Statement from Karen Sibert, MD for Councilor-At-Large May 8, 2019 LACMA Elections 895 It is a great honor to be nominated for a Councilor-at-Large position. The House of Medicine is under siege. Insurers are on constant lookout for excuses to deny payment. Healthcare systems are absorbing smaller practices at unprecedented rates. Medi-Cal payments don't meet the cost of care. If we don't stand together to speak up for patients and for the practice of medicine, our profession will be at grave risk. As Immediate Past President of the California Society of Anesthesiologists, I have substantial experience in organized medicine. I've worked with lawmakers on the issues of surprise billing and narrow networks, and helped pass legislation to reduce anesthesia risks for children in dental offices. During 2019 CMA Legislative Day, I testified in support of Dr. Richard Pan's pro-vaccination bill, SB 276. My early work as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal has helped me become an articulate advocate in writing and in person. Within LACMA, I'm President-elect for District 5, and serve on the compensation Committee and Women Physicians' Committee. I am very grateful for the endorsement of LACMA leaders including Drs. C. Freeman, Sion Roy, Jerry Abraham, and William Averill. I've spent 16 years in LA private practice and three years in academic practice, and I believe LACMA can be an organization that brings all of us — residents, new graduates, and experienced physicians, from every specialty and mode of practice — together to support each other. We must foster connections at the local grassroots level, and form key relationships with our legislators. I would be delighted to discuss my candidacy with you. I believe I have the energy and experience to be an effective Councilor-at-Large, and it would be an honor to serve. I hope to earn your support and your vote. VOTE NOW