Rolland C. Lowe, MD, Chair of the Board of the CMA Foundation welcomed the Summit participants. He described the overall goals for an EPO Network as:

• Identify and support a network of ethnic physician leaders to serve as community health advocates throughout California.
• Provide training and technical assistance to support collaboration between ethnic physician and community-based leaders and their organizations.
  
• Develop mechanisms to link physicians and community members involved in efforts to improve the health of their communities.
  
• Address the issues of health disparities and access to care.
  
• Encourage ethnic physician leadership development at the local, regional and statewide level.
  
• Increase the workforce diversity and cultural competency of California's healthcare system.
  

This Summit addressed these goals through:

• Providing opportunities for networking.
  
• Discussing and developing recommendations for critical policy issues, including Language Access, Health Care Disparities, and the Connerly Racial Privacy Initiative.
  
• Sharing effective practices and developing recommendations for promoting community health collaborations.

Carol A. Lee, Esq., President and CEO of the CMA Foundation, followed with a presentation that outlined the development of the Ethnic Physician Organization Network from its roots in the creation of the Ethnic Medical Organization Section of the CMA.

Robert Ross, MD, MPH, President and CEO of The California Endowment delivered the keynote address for the Summit. He acknowledged the work of ethnic physicians in California and encouraged the further development of the Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations. He also described the growing crisis in health in California exacerbated by government deficits.

Dr. Ross discussed the program priorities of The California Endowment and its commitment to multicultural health, culturally and linguistically appropriate services, and increased access to health care. Dr. Ross concluded his remarks by commending the CMA Foundation and ethnic physician leaders present for their commitment to addressing the health issues affecting their communities.