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Los Angeles County Medical Association
When the Los Angeles County Medical Association launched its blog, it wanted an inaugural post that would define the tone and scope for contributors and readers alike. We collaborated with LACMA's President to create the following message about the idea of "community."
The question of what it means to belong to a “medical community” is an important one. Of course, many of us have close colleagues with whom we share clinical expertise, refer patients and commiserate about the many challenges we face in our day-to-day practices. A medical community is certainly all of these things, but it can also be something bigger. When we work together, when we have a focused agenda built around our common experience and interests, when we speak with one voice, our community can become a powerful force for social and political change. It’s been this in the past, and there’s no reason it won't be again.
LACMA, the CMA and the other California county medical associations work tirelessly to advance a pro-physician, pro-patient agenda to ensure that physicians can hang on to their autonomy, patients can access the care they need and the U.S. healthcare system may be viewed as glowing success story—not the economic and bureaucratic nightmare it has often been considered.
And it all begins with communication…with dialogue, debate and even argument.
This blog is the first of its kind in California. With an eye toward creating a running conversation about issues big and small that physicians grapple with in their professional lives, we’ve invited a handful of Board members, members, residents, students, LACMA staff and other strategic partners to contribute to the LACMA Blog. You will find insights, information and resources about topics ranging from Palmetto GBA to health plan reimbursement to strategies for improving the bottom line of your practice.
We invite the wider community to read the blog, to post comments and to share insights and experiences—especially with the younger members of our community, the students and residents who are the future hope for our profession and for the wellbeing of our patients.
So without further ado, let the conversation begin.
Howard R. Krauss, MD
President, LACMA
