With great pleasure and honor, I join the Orange County Medical Association leaders and members in congratulating Richard Frankenstein, MD, as he embarks on his year as president of the California Medical Association. There are few others, if any, who have served so diligently in such a broad spectrum of leadership positions.

I started working with Dr. Frankenstein during his campaign for CMA House of Delegates vice-speaker in 2001--and it's been a fun ride ever since. His conscientious nature, extreme intelligence and deep understanding of the issues, in addition to his wonderful sense of humor, are the reasons so many of us enjoy his company. Plus, who could come close to challenging his knowledge of the intricacies of parliamentary procedures, the status of any healthcare-related bill in the Legislature and the hot spots for dinner in New York or Hong Kong?

Dr. Frankenstein's commitment to organized medicine will truly benefit the vast population of California physicians. As CMA president, he will tackle difficult issues this year--issues that seem to get tougher and tougher, and issues that the OCMA and CMA have managed to keep at bay until now. The level of frustration between doctors and insurers is peaking. Relationships between doctors and politicians demand heightened sophistication. And the ties between doctors and patients are stressed by the challenge of delivering advanced, yet empathetic patient care.

Still, through it all, Dr. Frankenstein has a way of plainly and matter-of-factly stating any situation. Here's a recent quote: "It's really kind of weird when they're raising premiums and cutting what they will pay for patient care. We can't understand how that makes sense for the public."

It is apparent that Dr. Frankenstein enjoys his work advocating for patients and his colleagues while maintaining his practice. All of us in Orange County look forward to supporting him during his term. He is truly one of a kind--and how great that he is one of our own.