As one of the largest medical societies in the United States, the Orange County Medical Association (OCMA) keeps a close eye on changes in health care, serving a “watchdog” role on local, state, and national legislation as it affects medicine. Today, health care consumers are bombarded with varying ideas about health care, bioethics, health planning, emergency services and reimbursement policies. OCMA has established committees to study these and other current health care concerns. OCMA provides physicians with the opportunity to keep in contact with each other, discuss new technologies, exchange clinical information, and learn of the environmental changes in medical care that are sweeping the nation. OCMA is a local chapter of the California Medical Association (CMA), under the national umbrella of the American Medical Association (AMA).