What do doctors and nurses think of health reform? Updated! [Bryan]

So what do doctors and nurses think of the health reform proposals? My sense is they are all over the map [actually not: see update], just like the rest of the country. It is worth pointing out, though, that health care reform has strong support from the vast majority of professional medical organizations. According to the Health Care Reform Debate Blog, the following medical organizations have backed the House Bill 3200 (or something close to it), which is the strongest health reform bill in place.

The American Osteopathic Association, American College of Physicians, American Society of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Surgeons, American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, American Gastroenterological Association, Society of Hospital Medicine, American College of Cardiology, and American Society of Clinical Oncology.

The following organizations seem to support the general idea of reform, but have withheld judgment until the bill is more advanced:

American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, American College of Radiology, American College of Emergency Physicians.

The following groups have opposed the H.R. 3200 until their reimbursement concerns are met:

American Society of Anesthesiology

Meanwhile, the American Nurses Association issued the following comment:

Members of the American Nurses Association (ANA) joined President Obama today to demonstrate their strong support for the President and his speech to the joint session of the U.S. Congress last night urging action on health reform that would provide more security and stability to those with health insurance and guarantee access to affordable health care for those without it....

ANA President Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR praised President Obama at his first public appearance on health care reform since addressing Congress for advocating for people who lack access to basic health care services in the nation’s “broken system” and for fighting for consumer protections in the health insurance market. Long ranked as the nation’s most trusted profession by Gallup’s annual survey, nursing has advocated for health system reform for two decades.

The Mayo Clinic, a leader is efficient and cost-effective medical delivery, issued a strong statement in favor of reform:

Mayo Clinic strongly supports President Obama’s call for health insurance reform and health care delivery reform, and agrees with the President’s position that the status quo is not acceptable.

The AMA strongly supports reform:

Today, the American Medical Association sent a letter to House leaders supporting H.R. 3200, "America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009." "This legislation includes a broad range of provisions that are key to effective, comprehensive health system reform," said J. James Rohack, MD, AMA president. "We urge the House committees of jurisdiction to pass the bill for consideration by the full House."

Update:

Actually, doctors are not as divided as I thought. According to a poll in the New England Journal of Medicine, most doctors support a public plan of some sort:

A large majority of doctors say there should be a public option.

When polled, "nearly three-quarters of physicians supported some form of a public option, either alone or in combination with private insurance options," says Dr. Salomeh Keyhani. She and Dr. Alex Federman, both internists and researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, conducted a random survey, by mail and by phone, of 2,130 doctors. They surveyed them from June right up to early September.

Most doctors -- 63 percent -- say they favor giving patients a choice that would include both public and private insurance. That's the position of President Obama and of many congressional Democrats. In addition, another 10 percent of doctors say they favor a public option only; they'd like to see a single-payer health care system. Together, the two groups add up to 73 percent.

I had no idea the medical profession was staffed by America-hating communists who want to kill grandmas.