Background History:
The PMSNC was founded in 1972 by a group of Filipino physicians over bowls of
wonton noodle soup in a Chinese restaurant. Starting as a social organization to
encourage fellowship amongst Filipino physicians, a growing urge to help others
led to a more philanthropic turn for the society. It became a 501[C] (3)
corporation in 1984. To date the PMSNC has contributed a total of
approximately $1,000,000.00 in equivalent monetary value, to the community.
With a growing number of members and affiliates including dentists, nurses and
paraprofessionals, membership currently stands at 157. The founding President,
Dr. Rodolfo Duterte is still active and very much involved with the organization.

Organizational Infrastructure:
The PMSNC is composed of four regions: San Francisco/San Mateo, Santa Clara,
Alameda/Contra Costa, and Napa/Solano/Monterey. The twenty officers are
elected annually; the President rotates among the four regions.

There are monthly CME dinner meetings with one full hour accreditation, followed
shortly by general membership and board business meetings.

There are seven (7) standing committees, namely, executive, membership, by
laws, continuing education, scholarship, medical missions, and inter society
relations. In keeping with the changing times, the Bylaws have been amended
twice and again in the process of another amendment. As an offshoot of the
CME committee, PMSNC have also a Mentor-Mentee Program in which pre-
medical students rotate through member physicians’ offices that act as a role
model for the students. The Scholarship Trust Fund was established as a
brainchild of Dr. Jose Rodriguez as a foundation with more than $100,000.00
asset. Three to four scholars are selected annually and given grants of
$1,000.00 each from the dividends generated from the trust fund. The Medical
Mission Committee oversees the annual medical missions to the Philippines. With
operating budget of $15,000.00 per year from the Society, it relies mostly on
volunteer hours and donations from the hospitals, pharmaceutical companies
and private individuals to serve 5,000 to 8,000 patients including a minimum of
200 surgeries in a week’s stay in the Philippines. The inter society Relations
Committee is pro-actively pursuing public advocacy and solicitation of funds for
its philanthropic activities. Having participated in the two EPO Summits, the
PMSNC is moving ahead to be a prominent contributor to the cause of the Ethnic
Physicians Organization.

Health Care Priorities and Activities:
The PMSNC has been doing community outreach programs with emphasis on
diabetes, tuberculosis, hepatitis, domestic violence, depression among the
elderly, teenage suicide, and cardiovascular diseases. These diseases have been
prevalent among the Filipinos and other Asian minorities.









                      
                                                     Lene V.M. Martinez, M.D., 2003