MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITIES ONE PHYSICIAN AT A TIME
The odds seem stacked against our children,
our families and our communities. We are more overweight as
a nation than ever before. We have higher rates of many chronic
diseases – diabetes, heart disease - that are attacking all
of us, including our children at earlier and earlier ages.
Our children are poised to be the first generation to live
fewer years than their parents.
How do we turn the tide? The answer is at the same time both
simple and overwhelming. We need to eat less, and make healthier
food choices. And, we need to be more physically active. Why
does this seem so hard to accomplish? On the decline is physical
education in our schools, availability of fresh fruits and
vegetables in many neighborhoods, fewer children walking to
school and less physical activity for many adults. On the
incline is soda and junk food in our schools, advertising
to children about unhealthy foods, our waistlines and our
weight.
So, do we sit back and take it? Do we give up? Or do we say,
ENOUGH!!! And get involved. I would like to share with you
the stories of three physicians who have had enough. Each
is doing extraordinary things to change the health of their
communities.
 Meet Dexter
Louie, MD. Dexter is an ENT who is also a school board
member in the Moraga School District. Dexter saw more and
more junk food appearing on school campuses and wanted to
do something about it. He decided to take action. He developed
a program to work with middle school students about the obesity
epidemic and the decisions being made for their school campuses
that affect their health. Dexter doesn’t just go into classrooms
and lecture students about the harm found in the soda bottle.
He energizes the students to become their own advocates and
influence the decisions about healthy food choices at their
schools. Dexter has had success working in his school district
and with San Francisco schools. He is now working with the
CMA Foundation to train physicians who want to work with students
in their communities, with over 50 physicians ready to be
trained.
 Mike
Fisher, MD, has Santa Barbara on the Move!
Mike is a nephrologist who was seeing more and more patients
with end stage renal disease at earlier and earlier ages.
His answer was that medicine had to make a paradigm shift
to prevention and community action. He has energized and mobilized
his community and his colleagues. His first step was to create
the Santa Barbara Diabetes Resource Center. Building on this,
he next approached the city of Santa Barbara to adopt America
on the Move and is implementing this program locally.
In early February, a kick-off event was held in Santa Barbara
that brought together local health organizations, businesses,
schools and over 1,000 adults and children to take small steps
to greater health. Mike has reached out to the schools in
his community, to local business and brought the healthcare
community together to champion this effort. He and his physician
colleagues are expanding their efforts throughout Santa Barbara
County and will be working with the CMA Foundation to help
other cities and counties Get on the Move!
Overweight, obesity, and diabetes are negatively affecting
all of us. But more of this impact is being seen in our ethnic
minority communities. Kwabena Adubofour, MD,
is an African American physician, an Internist in the Stockton
area. He has been a leader working to improve diabetes care
within the African American community for many years. And
now he is stepping outside his office to work with the Southeast
Asian Community to address overweight and diabetes. Kwabena
is bringing together community organizations and physicians
to help his colleagues better understand how diabetes is viewed
within the Hmong community and how to work in partnership
to prevent diabetes among Hmong and Southeast Asian individuals
and communities. Kwabena is working with the CMA Foundation
to share this knowledge and understanding with physicians
throughout California.
Three physician champions – Three different approaches that
make an impact in their communities. What they share in common
is their commitment, passion and diligence. These physicians
didn’t give up. They inspire and keep working to make their
communities better for all.
It is our guess that there are many, many more physician
champions like these three extraordinary men working passionately
to make their schools and communities healthier places. We
thank and honor you for the work you are doing - for each
of us, our children and generations to come. We would love
to learn about your experiences as well. Share your stories
with us at the CMA Foundation so we can share them with others.
You can email me at emaas@cmanet.org.
And, thank you again to each and everyone of you working to
combat this horrible epidemic and make our schools and communities
healthier places.
Can you spare 12 hours a year to work in your community to
turn the tide on the obesity epidemic? If you can, join a
group of physician champions working with the CMA Foundation
on this critical health crisis.
If you would like to find out more about this, email Elissa
Maas, MPH, Vice President for the CMA Foundation at emaas@cmanet.org
or call her at 916.551.2550. She will fill you in on the efforts
underway by the Foundation and how you can get involved. Our
children and their families need your help!
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