Doctors from across the state came together this past weekend to advance the practice of modern medicine for the state and its patients by adopting numerous new California Medical Association policies. In some of their most noteworthy decisions, physician leaders declared that all health care workers should be vaccinated for H1N1, health care reform should cover the uninsured and more public outreach should be conducted to combat obesity.

Nearly 1,000 doctors gathered in Anaheim on Saturday, Sunday and Monday to debate and vote on a wide range of public health, science and health care issues. The House of Delegates session, held for the 138th consecutive year, has long set the standard for California's health care providers and propelled industry progress by establishing cutting edge policies and goals. Over the years, CMA's physicians have been at the forefront of public health issues, from caring for AIDS patients to being an early opponent of tobacco use.

This year's major public health concern is no different. CMA has been working with state and federal authorities and other stakeholders to ensure that doctors have the information they need during this challenging flu season. At the convention, delegates debated the best way to educate physicians and patients about those who need the vaccine and when it will be available. The final policy follows the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations that health care workers take precautionary steps to avoid contracting and spreading the flu. Adopted policy upholds the CDC's education, reporting and immunization for seasonal and H1N1 flu.

"Health care workers are in constant contact with patients who may or may not be a carrier of the flu," said Dr. Brennan Cassidy, CMA president. "It is our top priority to keep our patients healthy throughout this flu season and beyond. We need to ensure the safety of those who care for the community."

Doctors also backed several measures to help prevent obesity. The CMA Foundation, the charitable arm of CMA, currently runs the Obesity Prevention Project to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obese children and their families. Expanding current awareness policies, physicians voted to support a change in nutrition labeling requirements so that saturated fat and trans fat contents are accurately reported to a 0.1 gram level per serving. They passed a resolution endorsing increased taxes on sodas and other sugar-sweetened beverages to fund public health efforts.

"Physicians must do everything we can to bring down rising childhood obesity rates," said Dr. Paul Phinney, CMA board of trustees chair and Sacramento Kaiser Permanente Medical Group pediatrician. "Children need to be more physically active but also be more conscious of the food choices they are making. We must keep raising awareness about this issue."

Building on previous policies to encourage the food industry to make prevention of child obesity a priority, the delegates decided to take one more step forward to inform patients about the health risks associated with the consumption of food and beverages containing high amounts of processed, simple or refined sugars, such as high fructose corn syrup.

"Part of my job as a physician is to teach patients about how the choices they make can impact their health," Dr. Phinney continued. "Keeping people educated and out of the emergency room makes everyone happier and can go a long way to finding savings within the system."

In addition to public health topics, physicians voted to reaffirm CMA's longtime support for health system reform that is directed to help the uninsured, aids those who are eligible for coverage to obtain it, allows total deductibility of all health care expenses and enacts national tort reform.

"The state's physicians believe it's essential that reform expand access to health care to the millions of uninsured and underinsured," said Dr. Dev GnanaDev, CMA immediate past president. "Patients must be able to see a doctor when they need to. That's a crucial part of improving care, preventing expensive ER visits and reining in health care system costs. To ensure patients truly have access to care, lawmakers must fix the chronic funding problems in Medicare and Medicaid to make sure doctors can afford to participate in the programs."

The House of Delegates included more than 500 delegates and 250 alternate delegates representing their geographic communities, ethnicities and specialties from throughout the state as well as specialty association representatives, medical students and others.

Source
The California Medical Association