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This CPPPH newsletter aims to keep readers abreast of current developments and relevant information about physician health and wellbeing in California.
All past issues are available from the CPPPH website: www.CPPPH.org.
Definitions
Wellness activities address quality of life and professional satisfaction for all physicians.
Wellbeing activities focus on an individual physician and provide resources for identifying, evaluating, referring, treating, and monitoring for physicians when addiction, mental health, behavioral issues, and the effects of aging are a concern.
Confidential Assistance Over the Phone
The Physicians’ and Dentists’ Confidential Assistance Line is a 24-hour phone service providing completely confidential doctor-to-doctor assistance for physicians experiencing substance use or mental health issues. Call:
Send Us Your Comments
We want to hear from you. Send comments to gjara@cppph.org.
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RE: A Physician Health Program for California — AB408 Was Withdrawn
At the end of June, AB408* was withdrawn from consideration by the author. That marked the end of the 2025-2026 effort to get a Physician Health Program for California.
Observers expect the subject to be addressed as part of the 2027 Sunset Review of the Medical Board.
About Sunset Reviews
All of the health care licensing boards under California’s Department of Consumer Affairs are required to undergo periodic review of their performance for the renewal of their legislative authority. Without renewal of the authority, the board would “sunset.”
A Sunset Review is a comprehensive assessment with joint oversight hearings conducted by the Assembly Committee on Business and Professions and the Senate Business, Professions, and Economic Development Committee. The process includes the input of many stakeholders, including various organizations that represent consumers and physicians.
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*AB408 was introduced in February of 2025. Sponsored by the Medical Board of California and introduced by Assemblymember Marc Berman, AB408 would have authorized the MBC to establish a Physician Health and Wellness Program that followed the requirements detailed in the bill. See a copy of the full text of the bill HERE.
A complete history of the longstanding effort to get a PHP for California is HERE.
Resources of Interest
The Tennessee Medical Foundation has released an excellently well done short video, available on YouTube, in which several recovering physicians tell their experience with the Tennessee Physician Health Program. Titled Saving Lives Saving Careers, it is available in a 14 minute version and a shorter 5 minute version. It is highly recommended.
California Society of Addiction Medicine 2026 Annual Conference includes several presentations which may be of interest to those working in the physician health arena. For example, a half-day pre-conference workshop on motivational interviewing may be of help to those on wellbeing committees who are preparing for a first meeting with a physician who is in the precomtemplation stage of change. See Optimized Motivational Interviewing Across Cultures for Busy Clinicians and Educators. Wednesday, October 21, 2026 from 1:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Information about and registration for that workshop is HERE.
For those monitoring safety sensitive workers, the CSAM session on emerging substances such as kratom could be of interest.
The New Wave: Managing Kratom, 7-OH, and Emerging Substances, Thursday, October 22, 2026 11 AM-12:00 PM is part of the 4-day program. Information about the full 4-day conference at the Hyatt Regency Orange County is HERE. Register HERE.
Guideline on Monitoring Being Updated
The 2024 CPPPH guideline on monitoring is being updated and will be discussed as part of the 60-minute video session on August 27 titled Monitoring When Done by Medical Staff / Medical Group Wellbeing Committees. CLICK HERE for more info.
The 2024 document is available now to be downloaded for a fee from the CPPPH website HERE. All interested persons are invited to submit comments for the update.
All registrants for the August 27th videoconference will receive a copy of the update at the time they register with an invitation to submit comments. The August 27 session will close the last comment period. The updated document will be used in CPPPH’s six-part series of videoconferences, Best Practices for Wellbeing Committees 2026 that begins September 17.
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