The 20th Annual Western States Regional Conference on Physicians' Well-Being was held at the UC Riverside Extension Center on May 21. The program, presented by the Riverside / San Bernardino County Medical Associations' Joint Physicians' Well-Being Committee, was co-sponsored by the California Society of Addiction Medicine, the UC Riverside Continuing Medical Education Program. The committee is Endorsed by the California Medical Association.

James Hay, MD, CMA speaker of the House, was the first presenter, updating the audience on the status of the Medical Board of California's Diversion Program. He stressed that CMA and its multi-faceted task force is working with the Legislature and other stakeholders to develop an alternative to this program.

Returning speakers were Kimberly Ware, an attorney with the Law Offices of Kimberly Ware; Max Schneider, MD, Director of Education, Chapman Medical Center; Tracy Zemansky, PhD, Diversion Group Facilitator, Diversion Program, Medical Board of California; Harry Haroutunian, MD, Physician Director, Betty Ford Center Residential Day Treatment Programs; and Mark Smith, MD.

More than 180 attendees from hospitals and programs in California, Washington and Arizona spent the day learning how to recognize an impaired physician, what each hospital physicians' well-being committee's role and function is, how to investigate, intervene and monitor an identified problem, as well as the concomitant legal issues.