A Consistent Influence

For more than 100 years, the SCCMS/MCMS has been a
constant voice for the local medical community

A Brief History

Physicians from San Benito County, Santa Cruz County, and Monterey County came together in 1900 as the first physician-led effort for the benefit of patients in the North Central Coast Region of California. The Santa Cruz County Medical Society was then founded on December 22, 1903 and has continued to serve this county for more than 120 years. It has grown from 13 members to nearly 500.  According to an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association dated January 1904, the first Board of Governors & Officers included: 

  • President - Dr. Exeter P. Vaux, Santa Cruz 
  • Vice-President - Dr. Spencer C. Rodgers, Watsonville 
  • Secretary - Dr. Saxon T. Pope, Watsonville
  • Treasurer - Dr. Ira C. Bush, Santa Cruz
  • CMA Delegate - Dr. Saxon T. Pope, Watsonville
  • CMA Alternate - Dr. Willis R. Congdon, Santa Cruz 
  • Other Board members:
    • Dr. James F. Christal, Santa Cruz
    • Dr. William A. Phillips, Santa Cruz
    • Dr. Nat Green, Watsonville

Records indicate that although the Society has remained continuously active since its inception, it experienced a rebirth in the 1950’s under the leadership of William Blade, MD. In the 1960’s, SCCMS established a parntership with the Monterey County Medical Society to share administrative staff and office space in Salinas under the leadership of Edgar Colvin, then Executive Director of SCCMS. More than 40 years later, the SCCMS relocated its headquarters back into the county jurisdiction when Marcus Kwan, MD who served as the Executive Director until his retirement in 2011 when Donna Jones Odryna was appointed as the CEO. Since that time, the organization has grown and continues to represent local physician and patient interests in partnership with the California Medical Association at the state and federal levels.

The Medical Society works collaboratively with local, regional, state and federal agencies advocating for the professional practice of medicine to ensure excellence in patient care, public health and the education and well-being of patients and physicians in our community.

Our primary goal with this website is to promote community education about and access to local physicians, medical information, and health care programs of interest to our community.

We welcome suggestions and information that would be useful for our physicians and patients.