CMA calls for the passage and signing of Assembly Bill 2164 which will further protect a physician's right to mental health support

SACRAMENTO – The California Medical Association (CMA) issued the following statement on the Medical Board of California’s decision to revise its licensure application to reduce the stigma around mental health for physicians.

“Physicians face unique stressors and challenges in their work that often lead to burnout, depression and even suicide,” said CMA President Tanya W. Spirtos, M.D. “This decision by the medical board is a critical step to ensuring physicians can access critical mental health care without worrying about jeopardizing their careers.”

“I know firsthand how important it is to seek out health care when you need it. Losing patients during my medical training was a deeply upsetting and traumatic experience, and I am grateful that my program encouraged us to seek out mental health support,” said Sacramento-based hematology/oncology physician Dayna Isaacs, M.D. “By promoting a culture of understanding and support around physician mental health, the medical board is protecting the well-being of both physicians and patients.”

CMA is currently sponsoring Assembly Bill 2164 by Assemblymember Marc Berman, which would prohibit the Medical Board of California and the Osteopathic Medical Board of California from asking invasive questions that stigmatize care on licensure applications. The bill advanced off the Senate floor yesterday and will next head to the Governor’s office for signature.

The medical board’s previous licensure application for physicians and surgeons may have inadvertently discouraged physicians from seeking mental health care. At its August 22 meeting, the medical board amended the application to make clear to physicians that seeking care is encouraged.

A 2023 survey by The Physicians Foundation found that nearly eight in 10 physicians, residents and medical students agree that there is stigma surrounding physicians seeking mental health care. By revising its mental health questions on physicians’ licensure applications, California joins the more than 20 states that have taken similar steps.