Can Transgender Activism Silence Science?

Vice President for Government Relations Jonathan Imbody discusses the lawsuit CMDA has been involved in regarding the transgender mandate, and how a new rule from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is expected soon.

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The Pursuit of Truth—Not Politics—Should Guide Research

The contentious confirmation hearing of Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh mirrored a less outwardly raucous, though equally intense, conflict in the scientific and research community. Our country, our culture and the scientific community appear at a crossroads. We are determining the extent to which objectivity, evidence and reason—as opposed to bias, ideology and emotion—will shape our conclusions and our policies.

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Not Your Mother’s Family Planning Program

In this week’s blog post, Jonathan Imbody shares how several federal grants awarded under a recent Title X funding opportunity illustrator the current White House Administration’s determination to ensure that faith-based and pro-life clinics, hospitals, pregnancy centers and sexual risk avoidance programs get a fair and legal chance to compete for federal funding.

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New HHS division, conscience freedom laws and policies protect patients and physicians

This excerpt is the sixth in a series of essays on conscience in healthcare, by Jonathan Imbody, Vice President for Government Relations of the Christian Medical Association and Director of Freedom2Care. The essays respond to “Physicians, Not Conscripts — Conscientious Objection in Health Care,” Ronit Y. Stahl, Ph.D. and Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhD, New England Journal of Medicine 376;14, April 6, 2017.

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Are healthcare conscience laws needed?

This excerpt is the fifth in a series of essays on conscience in healthcare, by Jonathan Imbody, Vice President for Government Relations of the Christian Medical Association and Director of Freedom2Care. The essays respond to “Physicians, Not Conscripts — Conscientious Objection in Health Care,” Ronit Y. Stahl, Ph.D. and Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhD, New England Journal of Medicine 376;14, April 6, 2017.

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Bedrock Oaths Vs. Zeitgeist Barometers

On the heels of World War II, with medical ethics in the spotlight following unconscionable Nazi atrocities, the World Medical Association (WMA) decided the Hippocratic Oath, which had guided medicine since around 500 BC, needed to be replaced. So the WMA developed a new oath that contained some of the principles of the ancient oath but opened the door to continual modernizing.

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Autonomy Quickly Translates to Tyranny

It’s one thing to expect physicians to do everything possible to advance healing for patients. It’s quite another to insist that whatever the patient wants, the patient gets—so the physician must provide it at risk of his or her career. Whenever one group gets its way regardless of the impact on others, that is not autonomy; that is tyranny.

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Federal Policy Top Priorities in 2017

The Washington Office of CMDA focuses on the fundamental issues of the right to life and freedom of faith, conscience and speech, which serve as the foundation for all other rights and freedoms. Here are some of the top priorities for the new year.

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Doctors, States challenge new “Transgender regulation”

“No doctor should be forced to perform a procedure that he or she believes will harm a child,” said Lori Windham, senior counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. “Decisions on a child’s medical treatment should be between families and their doctors, not dictated by politicians and government bureaucrats.”

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Political Parties Contrasted on Life Issues

Both major political parties recently issued new platforms that communicate contrasting core values to the American people. Following is a breakdown of where each party stands on the life issues of particular concern to readers of this blog: abortion, sex education, embryos and stem cell research and assisted suicide.

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The Use of Psychotropic Drugs in Survivors of Human Trafficking

As psychiatrists who are also Christians, we evaluate and treat patients who have experienced many types of trauma, including trauma in childhood, adolescence, and trauma extended into adulthood. Prolonged, chronic trauma can be particularly damaging, affecting the minds, brain, spirits and bodies of victims, sometimes causing persistent physical and mental health problems, even when people are living under the Grace and Lordship of Jesus Christ. 

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Research Shows Use of Medical Marijuana not Always Beneficial

The evidence wasn’t as strong to support marijuana’s use for nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, sleep disorders, HIV-related weight loss and Tourette syndrome. Also, any benefits of marijuana or cannabis use must be weighed against the risk of side effects, which include dizziness, dry mouth, nausea, sleepiness and euphoria, according to the study’s lead author.

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The Point Blog – February 2015

Commentary and update on the state of legislative activities in Washington involving CMDA member interests. In this issue: Measles outbreak raising national concerns, The death of physician-assisted suicide in Colorado, and Illinois approves child use of medical marijuana.

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The Point – November 2014

Commentary and update on the state of legislative activities in Washington involving CMDA member interests. In this issue: In this edition: Terminally ill patient ends her life, Tennessee passes abortion amendment, and Public supports quarantine for Ebola health workers.

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The Point Washington Update – April 2014

Commentary and update on the state of legislative activities in Washington involving CMDA member interests. In this edition of The Point: Researchers harvest stem cells from cloned human embryos, Assisted suicide advocates make their case in JAMA, and SCOTUS hears case on free speech re: abortion in Obamacare.

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The Point Washington Update – March 2014

Commentary and update on the state of legislative activities in Washington involving CMDA member interests. In this edition of The Point: CMDA religious freedom commentary on Fox News, Supreme Court hears religious freedom, contraceptives cases, and Quebec election 2014 may speed euthanasia legalization; doctors protest.

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From Physical Pain to Spiritual Healing

Dentistry has been my passion since 8th grade. I became a Christian in high school and, like many, I grew in faith through the mentoring and prayers of friends and pastors. I have always believed God smiled on my life, and He has led me in some incredible ways.

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CMDA Dental Residency [+]

ogether, CMDA’s dental members are a diverse group of dental professionals and our experience spans the scope of dentistry: from a small solo practice to large group practices; from serving the wealthiest Americans to working amongst the poorest; and from short-term missions experience to a lifetime call to serve in the most remote areas of the world. We have dental faculty members including some of the top dental lectures in country, authors, military dentists, dentists involved in residency and advanced training programs and, of course, many dental students on campuses across the country.

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The Point Blog – October 2013

Commentary and update on the state of legislative activities in Washington involving CMDA member interests. In this edition of The Point: New Poll Results on Physician-Assisted Suicide, Obamacare May Trigger Exodus of Christian Doctors, and Doctors Look For A Way Off The Medical Hamster Wheel.

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The Point Washington Update – September 2013

Commentary and update on the state of legislative activities in Washington involving CMDA member interests. In this edition of The Point: CMDA human trafficking expert teaches doctors and students, Washington Post: Zygote is not a “living being” and Lawmakers focusing on abortion and harms to women.

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The Point Washington Update – June 2013

Commentary and update on the state of legislative activities in Washington involving CMDA member interests. In this edition of The Point: High court rules on two cases on same-sex marriage, and SCOTUS strikes “prostitution pledge” requirement for AIDS, human trafficking grants.

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The Point Blog – May 2013

In this edition of The Point: CMDA physicians on human cloning study revelation, Vermont to legalize physician-assisted suicide, Use Of Embryo Donation As A Family Building Option.

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The Point Special Edition – April 2013

The heroes are the best-known acronyms in the world of AIDS (PEPFAR, UNAIDS, WHO), the Global Fund and a host of NGOs. Together, these organizations have waged total war against AIDS in Africa—or what looks like total war if you compare it to efforts devoted to other diseases.

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The Point Washington Update – April 2013

Commentary and update on the state of legislative activities in Washington involving CMDA member interests. In this edition of The Point: Video chronicles abortion clinic horrors, Administration invites help in battling human trafficking, and CMDA and others urge HHS to reconsider contraceptives mandate.

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The Point Washington Update – March 2013

Commentary and update on the state of legislative activities in Washington involving CMDA member interests. In this edition of The Point: CMA human trafficking commentary published in Washington Times, House pushed to pass conscience protections, and Miss America promotes sexual risk avoidance education.

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The Marriage Viewpoint

George MacDonald, mentor to C. S. Lewis, penned these words many years ago: “The highest calling of every husband and wife is to help each other to do the will of God.” While most of us would wholeheartedly agree, we struggle to apply this principle to the unique challenges of medical marriages. Few professions have the myriad of obstacles facing a vibrant marriage that a medical career brings. At the same time, medicine is a vocation with great potential benefits—both to the couple and the lives they touch—as God works through their union. How crucial it is for us to focus on helping each other be all God has intended for us to be as individuals and as a couple.

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The Point Washington Update – January 2012

Commentary and update on the state of legislative activities in Washington involving CMDA member interests. In this edition of The Point: Human trafficking, International health, and the Contraception mandate.

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Rest for Your Soul

It was a heavy burden to bear and my soul was weary. I was accused of malpractice in the death of a three-year-old child I had cared for in the emergency room of our local rural hospital. Although I felt confident I had handled the patient as well as anyone could have, I had not communicated very well with the family. The parents spoke little English and I had no time to explain what even I did not understand as we performed invasive tests which culminated in a code and resuscitation. I arranged a life flight to the referral center and the family rushed off into the night on a six-hour drive to the tertiary care center. Tragically and unexpectedly, the toddler deteriorated and died from a rare disease.

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The Divine Invitation

When I decided to become a doctor at eight years of age, it is because I believe I was called to do so. Now, twenty-four years later, I know it was a calling. It has to be. Under no circumstance would anyone follow this course unless it was due to a divine invitation. At least this is how I felt after a recently troublesome time in clinic when I learned the importance of praying for the children and families God has placed in my life.

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Physician as Employee: Is This What I Signed Up For?

Healthcare has changed dramatically over the past fifty years. Theories abound as to the various causes and their effects – with managed care, the Generation X work ethic, and increased numbers of women in medicine being three commonly cited reasons for the decline of the traditional “family doc” who made house-calls and whose work hours were 24/7 as needed and the steep increase in the “physician shift worker” who figuratively clocks in and out and leaves his pager behind when he is off duty. Managed care brought financial pressures to bear on physicians in solo practice. Generation X brought a tide of newly graduated physicians whose definition of balance was quite different from that of their parents’ generation.

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