Volume 60, Number 3 - Summer 2009

 

By Victoria Soto, RN, BSN

When asked why I dedicate so much time to the SCMA Alliance, I find myself challenged to provide a single answer. One answer is that I want to use my talents and passion to improve health and health education in our community. Another is that medicine is my life and future. Third, as a registered nurse and the wife of a physician, I want to protect the autonomy of medicine. I also love philanthropy, education and family. The Alliance has been able to satisfy all these needs. 

Uncertainties in medicine have led to uncertainties in medical society Alliances across the state. As discussed at the annual CMA Alliance conference in Sacramento this spring, each local Alliance should honor its past and embrace the future. The SCMA Alliance needs to refocus on its vision of “improving health and quality of life for the people of Sonoma County and to further other charitable and educational purposes.”

The Alliance builds friendship and camaraderie as we strive to meet fundraising goals. The group allows its members to express their opinions, be courageous, support others in need, display art, give passionately, make valuable contacts, enhance skills, and learn new trades. 

In my own case, I learned how to design a PowerPoint presentation and create a newsletter. I was given the opportunity to travel, listen to motivating speakers, and advocate for health. I’ve seen the joy on the faces of scholarship recipients, and how the lives of disadvantaged children are enriched with dental care or psychological counseling because of funds raised by the Alliance’s nonprofit Foundation. My own children have enjoyed shopping for foster children at Christmas; the experience brings into our home the true spirit of giving.

Belonging to the Alliance provides a support system for the unique challenges of life in a medical family. Finally, it protects the future of medicine through legislative advocacy. 

Working together, Alliance members accomplish a great deal in our community. Local agencies that receive financial support in 2008/2009 from the SCMA Alliance Foundation include:

• Alliance Medical Center
  
• United Cerebral Palsy North Bay
  
• Girls on the Run—Sonoma County
  
• Kids Net
  
• WillMar Center for Bereaved Children
• Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance
  
• YWCA of Sonoma County
  
• Social Advocates for Youth
  
• Hope Counseling Services
  
• Department of Health Services
  
• The Living Room Center
  
• Family Service Agency
  

In addition to these agencies, the Alliance Foundation also supports its own community benefit programs, including:

• Foster Children’s Give-a-Gift Program
  
• Health Careers Scholarships
  
• Health Awareness Program
  

The Alliance offers meaningful opportunities to grow personally and to make a difference in the health of our communities and the future of the medical profession. Participating has been a wonderful journey for me, and I encourage all physician spouses, physicians, physicians in training, and friends of medicine to work with us for a healthier California. If you haven’t joined the Alliance, you should! 

To sign up, visit www.scmaa.org, click the “Join” button, and follow the simple instructions. 

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Ms. Soto is president of the SCMA Alliance and Foundation.