1. Cultivating Physician Community Advocates

2. Pilot Project Results Show Improvements in Quality of Diabetes Care
3.Reflections: A Look Back at the History of the Foundation
4. Foundation Welcomes New Board Members

5. Mark Your Calendars

6. County Corner - Alameda County Coalition on Language Access in Health Care
7. Corporate Advisory Spotlight - Abbott

8. CMA Foundation Extends Its Appreciation to its Generous Contributors

1. Cultivating Physician Community Advocates

Through generous funding from Kaiser Permanente, the Obesity Prevention Project’s Super Champions Program will coordinate physicians’ outreach and advocacy activities by region,ensuring local goals are being met and that each region is supporting broader, statewide policy change. Super Champions
will serve as regional representatives, providing mentorship to other Champions while strengthening their voice to influence critical policy changes. The program was off to an exhilarating start, with eleven leading physicians already agreeing to take on this innovati ve challenge.

To kick off the program, the Super Champions will fi rst tackle policy issues related to safe routes to schools. The Safe Routes to Schools Campaign is a movement dedicated to increasing the number of children who walk or bike to school by integrating health, fitness, traffic relief, environmental awareness and safety. The Super Champions will join this movement by first developing a persuasive and compelling policy brief outlining the rationale for safe routes to schools and then focus their efforts on partnering with schools and school districts to accelerate statewide policy changes related to safe routes.

The Obesity Prevention Project is confident that this new program will not only create a healthier lifestyle for children,but will also strengthen physician impact on community and statewide policy. To learn more about this program or to join the movement, please contact Alisa Matthews, Director of Obesity Prevention at (916)779-6632 or amatthews@thecmafoundation.org .

We would like to extend a special thank you to the following physicians who have agreed to join this new movement!

Dexter Louie-Bay Area Region
Scott Gee-Bay Area Region
Michael Fisher-Santa Barbara County & Region
Eric Ramos-Stanislaus County & Region
Helen Jones-Central Valley Region
Sherril Rieux-Los Angeles County & Region
Janet Abshire-Sacramento County & Region
Jyoti Rau-Bay Area Region
Jeannie Huang-San Diego County & Region
Patricia Flynn-Central Valley Region
Chris Searles - San Diego County & Region

2. Pilot Project Results Show Improvements in Quality of Diabetes Care

In 2006, the California Medical Association (CMA) Foundation began the fi rst phase of Advancing Practice Excellence in Diabetes to help improve the quality of diabetes care provided in solo and small group practices in California. We set out to develop a stronger chronic disease management protocol, including the implementation of a disease registry system within these offices.

The fundamental goals of the project focused on:

• Improving quality of care provided to diverse populations
  of patients with diabetes.
  • Encourage medical offices to aggressively screen and identify patients at risk for diabetes.
  • Promote strategies to eff ectively prevent and manage diabetes-related complications.
  • Support physician office capacity to improve, track and monitor diabetes care.
  • Share best practice methods associated with providing quality diabetes care.
  • Provide multicultural community and patient education materials through on-line resources.

The first phase of the pilot project took place in three geographic regions - Butte and Glenn Counties, San Joaquin County, and San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. We chose a regional approach to implement diabetes quality improvement because our experiences had shown us that medical practice is greatly influenced by the local health care culture.

The training and support provided to the practices throughout the project fit these elements of the model and led to both improved clinical outcomes and practice change. Patient outcome measures were core components of the evaluation for the pilot project, establishing baseline practice measures and tracking diabetes care improvement over a two-year period. There were notable improvements across all of the baseline clinical measures. The project results show that change can be made in small practi ces, though it takes time, a great deal of support, and comes in small doses. Dr. Kwabena Adubofour, MD, FACP, one of the pilot project’s participating physicians stated, “Advancing Practice Excellencein Diabetes is about doing the right thing for patients with diabetes at the point of care. It is about working as a team with
members of your office staff to ensure the best outcomes for patients with chronic dieases.”

We wish to thank two of our partners for their funding support for the pilot project: Blue Shield of California Foundation and the California Academy of Family Physicians. To learn more about Advancing Practice Excellence in Diabetes, contact Sandra Navarro PhD, MPH, Director of Clinical and Quality Improvement at (916) 779-6637 or snavarro@thecmafoundation.org .

3.Reflections: A Look Back at the History of the Foundation

Fifteen years ago, the California Medical Association Foundation underwent a complete makeover to transform itself into a more visible, relevant and active arm of the CMA. The purpose of this article is to share with you, our readers, some of that history.

In the beginning

The CMA Foundation, originally named the California Medical Education and Research Foundation (CMERF), was established in 1961 to develop research programs regarding the social and economic aspects of medical care. Two years later, the Foundation was designated as a charitable, educational, and scientific organization under the Internal Revenue Code 501 (c) (3).The Foundation engaged in a large number of diverse activities over its nearly 50 year history. However, the focus was primarily on medical student loans and scholarships with approximately $30,000 awarded on an annual basis.

Although funding came from various private and public sources, which include the California Department of Public Health and Department of Health Services, Kaiser Family Foundation, as well as individual gifts from physicians and the CMA Alliance, the primary source (over 90% of the Foundation’s annual budget) was contributed by another subsidiary of the CMA – the Audio-Digest Foundation.

1994 Reorganization

In March of 1993, the Board of the Foundation, which essentially at the time was the CMA Executive Committee, decided that a new direction was required to boost the activity and visibility of the Foundation. The Board recognized the only consistent funding was from the Audio-Digest Foundation and voted to appoint a committee to review CMERF’s programs and develop a vision for the future. There was concern that due to the growing cost of medical school tuition, the small amount of funds awarded by the CMA Foundation did not have a significant impact. The following year, the Foundation’s name was changed to the California Medical Association Foundation to identify it more closely with CMA, and to hire a full-time CEO to expand the Foundation’s ability to pursue activities in public health and scientific and educational arenas through new fundraising and grant solicitation efforts.Dr. Rolland Lowe, a member of the CMA Executive Committee at the time, explained that CMA resources need to be focused on socioeconomic issues, particularly in the legal and legislative arena. In order to preserve CMA’s ability to address scientific and education issues, the Foundation would be given additional resources to explore outside funding. He emphasized that CMA had not abandoned educational and research functions, but wanted to focus on legal and legislative issues.  Dr. Ralph Ocampo, who was also on the CMA Executive Committee, agreed that CMA wants scientific, educational and public health projects out of the CMA budgeting process and to give the Foundation the ability to create opportunities to increase organized medicine’s presence in public health, education, scientific, and research  activities.

This reorganization allowed the Foundation to take on projects to further public health to the credit of CMA, leaving them to pursue legislative and legal matters. In conjunction with the reorganization, new articles and bylaws were adopted for the Foundation and the CMA Foundation Board of Directors expanded to include prominent community members who could bring diverse talents and expertise to the Board, including fund development. Dr. Lowe, with his extensive philanthropic background, emphasized the need for a very diverse board to attract major funders and community partners. During the first two years of the reorganization, the CMA Foundation Board spent substantial time brainstorming and carefully considering the future mission and priorities of the Foundation. The Board agreed to focus the attention of the Foundation on the following issues:

Quality Care: How to assure a continuum of quality care in which each patient understands each aspect
of care and the role of each health care provider; how to increase public awareness of quality care.

Preventive Health Care: In light of our country’s underfunded public health issues, how to improve prevention of disease by promoting a healthy community and how to address the major causes of death (tobacco, drugs/alcohol, diet, and lack of exercise) through prevention.

“The Climate” for Research: With the reduction of government funds to support research and education and with corporations becoming the major payers of health care, how to assure that research and education in health care would continue; how to educate corporations about the need for research and education.

Downsizing of the Medical Work Force: How to utilize the skills of people who have been trained in medicine and nursing when traditional jobs are not available.

Access to Care: How to make health care available to all people by overcoming geographic, cultural and financial barriers.

Application of New Knowledge: How to bring scientific knowledge to the bedside.

Public Information: How to help the public understand and support the appropriate use of medical technology. How to promote realistic expectations on the part of the public.

Informed Policy Decision Making: How to build a community of well-informed people with up to-date, accurate information, who can influence decision making.

Medical Resource Allocation: How to plan for a decision making process that balances the
health care needs of the individual with the needs of the community to keep care affordable.

Ethical considerations: How to decide who will receive what care. How is quality measured in the context of limited resources.

4. Foundation Welcomes New Board Members

The CMA Foundation is proud to welcome three new board members to its Board of Directors.

Anmol  S. Mahal, MD is the Past President of the California Medical Association and is currently the Medical Director of the Free Medical Clinic at India Community Center staffed in conjunction with the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin of Northern California. He has represented the Ethnic Medical Organization Section on the CMA board since 1997 and served on the CMA Technical Advisory Committee that was instrumental in establishing the Ethnic Medical Sec􀆟 on as a permanent section of the CMA.

Don Moulds is currently Vice President at the California Medical Association, where he oversees the Center for Medical and Regulatory Policy and the Center for Economic Services. Prior to joining CMA, Mr. Moulds was Director of the Senate Offi ce of Research, the bipartisan research arm of the California State Senate and liaison between the California Senate and the federal government. He previously served as a Principal Consultant to Senate President Pro Tempore, John Burton. He shepherded several important legislative initiatives, including workers’ compensation system reform and the Health Insurance Act of 2003.

Linda Stratton is the Executive Director of the San Bernardino County Medical Society and is chief administrator of related 501(c)(3) corporations, Inland Wellness Information Network , and the Physicians Memorial, Gift & Benevolence Fund. Ms. Stratton has received numerous awards such as American Association of Medical Society Executives - “Certificate of Achievement for Management Excellence”, American Society of Association Executives - “Associations Advance America Award” and two national awards for Membership Recruitment Promotion awarded by the American Association of Medical Society Executives.

5. Mark Your Calendars

Legislative Day, June 3, 2009
Ethnic Medical Organization Section (EMOS) and Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations (NEPO)
For more information, contact Phoua Moua, NEPO Coordinator at (916) 779-6636 or pmoua@thecmafoundation.org .

Ethnic Physician Leadership Summit, September 26 – 27, 2009
Hilton Santa Clara Hotel, Santa Clara, CA
The summit is presented by the CMA Foundation and the Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations. For more information, please visit www.ethnicphysicians.org or contact Anna Gutiérrez, NEPO Project Assistant at agutierrez@thecmafoundation.org or (916) 779-6627.

6. County Corner - Alameda County Coalition on Language Access in Health Care

During 2003 - 2004, a number of health care leaders in Alameda County recognized that they were confronting similar challenges when providing quality healthcare for the increasing number of residents with limited English proficiency. When the Alameda County Coalition on Language Access in Healthcare (ACCLAH) was formed, these leaders began to search for county-wide strategies to increase usage of language access services.

ACCLAH secured funding to pilot four key collaborative demonstration projects during 2007-2008:

1. A web-based portal to schedule and deliver timely and appropriate in-person interpreter services. The web portal received great reviews by its users and promises to be a tool that delivers great services for physicians while allowing for timely payment of interpreters.

2. Procedures for sharing best practices for translation of key medical documents.

3. A methodology and process to test and certify the capacity of interpreters. This project allowed the Alameda County Medical Center to have a system change on how they test and best utilize their bilingual staff.

4. Assessment of the English skills of interpreters as dual-role staff. As a result of this project, three major clinics in the county now have an assessment test for their bilingual staff which is conducted by their human resources department.

ACCLAH is also the convener of Language Access Coordinators and Managers of hospitals and clinics in the County and has attended or participated in panel presentations on American Sign Language and Dual Role staff training and services.

ACCLAH partners have concluded that a collaborative approach is essential to emphasize the importance and urgency of the language access issue and to provide structure and coordination for this critically important work. A coalition holds the best promise of serving as a forum to share resources and tools across organizations as well as a forum to discover potential county-wide solutions to a shared county-wide problem. For more information about the Alameda County Coalition on Language Access in Healthcare, please contact ccastro-rojas@accma.org .

7. Corporate Advisory Spotlight - Abbott: A Promise for Life

Affordable health care is one of the greatest challenges around the world. Therefore, expanding patient access to Abbott’s products is their most important citizenship issue. Abbott focuses on improving access to health care where their expertise, knowledge and resources can have the most impact.

Abbott works with many other interested stakeholders around the world – advocacy groups, governments, health care providers, insurers, medical groups, health professionals, patients, companies, nongovernmental organizations, and concerned citizens – to develop solutions through the following:

• Making Abbott ’s medicines and technologies available is a significant aspect of their work in providing access to health care. They do this through various patient assistance programs in the U.S. and in partnership with  global humanitarian and relief agencies to respond to medical missions.

• Each year, Abbott donates millions of dollars worth of pharmaceutical, nutritional and medical products. In
2007, Abbott provided $144 million in product donations to 97 countries. In response to natural disasters,
they provided $5 million worth of products.

• Patient assistance programs allow low-income or uninsured access to Abbott’s pharmaceutical, nutrition and glucose monitoring products. These include Abbott programs and industry initiatives such as the Partnership for Prescription Assistance and Together Rx.

• Abbott’s Global AIDS Care program employs a comprehensive and strategic approach to fighting the HIV/ AIDS pandemic in the developing world. Abbott and Abbott Fund have invested over $100 million dollars to advance HIV testing and treatment and support services in developing countries. The program focuses
on four fronts:

1. Preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV
2. Expanding access to testing and treatment
3. Supporting children affected by HIV/AIDS
4. Improving healthcare systems

For more information about the access to healthcare programs and initiatives supported by the Abbott Fund, please contact dena.jacinto@abbott.com  or visit www.abbott.com.

8. CMA Foundation Board Extends Its Appreciation to Our Generous Contributors

Every effort was made to ensure the accuracy of the CMA Foundation contributors whose donations were received from December 20, 2008 through March 15, 2009. If you discover an error, please accept our sincere apology and contact us.

Appeal/Event
1. Annual Dinner
2. Medical Student Fund
3. General Contribution
4. Newsletter
5. Holiday Letter
6. Monthly Giving Program
7. Corporate Advisory Committee

Permanent Funds
A. Mahal Endowment Fund
B. General Endowment Fund
C. Pacific Coast Funds
D. Physician Benevolence Fund
E. Robert D. Sparks, MD
Endowment Fund
F. Steve M. Thompson
Memorial Fund
G. Ethnic Physicians Project
H. AWARE Project
I. Diabetes Project
J. Obesity Prevention Project
K. Cervical Cancer

Benefactors ($1,000+)

Abbott Laboratories (7)
Arrowhead Community
Surgical Medical
Group, Inc. (1)
California Academy of
Family Physicians (I)
Francis J. Crosson, M.D. (3), (B)
Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP (7)
Eli Lilly and Company (7)
Martin L. Fishman, M.D. (3)
Genentech, Inc. (7)
Carol A. Lee, Esq. (3), (5)
Dexter Louie, M.D. (3)
McKesson Corporation (1)
Merck & Co., Inc. (K)
Molina Healthcare , Inc. (1)
NorCal Mutual Insurance
Company (2), (7)
Dr. & Mrs. Ralph R. Ocampo (3)
Reckett Beneckister (H)
Dr. & Mrs. William B. Ricks (3)
Roche Laboratories, Inc. (H)
The California
Endowment (G), (3)
The Doctors Company (I), (2)
W.K. Kellogg Foundation (3)

Patrons ($500-$999)

Nate Allen, M.D. (1)
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Company (1)
Chester Choi, M.D. (F)
Cooperative of American
Physicians, Inc. (1)
David F. Der, M.D. (5)
Solano County Medical
Society (1)
Wells Fargo (1)

Friends ($100-$499)

Bernard W. Bail, M.D. (5)
Edith V. Barnes, M.D. (3)
Joseph Beezy, M.D. (4)
Rosalyn l. Binning, M.D. (5)
Edward A. Chow, M.D. (5)
Lucy S. Crain, M.D. (5)
Barbara Elmendorf (5)
Daniel E. Fast, M.D. (5)
Richard S. Frankenstein, M.D., F.A.C.P. (3)
Calvin Freeman (5)
Sidney Gold, M.D. (5)
Mario Gutierrez & Deborah
Johnson, M.D. (5)
Donald L. Hager, M.D. (5)
Helen M. Hale, M.D. (5)
Roger J. Hartman, M.D. (5)
James T. Hay, M.D. (5)
James G. Hinsdale, M.D. (3)
Byron W. Kilgore, M.D. (5)
Edmond Lee, M.D. (5)
Elliot C. Lepler, M.D. (5)
John F. Lynch, Jr., M.D. (5)
Dr. & Mrs. Charles Maas (6)
Danilo Martinez, M.D. (5)
Theodore M. Mazer, M.D. (5)
Napa County Medical Society(1)
Orange County Medical Association (1)
Charles W. Plows, M.D. (5)
Claire Pomeroy, M.D. (5)
Paul Y. Qaqundah, M.D. (5)
Cesar A. Ramos, M.D. (5)
James M. Roach, M.D. (2),(D)
Edward Schneider, M.D. (5)
Robert C. Searles, M.D. (5)
Dominick V. Spatafora (4)
Linda Stratton (5), (3)
Leon R. Walker, Jr., M.D. (5)
Randal W. Waring, M.D. (5)
Leland G. Whitson, M.D. (5)
Albert T. Wilburn, M.D. (5)
Hibbard E. Williams, M.D. (5)
Marcy L. Zwelling-Aamot, M.D. (3)

Supporters (up to $99)

Ronald A. Allison, M.D., J.D. (5)
Irving H. Berkovitz, M.D. (5)
Luther F. Cobb, M.D. (1)
Dustin E. Corcoran (1)
Diane Dickinson, M.D. (3)
Joseph L. Dunn (1)
William Y. Fong, M.D. (5)
Ezekiel Freed, M.D. (5)
Patrick D. Ginn, M.D. (5)
Neil D. Kushner, M.D. (3)
Charles I. Lobel, M.D. (5)
Los Angeles County Medical Association (1)
Gerald V. Mon Pere, M.D. (3)
Robert A. Mott , M.D. (3)
Robert I. Reisfeld, Jr., M.D. (5)
Wesley E. Root, M.D. (3)
Ralph M. Simonian, M.D. (5)
Philip J. Verderame, M.D. (3

Corporate Advisory Committee

Benefactors

Eli Lilly and Company
Genentech, Incorporated
Kaiser Permanente
NORCAL Mutual Insurance Company

Partners

Abbott Laboratories
IMS Health
Johnson & Johnson
Pfizer, Inc.

Friends

Aetna, Inc.
AstraZeneca LP
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.
DavisWrightTremaine, LLP
GlaxoSmithKline
McKesson Corporation
Miller Health Law Group
Nehemiah Corporation of America
Parker, Milliken, Clark, O’Hara & Samuelian, a professional corporation
Procter and Gamble
The Doctors Company

Leadership Circle

The Leadership Circle Recognizes individuals who contributed $1,000 or more to the CMA Foundation during the past year.

Edith V. Barnes, MD
Arthur M. Chen, MD
Francis J. Crosson, MD
Martin L. Fishman, MD
Richard S. Frankenstein, MD, F.A.C.P.
Steven Fugaro, MD
Ralph Garcia
Dev GnanaDev, MD
Bonnie C. Hamilton, MD
James G. Hinsdale, MD
Carol A. Lee, Esq.
Dexter Louie, MD
Chuck and Elissa Maas
Anmol S. Mahal, MD
Lia Margolis
Prasanna Menon, MD
Dr. & Mrs. Ralph R. Ocampo
Dr. & Mrs. William B. Ricks
Robert D. Sparks, MD
George Usi