ACCMA News

ACCMA Launches Practice Management Virtual Series

ACCMA LAUNCHES PRACTICE MANAGEMENT VIRTUAL SERIES
We are continuing our virtual ACCMA practice management series! Physicians, practice managers, and administrators are invited to join us the last Thursday of each month at 12:30 PM for discussions on the operational, financial, staffing, compliance, and patient service challenges facing today’s independent medical practices.

Understanding & Influencing Health Policy: Advocacy Training For Physicians

UNDERSTANDING & INFLUENCING HEALTH POLICY: ADVOCACY TRAINING FOR PHYSICIANS
ACCMA’s Understanding and Influencing Health Policy: Advocacy Training for Physicians program equips physicians with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to effectively engage in health policy and advocacy. Through a series of sessions led by policy experts, elected officials, and physician leaders, participants gain practical insight into how healthcare policy is shaped—and how their voices can influence meaningful change. The series is designed to be practical, engaging, and immediately applicable to your professional role.

Dr. Clifford Wong: President's Message Q3 Bulletin

CMA Position on November Ballot Initiatives

By Clifford Wong, MD, ACCMA President

Every election season brings a long list of ballot measures, some of which can have significant implications for our patients and California’s healthcare system. The California Medical Association (CMA) carefully reviews each statewide initiative and, when appropriate, takes positions to help physicians understand the potential implications. This November, CMA is opposing two healthcare-related ballot measures while supporting a third that offers a more sustainable, long-term approach to healthcare funding.

CMA is opposing Proposition 44, the Clinic Funding Accountability and Transparency Act. The measure would require Federally Qualified Health Centers and other qualifying community health clinics to spend at least 90 percent of their annual expenditures on defined program services, with financial penalties for clinics that fail to meet the requirement. Transparency and accountability are important principles, and CMA supports ensuring that healthcare dollars are used effectively to serve patients. However, while intended to direct more resources toward patient care, the measure reduces the flexibility clinics have to tailor services to the unique needs of the communities they serve. In addition to providing direct medical care, many clinics also provide services that improve access to care, such as transportation for patients who have no reliable way to travel to medical appointments, particularly in California's rural communities. Clinics may also provide care coordination, patient navigation, language assistance, outreach, and other supportive services that help patients receive timely and appropriate care, but may not qualify as "program services" under the measure. By imposing a rigid 90 percent spending requirement backed by financial penalties, Proposition 44 could limit clinics' ability to provide these essential services and adapt to the
changing needs of their patient population. CMA believes policy should strengthen the healthcare safety net by giving clinics the flexibility to deliver comprehensive, patient-centered care rather than imposing mandates that could inadvertently reduce access to care for the communities they serve.

CMA is also opposing Proposition 40, the Billionaires Tax Act. Proposition 40 would impose a one-time tax of up to 5 percent on the net worth of certain billionaires to fund healthcare and other public programs. While the goal of increasing funding for healthcare is an important one, the measure raises significant implementation, administrative, legal, and constitutional questions. The Franchise Tax Board is not currently equipped to administer and enforce a tax requiring valuations of complex assets, and developing the systems, regulations, and expertise needed to implement the measure would likely take years. In addition, revenue estimates are highly uncertain, with the Legislative Analyst's Office projecting substantially different revenues than those projected by the measure's proponents. It is also likely to face constitutional challenges, creating additional uncertainty regarding implementation and the timing and amount of any revenues collected. Because California's healthcare system depends on stable and predictable funding, CMA is concerned that Proposition 40 will not provide a reliable long-term funding source for critical healthcare programs. CMA has consistently supported responsible revenue measures, including Propositions 30, 55, and Proposition 3, because they provide a more stable and sustainable funding mechanism for California's healthcare system.

Instead, CMA supports Proposition 3, which would permanently extend California's existing tax rates on the state's highest-income earners. Because these revenues are already part of the state's fiscal structure, Proposition 3 would provide a more predictable, long-term funding stream for healthcare, education, and other essential public services without relying on a one-time infusion of revenue. CMA believes this approach offers greater fiscal stability and better protects the programs our patients depend on.

Reasonable people may reach different conclusions on these measures. CMA's positions are guided by a consistent principle: supporting policies that strengthen California's healthcare system, preserve access to care and provide stable, long-term investments in the health of our communities. I encourage you to learn more about these initiatives before casting your ballot this November.

ACCMA Nominating Committee 2026-2027 Slate

The ACCMA Nominating Committee is pleased to share its slate of nominees for positions up for election this year. You can view the full list in the Electoral Structure Report.

According to ACCMA Bylaws, any active member may submit additional nominations. If additional nominees are submitted, a contested election will be held by mail ballot in September between the nominee(s) and the Committee’s candidate(s).

The deadline to submit nominations is August 31, 2026.

ACCMA Launches Practice Management Series

Physicians, practice managers, and administrators are invited to join us the last Thursday of each month at 12:30 PM for discussions on the operational, financial, staffing, compliance, and patient service challenges facing today’s independent medical practices. Our next program is July 30th focused on Medical Records Basics: What Small Practices Get Wrong. Join Michael Anderson, Manager of Patient Safety & Risk Management for MIEC, as he reviews the basics of protected health information and privacy/confidentiality, what constitutes the medical record, documentation fundamentals and more.

Learn more

ACCMA Launches Resident/Fellow Leadership & Career Development

ACCMA is hosting the Resident/Fellow Leadership & Career Development Program, a weekend intensive designed to help residents and fellows build leadership skills and prepare for the transition into practice. The program will take place August 29–30 and will include networking, interactive leadership and professional development sessions, career planning discussions, engagement with physician leaders, and more. Those interested in joining the first cohort should complete the interest form.

This form is designed to gauge interest in the program—please complete it if you are interested in potentially participating in the first cohort. Further information will be provided upon submission. For more information or questions, please contact Mr. David Lopez, ACCMA Director of Education and Governance, at dlopez@accma.org.

Learn more

ACCMA Member Elected to Leadership Position at AMA HOD

Several California physicians, including ACCMA member Pauline P. Huynh, M.D., were elected to leadership positions at the recent AMA annual House of Delegates meeting. Dr. Huynh, an otolaryngologist with Kaiser Permanente Northern California in Oakland, was elected as secretary of the AMA Board of Trustees. Dr. Huynh previously served as Chair of the AMA Resident and Fellow Section, and as an officer on the CMA Resident and Fellow Section Executive Council.

Continue Reading

Dr. Clifford Wong: President's Message

President’s Column:

Caring for Ourselves While Caring for Others

By Clifford Wong, MD, ACCMA President

Since the month of May is Mental Health Awareness Month, it is a good reminder to acknowledge the humanity of physicians and the extraordinary pressures we are facing today. The demands of practicing medicine continue to grow more complex, while many of us are also carrying the emotional weight of challenges unfolding beyond our clinics and hospitals – economic uncertainty, rising costs of living, global conflict, political division, and the ongoing strain these realities place on our communities and families.

Physicians are often expected to be resilient in the face of constant stress, yet resilience does not mean facing these burdens alone. Many physicians across every specialty and stage of practice will experience burnout, anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion at some point, or points, in their careers. This is not a sign of failure, but rather a sign of our humanity. Likewise, taking care of our own mental health is not a sign of weakness, it is essential to sustaining our ability to care for others.

At ACCMA, supporting physician wellness remains a priority. Members have access to confidential resources designed specifically for physicians, including peer support, counseling referrals, wellness programming, and assistance navigating personal or professional challenges. These services exist because no physician should feel isolated when facing difficult moments.

This month serves as a reminder not only to care for our patients, but also to extend the same compassion and attention to ourselves and our colleagues. Reaching out, checking in, and seeking support when needed are acts of strength and kindness that help sustain both individual physicians and the medical profession as a whole.

For more information about physician wellness resources available through ACCMA, please visit https://www.accma.org/Membership/Physician-Wellness.

New on Demand Health Policy Advocacy Training for Physicians

We are pleased to share an overview of our upcoming Advocacy Education Series now live and on demand. This program brings together insights from advocacy experts to help physicians better understand how health policy is shaped—and how they can become effective advocates.

This series is designed to be practical, engaging, and immediately applicable to your professional role. Participants can expect:

• Real-world examples of successful physician advocacy
• Interactive discussion and opportunities for peer learning
• Practical tools and templates for communicating with policymakers
• Actionable next steps to implement in your own community

Learn how the legislative process works and what resonates with policymakers, develop effective communication strategies using clear messaging and storytelling, gain practical tools to move from identifying a problem to creating a solution, and build the confidence and skills needed to drive meaningful change for patients and communities. 

We look forward to your participation in this important and timely series. Please let us know if you have any questions. Sign up today!

A Local Advocacy Win

This past month, ACCMA helped secure an important victory for patients and physicians across Alameda County.

For more than three decades, Alameda County has maintained what is known as an “Exclusive Operating Area (EOA)” for emergency ambulance services. By having one contracted ambulance company, the County has been able to ensure equitable access to emergency medical services, consistent response standards across communities, and the ability to implement advanced clinical innovations. The current system is not without its opportunities for improvement, but the model has ensured that the County has oversight and leverage with the sole ambulance company that is contracted to take our patients to our local emergency rooms for care.

Every 5 to 10 years, the County goes out to bid for a new contract. In 2025, however, the Board of Supervisors declined to approve a new contract and raised the possibility of a rapid shift to an open EMS system, whereby upwards of a dozen different ambulance providers could operate in the County without the same consistency, oversight and accountability as a sole provider under the EOA. This raised significant concerns about equity, patient safety, and accountability – particularly for Medi-Cal and uninsured patients and for residents of underserved neighborhoods.

Working closely with emergency physicians and County EMS experts, ACCMA helped elevate the clinical and equity implications of this issue. Our message was simple: decisions about emergency medical services must prioritize patient care. A rapid move away from the current model to an untested open system was a risky bet that could harm patients.

After careful deliberation – and strong advocacy from our Association and physician leaders – the Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted to extend the current ambulance services contract for at least 2.5 years, while undertaking a more deliberate, data-driven planning process to evaluate any potential transition to a non-exclusive EMS system.

The Board’s decision to slow the process, maintain stability, and require thoughtful planning reflects that message – and reflects the power of physician advocacy. This outcome did not happen by accident. It happened because ACCMA has the credibility, relationships, and resources to engage effectively with local decision-makers. That capacity exists because you support us through membership.

At every level – local, state, and federal – ACCMA serves as your voice. We translate your frontline clinical experience into policy advocacy that decision-makers can understand and act on. When it matters most, we show up.