California Medical Association Foundation Addresses Future Action Plan to Increase HPV Prevention
Sacramento (November 10, 2008) – The California Medical Association (CMA) Foundation in collaboration with the California Department of Public Health and the Office of Women’s Heath will hold a Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Summit on November 10, 2008 at the Sierra Health Foundation in Sacramento. Physicians, health care professionals, policy makers, cancer survivors and advocates will convene to discuss updates on the adoption and administration of the HPV vaccine as a key strategy for cervical cancer and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention and discuss strategies to strengthen adoption of the vaccine.

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California Medical Association Foundation and Girl Scouts, Heart of Central California Unveil New Community Health Patch
Sacramento (October 8, 2008) – The California Medical Association (CMA) Foundation and Girl Scouts, Heart of Central California unveiled the first ever Community Health Patch Program at a press conference on October 8.  The Community Health Patch curriculum enables Girl Scouts to play a greater role in strengthening the health of their communities by learning and educating –their community and seniors about the prevention of influenza and infectious respiratory disease.

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New Farmers Market Opens; First Ever on FUSD School Grounds
Fresno (August 30, 2008) — Fresno Metro Ministry and the Central California Obesity Prevention Project Get Fit Fresno County announced the first response to the new Fresno City Ordinance on Farmers Markets that addresses food access and nutrition needs in South Fresno.  The new Farmers Market at Burroughs will be the first Farmers Market on Fresno Unified School grounds, highlighting how schools can be true neighborhood resources for families.

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New Study Shows Minority Doctors are Underrepresented in California, with African Americans and Latinos Showing the Greatest Shortages

Sacramento (April 2, 2008) — New data on California physicians confirm that there is vast ethnic disparity in the state’s physician workforce when compared to the state’s population, particularly for Latinos and African Americans. While Latinos represent one third of the state’s adult population, only 5% of California physicians are Latino. While African Americans represent 7% of the state’s population, only 3% of California’s physicians are African American.  The data also highlight why physician diversity is a critical public health issue, demonstrating that non-white physicians play a critical role in access to care for Californians by being more likely than their white counterparts to work in primary care fields and practice in underserved communities.

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CMA Foundation Develops First Statewide Plan to Address CA-MRSA

Sacramento (February 26, 2008) — The CMA Foundation’s AWARE Project convened key stakeholders Monday to finalize a statewide plan of action to strengthen and effectively coordinate efforts to prevent, diagnose and treat CA-MRSA in California. The plan will be sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention later this spring.

“Community-Associated MRSA has stormed into several areas in California, changing disease patterns and the way that physicians treat patients,” said Dean Blumberg, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatric Infectious Disease at UC Davis Medical Center. “This disease can be extremely serious and problematic due to its contagiousness, especially among close contacts, such as within families or among schoolmates. Although there is a lot of information in circulation concerning MRSA, it isn't always consistent, and many recommendations are unproven.  It is important that we educate both the public and health care providers about the best approach to prevent and treat these infections through this statewide plan.”

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