To attract physicians to ILCA, it must offer pre-approved CME credit for
both family physicians (must be done through the AAFP) and others (done
through AMA - but if you get AAFP credit, it can be used for AMA credit,
but not vice versa).  It must be advertised to doctors - I suggest sending
press releases to the county and state medical society newsletters and to
local newspapapers, and asking local ILCA affiliates to post notices in
local hospitals.   It would help, also,  to allow docs to buy specific
blocks of CME without paying a registration fee for the whole conference.
I would also target the medical school and residency faculty in the city
for course notices.

I suggest asking physicians in practice to pay for their CME (and don't
give away meals or gifts), but to invite the pediatric, ob/gyn, and fp
residents (and maybe endocrinology fellows) from the city for free.  They
don't need CME credit so the paper work requirement is minimal for them.
Perhaps  AAP, ACOG, and AAFP  could be asked for a grant to pay for the
syllabus and other materials for the residents.

I'd like to see similar arrangements for nursing students and faculty in
nursing schools.

Inviting students to conferences is a time-tested way of increasing
involvement.  Student memberships in ILCA for any health professional
student could be lower cost, perhaps not with a subscription to the Globe
and JHL (but one for the school's library).

These are ideas that have worked in medical organizations.  If ILCA wants
more doctors and nurses involved, these may be of benefit.

Julie Graves Moy, MD, MPH
Austin, Texas