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:
I wanted to share a few reflections from attending this year’s California Medical Association (CMA) House of Delegates (HOD).
The CMA HOD is comprised of more than 600 delegates elected by members of component medical societies, specialty societies, and CMA sections and forums. This year’s HOD was held October 17–19 at the Marriott LA Live in Los Angeles.
The primary purpose of the House of Delegates is to debate and establish policy on the most pressing issues facing medicine. This year’s meeting centered on a single theme: Responding to Federal Funding Cuts and Other Attacks on Health Care, Public Health, and Medicine. Actionable reports were presented and debated, educational speakers provided additional insight, and the House also addressed matters referred by the Board of Trustees, including governance and bylaw changes. During the Annual Session, the House elected officers, honored members for their service, and received updates on CMA’s work over the past year.
CCMA (Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties) is part of District 5, which also includes the Ventura County Medical Association. CMA is organized into 11 geographic districts across California. In addition, the House includes delegates from specialty societies and CMA sections, including the Ethnic Medical Organization Section, Medical Student Section, Organized Medical Staff Section, Resident and Fellow Section, and Young Physician Section. There are also Mode of Practice Forums, such as solo and small group practice, hospital-based physicians, government-employed physicians, academic practice, and large group practices. Collectively, this structure ensures representation from virtually every type of practice and region in the state.
Our CCMA delegation from Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties included Jason Krupp, MD (Chief Medical Officer, Adventist Health Central Coast); Maya Heinert, MD (Chief Medical Officer, CenCal Health); CCMA Board Members Doug Murphy, Julie Fallon, Sam Kayumi-Rashti, Sharon Basham, Chris Lumsdaine, Chris Quijano, and myself. Doug Murphy served as our District 5 Chair, and Jennifer Hone served as our District V Trustee. Additional CCMA members in attendance included Tim Auran, MD, a radiologist from San Luis Obispo serving with the medium group practice delegation, and Maryam Guiahi, MD, a Santa Barbara OB-GYN serving as an alternate for the solo and small group practice forum.
This was a particularly special weekend for CCMA, as our own René Bravo, MD, a pediatrician from San Luis Obispo, was installed as President of the California Medical Association.
For those who have never attended a House of Delegates, it is quite an experience. More than 500 physicians, along with medical students, convened in a large meeting hall, seated by delegation, operating under formal parliamentary rules and presided over by the Speaker of the House. Delegates voted on governance reforms, changes to how CMA selects delegates to the AMA, and more than 35 major policy issues. Any delegate could rise to speak, propose amendments, or object. Votes were often conducted by voice, but when outcomes were unclear, we used electronic voting devices. At times the process was lengthy and admittedly painful, but it was also a reminder that democracy is messy, deliberate, and worth the effort.
Key Outcomes and Actions included
In essence, the 2025 CMA House of Delegates focused on modernizing the organization, electing new leaders, and pushing forward significant legislation to protect patients and physician practices in a challenging healthcare landscape.
I left the House of Delegates feeling encouraged about CMA and organized medicine. CMA is effectively representing both physicians and patients, and I would argue that it is leading nationally as we confront funding cuts, anti-science positions, and ongoing threats to patient access to care.
Respectfully,
Todd Engstrom, MD, FACP 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 Nicole Stern, MD, MPH Robert Turbow, MD, JD
Sharon Basham, MD Kevin Casey, MD Todd Engstrom, MD Julie Fallon, MD Priti Gagneja, MD Maya Heinert, MD, MBA Samira Kayumi-Rashti, MD Jason Krupp, MD Christopher Lumsdaine, MD Douglas Murphy, MD Christopher Quijano, DO Jane Varner, MD
René Bravo, MD
Jennifer Hone, MD
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