Robert Splawn, MD, MPH
LACMA member since 2005
Robert Splawn, MD, MPH, former director of HealthCare Partners Institute in Torrance, was appointed senior medical officer of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services this past fall. In his new role, he will oversee the clinical affairs and medical affiliations division. His focus is on the department's clinical leadership in graduate medical education, clinical programs, medical staff development and performance, and service delivery to ensure achievement of LADHS uniform standards.

Dr. Splawn will also supervise medical school affiliation agreements by developing and managing centralized tracking, control and negotiation to ensure the agreements meet the department's needs and goals.

"Dr. Splawn is a highly regarded and outstanding physician who understands the complexities of our system and the challenges we face as a public system," says Michael Wilson, public information officer of LADHS. "We are delighted to have him in the organization to provide medical oversight and leadership and to strengthen our medical school affiliations."

Active in medical staff leadership and community foundations, Dr. Splawn is currently chair of the Emergency Medical Services Commission of the County of Los Angeles, an advisory board member of the California Forensic Science Institute, a board member of the National Health Foundation, and vice chair of the board of directors for California Hospital Medical Center Foundation.

Ralph Di Libero, MD, Samuel Fink, MD, and Jeffrey Penso, MD
LACMA members since 1982, 1979 and 1986 respectively
Di Libero, a Los Angeles orthopedic surgeon and president of the Los Angeles County Medical Association; Fink, a Tarzana internist; and Penso, a Los Angeles pediatrician, were all quoted in a Newsweek Web-exclusive article on Jan. 19 titled "Doctors Cool to Gov. Arnold's Health Plan." The story discussed local and statewide physician concerns about Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to tax doctors to fund the $12 billion proposal, which would provide universal healthcare to all Californians.

"Gov. Schwarzengger's rationale is that doctors will make it up by seeing more patients," Dr. Di Libero told Newsweek. "It's a fallacy. Physicians are seeing all the patients they can already."

Dr. Fink questioned whether Gov. Schwarzenegger's health plan will work and strongly opposed the governor's aim to cover nearly 30 percent of the plan's costs by levying a $3.5 billion coverage dividend on doctors' and hospitals' gross revenues. "Why not tax teachers to provide money for better schools?" Dr. Fink said.

Dr. Penso argued that certain medical specialties will suffer more than others. The tax would hit doctors with higher overhead costs harder, such as pediatricians, oncologists and general practitioners, whose costs amount to 50 percent to 60 percent of revenue, he says. "I buy $120,000 worth of vaccines out of pocket each year," Dr. Penso told Newsweek. "I'd have to pay a fee on that."

Paul Kirz, MD
LACMA member since 1982
Kirz, a Whittier orthopedic surgeon and secretary for the Los Angeles County Medical Association Political Action Committee, was named president and chair of the LACMA Political Education Fund. The nonprofit organization educates physicians and legislators about the political process and important healthcare policy decisions impacting medicine. Separate from LACMA's PAC, the Political Education Fund does not make contributions toward the political campaigns of local candidates for office.

"LACMA's PEF hosts legislative workshops in which California Medical Association staff and speakers of the Assembly teach physicians how healthcare bills are introduced and passed in the Legislature," Dr. Kirz says. "We educate doctors on LACMA's current political activity, such as protecting MICRA, eliminating scope-of-practice expansions and resolving balance billing. We provide education to local legislators by sending them information on healthcare issues that specifically impact physicians and patients. In addition, we sponsor medical students and residents for CMA's Annual Legislative Leadership Day."

Dr. Kirz says PEF will hold four legislative workshops in 2007 at LACMA headquarters in downtown Los Angeles. Seminar dates have not yet been scheduled.

John V. Hill, MD
VCMA member since 1972
Hill, a Ventura orthopedic surgeon and a past president of the Ventura County Medical Association, was named recipient of the Ventura County Medical Resource Foundation's David C. Fainer, MD, Award. An Oxnard-based nonprofit, the Ventura County Medical Resource Foundation is dedicated to improving the accessibility and quality of healthcare in Ventura County, especially for the underserved.

Each year, the foundation presents the Fainer Award to three leading medical professionals, two healthcare volunteers and an organization. Each recipient reflects Dr. Fainer's ideals of involvement, commitment and contributions to healthcare in Ventura County. An exemplary and empathetic doctor, Dr. Fainer was the director of Ventura County Medical Center's nationally recognized family practice residency program and medical director of its internal medicine department.

"At this stage of my career, it was very gratifying to receive this award," Dr. Hill says. "I was honored for our accomplishments in the community and in physician advocacy, and the incredible strides we made in medical staff governance."

Former chief of staff at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, Dr. Hill  spearheaded a medical staff lawsuit against the hospital and its administrators for trying to change bylaws unilaterally. The suit resulted in the passage of the Medical Staff Self-Governance Act (SB 1325) in 2004.