The National Physicians Alliance (NPA) was a 501(c)(3) national, multi-specialty medical organization founded in 2005.[1] The organization's mission statement was: "The National Physicians Alliance creates research and education programs that promote health and foster active engagement of physicians with their communities to achieve high quality, affordable health care for all. The NPA offers a professional home to physicians across medical specialties who share a commitment to professional integrity and health justice." In 2019, they merged with Doctors for America.[2]
 | |
| Merged into | Doctors for America (2019) |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2005 |
| Type | 501c(3) |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
| Location | |
Membership | 20,000 physicians |
President | Manan Trivedi, MD |
| Website | npalliance.org |
Goals
editThe NPA was founded by former leaders of the American Medical Student Association as an alternative to traditional trade associations that primarily serve the economic interests of physicians rather than advocating first and foremost on behalf of patients and public health. In order to avoid conflicts of interest, the NPA does not accept funding from pharmaceutical or medical device companies.
NPA's guiding principles focus on health and wellness, avoiding conflicts of interest that might affect medical decisions,[3] collaborative and team-based care, and addressing social determinants of health.
Currently, there are four issues that NPA focuses on:
- Integrity and Trust in Medicine
- Equitable, Affordable Health Care for All
- Patient Safety and Systems Improvement
- Civic Engagement
Several of NPA's campaigns also focus on gun violence prevention. NPA also conceived and piloted the "Choosing Wisely" concept with a grant from the ABIM Foundation and the support of Consumer Reports. The concept encourages patients to choose care that is supported by evidence, not duplicative of other tests or procedures already received, free from harm, and truly necessary.[4] The "Choosing Wisely" Campaign won a "Foremother Award" from the National Research Center for Women and Families.[5] Their "Good Stewardship" campaign on eliminating the top 5 unnecessary medical treatments led to an articles in the Journal of the American Medical Association.[6]
Organization and membership
editA 501c(3) organization based in Washington DC, the NPA had a membership of approximately 20,000 physicians. Members must have graduated with an M.D. or D.O. degree from a professional school accredited by the LCME or the AOA's COCA; or hold a license to practice medicine within the United States.
The last president of the NPA was Manan Trivedi, M.D.[7] The former Executive Director was Jean Silver-Isenstadt, MD, PhD. Dr. Silver-Isenstadt served on the Pew Charitable Trusts "Expert Task Force on Conflicts of Interest in Medicine."[8] The last NPA Senior Policy Advisor was Valerie Arkoosh, who appeared on All In with Chris Hayes to talk about the Affordable Care Act.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "New Kid on the Block Turns Ten! The Brief, Remarkable History of the National Physicians Alliance". The Permanente Journal. Summer 2015.
- ^ "What's in the funding deal for health care". Politico. February 14, 2019.
- ^ "Setting Boundaries: 'Unbranded Doctor' Campaign Helps Clarify Potential Conflicts". LeadDoc. October 24, 2013.
- ^ About Choosing Wisely
- ^ "Foremother Awards and Health Policy Luncheon.", National Center for Health Research
- ^ Kale MS, Bishop TF, Federman AD, Keyhani S (November 14, 2011), ""Top 5" Lists Top $5 Billion", JAMA Internal Medicine, vol. 171, no. 20, pp. 1856–8, doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2011.501, PMID 21965814
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "NPA Welcomes New President Manan Trivedi, MD, MPP!". National Physicians Alliance. October 31, 2016.
- ^ "A report from Conflict-of-Interest Policies for Academic Medical Centers", Pew Charitable Trusts, December 18, 2013
- ^ "All In with Chris Hayes", MSNBC, November 5, 2013, archived from the original on 2014-06-13