Last updated: March 31, 2009

The California Medical Association has joined the fight to get the federal government to restore funding for the Stanislaus Family Medicine Residency Program. As we reported earlier, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently eliminated funding for the program -- and demanded repayment of more than $19 million it says it wrongly gave the program. Doctors Medical Center and Stanislaus County agreed to repay CMA but are appealing the federal agency's ruling. The residency program trains physicians and staffs county health clinics; since 1975 the program has trained 223 physicians, 70 of whom still practice in the county. We're pleased to see the CMA supporting the effort to continue funding this critical health care program, and hope other regional and statewide groups will join the cause.