The Point Blog ARCHIVE All articles found in the archive are more than three years old. The purpose of this blog is to stimulate thought and discussion about important issues in healthcare. Opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily express the views of CMDA. We encourage you to join the […]
Read More[…] Health Outreach trip fees cover? Trip costs are in three main categories. Airline travel to get you from your home to the main airport in the country where you will be serving. You can get more information about these airline costs by clicking here. Your individual costs within the country where you will be […]
Read More[…] stored on our secure servers behind firewalls. Any payment transactions will be encrypted using SSL technology. The safety and security of your information also depends on you. Where we have given you (or where you have chosen) a password for access to certain parts of the Website, you are responsible for keeping this password […]
Read MoreThe first drug wave was the opioid epidemic. In 2016, more Americans died from drug overdoses (67,000) than during the entirety of the Vietnam War (58,200).1 The second and more insidious wave is coming—it’s the marijuana wave.
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[…] She spent her first year of medical school at the St. George’s School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies, before transferring to the Medical College of Pennsylvania, where she joined a CMDA student chapter. That student chapter was an anchor that brought dear friendships and Christian community to her life. After graduating medical school […]
Read MoreWith millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses already plunged into American arms and hundreds of million more doses on the way, can healthcare professionals confidently receive the vaccines themselves and also recommend them for patients? While responses to this question often involve important emotional factors that need to be addressed, this article focuses on three […]
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Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery where people profit from the control and exploitation of others. Human trafficking is most commonly defined as: Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained […]
Read MoreThe Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA) has developed this policy on “medical marijuana” with both an inherent belief that the Bible is the Word of God–that it speaks into our time and culture and that God gave us his creation to use to its fullest potential—and with the incorporation of scientific evidence which […]
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The Dermatology Section of the Christian Medical Association strives to enable Christian dermatologists to work together for deeper mutual support and understanding.
Read MoreIt is tempting to think sexual harassment is a problem that happens to other people in other places. Sadly, that is not the case. According to Medscape’s 2018 survey of 6,200 physicians, 7 percent of physicians have experienced some form of sexual harassment in the last three years.
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We are committed to providing the most up-to-date information on the legislative, ethical and medical aspects of the fight against the legalization of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. We’ve compiled a great amount of resources that you can use to educate yourself and others about this important issue.
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The latest up-to-date information on the legislative, ethical and medical aspects of alternative medicine.
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The Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA) has developed this policy on “medical marijuana” and “recreational marijuana” with both an inherent belief that the Bible is the Word of God—that it speaks into our time and culture and that God gave us his creation to use to its fullest potential—and with the incorporation of […]
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[…] proficiently enjoy simple skin suturing; if you want to make disciple-making disciples of Jesus among your patients; and if God is calling you to this work, we can train you in this medical ministry to fulfill the Great Commission. Come join us at our Warwick, Rhode Island location. We are also eager to talk […]
Read MoreIt is no exaggeration for me to say CMDA has had an influential impact on my adult spiritual life. Since 1999, I have been active with CMDA in one way or another. In 2017, my work with the New York City chapter was significantly increasing, and I found myself more interested in ministry activities […]
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The first time I ever heard of a lobotomy was in the early 1980s. I was a medical student, but I didn’t learn about it in class. Instead, I was in a darkened room with a bunch of other family members, watching a family home movie filmed 30 years earlier.
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[…] information on the legislative, ethical and medical aspects of the fight to protect the rights of medical professionals. We’ve compiled a great number of resources that you can use to educate yourself and others about this important issue. So get involved today: talk about the issue with your friends, write your senators and send […]
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We are dedicated to serving as a Christian voice on today’s current healthcare topics by speaking for our members to the government, media, church and public. Our Washington Office links our members with Congress, the Administration and policy organizations in Washington, D.C.; presents life-honoring perspectives through the national media; and publishes resources on vital issues.
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As those called to the healing profession, we have all lived and practiced through old and unprecedented new challenges in our careers. We can all agree the last few years have surely been unlike any we have ever experienced before in our lives.
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[…] the next steps you must take and what paperwork is needed from you. Everyone on the team must submit a variety of documents depending on the country where you will be serving and your trip position. Although all of this may not specifically apply to you, some of the necessary paperwork will include: Travel, […]
Read MoreWhen a medical code alert went off, my team took the stairs and not the elevators to save us precious seconds in the resuscitation. A “good” intern, I learned, gets their notes done as soon as possible.
Read MoreMost people can do one or two of these things, but very few people can do more than that. I have always found this idea intriguing as my family and I considered how to budget the money we have been given. But it leaves out something very important we can do with our extra […]
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Rebecca had eight months to go before finishing nursing school and was in an unhealthy relationship when she found out she was pregnant. She had no car and little income, and she certainly did not feel ready to have a baby.
Read More[…] information on the legislative, ethical and medical aspects of the fight to protect the rights of medical professionals. We’ve compiled a great number of resources that you can use to educate yourself and others about this important issue. So get involved today: talk about the issue with your friends, write your senators and send […]
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[…] information on the legislative, ethical and medical aspects of the fight to protect the rights of medical professionals. We’ve compiled a great number of resources that you can use to educate yourself and others about this important issue. So get involved today: talk about the issue with your friends, write your senators and send […]
Read MoreThe health effects of same-sex sexual behavior are many. The public, government, and judiciary are being lead to believe that same-sex sexuality is a normal variant with interactions and results equivalent to heterosexual sexuality. However, this position runs contrary to professional literature and the track record of history.
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This article is an excerpt transcribed from an interview recorded for a CMDA Matters podcast episode released in November 2023 with CMDA CEO Mike Chupp, MD, FACS; CMDA Senior Vice President of Bioethics and Public Policy Jeff Barrows, DO, MA (Ethics); and Professor John Wyatt. During the conversation, they discussed what it means to […]
Read MoreWhen I entered my family medicine residency, I had a cohort of marijuana-smoking pregnant women to care for. They drove me crazy. Many nights I would come home to my wife and tell her, “If I ever really hate myself, I will figure out a way to treat adolescent, obstetric addiction.”
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My freshman year of college brought a multitude of surprises. Certainly, there was the increased study load and the idea that I alone had to manage myself, my time and my schedule, yet the biggest surprise I experienced was when the God of the universe radically changed my life and the trajectory of my future.
Read MoreFor more than 80 years, we have pursued one goal—to transform the lives of healthcare professionals so they can transform the world. Through more than 40 programs including campus and community ministries, medical missions, public policy and much more, CMDA continues to be a driving force in healthcare—enriching hundreds of thousands of lives each year.
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Being a member of CMDA has lots of great benefits, but the greatest benefit of all is helping to further His kingdom as we change hearts in healthcare. If you aren’t a member of CMDA, we would love to have you join us!
Read MoreCMDA News and Press Releases Welcome to CMDA’s online newsroom, a one-stop source for journalists and the general public where you will find news releases, public service messages, videos, photos and more. You can also sign up to receive press releases and other updates by email. CMDA is the nation’s largest organization of faith-based […]
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The savagery of Hamas in Israel has been on everyone’s mind in recent weeks. Most political leaders, including respected Saudi leaders, have expressed their horror at what was done. The killing of civilians, including women and children, plus the mutilation and degradation of dead bodies, is impossible to defend. The depravity of Hamas fighters […]
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This scholarship if for currently enrolled female medical and dental students are given priority. Consideration is given to female medical and dental residents as well as medical and dental fellows who have financial need.
Read MorePornography is any medium that depicts erotic behavior and is intended to entice sexual imagination. Pornography has no beneficial use but damages human relationships. Mass communication technologies such as the Internet have expanded its reach to an unprecedented degree. Video and virtual reality have intensified its content. The introduction of sex robots that imitate […]
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[…] outbreaks of infectious diseases for millennia. Innumerable lives have been lost, families ravaged, and precious resources consumed. These occurrences have included both localized epidemics and world-wide pandemics where the infection was spread through close proximity and inadvertent transmission. Further elaboration is contained in the statements below. Download this Public Policy Statement (Executive Summary) Duties […]
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Have you ever needed someone to speak to your CMDA group, to a church or community event? CMDA provides for your convenience, a list of some choices. Each speaker has expertise in a number of subjects.
Read MoreAs the trappings of the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons emerge around us in North America, things look and feel quite different for our colleagues serving around the world. For cross-cultural missionaries serving far from home, this time of year is complicated.
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The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that systems tend toward maximum entropy, disorganization or chaos. Since 1950, society’s transition into postmodernism— where relativism replaces an agreed upon series of absolutes and truth—marked a pivot point accelerating chaos. When God’s truth is ignored, Satan and the world’s small lies gain traction and, if not corrected, […]
Read MoreHELPLINE 1-888-230-2637 HOME BLOG TRAINING EVENTS RESOURCES FAQs DONATE RESOURCES Podcasts CMDA-Matters Podcasts Dr. Steve Sartori and Dr. Ann Tsen talk about coaching in an interview from the February 2015 edition of Christian Doctor’s Digest. https://app.box.com/shared/static/3tzutsjwj359r8o4xewkmvn7oer0lh50.mp3 Ken Jones talks about Coaching Doctors https://app.box.com/shared/static/2spjrqgjl8rh54c8qaibrjvkm5la5csq.mp3 Creating a Coaching Culture Inside an Organization https://app.box.com/shared/static/pueqho8cjk7a6hvz9sm3evinzdj5r5kv.mp3 Coaching Physicians and […]
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Moral distress and moral injury are relatively new terms, but the problems they reflect are ancient. They address the need to face moral challenges with the integrity of an undivided heart.
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A high number of CMDA members want to go on or have served on an international mission trip. Why? Hopefully, not to just see another country, but to bring the love and message of Jesus to those who don’t know Him. Do we need to leave home to do this?
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God asks for and deserves our best, the first fruits of our labor. This was true in ancient Israel and remains true today.
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The mission of the CMDA CHEC Section is to encourage connection, promote excellence and integrate faith and work. The vision of CHEC is to be a community of Christian healthcare executives that inspires and supports one another.
Read MoreThe Christian Medical & Dental Associations® (CMDA) is made up of the Christian Medical Association (CMA) and the Christian Dental Association (CDA). CMDA provides resources, networking opportunities, education and a public voice for Christian healthcare professionals and students. Founded in 1931, CMDA provides programs and services supporting its mission to “change hearts in healthcare” […]
Read More[…] lead to depression, and depression itself is suffering. We are fortunate to live in a society that is largely insulated from suffering, compared to other places and times where people have had to grapple with the daily reality of illness, death, poverty or war. As a consequence, we are fearful of any kind of suffering.
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Introducing a new video-based teaching program from CMDA to equip healthcare professionals to share the love of Christ with their patients and colleagues
Read MoreWho we are and what we do. The CMDA Center for Well-being helps Christian healthcare professionals align with God, optimize well-being and maximize influence.
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[…] you struggle to spend time with your family? Perhaps you are feeling the pressure at work to see more and more patients. Or maybe you haven’t made it to church in months because you have too many responsibilities and now you just found out you’re being hit with a medical malpractice case. You’re on […]
Read MoreBeing a member of CMDA has lots of great benefits, but the greatest benefit of all is helping to further His kingdom as we change hearts in healthcare. If you aren’t a member of CMDA, we would love to have you join us!
Read MoreChristian Medical & Dental Associations® Policy and Issues homepage.
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“This brings you great joy, although you may have to suffer a short time in various trials” (1 Peter 1:6, NET).
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On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a landmark decision in which the court held that the U.S. Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. A number of medical professional organizations responded to the decision with public statements. These responses were […]
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[…] that day. The call was from a doctor. I called the doctor back and said, “Hello, this is Pastor Bert from CMDA returning your phone call, how can I help you?” After a pause, he responded, “Thank you for calling me back; I don’t know how much longer I can continue to practice in […]
Read MoreMore than a year ago, we watched as New York City and the surrounding area became the epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis when the pandemic initially broke out in the United States. At this year’s CMDA Virtual National Convention, we shared stories from several CMDA members from the area whose lives and work in […]
Read More“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” —Psalm 51:10, ESV It must start with us. Many things have been laid bare this year. In late 2019, a novel Coronavirus referred to as SARS-CoV-2 originating in Wuhan, Hubei, China spread to the United States becoming a global […]
Read MoreAs a Christian who’s been practicing periodontics for 29 years, I’ve had numerous opportunities to share my faith and pray with my patients. A number of my patients have expressed their appreciation for having a fellow Christian responsible for their care.
Read MoreTry as we may, adversity is unavoidable. Often unexpected, hardship comes into our lives in a variety of forms and levels—a cancer diagnosis, a harsh public criticism, a mistake or accident with a detrimental outcome, an economic downturn or even a pandemic or natural disaster.
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The healthcare mission field stands at an important crossroads. Around the world, opportunities abound for fruitful ministry through healthcare missions. Healthcare professionals are desperately needed, and they can serve in places non-medical missionaries can’t serve. All too often, needs and opportunities go unmet. The doors will not remain open forever. As health systems around […]
Read MoreWhereas modern medicine has made available technologies that can prolong life, medical science alone cannot answer questions of whether life-sustaining technologies should be used in particular circumstances or whether such technologies are consistent with patients’ goals of care, values, and beliefs about health, life, and death.
Read MoreOne of the most common reasons healthcare professionals give for not joining or renewing their membership is that they do not have time to be involved. Membership does not obligate you to participate in any of the ministries of CMDA. These ministries are there when or if you need them, either serving you or […]
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If we attempt to write a list of the people we really trust and then try to work out why we trust them, it is clearly not explained by level of education, wealth, privilege or oppression.
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When we meet someone new, one of the first questions we often ask is, “What do you do?” What we do is often the thing that largely defines us in broad strokes or gives us our identity.
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“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed” (Proverbs 31:8-9, NLT). That scriptural challenge is a driving factor for the work we do in advocacy here at CMDA. As one of the core aspects of CMDA’s ministry efforts, we are dedicated to serving as a Christian healthcare […]
Read MoreSent home, shut in isolation, studying in our bedrooms, trying to survive our first year of medical school, and we weren’t even at school! When the four of us entered medical school in the Detroit, Michigan area in fall of 2020, it certainly trumped any expectations we had.
Read MoreIn June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court finally corrected the debacle of the Roe v. Wade decision, ending 49 years of federal judicial fiat allowing legal abortion in all 50 states.
Read More[…] 2020, it was so early in the outbreak of the pandemic that my illness sent shock waves of fear through Inland Vineyard Medical Mission and Free Clinic where I serve as director. Everyone on our team was worried, including our student workers. How would we keep our team safe? And how would we still […]
Read More[…] relatively slow evening at work when I got the text. My phone vibrated on the clinic countertop as I was looking over a chart. “Are you busy? Can you talk?” I figured those words couldn’t be good, coming as they did from a young intern I mentored when she was a medical student. I […]
Read More[…] way,” the patient’s wife pleaded as she sat at the head of the table in our procedure room nearly four years ago. She was facing away from the surgical field where I was working meticulously on her husband to suture the vas deferens together using microsurgery under the Zeiss surgical microscope hanging above the table.
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[…] secure…” (Hebrews 6:19, NIV). We reviewed his CT in our multidisciplinary conference after treating his cancer with radioembolization. I brought him good news: “Right now, I’m optimistic. There’s no evidence of cancer on your scan.” He replied, “Optimist nothing, Doc. God said, ‘It is finished,’ and that’s all I need. That’s where my hope lies.”
Read More[…] I served as a physician at a university student health center early in my career. Those words were often a result of simple naivete, but consumer-driven patient attitudes have intensified dramatically through the years. Here in Canada, where euthanasia/assisted suicide is legal, I currently face more serious and sinister demands in my palliative care practice.
Read More[…] break period. We sent our first two teams out before countries began closing their borders. While these two teams were still out of the country, we began cancelling our remaining trips. First it was for the month, then it became two and on through the summer. Before we knew it, we had cancelled every […]
Read MoreMy husband and I had just moved from Michigan to Texas for my first year of medical school at the University Health Science Center San Antonio. We walked up to the door of a house we had never visited, hand-in-hand wondering what the evening ahead would hold, with unfamiliar people, in this unfamiliar part […]
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On November 24, 2022, the National Post reported that one in six women in Canada have had an abortion, and most of them think they made the right choice and therefore do not need to repent. A mere 10 percent regret their abortion. If Christianity is true, then everyone needs the gift of repentance.
Read MoreDr. Autumn Dawn Galbreath explores what a variety of secular physicians have to say about praying with patients in the exam room. It’s a topic that is vastly important to Christian healthcare professionals. Not surprisingly, there was a wide range of options among secular physicians.
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[…] ministries are dedicated to transforming the lives of healthcare professionals just like you through evangelism and discipleship. The core of CMDA’s ministry happens in local communities where healthcare professionals, residents and students live out the character of Christ. Campus & Community Specialty Sections Dental Ministries Women Physicians & Dentists Side By Side What […]
Read MoreLast week I felt inspired. I delivered the first half of a Christian-life lecture to local healthcare students, and it was smooth.
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“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16, NIV). He sat across from me and had time to chat while I was ordering some complex treatment for him, a part-time pastor with theology as good as a ThD […]
Read MoreBristol, Tenn.—November 29, 2022—Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA), which is the nation’s largest faith-based professional healthcare association, today is celebrating a final victory in its federal court case to protect the religious beliefs of healthcare professionals from being forced to perform gender-transition procedures or abortions against their conscience and best medical judgment.
Read MoreSent home, shut in isolation, studying in our bedrooms, trying to survive our first year of medical school, and we weren’t even at school! When the four of us entered medical school in the Detroit, Michigan area in fall of 2020, it certainly trumped any expectations we had.
Read MoreCMDA’s Dental Ministries is dedicated to encouraging and supporting dentists in living out their Christian faith in their professional and personal lives. We are an outreach that encourages and supports dental professionals and students as they strive to integrate their Christian faith into all aspects of their lives, while providing opportunities for training and equipping.
Read MoreI’ve been a family doctor in the same location for 30 years, so many of my patients have been with me a decade…or two…or three. Following people through their life stages has been a joy. We’ve grown older together. I’ve been acutely aware of this in the last two weeks as I’ve called […]
Read More[…] brutal civil war erupted in Liberia and soon engulfed the small West African country. At the time, T. Abraham Browne was in high school, and the senseless killings forced him and his siblings to flee for their lives to escape the bloodshed. They reached a refugee camp where Abraham would spend the next 10 years.
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Conscience-guided healthcare professionals and students received a healthy dose of positive federal policy advances in the last few months. CMDA played a role advocating on behalf of our members in each of the following federal policy reforms that relate to conscience freedom, gender issues and abortion.
Read MoreDoctors have had a bad rap on the marriage front for a number of years. We’ve long been accused of having a much higher divorce rate than the general public. For many years, there was not a lot of data on healthcare marriages, but strongly held popular opinion characterized a high percentage of us […]
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[…] Fellowship of Christian Physician Assistants, Jonathan Clemens, PA, 2022-2023 Chair About the Author Jonathan Clemens, PA, practices medicine as a PA in Thurston County, Washington, where he currently splits his time between eating disorders care with The Emily Program and Occupational and Family medicine at ErgoCare Clinic. Since his 2012 graduation from […]
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[…] to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised” (KJV). It also served as a roadmap for the rest of my life, and I believe it is a roadmap for us all.
Read More[…] moved to be near her daughter, but her daughter has rejected her. “I have to love her from a distance. She got a new job and bought a Range Rover. Now she acts like I never loved her. She don’t know that you can’t take nuthin’ but your good works with you when you die.”
Read MoreOver the last two years, CMDA’s dental outreach has developed into a two-pronged approach, ministering to traditional private dental professionals and also those seeking to serve the underserved, both domestically and internationally. Vice President for Dental Ministries Dr. William “Griff” Griffin focuses primarily on engaging with our dental members, while Vice President for Dental […]
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Despite the Authority of Scripture, there are those who are confused on this issue and from that confusion (combined with political correctness) there are professionals guiding individuals through the process of hormonal treatment (as normal) and very tragically, even surgical interventions. Today’s guest will address this and several issues.
Read MoreA malpractice lawsuit can wreak havoc on a healthcare professional’s family, career and emotional and spiritual wellbeing. The effects can be devastating. CMDA’s Medical Malpractice Ministry is available to intervene with prayer, educational resources and encouragement from a commission of doctors who have faced malpractice suits themselves.
Read MoreChristian Medical & Dental Associations® has several blogs available with articles dating back several years on a wide range of healthcare topics and issues.
Read MoreThis inaugural Great Commission Dental Conference will feature over thirty presenters, speaking on a wide range of topics – short term mission trips, long term ministry, teaching trips, private practice ministry, community clinic involvement, missionary dental equipment, funding missionary activity, et cetera. There will be something for everyone at this meeting, including sweet fellowship […]
Read MoreAt the 2019 CMDA National Convention, we were privileged to honor Dr. David Stevens and Dr. Gene Rudd for their legacy of faithful leadership. Dr. Stevens is stepping down as CEO of CMDA effective September 1, 2019, while Dr. Rudd moved from his Senior Vice President role to working part-time in 2017.
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