Making Medicine Ours Again: Patients and Doctors United for Health
March 10-12, 2007 in the Washington, D.C. area

• Network with inspiring physicians from around the country
• Reconnect with your passion for better health care
• Build skills to advocate for your patients' health
• Special resident focus with sessions on saving sign-out and mentoring

Don't miss it.  Our speaker list is excellent, including: Sanjay Gupta, MD, senior medical correspondent for the health and medical unit at CNN (offered in conjunction with AMSA); Rudolph Mueller, MD, author of the widely read As Sick As It Gets; Ron Pollack, founding executive director of Families USA, a leading health advocacy organization; David Hilfiker, MD, author of Urban Injustice and Not All of Us Are Saints; and, Peter Beilenson, MD, MPH, former health commissioner of Baltimore. Attendees are also invited to a special presentation by Paul Farmer, MD, PhD, founding director of Partners in Health (sponsored by AMSA).

Register for the meeting at: http://npalliance.org/news/stories/national_meeting/

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NPA Joins Protest of NIH Neonatal Herpes Session

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases abruptly cancelled a conference on neonatal herpes aimed at writing clinical practice guidelines shortly after a coalition of influential physicians and consumer groups protested the lack of balance and conflicts of interest among the meeting's presenters. To read the letter signed by the NPA (among others), click here . More information on emerging conflicts of interest among industry-connected members of the scientific and medical research communities is available from the Integrity in Science Project, sponsored by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

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The NPA Calls on HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt to Rescind Keroack Appointment

The National Physicians Alliance is dismayed by the appointment of Dr. Eric Keroack to the post of Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs at HHS and has distributed a press release protesting the appointment. "Dr. Keroack's outspoken opposition to abortion and contraception makes him an unacceptable steward of the nation's Title X Family Planning Program," says NPA Board President Lydia Vaias, MD, MPH. "Control over the $283 million intended for family planning and other health services should not be left in the hands of someone who has worked to block access to those very services."

Dr. Keroack has served as medical director of five "crisis pregnancy centers" run by an organization that not only refuses to distribute contraception or referrals to contraception providers, but that also publishes misleading information about the risks associated with induced abortion.

The NPA believes that all Americans deserve full access to scientifically accurate and complete health information. Each year, five million women are served by the Title X Family Planning Program. The NPA views Dr. Keroack's appointment as a direct threat to the Program, to the clients it serves, and to the protection of reproductive rights in this country.

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The NPA Joins the Campaign for Children's Health Care

The Campaign for Children's Health Care is dedicated to making high-quality, affordable health insurance coverage for all of America's children a top national priority. Members of the Campaign are a diverse group of organizations representing health care providers, educators, parents, advocates, and others, all of whom share a commitment to our nation's children. The Campaign coordinates public education efforts across the country to demonstrate the importance of health insurance for children and families and to show why national action is needed to expand coverage for children.

More than 9 million children lack health insurance in the United States, the wealthiest nation in the world, and millions more are underinsured. If you haven't done so already, please SIGN THIS PETITION asking Congress to ensure quality health coverage for all of America's children.

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Launching Our Pharma Task Force

The NPA is campaigning to protect physician prescribing privacy. Sign Our Petition calling for a legislative ban on the sale of physician prescribing data for commercial purposes. You can learn more by reading the NPA's Issue Brief outlining reasons why physician prescribing data should not be made readily available to pharmaceutical companies. We are also establishing a task force specifically focused on this campaign. If you are interested in becoming directly involved, please e-mail npa@npalliance.org

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Spotlight: Dave Evans, MD

Dave Evans, a member of NPA's executive committee was recently featured in the University of Pittsburgh alumni magazine: "No Free Lunch: Country Docs Say 'Thanks, but No Thanks' to Pharma Gifts." You can read the full article at http://pittmed.health.pitt.edu/Winter_2006/attending.pdf

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Member Benefits

The NPA is always adding new benefits for our members. Check out http://npalliance.org/content/pages/membership_benefits to see the great benefits you can get just by joining.