California Medical Association (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, the CMA House of Delegates (HOD) will tackle two major issues when it convenes October 26-27, 2024, in Sacramento:

Maternal Health Equity, Obstetric Deserts and Reproductive Health: California is facing an alarming and accelerating trend of hospital maternity ward closures. These closures come as California is dealing with a maternal mortality crisis, with pregnancy-related deaths reaching a 10-year high in 2020. CMA’s physician delegates will discuss policies related to maternal health equity, specifically areas such as maternal mental health, the OB-GYN workforce, and financial support for struggling hospitals in rural and underserved communities.

Rural Health: There are perennial concerns about access to care and health disparities that exist for rural communities, yet CMA has little policy specific to strengthening rural health care infrastructure. CMA delegates will consider recommendations to address gaps in existing CMA policy, with a focus on developing a workforce specially trained to practice in rural communities, bolstering financial resources available to rural health care providers, and safeguarding the care services available to each community.

All members are invited to provide written testimony on these major issues reports through Friday, October 4. The testimony offered will help guide the CMA councils in the development of the final reports that will be discussed at the House of Delegates. 

Please click here to see the reports and provide your early testimony.