A coalition of 8 organizations representing over 200,000 physicians and physicians-in-training, including SEIU's Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) and Doctors Council, issued a statement this morning in support of achieving health care reform this year, including the creation of a robust, high-quality public health insurance option. According to the release, "All doctors need to work together to solve our health care crisis. Part of this solution should be the inclusion of a high-quality public health insurance option that competes fairly with private plans." Read the whole statement.

The coalition members are the Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU Healthcare, Doctors Council/SEIU Healthcare, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Medical Student Association, Doctors for America, National Physicians Alliance and the Student National Medical Association. The coalition--which combined represents 215,000 physicians and physicians-in-training--is hosting a conference call with key reporters today to express their support for President Obama's goals for healthcare reform. Stay tuned for details from the call later this afternoon.