Patient Advocate for Diabetes Resigns From Stem Cell Oversight Committee
Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee member Phyllis Preciado on Monday resigned from the committee, which was created by Proposition 71 to help administer the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the Fresno Bee reports. Preciado, a physician, was appointed as ICOC's patient advocate for type 2 diabetes.
Preciado plans to practice medicine in Oregon, ICOC Chair Robert Klein said in a statement. She was the only ICOC member from the San Joaquin Valley.
Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante (D) must appoint a new patient advocate for type 2 diabetes within 30 days, in compliance with state law.
Preciado, a Latina, said she would like Bustamante to replace her with another Latina or a black woman. She added, "And somebody from the Valley, somebody from Fresno" (Anderson, Fresno Bee, 5/24).
In related news, KPCC's "AirTalk" on Tuesday reported on CIRM's monthly meeting on Monday, where committee members discussed state and federal stem cell legislation and pending lawsuits that could delay the distribution of research grants.
The segment includes comments from Ted Costa, executive director of People's Advocate; Sen. George Runner (R-Lancaster); and ICOC member Joan Samuelson, who was appointed as the advocate for Californians with Parkinson's disease (Mantle, "AirTalk," KPCC, 5/24). The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.