With the support of its Executive Committee and Board of Directors, the Orange County Medical Association has been working to improve member services and operations. Periodically, every organization needs to take a fresh look at itself, and we have spent 2007 doing just that.

Enhanced member services have provided doctors and their staffs with top-notch education and assistance on billing issues, electronic health records, Medicare and county government payment programs, and fair payment processes. New outreach efforts include more social events and increased visits to hospital medical staffs and specialty societies.

We have boosted communications with doctors, residents and students about how to participate in the many ongoing activities, and we have posted online surveys to seek input. The OCMA staff would like to hear from you! Please write to us at ocma@ocma.org and tell us how we may be of assistance. Also, please check the calendar of events at www.ocma.org often for timely updates on local events and mark your calendars for statewide events, such as the California Medical Association Legislative Leadership Day in April.

On the operations side and after months of study, the board directed staff to work with real estate professionals to explore opportunities to market the OCMA building and property. The property was purchased nearly 50 years ago--and it is safe to say that it was a wise investment. As you can imagine, the value has increased dramatically, and it makes sense for the OCMA to concentrate on its core business: To promote the science and art of medicine, the protection of public health, and the betterment of the medical profession.

The decision to explore the sale of the property was made after thorough and thoughtful consideration of the building's operating costs, condition and size, and the revenues received from long-term tenants. The marketing process may take a long time. Board members and I are committed to proceeding with the utmost caution and deference to members regarding the best possible outcome for the long-term viability of the association. After 118 years, the OCMA stands strong and will continue to do so.

Regarding other "buildings" in the community, St. Joseph Hospital in Orange just opened its new Patient Care Center with 14 state-of-the-art operating rooms, 150 beds and a healing garden. OCMA members on staff there are enthusiastic about the commitment to "complete management" of patient care, meaning improved coordination of care before, during and after hospitalization. OCMA member Robert Gorab, MD, was quoted in public announcements about the new center, emphasizing that each step of care is essential for the best possible outcomes.

Just miles from St. Joseph Hospital, the new UCI Medical Center is taking shape and scheduled for completion in about a year. UCI officials have stated that the new hospital will feature the latest medical technologies and strengthen UC Irvine Healthcare's ability to provide patients with leading-edge therapies and treatments. In addition, the new hospital will facilitate the teaching and research missions of the UC Irvine School of Medicine, which pleases many OCMA student members.

In Newport Beach at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, the Sue and Bill Gross Women's Pavilion has been open for two years, and OCMA member physicians are enjoying the modern medical facility. OCMA Secretary-Treasurer Michael Hurwitz, MD, says medical staff members are looking forward to many more projects, including expansion of outpatient medical oncology and radiation oncology facilities at the Hoag Cancer Center, and completion of the outpatient Neurosciences Center. The Hoag Health Center Newport Beach, opening in 2008, will house urgent care, advanced imaging, outpatient diabetes care and a CHOC subspecialty center.

It's clear that as Orange County grows, both the OCMA and local medical facilities are bucking the pressure of a struggling healthcare system and finding ways to succeed.