Advocacy

CAL/ACEP is proud to boast one of the most effective, member-driven advocacy programs in the house of medicine. With nearly forty years of successful advocacy as its foundation, your CAL/ACEP Advocates work tirelessly to ensure that your patients and your specialty have a robust and effective voice before California’s Legislature, Governor, Courts and County governments.

ACEP's NATIONAL REPORT CARD ON THE STATE OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE

California Ranks 37th Overall; 51st in Access to Care

ACEP released its 2008 National Report Card on the State of Emergency Medicine on December 9, 2008. The news for California was not good: an Overall Grade of "D+", with an "F" for Access to Emergency Care. Click below for the full report and for CAL/ACEP's press release.

The National Report Card on the State of Emergency Medicine
California Full Report

"California ERs in Crisis" CAL/ACEP Press Release (December 9, 2008)

WHAT CAL/ACEP ADVOCACY HAS DONE FOR YOU

CAL/ACEP Advocacy: Four Decades of Success

YOUR ADVOCATES

Elena Lopez-Gusman is the director of CAL/ACEP's advocacy program. Elena is familiar to CAL/ACEP members from her many years of service as Legislative Director for Senator Joe Dunn (D-Santa Ana). She first began her collaboration with CAL/ACEP in 1999 when Senator Dunn authored legislation to ensure that California's tobacco litigation settlement funds would be spent on health care. Prior to her work for Senator Dunn, Elena worked for Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Elena earned her B.A. in Sociology and her J.D. from the University of California at Davis, and is a member in good standing of the California Bar.

Ryan P. Adame joined CAL/ACEP in 2006 after three years as Executive Assistant to Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego). While working for Senator Kehoe, Ryan staffed the Senator on elections and governmental modernization issues, including the "Little Hoover" Commission, as well as the Legislative Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Caucus - the first legislative caucus of its kind in the nation. Prior to his service in Senator Kehoe's office, Ryan was an intern in the Office of the Assembly Chief Clerk, the parliamentarian of the Assembly.

Ryan earned his B.A. in Political Science from the University of California at Davis and is currently pursuing his M.P.A. at the University of Southern California. Ryan is a member of the American Society for Public Administration.

James E. Randlett has represented CAL/ACEP as a contract lobbyist for over 30 years. In that time he has successfully advocated for and against thousands of pieces of legislation including: enactment of major malpractice legislation mandating that only a practicing emergency physician may be used as an expert witness in malpractice suits brought against emergency physicians; creation of the Maddy Emergency Medical Services Fund of $50 million annually that reimburses emergency physicians for indigent care; creation of the statewide Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system; adding $24.8 million annually of cigarette tax money to the Maddy EMS Fund; enacting the Bergeson Bill, which prohibits HMOs from requiring prior authorization for emergency services and establishing a prudent layperson standard; defeating legislation that would have prohibited balance billing of patients without ensuring plans pay physicians fairly, and developing CAL/ACEPâ€™s alternative â€“ SB 981-Perata of 2008.

Jim earned his B.A. in Politics from Princeton University.

Tim Madden of Randlett/Nelson Associates represents CAL/ACEP as a contract lobbyist. His successes on behalf of CAL/ACEP include enacting legislation to allow Santa Barbara County to establish and fund a Maddy EMS Fund. Prior to joining Randlett/Nelson Associates, Tim worked for Citibank, Wells Fargo Bank and BroadVision.

Tim earned his B.S. in Economics from Santa Clara University and his M.B.A. in Strategic Marketing from the University of San Francisco.