San Diego County Medical Society

20062006IN 2006, WITH MANY SAN DIEGO COUNTY PHYSICIANPRACTICES NEARING COLLAPSE under the burden of a brokenhealthcare financing system, and with the number of uninsured andunderinsured patients across the nation rising further still, the U.S.healthcare system continued its decade-long march back to the centerof the political stage.

In early 2007, Governor Schwarzenegger and other state legisla-tors, both Democratic and Republican, put forth reform proposals toaddress these and other healthcare challenges. As the discussionsaround healthcare reform in California take shape in 2007, and asgrowing national attention is drawn to the issue with the 2008 presi-dential election, physicians in San Diego County, across California, andin every state in the nation must speak with a united voice to ensurethe viability of our practices and the health of our patients.

No one is better positioned to address the larger systemic problemsfacing healthcare today than physicians speaking as one while work-ing closely with their elected representatives. The San Diego CountyMedical Society (SDCMS) and the California Medical Association (CMA)will continue to lead the discussion in California to ensure that physi-cians are well represented and that our interests and the interests ofour patients are protected.

SDCMS works hard on behalf of our member physicians and theiroffice staffs by ADVOCATING for physicians locally, in Sacramento,and in Washington, DC, by offering to our members tangible memberBENEFITS, by COMMUNICATING to our members what they needto know when they need to know it in order to save them time andmoney, and by ENGAGING our members in the issues so that theycan be part of the solution! Working together, SDCMS physicians are“Physicians United for a Healthy San Diego.”

2006 Legislation Sponsored by CMA What SDCMS Does for Our Physicians

Your Health Plan Victories

Your Patients Receive Emergency Funding

$5 Million in Your Pockets

Delivering Your Message!

25% Workers’ Compensation Increase

MORE THAN 50 SDCMS member physicians deliv-ered compelling testimo-

ny at a Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) public hearing on September 25, 2006 — held inSan Diego at SDCMS’ urging — in response to proposed regulations by Governor Schwarzenegger in thesummer of 2006 that would have prohibited billing patients for emergency services provided by non-con-tracting physicians.

Supporting the testimony of hundreds of physicians from organized medicine delivered across the state,CMA sent DMHC extensive written comments, calling the proposals “flatly illegal” and a threat to the qual-ity and availability of emergency care throughout the state.

SDCMS-CMA strongly oppose (and continue to fight against) any DMHC proposal that would place theinterests of Wall Street-driven insurers before those of physicians, irreparably harming access to care bydenying physicians the right to bill for services rendered.

• CMA Lobbied DMHC to Force PacifiCare/United Healthcare to Make Its Contract Consistent With theKnox-Keene Act

• CMA Forced Aetna to Pay for Multiple E&M Services With Modifier 57• CMA Forced Aetna to Pay for CAD Mammography and Myocardial Perfusion Testing• CMA Forced Aetna to Pay for EKGs Billed With E&M Codes Without Modifier 25• CMA Fought to Have Blue Cross Spend 85% of Every Premium Dollar on Medical Care, Instead of the

78.9% It Does Spend — CMA Continues This Fight• CMA Forced Blue Cross to Withdraw Its Controversial Endoscopy Payment Policy• CMA Lobbied DMHC to Expand Its Jurisdiction Over “Discount Health Plans”

AFTER HEAVY LOBBYING by CMA, coupled withprotests across the state,

including a widely publi-cized South Bay rallyorganized by SDCMSworking with South Bayphysicians, the governorimplemented emergencyfunding on January 12,2006, to have the state asa stopgap measure contin-ue to pay for Medicare PartD drugs for Medi-Medipatients for 15 days, sav-ing thousands of lives andunnecessary hospitaladmissions.

CMA’S RICO class action lawsuit, challenging the rapacious tactics of the for-profit managed care industry, saw settlements by Health Net,

Anthem/WellPoint, and Humana in 2006, with United and Coventry the only remaining defendants.The Anthem/WellPoint settlement alone brought $465,891 to UCSD, $449,513 to Scripps Clinic

Medical Group, $427,037 to Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group, $287,479 to Emergency and AcuteCare Medical Corporation, $274,238 to Anesthesia Services Medical Group, $153,322 to Children’sSpecialists of San Diego, and $109,416 to Sharp Mission Park Medical Group. In total, San Diego physi-cians received $3,911,406 from the Anthem/WellPoint settlement in 2006.

The Health Net settlement brought $189,887 to Scripps Medical Group, $145,327 to Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group, and $103,933 to Anesthesia Services Medical Group. In total, San Diego physi-cians received $1,148,496 from the Health Net settlement.

As of the end of 2006, CMA’s RICO lawsuits against Aetna, Cigna, Health Net, Prudential,Anthem/WellPoint, and Humana have returned $384,000,000 to physicians and more than$1,000,000,000 in prospective relief — your SDCMS-CMA dues dollars hard at work!

RESULTING DIRECTLY from CMA lobbying, physicianswho perform medical-legal evalua-

tions for injured workers received a 25% reimbursement increase effective July 1, 2006.

Advocacy

Benefits

Communications

Engagement

Foundation

Financials

LEGEND

CMA sponsors many bills every year — in addition to tracking hundreds of bills annually —that cover measures affecting every aspect of healthcare in California.

5% MEDI-CAL PROVIDER RATE CUT ELIMINATEDSDCMS and CMA worked closely with Senator Denise Ducheny to eliminate this devastating cut byenacting SB 921. SDCMS leadership travelled to Sacramento to personally lobby every San DiegoCounty legislator to support this bill. SDCMS also worked with The San Diego Union-Tribune to publisha front-page article and an op-ed in opposition to this egregious attack on access to care for our mostvulnerable patients.

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CREATEDThe enactment of SB 162 was a huge win for CMA, which has long sought to rescue public health fromthe massive California Department of Health Services.

PROHIBITION OF PHYSICIAN PARTICIPATION IN EXECUTIONS BILL PUSHEDAB 1954, which would have prohibited the Department of Corrections from utilizing physicians in exe-cutions, died in committee. CMA will continue to push for passage of similar legislation.

REDUCTION IN MEDI-CAL PROVIDER APPLICATION BACKLOG FOUGHT FORSB 1353 would have expedited the Medi-Cal provider enrollment process. Unfortunately, the governorvetoed the bill, saying it could create opportunities for fraud. Until SDCMS-CMA ensures applications areapproved in a timely manner, member physicians can get their applications expedited by calling SDCMSat (858) 565-8888.

Growing San Diego Physician & “News You Can Use”

INCREASING our membership numbers in each of the past five years, theSan Diego County Medical Society has outperformed every

other county medical society in California!

SOLIDIFYING our relationships with local media in 2006, SDCMS hasbecome known as the go-to resource on healthcare matters in

San Diego County. SDCMS physician leaders are contacted almost daily by local print and broadcast jour-nalists and producers to deliver original editorial content and to comment on myriad healthcare topics.SDCMS is frequently cited in The San Diego Union-Tribune, The San Diego Business Journal, and The NorthCounty Times, as well as on KPBS television and radio, KGTV Channel 10 (ABC), KNSD TV (NBC 7/39),XETV (Fox 6), and KFMB Channel 8 (CBS). Your voice is being heard!

Some of the stories covered in 2006 relying heavily on SDCMS assistance: Paradise Valley Hospital Sale• The San Diego County Safety Net Crisis • Healthcare Access and Quality Issues • Walk-in Medical Clinics• Alvarado Hospital Sale • Patient Access to Care • San Diego County’s 2006 Top Doctors • The “BalanceBilling” (Billing for Services Rendered) Crisis of Late Summer, Early Fall • Molina HealthCare and Medi-CalPatients • Health Information Technology Mandates • Electronic Health Records • Tobacco Tax (Prop. 86)• Cross-Border Health Crisis • A Daily Transcript Healthcare Roundtable With Eleven SDCMS Physicians •The Looming Physician Shortage • Medicare Part D • Health Savings Accounts • The Looming Crisis inHealthcare Financing.

8,000 PHYSICIANS in San Diego County now receive SanDiego Physician magazine every month

as a result of negotiations that spanned much of 2006. Along with “News You Can Use” — SDCMS’ e-newsletter, which regularly goes out to nearly 3,000 San Diego County physicians and healthcare stake-holders — and CMA’s many email newsletters, SDCMS brings to our members exactly the information theyneed to know when they need to know it so that they can save precious time and money, all the whilekeeping themselves abreast of the latest medical, local, state, and federal news important to them! To signup to receive “News You Can Use,” send Tom Gehring, SDCMS CEO, an email at Gehring@SDCMS.org.

LAUNCHING our new website in 2006, SDCMS brings to its members andtheir patients the convenience of searching for the information

they need when they need it, as well as helpful resources, such as online classifieds, seminar webcasts,calendar listings, a physician bulletin board, legislative advocacy resources, and much more.

2,0002002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2,050

2,150

2,200

2,250

2,300

2,350

2,400

SDCMS Membership Grows 9% in 2006SDCMS Membership Grows 9% in 2006

Growing San Diego Physician & “News You Can Use”

SDCMS Income 2006-2007SDCMS Income 2006-2007

EXPANDING our portfolio of member benefits in 2006, SDCMS continues tosearch for ways to increase the value of membership with the

goal of returning to each member his or her dues in tangible member benefits.

FULL-TIME SDCMS PHYSICIAN ADVOCATE & OFFICE MANAGER ADVOCATESDCMS has a full-time physician advocate and a full-time office manager advocate on staff to help youand your office staff at any time with any question or need you may have!

PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE DISCOUNTEligible SDCMS member physicians receive a 5% discount from The Doctors Company on their profes-sional liability insurance, saving current TDC insureds hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

BILLING SOLUTIONS DISCOUNTSDCMS member physicians receive a 50% discount on startup fees (a $500 savings) and a $33 permonth services credit ($396 savings per year per physician) with CHMB Solutions, SDCMS’ endorsedbilling services company.

FREE CMA ON-CALL DOCUMENTSSDCMS-CMA members can access CMA’s online medical-legal library of over 300 up-to-date documentswith specific legal and practice management information on nearly every aspect of medical practice,along with hundreds of sample letters, free of charge.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION INSURANCE DISCOUNTSDCMS members save potentially thousands of dollars on annual premiums through Zenith — withthe average savings at 15%!

AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE DISCOUNTSDCMS-CMA members receive discounts from both the Automobile Club of Southern California (AAA)and Mercury Insurance Group, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars a year.

FREE SDCMS 2005 COMPENSATION SURVEYIn 2006, SDCMS released the results of our 2005 “San Diego Physician Compensation Survey” to ourmember physicians, free of charge.

EPOCRATES CLINICAL REFERENCE GUIDES DISCOUNTSDCMS-CMA members receive 30% off of one-year subscriptions and 35% off of two-year subscriptionsto Epocrates’ clinical reference guides, with students and residents receiving a 50% discount.

FREE HOTLINE ASSISTANCESDCMS-CMA offer our members free access to a Reimbursement Hotline [(888) 401-5911], a LegalInformation Hotline [(415) 882-5144], a Legislative Hotline [(866) 462-2819], and a ConfidentialHotline [(213) 383-2691].

Your Expanded Member BenefitsYour Expanded Member Benefits

Your New Website: www.SDCMS.orgYour New Website: www.SDCMS.org

Your Voice Is Being Heard ... and Sought!Your Voice Is Being Heard ... and Sought!

SDCMS MemberPhysicians:

2006: 23902005: 21952004: 21632003: 20562002: 2029

Investments: 25%

Advertising &Sales: 10%

Dues: 57%

Sponsorships: 6%AMA/CMA Commissions: 2%

SDCMS Expenses 2006-2007SDCMS Expenses 2006-2007

General &Administration: 28%

Advocacy: 18%

Communications: 18%

Strategic Planning: 8%

Membership Recruitment& Retention: 6%

Website & Database: 4%

2029

2056

2163

2195

2390

Medicare Advantage Plans Told to Increase Fees

GPCI Inequity Approaching Resolution

Medicare Reimbursement Cuts Stopped!

SDCMS Physician Becomes CMA Speaker

“Status Quo No More!”SDCMS Participates in Safety Net Study

SDCMS Sponsors Pain Management CME Program

SDCMS PARTNERED with other healthcare stakeholders in2006 and worked with the Abaris

Group consultants to produce the San Diego County Healthcare Safety Net Study. SDCMS plans to contin-ue to play a central role in studying the healthcare safety net of our community with the potential to rethinkthe delivery of safety net services within San Diego County.

JOE DUNN, ESQ., a termed-out state senator from OrangeCounty, was named the new chief executive

officer of CMA in 2006. Dunn, an attorney first elected to the California Senate in 1998 and re-elected in2002, has promised a new start for CMA: “Status quo no more!”

PARTNERING with San Diego Hospice and UCSD, SDCMS sponsored aheavily discounted CME program for SDCMS members, with

dates offered throughout the year, for physicians to complete their required 12 credit hours in pain man-agement and the treatment of terminally ill and dying patients before the December 31, 2006, deadline.

TWICE IN 2006, physicians had to lobby their legislators to reverseMedicare reimbursement cuts, first after a January

1, 2006, 4.4% cut took effect, and then again at the end of the year when a 2007 5.1% cut loomed. Inlarge measure due to pressure put on it from the physicians of organized medicine, Congress reversed the2005 cut in February 2006 and stopped the proposed 2007 cut at the last minute in 2006.

SDCMS, along with San Diego County’s congressional representatives, understands that this cycle ofMedicare cut threats and retractions cannot continue. SDCMS-CMA continue to fight to eliminate theSustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and replace it with the Medical Economic Index (MEI), which isused to calculate reimbursements for health plans, hospitals, and nursing homes, and which would haveincreased physician payments 2.8% in 2007. In the interim, SDCMS-CMA will fight in 2007 to stop thescheduled January 1, 2008, 10% Medicare physician reimbursement cut.

Help With Your Medicare Participation Decisions

PHYSICIANS NEED HELP assessing the economicimpact of continued

Medicare cuts on their practices. SDCMS-CMA in 2006 worked hard to supply its member physicians withthe data they need to decide whether or not to participate in Medicare.

• On December 6 and 7, 2006, SDCMS offered to its members a “What Are My Medicare ContractualOptions?” seminar, and will offer the same in 2007.

• SDCMS-CMA helped its physicians review their private payor contracts that tie their payment ratesto Medicare (an especially large problem in San Diego County).

• In 2007, SDCMS-CMA will embark on an aggressive campaign to overhaul the entire physician pay-ment system with a long-term solution.

A fair, long-term solution is long overdue. It is time for CMA to take the national lead to ensure that theMedicare program fulfills its mission of protecting access to quality care for the nation’s seniors.

SDCMS IS TAKING THE FEDS to court!Ted Mazer,

MD, SDCMS president, has fought long and hard to address the current Geographic Practice Cost Index(GPCI) inequity that results in San Diego County’s physicians receiving 5.5% less in Medicare reimburse-ments that what they would be entitled to if San Diego County were a stand-alone county, annually short-changing San Diego County’s physicians approximately $24 million.

SDCMS fought hard in 2006 for a congressional fix, continuing to drive the GPCI problem locally byobtaining signatures from all of our congressional representatives on a document to the Speaker of theHouse of Representatives, asking for a resolution to the problem. In 2007, with the discrepancy increas-ing to negative 7%, SDCMS, working with a coalition of underpaid California counties, has begun theprocess of taking the federal government to court to get this egregious attack on San Diego County’s physi-cians resolved once and for all.

SDCMS-CMA ADVOCACY pushed the Centers forMedicare and Medicaid

Services to have fee-for-service Medicare Advantage (MA) plans “pay the same as Medicare using the samerules, including the Deficit Reduction Act fee increase.” Although the federal budget package reversed the 4.4%Medicare physician cut that took effect January 1, 2006, many MA plans have not yet adjusted their payments.

JAMES T. HAY, MD, SDCMS’ 2001 president, becamespeaker of the CMA House of Delegates

in 2006. SDCMS as well, with its unparalleled growth in membership, is set to take on a third CMA trusteein 2007.

2006 Legislation Killed by CMA

CMA FIGHTS to defeat many bills every year that would have serious, neg-ative repercussions on the practice of medicine.

ACUPUNCTURE PRACTICE BY HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS BILL KILLED!AB 2152, a mode-of-practice infringement bill, would have required physicians who wished to incorpo-rate acupuncture into their practices to be separately licensed by the Acupuncture Board. With CMAstrongly opposed, AB 2152 failed in committee!

INFORMED CONSENT FOR PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION OFF-LABEL USE BILL KILLED!AB 2856 would have required a physician to obtain informed consent from a patient before prescribinga prescription medication for off-label use. After staunch opposition from CMA, working closely with leg-islators, AB 2856 was withdrawn by its author.

PRESCRIPTION DRUG LABELING REQUIREMENT BILL KILLED!AB 657 would have required physicians to ask patients if they wanted the intended purpose of the drugto be placed on the label. After rigorous opposition from CMA against continued physician mandates,AB 657 failed in committee.

MOTORCYCLE HELMETS LAW GUTTING BILL KILLED!AB 2427 would have gutted the motorcycle helmet law. With strong opposition by CMA, AB 2427failed in committee.

DISCOUNT HEALTH CARDS AND PROGRAMS BILL KILLED!AB 2855 would have legalized “discount health programs” that sell lists of physicians to uninsured indi-viduals. After vigorous opposition from CMA, AB 2855 was withdrawn by its author.

MANDATORY DEPRESSION CME BILL KILLED!SB 524, which would have added mandatory CME on depression, was defeated on the Assembly floorand later amended to a subject of no interest to CMA.

PHYSICAL THERAPISTS BILL SIGNEDAmong its few disappointments in 2006, CMA, though it fought hard against it, saw the governor signAB 2868, which authorizes physical therapists with doctorates to use the term “doctor” in written andverbal communications, but only as long as it is clarified that their doctorate is in physical therapy or ina related health science.

ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY BILL SIGNEDNotwithstanding fierce opposition from CMA, and even though CMA killed a similar bill in 2005, thegovernor signed SB 438 in 2006, allowing oral and maxillofacial surgeons to perform certain cosmet-ic procedures.

EXPANDING our 2006 seminar offerings, SDCMS looked to our members andtheir staffs for topic ideas and times/locations most convenient to

them. All SDCMS seminars are FREE TO SDCMS MEMBERS AND THEIR STAFFS as a benefit ofmembership!

• Medical Reserve Corps Volunteer Training — March 16, 18• Office Managers Forum: Employment Law Update — March 17• Disaster and Shelter Medicine Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita — March 28• Joint Conference on Pain Management and Palliative Care — April 8-9• Preparing to Practice: What Residents & Young Physicians Need to Know Before They Begin Their

San Diego Practice — April 22• Medical Reserve Corps Volunteer Training — June 1, 3• Office Managers Forum: Regulatory Compliance and Your Office — June 7, 8• Taking Charge: Contract Analysis and Preparing for Negotiations — July 19• Medical Reserve Corps Volunteer Training — July 20, 22, August 23, 26• Media Training for Physicians — September 16• Medical Reserve Corps Volunteer Training — September 21, 23

• Joint Conference on Pain Management and Palliative Care — September 23-24• Closing the Loop: Essential Tips for Appropriate Patient Handoffs, Follow-up, and Follow-through

— October 4, 5• Office Managers Forum: Tap Dancing With Toxic Patients — October 12• Joint Conference on Pain Management and Palliative Care — October 21-22• Disaster Preparedness for San Diego Surgeons: Hurricane Katrina Lessons Learned — October 24• Medical Reserve Corps Volunteer Training — October 25, 28• Preparing to Practice: What Residents and Young Physicians Need to Know Before They Begin Their

San Diego Practice — November 4• What Are My Medicare Contractual Options? — December 6, 7• Joint Conference on Pain Management and Palliative Care — December 8-10

SOCIAL GATHERINGS• SDCMS Open House — April 28• Residents and Young Physicians End of Summer Pool Party — September 9• 2006 “Top Docs” Gala — October 21

San Diego County Medical Society5575 Ruffin Road,Suite 250San Diego,CA 92123“Physicians United for a Healthy San Diego”

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDSan Diego, CA

Permit #99

SDCMS Expands Its Robust Schedule of Seminars & Involvement Opportunities in 2006SDCMS Expands Its Robust Schedule of Seminars & Involvement Opportunities in 2006

A capacity crowdattended one of

SDCMS’ manyOffice Managers

Forums, heldthroughout theyear at SDCMS’

office — free toSDCMS membersand their staffs.

Dr. Carol Young,(standing left, fac-ing camera) 2005SDCMS president,joined her youngphysiciancolleagues atDr. Mazer’s housefor a youngphysicians social.

San Diego County Medical Society5575 Ruffin Road, Suite 250, San Diego, CA 92123Telephone: (858) 565-8888Fax: (858) 569-1334Email: SDCMS@SDCMS.orgWebsite: www.SDCMS.org

Your2006AnnualReport—ThankYouforYourMembership!

Your SDCMS Foundation 2006 Annual Report

REVENUES

35% . . . . . Grants32% . . . . . Special Events15% . . . . . Contributions12% . . . . . Interest and Investment Income06% . . . . . Other

43% . . . . . Program Services25% . . . . . Special Events18% . . . . . Fund Development14% . . . . . Administrative

37% . . . . . Unrestricted, Medical Student Loans ($234,584)28% . . . . . Unrestricted, General ($173,130)13% . . . . . Endowment, Simon-Hertzka Fund for Medical

Student Advocacy Training ($80,559)11% . . . . . Restricted, Project Grant Income ($66,769)10% . . . . . Unrestricted, Student Loans Outstanding ($64,094)01% . . . . . Restricted, Simon-Hertzka Fund for Medical

Student Advocacy Training ($3,577)

EXPENSES35% 43%

25%

18%

14%

32%

15%

12%6%

11%

13%

1%37%

28%10%

UCSD medical students join Sen. Christine Kehoe, Dr. James Hay, Dr. Robert Hertzka, and Aron Fleck in Senatechambers during a legislative advocacy training trip to Sacramento. Left to right: Daniel Ghalchi, Chester Yarborough,

Amanda Lamand, Robert Basseri, Shirin Alonzo, Dr. Robert Hertzka, Yalda Azarmehr, Senator Christine Kehoe, LindsayFrost, Dr. James Hay, Albert Kashanian, Veronica Fair, Kamyar Shahedi, Chris Moriates, and Aron Fleck.

SDCMS FOUNDATION ASSETS

ACCOMPLISHMENTS• A $313,400 grant was received from the Blue Shield Foundation for

our Emergency Department Medical Home Project (EDMH). In February2007, the SDCMS Foundation began working with local emergencydepartments to lower non-emergency visits by diverting patients whoqualify to community health centers for their primary care.

• $33,000 was received from Sanofi-Aventis for website hosting of theconsumer health education materials.

• Project Access (PA) is almost ready to go public. PA is an innovativephysician volunteer initiative designed to expand access tocomprehensive medical care for uninsured and underinsured people wholive in San Diego County. The case statement is almost ready forfunding solicitation.

• $30,000 was added to the Simon-Hertzka Fund for Medical StudentAdvocacy Training from Martin & Pam Wygod and the WebMDFoundation. There is now over $80,000 in that fund.

• SDCMS Foundation will partner with San Diego Magazine fornext year’s online and silent auction.

• Working with UCSD to establish five scholarships to continue toattract the best and brightest medical students to San Diego.

FOCUS ON PATIENTS & PHYSICIANSThrough a series of stakeholder interviews, along with an assessment of

healthcare in San Diego County, the SDCMS Foundation established the follow-ing six initiatives:

1) Improving Access to Care: Ensuring San Diego County residentshave access to the quality healthcare they need regardless of theirsocio-economic status.

2) Physician Service to the Community: Connecting our talentedretired and practicing physicians to organizations in the community thatdesperately need their volunteer services.

3) Providing Practical Consumer Health Education: Providingonline patient education materials translated into all threshold languagesin San Diego County, at a fourth-grade reading level.

4) Improving Medical Technology: Increasing access to criticalpatient information at the point of care in order to enhance patientsafety throughout the region.

5) Supporting Medical Students: Low-interest student loans,scholarships, and grants to qualifying San Diego County resident medicalstudents, as well as public policy education that instructs medicalstudents about the impact of legislation on their ability to servepatients.

6) Endowing our Programs and Initiatives: Securing San Diego’shealthcare future.

YOUR VISION REALIZEDIn May of 1968, SDCMS formed the Association for Medical and Paramedical

Education and Research (AMPER) to support San Diego County students whowere pursuing careers in medicine and paramedical services by giving them low-interest loans. Since 1992, AMPER has supported 31 students with loans total-ing more than $250,000 (1). In June of 2003, the unrestricted proceeds fromAMPER enabled SDCMS to broaden AMPER’s scope by creating the San DiegoCounty Medical Society Foundation (SDCMS Foundation). Approximately 50 per-cent ($250,000) continues to be designated for the Medical Student SupportProgram and 50 percent to the greater good of the San Diego community.

(1) These figures understate the total number of students assisted and dollars loaned as they reflectonly 14 years of available data verses 38 years of service. As well, it was the practice at the time todelete records once students fulfilled their loan commitments.

OUR MISSION: “addressing unmet San Diego health care needs for all patients and physicians through innovation, education and service”

( $622,713 )