Spring is finally here — and with it comes that unmistakable sense of renewal and possibility. The days are longer, the hills are green, and the season reminds us that growth, both in medicine and in life, is always unfolding. As we look ahead to warmer days, summer gatherings with family and friends, and those precious moments of rest and reflection, we are reminded of a timeless prescription we too often neglect to write for ourselves: Physician, heal thyself. In the midst of the chaos, we encourage every one of you to embrace this season as a time to replenish, reconnect, and restore.

Last month, SMLMA proudly joined physicians from across California at the California Medical Association’s annual Legislative Day in Sacramento. Our delegation — Drs. Scot Brunner, Warren Chin, Brad Drexler, Cathy Gutfreund, Gigi Magan Mendoza, Robert Martinez, Samantha Malm, Katherine Meadows, Nicole Wiecks, Michael Zakovich, and Executive Director Wendy Davies — took their white coats and their voices straight to the Capitol, meeting with key legislative representatives throughout the day.

Our team engaged in meetings with Senator Mike McGuire's office, Assemblymember Chris Rogers, Senator Cabaldon, and Assemblymember Damon Connolly, representing communities across Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, Marin, Humboldt, and surrounding counties. It was a full and impactful day of advocacy on behalf of our patients and our profession. Key Issues Discussed:

E-Bike Safety (AB 2346): Led by Drs. Brad Drexler and Nicole Wiecks, our delegation championed updated safety standards for electric bicycles, including equipment requirements, clearer consumer disclosures, and sensible speed limits designed to protect children and teens from the rising tide of serious e-bike related injuries.

Prohibition on Auto-Downcoding (AB 2431): Dr. Warren Chin led discussions on this critical bill that would prohibit health insurers from using algorithms to automatically downcode physician claims without any clinical review. Fair reimbursement is not just a financial matter — it is a patient access issue, and our delegates made that case clearly and compellingly.

AI Deepfake Physician Protections (SB 1146): Drs. Gigi Magan Mendoza and Katherine Meadows brought passion and precision to conversations about protecting patients from the growing threat of AI-generated impersonations of physicians. This bill requires disclosure when AI is used in health-related advertising and empowers the Attorney General to act against fraudulent actors.

Naturopathic Scope of Practice (SB 1333): Dr. Catherine Gutfreund led our delegation in expressing serious concerns about legislation that would significantly expand the scope of practice for naturopathic doctors — including prescribing controlled substances — without physician supervision or standardized protocols. Protecting patient safety and the integrity of clinical oversight remains a core SMLMA priority.

Physician Health and Wellness Program AB 408: This bill will allow the Medical Board of California to establish a Physician Health and Wellness Program – similar to what other state have and in line with evidence-based best practices – to support physicians’ health and wellness and protect patients by allowing physicians to be at their best.

Kaiser Permanente and Adventist Health Residents Stole the Show! Perhaps the most inspiring moments of the day came from an unexpected and wonderful source: our residents. Resident physicians from Adventist Health and Kaiser Permanente joined us at Leg Day and were nothing short of extraordinary. They were engaged, vocal, and many times took the lead in advocating directly with our legislative representatives — speaking with confidence, conviction, and a clarity of purpose that left every person in the room impressed.

To see young physicians so deeply invested in the future of medicine — so committed to fighting for their patients before they have even finished training — was genuinely moving. This is exactly what organized medicine needs, and we are incredibly proud to have them in our corner. The torch is in good hands.

Election Season: The Future Is on the Ballot: As spring turns to summer, California enters another consequential election season. Voters across our region will have the opportunity to weigh in on the race for California’s next Governor, as well as a host of regional and local elected offices that directly shape healthcare policy, hospital funding, and public health infrastructure in our communities. SMLMA encourages all members to stay informed, engage with the candidates, and exercise your voice at the ballot box. Physicians are uniquely positioned to lead these conversations, and our communities are counting on us.

Virtual Meeting: Senator Mike McGuire — May 6th @ 5:30-7:00 pm: SMLMA will host a virtual meeting on Wednesday, May 7th featuring current California Senate President pro Tempore Senator Mike McGuire. Senator McGuire will share his remarkable journey in public service and discuss his Congressional campaign as he now seeks to represent our region in the U.S. House of Representatives. This is a wonderful opportunity to hear directly from one of North Bay’s most prominent political voices on the issues that matter most to our communities and our profession. Please see the link below in this newsletter to RSVP and join the conversation. We look forward to seeing you there!

As always, thank you for your tireless dedication to your patients and your communities. This season, we hope you find moments of joy, connection, and restoration. Advocate fiercely, rest fully, and remember that the work you do matters deeply.

Warm regards,

Catherine Gutfreund, MD, 2026 SMLMA President

Sonoma-Mendocino-Lake Medical Association

Members: Do you need help?

• Problems Getting Paid? CMA provides direct reimbursement assistance to physicians and their staff.

• Practice Empowerment: CMA offers tools, resources and education to empower physician practices.

• Experienced Staff: CMA's practice management experts have a combined experience of over 125 years in medical practice operations

• Reimbursement Help Line: Members can get free assistance by contacting CMA at (800) 786-4262 or economicservices@cmadocs.org.

CMA is formally opposed to two dangerous ballot measures aimed for California’s November 2026 statewide ballot. One measure would negatively impact patients at community health centers and clinics, and the other measure would undermine physician leaders and other health care leaders at hospitals and in physician groups by arbitrarily imposing caps on total compensation. The cap in the ballot measure is $450,000 and compensation is defined broadly in include salaries, most benefits (other than health insurance), contributions to retirement accounts, bonuses, payments for professional medical liability coverage, childcare and some travel and meal expenses for anyone whose “primary duties” are other than direct patient care. CMA in opposition to these two measures that are bad for our members and all California patients.

The Health Care Endangerment Act would impact thousands of physician leaders and other health care leaders at hospitals and in physician groups. The measure places arbitrary pay caps, the only kind in the country, on vital health care workers, including many leaders of medical groups and physicians’ practices; Chief Medical Officers at hospitals; physician leaders who spend some of their time in administrative or management roles related to surgery, emergency rooms, oncology, obstetrics, cardiology, pediatrics and other specialties at hospitals. It will impact many physicians playing leadership roles in their physician groups. The measure is an attack on health care providers, will harm patients and result in a shortage of physicians and ultimately jeopardize access to care. PRINT AND SHARE FLYER | PRINT AND SHARE MYTH VS. FACT FLYER

The Attack on Community Health Centers & Clinics would threaten millions of California patients who rely on community health centers and clinics for their care. It would divert billions of dollars away from patients into new state bureaucracy, forcing health centers and clinics to drastically reduce patient services and in some cases even close. PRINT AND SHARE FLYER

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Review and share the attachments. Check out the websites by clicking on the links above.

CLICK HERE to join Californians Against the Health Care Endangerment Act

CLICK HERE to join Protect Patients: Stop the Attack on Community Health Centers

Your action on each of these measures today is critical to help protect the health care safety net, our patients, and health care workers.

Concierge Practice Opportunity — West Sonoma County

Established West County [Sebastopol, California] physician-led practice seeks a physician to develop a concierge panel within a flexible, independent model. Ideal for physicians seeking autonomy, high-quality care, and an alternative to corporate medicine.

Opportunity includes:

• Turnkey setup with established location and infrastructure

• Reduced overhead during ramp-up

• Established patient base with steady referral flow

• Flexible scheduling in a concierge model

Independent contractor structure with path to long-term alignment. A rare opportunity to build your own practice without upfront capital.

Contact: Liz Vicena via email: liz@sebuc.org | www.sebuc.org

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Volunteer Physicians Needed: Help Bring Care to Our Community

The Jewish Community Free Clinic (JCFC) is a volunteer-driven clinic providing free medical care to members of our community. All services are delivered by dedicated volunteers, including many local physicians who consistently share how meaningful and rewarding their experience has been.

JCFC is currently seeking additional volunteer providers and offers flexible scheduling, a supportive work environment, a safe clinical setting, and comprehensive malpractice coverage for all volunteers.

To learn more or get involved, please visit www.jewishfreeclinic.org or contact Donna at director@jewishfreeclinic.org. Additional information about JCFC’s impact and services can be found in the Executive Summary.

California Medical Association| CME Accredited Webinar Programs

See CMA's upcoming events and browse CMA's extensive library of pre-recorded webinars, covering a wide range of medical practice and public health topics.

The Sutter Health Virtual Grand Rounds is a Continuing Education (CE) webinar series hosted by Sutter Health Network providers for all medical professionals across Northern California including Interactive Q&A sessions with each live event.