Promoting the science and art of medicine, care and well-being of patients, protection of the public health, and betterment of the medical profession.
From our recent electronic newsletter, The Member Connect:
Dear CCMA Members,
I want to take a moment to share a bit about what we have been up to at CCMA, especially our recent participation in what we call Leg Day.
Leg Day, officially known as CMA Legislative Advocacy Day, is held each April in Sacramento. More than 400 physicians and medical students from across California gather to meet with legislators and advocate for our profession and our patients.
This year, CCMA sent a group of 12 physicians, six from San Luis Obispo County and six from Santa Barbara County. Our team included four impressive residents, two internal medicine residents from Cottage and two from Marian in family medicine and OB GYN. Also joining us were medical directors from the Safety Net Clinics in both counties, the chief medical officer of CenCal Health, our CEO, and several CCMA Board Members.
This was my second time attending Leg Day, and here is my first observation. If you want to get to know your colleagues, spend seven hours together in a van or party bus on the road to Sacramento and back again the next day.
We left Tuesday, April 8 from Santa Barbara and picked up our San Luis Obispo physicians along the way. We arrived in Sacramento after 5:00 pm, quickly changed, and joined our local legislators for dinner, including Assemblymember Gregg Hart and Assemblymember Dawn Addis. The dinner was informal but meaningful. It gave us a chance to connect, share stories, and talk about the issues impacting our patients and our profession.
On Wednesday morning, we joined the full CMA delegation for a general meeting and then broke into regional groups for meetings with local legislators. This year’s focus was on prior authorization reform. We supported four bills that would help reduce delays and streamline care. Thanks to the strong relationships CCMA has built over the years, our meetings were productive and well received.
We left Sacramento early that afternoon and returned to Santa Barbara well after 9:00 pm, tired but energized.
Before joining CCMA, I had never been involved in organized medicine. What I have learned is that real change often happens in the political arena. Building relationships with legislators is key to improving health care. I have been genuinely impressed with our local lawmakers. They are thoughtful, approachable, and truly care about the Central Coast and the people we serve.
A big thank you to the physicians who took time away from their practices to advocate for CMA and CCMA. This was a fantastic group. They were sharp, flexible, and fully engaged. I would gladly travel with them again.
Our 2025 Leg Day team included Drs. René Bravo, Steve Clarke, Morgan Desjardins, Todd Engstrom, Maya Heinert, Jennifer Hone, Zohrab Keshishian, Brad Knox, Kayleigh Kresse, Doug Murphy, Phyllis Preciado, and Wes Soliman.
Stay well, Todd Engstrom MD President, Central Coast Medical Association
Executive Committee: Todd Engstrom, MD, President Christopher Quijano, DO, President-Elect Timothy Auran, MD, Treasurer Bradley Knox, MD, Secretary Douglas Murphy, MD, Immediate Past President
Directors: Kevin Casey, MD Justin Chang, MD Julie Fallon, MD Priti Gagneja, MD Samira Kayumi-Rashti, MD Winifred Leung, MD Robert Turbow, MD, JD
Sharon Basham, MD Kevin Casey, MD Todd Engstrom, MD Julie Fallon, MD Priti Gagneja, MD Jennifer Hone, MD Samira Kayumi-Rashti, MD Christopher Lumsdaine, MD Douglas Murphy, MD Christopher Quijano, DO
René Bravo, MD
Jennifer Hone, MD
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