Physicians for a National Health Program California

PNHP (www.pnhp.org) is the only national physician organization in the US dedicated exclusively to implementing a single-payer national health program. The headquarters is in Chicago with 18,000 members nationwide.

PNHP-CA, also called California Physicians Alliance, is the largest chapter of PNHP, having 3,000 members, and for 20 years has represented the views of progressive physicians on health care reform. We have contributed to the design of single payer ballot initiatives and legislation; conducted policy research; educated widely in the medical community and publicly; and in recent years developed a strong presence in the health professional student community. We are currently focused on efforts to pass the California Universal Healthcare Act (SB 810) and also work on health reform at the national level. We work closely in coalition with like-minded organizations and policy leaders, with most activity conducted by volunteers. Our current annual budget is $120,000.

PNHP-CA is in the process of an organizational transformation. Current initiatives include: 1) hiring an executive director; 2) building regional chapters; 3) implementing a statewide district leader network; 4) improving member recruitment and retention; 5) redesigning our website, email communications, and networking tools; and 6) organizing annual conferences to foster member activism.