The 148th Annual Session of the California Medical Association (CMA) House of Delegates (HOD) will tackle four major issues when it convenes October 26-27, 2019, in Anaheim.

CMA physician delegates meet annually to establish broad policy on current major issues that have been determined to be the most important issues affecting members, the association and the practice of medicine. This year’s major issues are:

Augmented Intelligence: Technology continues to transform the way physicians serve patients, creating opportunities and exposing challenges that prevent quality, timely and affordable care. While CMA has adopted policies addressing telemedicine, electronic health records and interoperability, it’s time to explore pragmatic solutions that address medical decision-making, new liabilities and privacy concerns inherent with augmented and artificial intelligence. With few laws and regulations on the books, CMA needs to proactively develop new policy that keeps physicians at the center of health care delivery.

Cannabis: CMA has adopted extensive policies concerning cannabis use and regulation, including our 2011 white paper, “Cannabis and the Regulatory Void.” As the state’s legal cannabis industry continues to grow and evolve, CMA must continue to weigh in on pressing issues, including health impacts associated with cannabis use, public health protections, federal legalization, data and surveillance efforts, high-quality research, marketing and advertising practices, cannabis equity programs and more.

Homelessness: Physicians witness the homelessness crisis in emergency rooms, clinics and on the streets of our communities. The multi-faceted challenges of housing, case management, intervention programs and public health considerations require California’s physicians to weigh in on evidence-based solutions that address the health care and social needs of those at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

Adverse Childhood Experiences: When it comes to trauma-informed care, CMA supports efforts for data collection, research, and evaluation of screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), recognizing there is a growing need to increase familiarity on the what, when and how to incorporate ACE screening practices into routine care. California physicians need tools, resources and funding to address their patients’ cumulative ACEs, which has a strong correlation to numerous health, social and behavioral problems throughout their lives.

Reports on these issues are now available for comment. All members are welcome to submit comments online at cmadocs.org/hod/reports.