Tickets now available for 21st Annual President's Reception and Awards Gala The California Medical Association (CMA) and the CMA Foundation invite you to the 21st annual President’s Reception and Awards Gala on the evening of Saturday, October 21, 2017, at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. The black tie event will immediately follow CMA’s annual House of Delegates session that day. Individual tickets and tables of 10 are now available for purchase. Tickets are $200 per person and tables are $2,500. Table sponsorships also include VIP seating and program recognition. Space is limited and this special event is expected to sell out, so secure your seats early. There will not be onsite or week-of ticket sales. Each year, CMA and the CMA Foundation honor the extraordinary leadership of individuals and organizations making a difference in the health of Californians. The incoming CMA president and recipients of the Robert D. Sparks, M.D., Leadership Award and the Adarsh S. Mahal, M.D., Access to Health Care and Disparities Award will be recognized at this prestigious event, which includes a cocktail reception, dinner, inspiring program, live auction and exciting entertainment. For more information or to buy tickets, please visit www.cmanet.org/gala. Contact: Jennifer Moller, (916) 551-2541 or jmoller@cmanet.org. August 16, 2017 Awards, CMA Awards, CMA Foundation(CMAF), House of Delegates, Physician Leadership 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA CFO honored by Sacramento Business Journal Lance Lewis, chief operating and financial officer for the California Medical Association (CMA) was honored as one of the Sacramento Business Journal's CFOs of the Year. Lewis was recognized because his innovative leadership over the past 18 years has helped transform CMA into a thriving organization that cultivates and values talent, systems and processes that support a diverse, high performance workplace culture. Lewis oversaw the complete transformation of the association’s financial processes, revamping the budgeting process from a traditional accounting method to an activity-based costing model tied to the strategic plan. He also orchestrated the sale of a subsidiary company to create a $20 million endowment, and terminated a historically underfunded defined benefit pension plan and restructured CMA’s long-term debt to take advantage of the low-interest-rate environment. “What makes Lance such an integral part of CMA is that he puts the team before himself,” said CMA Chief Executive Officer Dustin Corcoran. “His ability to make the CMA budget an active part of the strategic planning process is incredibly important.” Lewis reengineered the human resources employee recruitment process to inculcate diversity and inclusiveness initiatives that resulted in more women and minorities being placed in senior management roles. Faced with an expensive and sprawling governance process, Lewis also helped usher in a new era of proactive rather than reactive decision-making for the 160-year-old organization. “Utilizing technology, we transformed our 160-year-old governance procedures to create a proactive decision-making process to develop policies that keep CMA a political force statewide,” said Lewis. Probably the most transformative action he took was to implement a new $3.6 million integrated Association Management System (AMS) connecting CMA to 42 component medical societies, subsidiaries and affiliates throughout California to share real-time information about physician members. Results have greatly benefited CMA and its component societies. By integrating membership information across the state in a real-time, centralized AMS, CMA is better able to reach its members with information and campaigns relevant to their region, specialty and an array of other demographic groupings. CMA has enjoyed sustained average membership growth of 3.50 percent annually since 2011, and most recently 6.20 percent growth in 2016, the highest growth year on record since 1962. His record of prudent investment choices and leveraging existing assets has resulted in big gains for CMA. CMA's investment portfolio posted a 10.17 percent return in 2016 and averaged 9.27 percent in the last five years. Lewis' keen understanding that there is a time for saving and a time for investing, he has grown CMA in resources, staff, physician members and acclaim. "Thanks to record membership growth and prudent investment decisions, CMA has the financial strength to further its advocacy interests," said Lewis. "We've managed our resources and taken on prudent financial debt such that we've been able to leverage CMA's influence to win tough fights for our members." July 24, 2017 Awards, CMA Awards, CMA in the News 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA Foundation recognizes two physicians with leadership awards The California Medical Association (CMA) Foundation recognized two deserving physicians at the Annual President's Reception and Award Gala, held October 15 in Sacramento. Peter N. Bretan, Jr., M.D., received the 2016 Adarsh S. Mahal, M.D., Access to Health Care and Disparities Award, which honors an individual or organization that has made a significant contribution toward improving access to health care or reducing health care disparities in California. Dr. Bretan, a renal transplant surgeon and urologist with special training in laparoscopic surgery, has demonstrated a longstanding dedication to improving individual and community health through effective leadership at a variety of levels. As the founder and lead transplant surgeon for Life Plant International, a charitable organization, he promotes disaster preparedness, organ donation and early disease screening in the U.S. and abroad. He organizes and participates in life-saving medical missions that include performing and teaching about kidney transplants and laparoscopic kidney removal. He received his medical degree and completed his residency at the University of California, San Francisco. He is active in the Philippine Medical Society of Northern California. He is serving his fifth term as president of the Marin Medical Society and has been a delegate for CMA and the American Medical Association House of Delegates. David S. Kim, M.D., received the Robert Sparks, M.D., Leadership Achievement Award, which honors an individual who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to community health. Dr. Kim, a Los Angeles ob-gyn, embodies this mission through his dedication to improving the health and wellness of Korean Americans through collaborative planning, community action and policy advocacy. Dr. Kim is assistant director of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. He is also the president of the Korean American Graduate Medical Association and a board member and research and education chair of the national Korean American Medical Association. He has also served on many national committees of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Kim received his medical degree from the State University of New York Health Science Center Downstate Medical Center. He completed his residency at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and advanced his training with a master’s degree and Ph.D. in clinical research, as well as an MBA from the University of Hawaii. November 4, 2016 Awards Awards, CMA Foundation (CMAF), Physician Leadership 0 0 Comment Read More »
Sacramento physician receives 2016 Compassionate Service Award Sacramento emergency physician Hernando Garzon, M.D., was recognized with the California Medical Association’s (CMA) Compassionate Service Award at the 145th annual CMA House of Delegates, which convened October 15-16, 2016, in Sacramento. The award honors a CMA member physician who best illustrates the association's commitment to community and charity care. For more than 20 years, Dr. Garzon has demonstrated a commitment to disaster response and humanitarian medical relief. In the fall of 2014, Dr. Garzon went to West Africa to assist with the outbreak of Ebola, which had an incredibly high mortality rate of over 65 percent. He was one of the first American physicians to respond to this international crisis. “[It was] a reminder of how incredibly low-resourced many developing countries still are, and how vulnerable these populations are to any problems that test their extremely-limited resources," said Dr. Garzon, who serves as Director of Emergency Management for Kaiser Permanente's 21 hospital system in northern California. "It’s a reminder for me of the developed world’s responsibility to respond to these events, knowing that the developing world cannot manage them alone.” For Dr. Garzon, it's a responsibility he takes very personally. He has provided humanitarian relief around the world, including during the tsunami in Sri Lanka, the Kashmir earthquake in Pakistan, famine in Somalia and most recently, the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone. Dr. Garzon also serves as the Director for Kaiser Permanente's Global Health Program. In that role, he has helped develop capacity building and volunteer clinical programs in throughout Africa, Southeast Asia and South America. Domestically, Dr. Garzon has participated in over a dozen domestic disaster response deployments with FEMA, including the Oklahoma City bombing, 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. He teaches extensively on disaster medical care and humanitarian medical response efforts – and even consults for the U.S. Department of State on medical care for victims of weapons of mass destruction. In California, he has trained more than 400 physicians and paramedics on medical search and rescue – work he maintains as some of the most rewarding of his career. And while Dr. Garzon is obviously deserving of accolades for his humanitarian relief efforts, his colleagues also consider him a wise, courageous and compassionate physician who truly believes in teaching and motivating his patients. He’s been quoted as saying “the more patients participate in their own care, the more they will live a healthy and effective life with whatever illness they have, and the less the illness itself will ‘win’ them over.” November 1, 2016 Awards, CMA Awards, Disaster Preparedness, Physician Leadership 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA's 2016 Nye Award given to Los Angeles psychiatrist Los Angeles psychiatrist Karen Miotto, M.D., was named the 2016 recipient of the California Medical Association (CMA) Gary S. Nye Award for Physician Health and Well-Being in recognition of her selfless devotion to advocating and promoting the well-being of her fellow physicians The award honors a CMA member who has made significant contributions toward improving physician health and wellness. The award was established by the House of Delegates in 2009 in honor of Gary Nye, M.D., a leader in bringing attention and developing solutions for physician impairment and rehabilitation. Dr. Miotto was integral to the development of a new mental health service for physicians-in-training. She regularly orchestrates lectures on workshops on related issues like resilience, grief and loss, and mental health, as well as conferences for hospital leadership and wellbeing committee members. She became a member of UCLA’s Medical Staff Health Committee in 1994, and since then has led the development of programs, services and activities that now serve as a model for other institutions. In 2014, she first convened medical staff health committees from California’s medical schools and academic health centers to provide ongoing support and consultation. And through her work with the California Society of Addiction Medicine, she helped create Western Doctors in Recovery for those entering treatment and rehabilitation. November 1, 2016 Awards, CMA Awards, House of Delegates 0 0 Comment Read More »
Humboldt physician receives CMA's 2016 "country doctor" award Humboldt County family physician Willard M. Hunter, M.D., was awarded the California Medical Association’s (CMA) Frederick K.M. Plessner Memorial Award on Saturday, at the association's annual House of Delegates meeting in Sacramento. The award honors the California physician who best exemplifies the ethics and practice of a rural country practitioner. As a graduate of the prestigious UCLA School of Medicine, Dr. Hunter could have gone anywhere to practice family medicine, but he chose rural Humboldt County, where the natural beauty inspired him. In the 1980s, he started his practice in Redway, a town with a population of less than 1,000, at a time when there was a “serious shortage” of obstetrical services. "When I first started out, I wanted to be a doctor for people who didn’t have a doctor," said Dr. Hunter. Dr. Hunter not only delivered babies, but he also set broken bones, treated chain saw injuries and cared for the dying. His talent and versatility have made him a standout to patients and referring physicians alike. Family medicine is particularly challenging in a rural area, said colleague John A. Montgomery, M.D., a general, vascular and thoracic surgeon. Family practitioners in rural areas must have an extensive and broad knowledge base because it's hard to refer patients out of the area to specialists. “In this regard, Dr. Hunter is superb," said Dr. Montgomery. "I have watched him tackle difficult medical problems with logic, tenacity and insight." Since 1989, Dr. Hunter has served as medical director of the Open Door Community Health Centers. Through his leadership at Open Door, what was once a small health center for the very poor is now a group of 13 clinics, and three mobile clinics, spread throughout Humboldt and Del Norte counties, serving approximately 50,000 patients a year and employing over 500 members of the community. Dr. Hunter has also been a key figure in providing compassionate health care to people with HIV. During the 1980s and 90s, with the discovery HIV disease, Dr. Hunter showed true talent in providing state-of-the-art treatment to patients in Humboldt. “He was willing, when many other providers were not, to do what was needed for a desperate and marginalized population,” said colleague Mary Meengs, M.D., who has worked with Dr. Hunter at Open Door for the past 14 years. "He cared for these patients with respect and grace.” For the past 10 years, Dr. Hunter has also led the Humboldt community’s work in providing medication-assisted treatment for opiate dependent patients. “He took the time to get trained and has remained on the leading edge of national standards,” said Dr. Meengs. According to 2015 U. S. Census data 21 percent of Humboldt county residents live in poverty — the median household income is $40,000 and the area has a 7.4 unemployment rate. “[Dr. Hunter] had taken on the neediest segment of our population, those without insurance and who are disenfranchised by poverty, geographic isolation, mental illness, and substance dependence. He has provided direct care and been a leader and an inspiration to other providers,” said Dr. Meengs. This versatile and compassionate man has become a vital part of his North Coast community, providing quality rural care. “We started out taking care of so many marginalized people and now we have become a big part of the primary care network in Northern California,” said Dr. Hunter. His patients travel long distances to get his care. Many of them dress up, just to see me, he says. “I feel lucky to be a physician,” he said. “I feel honored to be a physician — this is a huge honor and a privilege that I never take for granted." For more, see CMA's 2016 Plessner Award video at www.youtube.com/cmaphysicians November 1, 2016 Awards, CMA Awards, Frederick K.M. Plessner Memorial Award, House of Delegates 0 0 Comment Read More »
Nominate a local "immunization champion" for annual awards Now is your chance to reward someone whose work in immunization deserves recognition. The California Immunization Coalition (CIC) is accepting nominations for two annual awards, given each year at the annual CIC Summit. The Natalie J. Smith Award is presented to an individual, group or organization in California that has made an outstanding contribution in the immunization arena. The Ronald P. Bangasser Award is presented to a practicing clinician who exemplifies the leadership, professionalism, and commitment that Dr. Bangasser—a past president of the California Medical Association—brought to his work in promoting immunizations. For nomination forms and details, visit www.immunizeca.org/about/cic-awards. Nominations are due in late January 2017. August 25, 2016 Awards, General Physician Leadership, Public Health, Vaccination, Awards, Immunization 0 0 Comment Read More »
Save the date for the 20th Annual President's Reception and Awards Gala The California Medical Association (CMA) and the CMA Foundation invite you to the 20th Annual President’s Reception and Awards Gala, October 15, at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. The black tie event will immediately follow CMA’s annual House of Delegates session that day. Each year, CMA and the CMA Foundation honor the extraordinary leadership of individuals and organizations making a difference in the health of Californians. Because 2016 marks 160 years that CMA has been protecting the practice of medicine, there is even more reason to celebrate. The incoming CMA president and recipients of the CMA Foundation leadership awards will be recognized at this prestigious event, which includes a cocktail reception, dinner, inspiring awards presentation, live auction and exciting entertainment. Headlining the entertainment for this year's Gala is HIP Service, a 14-piece band featuring a team of male and female vocalists covering the best-loved songs and dance hits from yesterday and today. The ever-popular live auction will include exciting new items and be presided over by local sensation, David Sobon Auctions. Mark your calendars, as this will be a celebratory night to remember. Tickets go on sale August 15 at www.cmanet.org/gala and will be available for purchase through October 7. Secure your tickets early, as this special event is expected to sell out! Contact: Sadye Reish, (916) 551-2030 or sreish@cmanet.org. August 8, 2016 Awards, CMA CMA Foundation (CMAF), House of Delegates, Awards, Physician Leadership 0 0 Comment Read More »
Nominate an outstanding colleague for 2016 CMA service awards The California Medical Association (CMA) is accepting nominations for four service awards to be given at the association's annual House of Delegates in October. Compassionate Service Award The Compassionate Service Award honors a CMA member physician who best illustrates the association’s commitment to community and charity care. Eligible for nomination are physicians or physician organizations that have demonstrated a history of providing charity or donated care to communities within the state of California. Frederick K.M. Plessner Memorial Award This award honors a CMA member physician residing and practicing in California who best exemplifies the practice and ethics of a rural practitioner. Eligible for nomination are physicians currently in active practice or retired from active practice for a period of no longer than three years. Dev A. GnanaDev Membership Award This award honors a CMA member physician who during the past year has demonstrated a special or unique effort toward membership recruitment resulting in membership growth in their area. Gary Nye, M.D., Award The Gary S. Nye, M.D., Award for Physician Health and Well-Being, honors a CMA member physician who has made significant contributions toward improving physician health and wellness. Nominations must be received by Friday, June 17. For more information and nomination packets, click on the links above. All submissions should be sent to nominations@cmanet.org. Contact: Michelle Chapanian, (916) 551-2054 or mchapanian@cmanet.org. June 8, 2016 Awards CMA Nominations, Important Deadline, Physician Leadership, Awards, House of Delegates 0 0 Comment Read More »
Gala tickets still available! Join the California Medical Association (CMA) and the CMA Foundation at the 19th Annual President’s Reception and Awards Gala, Saturday, October 17, 2015, at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa in Anaheim, immediately following CMA’s annual House of Delegates session that day. Honored at the event will be Steven Larson, M.D., incoming CMA president; David Folsom, M.D., recipient of the Robert D. Sparks, M.D., Leadership Achievement Award; and Michael Lenoir, M.D., recipient of the Adarsh S. Mahal, M.D., Access to Health Care and Disparities Award. Individual tickets and tables of 10 are still available for purchase through October 9. Tickets are $175 per person and tables are $1,750. Component medical societies may purchase a table for $1,500, while corporate table sponsorships are available for $2,000 (additional event recognition included). Space is limited and tickets are selling quickly, so be sure to reserve your seat(s) and/or table(s) before the October 9 deadline. There will not be onsite or week-of ticket sales. In addition to celebrating the extraordinary leadership of individuals and organizations making a difference in the health of Californians, the event will include a cocktail reception, dinner, live auction and exciting entertainment care of The Power Mix – a 15-piece band featuring a team of male and female vocalists covering the best-loved songs and dance hits from yesterday and today. Mark your calendars and reserve your seats, as this will be a whimsical night to remember. For more information or to buy tickets, please visit www.cmanet.org/gala. Contact: Jennifer Moller, (916) 551-2541 or jennifer@cmsservices.org. September 23, 2015 General CMA Foundation, House of Delegates, Awards 0 0 Comment Read More »
