The California Medical Association (CMA) convened its 155th annual House of Delegates (HOD) in Sacramento on Oct. 17–18, bringing physician leaders together to debate the issues facing medicine and help guide the association’s advocacy for patients and physicians. LACMA staff joined more than 40 Los Angeles physicians at the annual meeting, ensuring that the experiences and priorities of the nation’s most populous and diverse county were represented throughout the policy-making process. The...

Provided by ProAssurance, Part of The Doctors Company The physician expected a routine follow-up visit with her patient. Instead, she spent much of the appointment untangling a treatment plan the patient had assembled from TikTok videos, a Facebook group, and conversations with multiple AI chatbots. The patient wasn’t being difficult; she genuinely believed she had done her homework. Scenes like this are becoming increasingly common in exam rooms across the country. Patients have...

The Los Angeles County Medical Association recently announced that Katie Jordan, OTD, MBA, has been named its next Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Jordan brings more than 20 years of leadership experience across professional associations, healthcare, and higher education, and will begin her transition into the role on November 16, 2026. She succeeds CEO Gustavo Friederichsen, who will retire at the end of the year following a decade of leadership.

A recent opinion from the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York* provides a timely reminder that the attorney-client privilege and work product doctrine have clear limits when individuals independently use artificial intelligence platforms in anticipation of litigation.

The goal is not simply to exchange frustrations. It is to identify specific problems, understand where change is possible and pursue practical solutions that support physicians, health plans and the patients both serve.

Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) reached a major milestone on July 11, 2026, with the ribbon-cutting for its new Health Professions Education Building, a state-of-the-art facility designed to train the next generation of physicians and healthcare professionals while strengthening the healthcare workforce in South Los Angeles.

Dr. Horowitz was a member of LACMA for 41 years, offering his leadership, expertise, and voice in service to physicians, patients, and the Los Angeles community.

Los Angeles family physician Jack Chou, M.D., assumed office as the 158th president of the California Medical Association (CMA) at the conclusion of the association’s annual House of Delegates meeting this weekend in Sacramento. Addressing physician delegates on Saturday, Dr. Chou called for a shared commitment to protecting access to care, strengthening relationships within medicine and ensuring technology serves patients and physicians. “I cannot promise an easy year or that every fight...

The California Medical Association and the California Association of Health Plans have filed a lawsuit in the California Supreme Court challenging the managed care organization tax enacted through SB 125. The associations argue that the law violates Proposition 35’s voter-approved restrictions on taxation and the use of Medi-Cal funding.

Join us on Friday, November 13, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel for an evening celebrating the people and organizations expanding access to care, advancing community health, and bringing critical healthcare issues into public view.

To help the physician community remain informed and engaged this November, the California Medical Association (CMA) has published its Physician Voter Guide for the 2026 General Election.

Healthcare providers are preparing for the 2026-2027 respiratory virus season amid changes to the federal vaccine-recommendation landscape. Clear, evidence-based guidance is essential to help patients understand their options, maintain confidence in recommended vaccines, and protect people at greatest risk of severe disease. To support providers and multidisciplinary teams caring for adults, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LAC DPH) is hosting a live Fall Immunization...

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) and OpenEvidence, an AI-powered clinical decision support platform, today announced a collaboration to help physicians quickly find official LA County Public Health resources when searching for clinical information. Under this new partnership, when physicians in LA County search the platform for selected public health topics, OpenEvidence will display related LA-specific messages from Public Health. The messages connect clinicians to...

Why the future of CME and CE is bright: adult learning, lifelong growth, and reflective practice Scott Hershman, MD, FACEHP, CHCP | Vice President of Education and Professional Development, California Academy of Family Physicians (CAFP) and Advisor to Vinea Physicians have not always loved continuing education, and the requirements can feel like paperwork. But step back, and the picture is genuinely hopeful. Education remains the foundation on which better patient outcomes are built, and the...

Claims reimbursement protections, clinical AI safeguards and patient safety measures advanced, while administrative burden and Medi-Cal access remain concerns. For Los Angeles physicians, decisions made in Sacramento affect how care is delivered, how practices are paid and whether patients can maintain access to their physicians. California’s 2026 legislative session produced new protections for claims reimbursement and clinical AI, alongside setbacks on prior authorization and automatic...

New laws address clinical judgment, patient privacy and biased outcomes from clinical decision-support tools. When a clinical decision-support tool informs care, physicians need the authority to question its recommendations—and practices need a clear process for addressing problems. Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1979 and SB 503 on September 30, adding protections governing technology in health care. With implementation expected January 1, 2027, Los Angeles practices should use the coming...

Keep L.A. Covered, a countywide public-information campaign, has launched to help Los Angeles County residents prepare for federal Medi-Cal eligibility changes taking effect in 2027.

The conversation took place at the California Medical Association’s (CMA) annual Medical Group Symposium, where Dr. Flores and Director Baass offered perspectives from the physician and policymaking sides of a challenge familiar to California’s medical community: maintaining access to care amid a rapidly changing federal health policy landscape and significant pressure on Medi-Cal.

CARE Court was established to help adults living with untreated schizophrenia spectrum disorders or certain psychotic disorders who are experiencing significant functional decline and are unlikely to engage in treatment voluntarily.

Major federal student loan changes took effect July 1, reshaping how many future physicians will finance their education. While most provisions are now in effect, litigation continues over which healthcare and graduate degree programs qualify for higher “professional student” borrowing limits. For medical students subject to the new rules, federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan borrowing is generally limited to $50,000 annually and $200,000 in total for professional education. A new $257,500...