California Chapter ACP Services, Inc. Report

July 7, 2008
Susan Sprau, President

The California Chapter ACP Services, Inc. is the State C6 organization that is composed of all four California ACP Chapters. It coordinates Statewide ACP activities, including Health/Public Policy and Medical Services at the State level. Medical Services is addressed in the accompanying report.

The C6 Board of Directors includes the four Governors of the California Chapters, in addition to Mel Sterling, Glenn Littenberg, Art Lurvey, Darin Latimore, Tim Schwab, Chester Choi, Stoney Anderson, and myself. Governors-elect and Regents living in California are ex officio members. There is currently a vacancy on the Board for an Associate ACP member. Any Associate interested in being considered for this position should contact Susan Sprau. I am also hoping to expand the diversity of the Board of Directors. Any member interested in becoming more active at the C6/State level should contact Susan Sprau.

This past year the C6 accepted resignations from our Executive Director and Legislative Consultant. We have hired Natalie Kaczur (she can be reached at CalifACP@aol.com) as our new Executive Director and are in the final stages of offering a contract to a new legislative consultant.

Plans for Sacramento Day (ACP’s state legislative advocacy meeting held every February) will begin shortly. One issue your Council may want to consider is whether to open this activity to any member willing to cover his/her costs, similar to how national ACP handled its Washington Leadership Day this past May.

California sent a record number of members to Washington Leadership Day to raise concern about the impending cuts to physicians’ pay by Medicare with Congress. In addition, information about the GPCI problem and the Feeney bill (protects balance billing) were discussed with the California delegation and presented to ACP staff as well as Congress. Glenn Littenberg and Susan Sprau were named to ACP’s 10 Top Key Contact list this year.

We will be sending 5 delegates to the CMA House of Delegates this year. Current issues which they are being asked to take a position on are:

  1. Should CMA alter its opposition to economic profiling of physicians?
  2. Should CMA alter its opposition to pay for performance programs?
  3. Should CMA support the ballot initiative for a Bond for Children’s Hospital?
  4. Should CMA oppose the ballot initiative requiring parental notification before a minor undergoes an abortion?

Please let us know if your Council has an opinion on any/all of these issues.

Continued efforts to enroll ACP members in the ACP Key Contact program are essential to our organization’s continued success as an advocacy group for patients and physicians. Please circulate a list for all Council members who have not already signed up for the Key Contact program to include their name, home ZIP code, and email address and forward the information to Natalie Kaczur to give to national to update their Key Contact list.

The Board of Directors will meet this month to set priorities for the coming year. Any issues or goals that your Council would like the Board to address should be forwarded to Natalie Kaczur or Susan Sprau.

Page updated: 08-11-08

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