CMDA’s Advocacy Department is focused on serving as your voice to the government, media and public on bioethical and public policy issues. Much of the grassroots advocacy efforts we take on both federal and state levels depend on your individual involvement.

Take a look at the latest advocacy news that impacts you and your practice as a Christian in healthcare—and join us by taking action to advocate for Christians in healthcare.

                                                                                                                                                           

CMDA Responds to Executive Order Putting Transgender Children at Risk

On the behalf of our 16,000 members, CMDA sent out a press release on June 16, 2022 to respond to President Biden’s newly announced Executive Order Advancing LGBTQI+ Equality because of its support for gender-affirming care and therapy bans, which completely disregards the full body of medical research and puts already at-risk youth at even greater risk.

As Christians in healthcare, we have an obligation to stand up and provide ethical and evidence-based care for all patients, especially those struggling with gender identity, and to do so with sensitivity and compassion, consistent with the humility and love that Jesus modeled and commanded us to show all people.

Take Action

1. Earn continuing education credits in the CMDA Learning Center by familiarizing yourself with CMDA’s Ethics Statement on Transgender Identification.
2. Register to attend “Critical Conversations on Identity & Gender” on August 5-6, 2022, hosted by CMDA and The Hendricks Center at Dallas Theological Seminary.
3. Contact CMDA’s Advocacy and Communications Team to serve as a resource on this topic and other medical and bioethical issues.

                                                                                                                                                           

Your Help is Needed to Protect International Conscience Freedoms

The World Medical Association (WMA) is planning to revise its Code of Ethics in a way that could impact healthcare conscience freedoms, particularly regarding referrals. The proposed policy would make it mandatory for physicians who object to a procedure for reasons of conscience to personally arrange for that procedure to be performed by someone else, known as “effective referral.” If this effort succeeds, it will apply to every country and be politically useful to proponents of assisted suicide and euthanasia to achieve policy change in countries where these acts are not legal and push WMA to adopt a “neutral” stance.

WMA is hosting a meeting in Jakarta in July to discuss this proposed policy on conscientious objection, followed by a second in mid-August in Washington, D.C. During this meeting, votes will be taken on recommendations and the Code of Ethics as a whole.

Take Action

1. Become an associate member of WMA at wma.net/sign-up. Joining gives you access to internal WMA documents and allows you to influence WMA policy development.
2. Attend WMA meetings in Jakarta and Washington, D.C. to lobby delegates.
3. If you’re a member of the American Medical Association (AMA), reach out to your delegates. Larger medical associations like AMA will have more votes, so it is key the AMA hears from its members.

                                                                                                                                                           

As a healthcare professional, your voice carries weight—and we need that weight and expertise as we stand together to bring the hope and healing of Christ to the world through advocacy.