Catholic Medical Association holds first San Francisco meeting

Members of the Catholic Medical Association mingled at St. Dominic Church, Sept. 14 after their first meeting. The new San Francisco chapter of the CMA aims to provide education and support for Catholic health care professionals.
 
Sept. 23, 2019
Nicholas Wolfram Smith
 
Archdiocesan Catholics in the health care industry have an opportunity to meet like-minded colleagues now, as the San Francisco chapter of the Catholic Medical Association held its first meeting at St. Dominic Church on Sept. 14.
 
The group’s aim is to “encourage your faith and invigorate your ability to practice Catholic medicine,” said Dr. Cynthia Hunt, a CMA regional director.
 
Founded in 1932, the Catholic Medical Association is a physician-led association of Catholic health care professionals devoted to providing fellowship, education and support for its members. The organization describes its mission as helping its members “live and promote the principles of the Catholic Faith in the science and practice of medicine.”
 
For many medical professionals, that can be quite difficult. Dr. Michel Accad, the San Francisco chapter president, said Catholics in health care “not only witness things that are wrong but it’s hard to take action – the dysfunction is so profound it can be hard to understand what is going on.”
 
Many in the health care industry are also concerned about professional repercussions from practicing medicine in accord with their faith.
 
The Catholic Medical Association “has been helpful” because of the educational and communal resources it provides health care workers, Dr. Accad said.
 
The chapter’s mission for its first years, he said, will be aimed at “mutual support, educating ourselves and making connections.”
 
Angela Testani, a retired nurse, said that while she was working at the University of California San Francisco her conscientious objection to attending abortions was honored by her manager. Other Catholic co-workers, however, did not take the same stand “because they weren’t as close to retirement and were afraid of reprimands from management,” she said.
 
Testani said she looked forward to participating in the association.
 
“We’re all God’s children. No matter where in the world we are, when we get together, we all have a common goal to nurture and heal people, body, mind and soul. It’s the perfect fit for me,” she said.
 
Protecting the conscience rights of health care workers has become a national issue. In May, President Donald Trump announced a conscience protection rule that says medical workers or institutions would not have to provide, participate in or pay for procedures they object to on moral or religious grounds, such as abortion and sterilization. It was to have taken effect July 22, but enforcement was postponed because it is being challenged in court.
 
According to a recent poll, 91 percent of faith-based health care professionals said they need conscience protections and would rather stop practicing medicine altogether than be forced to violate their conscience.
 
Visit sfguild.cathmed.org to learn more.
 
Catholic News Service contributed to this report.