO
Family Practice HT Family Physicians
Robin Wong, MD Family Practice
James Halderman, MD
Anesthesia Sutter Gould Medical Foundation
Kwabena Adubofour, MD **
Internal Medicine East Main Clinic
Harpreet Singh, MD **
Internal Medicine Sutter Gould Medical Foundation
ALTERNATES Richelle Marasigan, DO
Family Practice HT Family Physicians
Philip Edington, MD
Ophthalmology Center for Sight
District VI Delegate to Resident Fellow Section
Annie Haji Datoo, MD PG-Y3, Internal Medicine St. Joseph’s Medical Center
**indicates not in attendance
District VI
San Joaquin Medical Society Fresno Madera Medical Society Kern County Medical Society Merced Mariposa Medical Society Stanislaus Medical Society The Medical Society of Tulare & Kings Counties
