A Call for SMCMA Doctors to Serve

                                                                                                   by Michelle B. Caughey, M.D.

 

                                

Friday, March 17th, I was the guest of the California Medical Association (CMA) at the annual UC Berkeley School of Public Health Heroes Award Ceremony. A diverse group of people gathered at the Exploratorium and meandered among the mostly basic science exhibits and Heroes posters until it was time to eat. Among the guests was Jan Horn, M.D., an old acquaintance through his wife. Jan is a trauma surgeon at San Francisco General Hospital. Right after the hurricane rains stopped, Jan was on his way to New Orleans to provide medical care. He introduced me to the trauma surgeon, Norman MacSwain, M.D., who recounted the horrors of practicing at Charity Hospital right after the tragedy. For six days the hospital was an island unto itself, surrounded by water. Much of the time they were without so much as running water and electricity. He remains very unhappy with the government’s response. I wondered how his practice is faring now, but there was no opportunity to ask him.

Other guests were a mixture of benefactors, faculty, and graduates of the School of Public Health. There were three other heroes: Jeffrey Sachs, the International Hero; Robert Scott, the Regional Hero; and San Francisco Free Clinic, the Organizational Hero. We were rewarded with a video speech by Bono of U2, who described Jeffrey Sachs’ work with the millennium project, which seeks to decrease the number of hungry people by half by the year 2015. Dr. Scott was applauded for his dedication in providing health care in the East Bay, serving especially AIDS patients and communities of color.

Sitting at our table were CMA Executive Director Jack Lewin, M.D., and Speaker of the House of Delegates Richard Frankenstein, M.D. Jack believes that the current state health structure does not support the state’s needs for public health measures. He has advocated strenuously to the legislature and to the governor to develop a separate office of public health that would coordinate such activities as flu pandemic response planning, disaster preparedness, basic human preventative and environmental health.

"Medical education does not exist to provide students with a way of making a living, but to ensure the health of the community." This is a quote by Virchow, quoted by Paul Farmer, and published in a book by Tracy Kidder. (footnote 1. Tracy Kidder, Mountains Beyond Mountains, Random House 2003.)

Through the SMCMA, the doctors of the county have been asked to play a vital role in two areas, just in the last few weeks. First, Scott Morrow, M.D., asked us to recruit a group of specialists to help him plan for medical care rationing in the event of a flu pandemic. Last week Sue Malone and I met with a group interested in forming a Medical Reserve Corps. The federal government provides information and consultation to these corps around the country. On the coast, Kent Garman, M.D., has already organized a small corps, and in Woodside, there has been some efforts to start something for several years. In collaboration with Barbara Pletz, emergency medical services director for San Mateo County; Don Cheu, M.D., expert in Emergency Response; and other county representatives, we agreed to form a Reserve Corps to serve the entire county.

If you are able and willing, I ask you to join the Medical Reserve Corps. I also will ask your help recruiting nurses, pharmacists, and other essential health workers.