As I wind down my presidency, I want to thank the LACMA executive committee, board of directors, and staff for their unwavering dedication to supporting physicians, physicians' practices, and the patients they see daily. I also wanted to thank you, our members, as you have many options and you’ve chosen to support your profession.
"Over the past 11 months, I’ve seen LACMA continue to evolve, impact medicine and tackle the most pressing issues."
Over the past 11 months, I’ve seen LACMA continue to evolve, impact medicine and tackle the most pressing issues. LACMA was the first medical association to not simply offer “thoughts and prayers” when it comes to mass shootings, but we launched Project See Change (PSC), an innovative platform featuring content and resources for physicians. I served on the first physician-led panel in Los Angeles to address the impact mass shootings have on communities, physicians and first responders as part of the February Healthcare Burnout Symposium held at UCLA Luskin Conference Center. And, I’m excited to share our partnership with the Brady Foundation, Sandy Hook Promise Foundation, and the national Stop the Bleed campaign, thanks to our alliance with Allied Pacific IPA, ApolloMed and Garfield Medical Center.
In the weeks ahead, I will share our progress with elected officials such as State Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel and Assembly Bill 28, the Gun Violence Prevention, Healing, and Recovery Act. As of this past week, it will impose an excise tax in the amount of 11% of the gross receipts from the retail sale in this state of a firearm, firearm precursor part, and ammunition, as specified. The bill would require that the revenues collected be deposited in the Gun Violence Prevention, Healing, and Recovery Fund, which the bill would establish in the State Treasury. The bill would require the monies received in the fund to, upon appropriation, be used to fund various gun violence prevention, education, research, response, and investigation programs, as specified. I also look forward to sharing LACMA’s efforts with Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath as she recently led the support of AB 28.
LACMA also continues to make significant progress relative to growth as we signed L.A. Care Health Plan, Prime Medical and Garfield Medical Center to three-year partnerships and last week we received the verbal approval to engage ApolloMed as well. We hope to expand our long-standing relationship with City of Hope and continue to work closely with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to create a groundbreaking partnership that addresses public health, medical debt, wellness, gun violence prevention and much more.
I look forward to hearing from our members on ways we can continue to impact the practice of medicine!
Omer Deen, MD, FACG, AGAF
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