California Society (CSAM) Moves a Major Step Closer to Creating a Statewide Physician Health Program

Last week, CSAM-sponsored legislation (SB 1483) to create a statewide Physician Health Program (PHP) in California took a big step forward towards the Governor’s desk when it passed the California State Senate by a vote of 36-2. The legislation is being carried by the Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, a democrat from Sacramento.

In 2009, after the demise the CA Physician Diversion Program which had been operated under the Medical Board of CA (MBC) for more than 20 years, CSAM joined together with other CA medical associations to form the “CA Public Protection and Physician Health” (CPPPH), a non-profit organization. The organizations supporting CPPPH, all with a long-standing involvement with physician health, set out to pass legislation that would mandate a new statewide program based on the understanding that supporting physician health contributes to public safety by providing services for physicians who face medical, substance use, psychological, behavioral and/or emotional issues that, if left unaddressed, could adversely impact their ability to deliver safe patient care

This coalition of stakeholders working with CSAM included the California Medical Association (CMA), California Psychiatric Association (CPA), California Society of Anesthesiologists (CSA), The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG), California Hospital Association (CHA), The Doctors Company and others. All are actively working together to address the critical need for a statewide physician health program and the coalition continues to work with the CPPPH Board of Directors to seek passage of the legislation.

Goals And Activities of CPPPH

  • To collaborate with physicians, physician groups and entities responsible for quality patient care in defining an optimum program for California
  • To provide consultation, education and assistance to strengthen the network of services
  • To develop guidelines and standards for physician health service providers
  • To create a full-scale statewide program that coordinates all the services needed to address the spectrum of physician health issues

If the bill is similarly passed by the State Assembly, it will reach the Governor’s desk by September of this year.

For more information about CPPPH, go to: http://cppph.org