We need more light instead of heat.

I’m not referring to global warming, but the emotionally charged arguments between those on opposite sides of the gun issue.  Everyone, including doctors, has differing opinions about gun access, hygiene and behaviors, and the role of government in regulating them.  What will help clarify this debate is thoughtful and comprehensive research on firearm violence in America.  Ever since medical minds analyzed TB and smallpox and developed strategies of quarantine and immunization, the scientific community has guided policymakers in important areas of public health.  It is time for our politicians to reframe the gun violence conversation from one of constitutional rights to one of solving a public health epidemic.  They have done this before.

Take the tobacco and cigarette problem.  Tobacco in America has been a staple since the 17th century, and cigarettes since the 19th.  They were smoked first by Southerners, soldiers, then everyone, as advertising flooded 20th century media.  But doctors began examining the data and speaking out.  In 1938 Dr. Raymond Pearl of Johns Hopkins reported in a scientific paper that smokers do not live as long as nonsmokers.  This triggered a line of epidemiological research that culminated in the 1964 Surgeon General’s 387 page report.  It clearly demonstrated that cigarettes were causally related to cancer in both men and women.  Federal and State regulations have since followed, which have helped protect the public from the effects of first and second hand smoke.  As a result morbidity and mortality from smoking has decreased.

Another public health campaign culminated with the installation of seatbelts and airbags in cars.  As early as the 1930s physicians equipped their own cars with seatbelts and urged others to do the same.  The AMA came out with a formal policy statement in 1954.  As more motor vehicle accidents and deaths occurred, public and private research by universities and the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency (NHTSA) increased.  By identifying the exact mechanisms of injury–ejection, head and neck trauma, etc.–the researchers helped legislators enact the best corrective measures.  The NHTSA has credited the use of seatbelts with saving over 15,000 lives every year.

Collecting relevant and accurate data is essential before suggesting solutions or regulating any public health problem, especially one as sensitive as firearm abuse.  The rights of responsible gun owners must not be abrogated.  Largely due to NRA pressure in the ‘90s, Congress eliminated research money earmarked for gun violence studies.  But after the recent Sandy Hook shootings, President Obama has charged the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to resume analyzing data on the who, when, and where of gun violence.  We need to use multivariate analysis and other statistical models to identify the actors and circumstances of homicides, suicides and accidents as a result of firearm use.  Then we can treat the problem with a more logical paradigm.  To that end, UAPD is sponsoring State legislation with our own member, Dr. Richard Pan, an Elk Grove pediatrician and Assemblymember.  We are seeking to collect data from every County in California to detect trends in firearm violence.  We will also be discussing similar studies with another UAPD member, Dr. Ami Bera, a US Congressman from the 7th District of California.

Regardless of our personal views on gun ownership and use, we doctors have a duty to keep our patients and their families healthy.  Unlike the state of Florida, which prohibits doctors from asking patients about their gun use, California allows us that freedom of speech.  We must continue to exercise  that right by educating our patients on safer personal and public health habits regarding cigarettes, seatbelts, and guns.

Good morning, Brothers and Sisters of UAPD and  AFSCME and honored guests. Welcome to  San Francisco, the birthplace of our union in 1972. Life Begins at Forty was the title of a book written by psychologist William Pitman, about all the possibilities of middle age. But the deeper meaning  of the phrase was supplied by the 19th century philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer.  He wrote:    

” The first forty years of life give us the text…the next thirty supply the commentary.”

And that seems to be the case for the Union of American Physicians and Dentists. Four decades have passed since Surgeon Sanford Marcus sat at his kitchen table with wife Hannah, stuffing  and addressing thousands of envelopes, inviting surgeons, internists and others in the Bay Area to do the unthinkable –to form a labor union for doctors.

A true visionary, Dr Marcus wanted doctors to fight together against the hospitals, administrators and bureaucracies that were already beginning to erode doctors’ decision making power. As the preamble of our charter so eloquently states, “…to enable doctors to give of themselves, unhindered by extraneous forces…” UAPD’s founder, Dr. Marcus, is gone. But we are deeply honored to have in our presence Dr. Marcus’s wife, Hannah and their children, Richard, Susan and Carol. Mrs. Marcus,  If not for your husband’s insight, courage and determination we would not  be part of this wonderful organization, this family that he created to better the lives of physicians and dentists. So, in essence, all of us at UAPD are your children as well.

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I encourage all union members to join me in San Francisco this November 2-3 for the UAPD Triennial Convention and 40th Anniversary Celebration.

To attend, send back the registration form that has been mailed to your home or register online here.  Exact event times are listed on both registration forms.

All events are free for UAPD members.  Members are responsible for paying their own hotel and transportation costs, though UAPD will cover those costs for stewards, bargaining team members, board members, and elected delegates.  If you have a question about whether you qualify, contact your labor representative.

What is the Triennial Convention?

As required by the UAPD bylaws, every three years the Union holds a statewide meeting that brings together elected delegates from all sectors of the union.  All UAPD members are welcome to attend the Triennial Convention, but only the elected delegates may vote on the matters at hand.  Any UAPD member hoping to serve as a delegate to the Triennial Convention must be nominated by three other UAPD members before August 3, 2012.  Here is a Delegate Nomination Petition to print out and return by fax or mail and here is more information about the delegate election process.

In addition, any UAPD member can submit resolutions to the Triennial Convention.  All resolutions must be received before the October 3, 2012 deadline and will be considered by the UAPD Resolutions Committee in advance of the Triennial Convention.  Here is a Proposed Resolution Form to print out and return by fax or mail.

More Events Than Ever Before

In recent years, UAPD has expanded the Triennial Convention into a weekend of member-focused activities.  This year, on the morning of Friday, November 2nd, we’re offering a free CME/CE course entitled “Addiction and Recovery:  Strategies for Practitioners.”   We’ll be bringing together experts in the field to give frank advice about how physicians, dentists, and others might approach this exceedingly complex topic.  We will mail out the full course description and list of presenters soon, but you can reserve a seat now by using the online registration form.

On Friday afternoon, you’ll want to stay for the statewide membership meetings that will be held for each UAPD sector (State BU 16, CSU, County and Clinic, Private Practice, Retirees).  This is your chance to have very focused discussions with staff members, elected leaders, and colleagues from around the state.

To commemorate the 40th Anniversary of UAPD, we’ll be holding a fabulous party on Friday evening featuring the music of the Swingin’ Blue Stars of the U.S.S. Hornet.  We are also lining up a number of special guests to participate in our Friday and Saturday events — previous speakers at UAPD functions have included John Garamendi, Gavin Newsom, and Jerry Brown.  There will be ample time for food, music, and socializing with your fellow Union doctors. We will be meeting at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco’s Union Square, at a beautiful time of year.

I look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones at the 2012 Triennial Convention and 40th Anniversary Celebration!   If you have any questions, feel free to call the UAPD Oakland Office at 1-800-622-0909.

Fraternally,
Stuart A. Bussey, MD, JD, UAPD President