Physicians Organizing Committee

POC is an organisation with a wonderful mission of fighting for the ethics of the medical profession and fighting against medical denials. It is entirely volunteer-​based which is great because it is run by individuals of all walks of life who actually believe in the cause. Geoff Wilson and Brian Tseng are brilliant men who know exactly what they’re doing and Geoff has been running this organisation for over 30 years. I highly recommend this organisation for volunteer work. No, it is not a cult like some very fearful, unenlightened reviewers on here would have you believe. I’ve been working at POC since January 2015 and I continue to go whereas the ludicrous reviews on here are people who went once.

I googled this organization after signing up to volunteer with them (something I should have done BEFORE going to the volunteer orientation). I thought that the main objective of the organization was to advocate for patients rights with respect to insurance companies and bureaucratic government agencies. In reality, I sat through a 2-​hour «presentation» of sorts about all the lives that have been saved by the group members, presented in a 3-​ring binder that contained newspaper clippings from the 80s and 90s, and an «org chart» that didn’t really explain anything about the org.
At the end, they asked me for a $ 20 donation for their newsletter. Why did I hand over $ 20? Because I was exhausted, catatonic, hungry, worn out and defenseless. After sleeping on it, I was in awe that I’d been taken in and confused by their secretive nature. They don’t have a website and all contact information is typed on cards and filed in card files. These things are not bad, nor are they reasons to not join the organization, but they added to my confusion about their objectives and seeming secretive nature. The fact that they made me sit through a 2-​hour volunteer orientation and then asked for money AND dissed the Red Cross (I’d mentioned that I might also be volunteering with the Red Cross) made me think long and hard about whether I wanted to be associated with this kind of group.
I made a couple of phone calls to them in the following days, and one of the members was unapologetic. He never said, «How can I explain things better to make you more comfortable with your experience here?» Or, «Can we refund your $ 20 and ask you to give us another chance?» Nope. None of that. He got defensive with me over the phone and seemed very unwilling to discuss my fears and apprehension. I wanted to believe that there are people in this country who are trying to affect change and to reduce the power of insurance companies and big government support of massive corporations, but I’m really not sure this organizations is where to find those people. I still don’t know what the Physicians Organizing Committee does except ask for money.

After being accosted in a weakened hungry state while on my way to pick up lunch, I gave these people my contact information.
They have called me a truly unbelievable number of times. I spoke with them in June 2010 and they have been calling ever since. In fact, they called me yesterday and today. There’s no normal organization of volunteers which has the person-​power to continue call unresponsive people so many times for so long. It defies logic. Even the blood bank eventually gives up if you don’t respond.
Also, beware that if you do start to talk to them they may try to guilt you into purchasing their lame newsletter for the astronomical sum of $ 10. It’s seriously like 10 sheets of paper stapled together.
$ 10 Lunch = Tasty
$ 10 Newsletter = No way

Before getting involved, be sure to read the Dec. 9, 2009 article about this group in SF Weekly. They are affiliated with NatlFed. I’m not an anti-​cult fanatic, I just think people should be honest about their motives and connections. The three glowing reviews may have been written by members, but they might merely be sincere people who’ve just been roped in without knowing what’s happening behind the scenes.

The interactions I’ve had with this group have so far indicated that they are responsible, trustworthy defenders of high quality, accessible health care for the public.
They are working their tails off to make large corporate institutions such as Sutter Health (who owns many of the local hospitals) accountable for their dubious behaviors, namely shutting down the free psych ward, shutting down neonatal intensive care, shutting down free charitable osteopathic care and med student training programs.
The bottom line is that the hospital is acting like a for-​profit institution while taking insane amounts of tax cuts (THAT’s OUR MONEY) due to their nonprofit status. P.O.C. is simply trying to notify the community and public officials.
They are acting in our best interest, on our behalf and they are doing it for free. I don’t get how some people see this as a one star institution. I’d like to give ten.

I think what this group did at the corner of 18^th and Castro says it all — what a bunch of jerks. Stay out of the Castro if you can’t respect the LGBT history and pioneers who helped protect the rights of so many.
I have no issues with organizations trying to use the corner to market themselves, but to deface the memorial to Del Martin, a hero to so many, is a real shame. The fact that a supposed «physician’s group» did it is even worse. Do these people not know all that Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon have done in healthcare for lesbians? There is even a health clinic named in their honor (
).
I suggest people think twice about supporting the POC people, and instead support Lyon-​Martin Health Services, NCLR, EQCA, or one of the other organizations that truely works on behalf of the community.