New State Medical Assn. Chief Sets His Sights High

Dr. Charles W. Plows sees his new role as president of the California Medical Assn. as a high-profile way to push for affordable health care, more AIDS research and a “smoke-free” California by the year 2000.

The scope of such an agenda isn’t lost on Plows, who realizes that his one-year term is a short time in which to push, let alone accomplish, his goals.

Plows, 66, the first Orange County physician to become president of the state association, will be inaugurated Tuesday at the Disneyland Hotel, where the organization began a weeklong annual convention Thursday.

Lobbying the Legislature for affordable health-care opportunities, especially for the uninsured, is the main goal of the Anaheim physician, who has seen the changing medical needs of county residents during his 32 years as an obstetrician and gynecologist.

In 1975-76, he served as president of the Orange County Medical Assn. and on various committees of the California Medical Assn. and the American Medical Assn. In addition, he was president of the Orange County Obstetrical and Gynecological Society in 1968, and serves on the advisory board of the Western Journal of Medicine.

“I’ve seen the absolute growth of Anaheim over the years and the high cost of medical care,” Plows said in an interview this week “We have to do something about it. It can’t be business as usual.”

He and members of the association are working on state legislation that would release county and federal funds, as well as cigarette-tax revenue, to build an insurance system to provide for the estimated 5 million Californians who are uninsured.

“We’re trying to bring (to) millions of people in California, who don’t have insurance, some health care,” he said. “There are ways to increase funding in the so-called safety net that haven’t been exhausted.”

Maintaining funding for family-planning clinics, increased AIDS research and awareness, and continued lobbying to fight tobacco consumption for a “smoke-free” state by the year 2000 are equally important goals.

“Whether we will accomplish that totally is hard to say,” he remarked, “but we’re sure going to give it a try--the old Orange County try.”