Who and What We Are
Our Name History
We have had a number of name changes in our history. Our first Sacramento Medical Society (SMS) got started in 1860! But it was not until 1868 that we incorporated and took the name Sacramento Society for Medical Improvement (SSMI) as our legal name. In fact, SSMI is still our legal name. We have also used Sacramento County Medical Society in the 50's and 60's and in the 70's we added El Dorado to our name, which you may remember as Sacramento-El Dorado Medical Society (SEDMS).
In the early fall of 2000, the Yolo County Medical Society, which was organized in 1940, and the Sacramento-El Dorado Medical Society merged and created the Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society. This time we chose a name that is not dependent on county boundaries and encompasses the region we represent.
Who Are We?
We are a voluntary, non-profit organization of medical doctors (MD) and doctors of osteopathy (DO). Membership in the medical society is voluntary. Our member physicians agree to abide by our Bylaws and Article of Incorporation and the American Medical Association's Principles of Medical Ethics. Our members cooperate with us in settling patient complaints, and they participate in a broad range of committees.
Our members are also members of the California Medical Association. Membership in the American Medical Association is voluntary but highly encouraged. With over 1600 physician members in active practice and several hundred retired members, we are the largest physician organization in our region.