December 2012 • Still time to RSVP for Dec. 6 SCMA Awards Dinner • Sonoma docs invited to FREE Operation Access celebration on Dec. 11 • Upcoming SCMA online survey offers chance to win an iPad • Update your Sonoma County Physician Directory listing • Pay your SCMA/CMA dues by Jan. 15 and get a 5% discount • Donate to SCMA health careers scholarship fund • Top stories from CMA Alert • PEOPLE • MEDICAL FACILITIES • RESOURCES • CLASSIFIEDS • APPLICANTS • ABOUT SCMA Still time to RSVP for Dec. 6 SCMA Awards Dinner The hour is late, but reservations are still being accepted for the annual SCMA Awards Dinner on Dec. 6. The dinner is free for SCMA members. Spouses, guests and nonmembers are $50 each. To RSVP, or to purchase tickets, contact Rachel Pandolfi at 707-525-4375 or rachel@scma.org. Mail orders can be sent to SCMA, 2901 Cleveland Ave. #202, Santa Rosa, CA 95403. Please indicate dinner choice: either “duet” (prawns and steak) or vegetable lasagna. The dinner runs from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6, at the Vintner’s Inn, 4350 Barnes Rd., Santa Rosa. The festivities begin with a social hour at 6, followed by dinner and the awards presentations. Award winners include Drs. John Dervin, Sanjay Dhar, Catherine Gutfreund, Jeff Haney and Mark Netherda, along with the Redwood Community Health Coalition. For a flyer about the dinner, click on the link below. SCMA Awards Dinner flyer Sonoma docs invited to FREE Operation Access celebration on Dec. 11 Operation Access, which coordinates donated surgical and specialty care for uninsured and underserved patients, will co-host a Celebration of Medical Volunteerism with SCMA and the Marin Medical Society on Tuesday, Dec. 11, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. This informal free event will be held at the Lagunitas Brewery, 1280 N. McDowelll Blvd., Petaluma. All local doctors and their spouses or significant others are invited to attend and are asked to bring an unwrapped holiday gift for a foster child. Beer, wine, hors d’oeuvres and wood-fired oven pizza will be offered, along with live music from Under the Radar (folk, blues, bluegrass) and the Petaluma High School Jazz Combo. The evening also includes a brief program honoring community volunteers, with special recognition for Dr. Julie Clark, Dr. Anne Delaney, Dr. David Galland, and Gale O’Connor, CRNA. To RSVP, contact Daniel Rabkin at rsvp@operationaccess.org or 415-733-0004. The event is cosponsored by the Meritage Medical Network, Kaiser Permanente, Marin General Hospital, Sutter Health and St. Joseph Health. For more details, click on the link below. Operation Access Dec. 11 Celebration flyer Upcoming SCMA online survey offers chance to win an iPad Later this month, SCMA will be sending an online survey to all local physicians asking for their thoughts and insights about the medical association and healthcare-related issues. Survey results will help guide SCMA board members as they consider a strategic plan for 2013 and beyond. The goal of the plan is to ensure that SCMA fulfills its mission of supporting physicians and their efforts to enhance the health of the community. SCMA members who choose to identify themselves will be entered into a drawing with a chance to win an iPad. Nonmembers who submit an application form and pay their 2013 dues will also be entered into the drawing. Update your Sonoma County Physician Directory listing SCMA is still accepting updates for the 2013 Sonoma County Physician Directory. The directory features photographs and detailed listings for all SCMA members, including their specialty(s), special medical interest and medical training. Basic information for nonmember physicians is included as well. To update your listing, return the directory verification form to SCMA by Dec. 31. If you need a copy of the form, contact Rachel Pandolfi at 707-525-4375 or rachel@scma.org. Pay your SCMA/CMA dues by Jan. 15 and get a 5% discount Members who pay their 2013 SCMA/CMA dues by Jan. 15 get a 5% discount. To qualify for the discount, dues must be received in CMA’s Sacramento office by Jan. 15, not just postmarked by that date. Dues invoices were mailed earlier this fall. If you need a copy, contact Rachel Pandolfi at 707-525-4375 or rachel@scma.org. Donate to SCMA health careers scholarship fund There’s still time to donate to the Holiday Greeting Card project, which helps fund scholarships for deserving students who are Sonoma County residents and are currently enrolled or intending to enroll in a medically related field of study. Last year’s effort helped raise $31,000 in scholarship money--a record amount--for a dozen students in medical, nursing and allied health programs. Donors who contribute by Dec. 6 will be acknowledged in a holiday greeting card sent to physicians throughout the county. The card features a photograph by Santa Rosa pediatrician Dr. Leland Davis. Donations can be made by mail or by visiting the SCMA Alliance website at www.scmaa.org. The program has given scholarships to local students since the 1960s, and several former recipients are currently practicing medicine in Sonoma County. Top stories from CMA Alert Here are the top stories from the latest CMA Alert, the California Medical Association’s biweekly email newsletter. For a free subscription, visit www.cmanet.org/cma-alert. * Physicians who wish to opt out of new Blue Cross network must act soon * California one of five states with lowest antibiotic use in nation * 2013 Medicare fee schedules posted * Palmetto protests Medicare contract award * DHCS ready for 5010 upgrade PEOPLE Dr. Dale Westrom, a dermatologist with offices in Santa Rosa and Healdsburg, has received a Member Making a Difference award from the American Academy of Dermatology. The award is in recognition of Dr. Westrom’s volunteer work with the Brighter Days Program and his establishment of a walk-in dermatology clinic. He will be honored at the Academy’s upcoming annual meeting. The rapidly expanding Petaluma Health Center has hired two more physicians. Dr. Jose Chibras is an internist from the South Bay, where he served as chief medical officer and interim CEO for Salud Para La Gente. Dr. Carlin Chi, who attended Harvard Medical School and UCSF, is a family physician from San Mateo County. In addition to these new physicians, the Health Center has also hired a geropsychologist and two physician assistants. Annadel Medical Group has added three more physicians. Dr. Rebecca Wolk, a pediatric hospitalist, and Dr. Meghana Gaiki, an internal medicine hospitalist, are both at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. Dr. Kenny Mai is an internal medicine hospitalist at Petaluma Valley Hospital. Dr. Donald Dean, a longtime SCMA member and former medical director of the old Sonoma State Hospital (now called the Sonoma Developmental Center), died in November at the age of 85. Born in Ohio in 1927, he served in the Army as a photo lithographer and bugler during World War II. He received his MD from Ohio State University and then completed a psychiatry residency in San Francisco. After working in Buffalo for several years, he was lured back to California with a job offer from Sonoma State Hospital, where he worked from 1968 to 1983. He subsequently worked at several other institutions before retiring to Sonoma County, where he continued to work as a locum tenens psychiatrist. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Mary Jane Dean, as well as three children and five grandchildren. MEDICAL FACILITIES Three Sonoma County hospitals received an “A” grade in updated hospital safety scores from the Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit founded by large purchasers of health benefits. Kaiser Santa Rosa, Petaluma Valley Hospital and the soon-to-be-closed Sutter Warrack Hospital all received top marks for minimizing infections, patient injuries, and medical or medication errors. Three other hospitals earned B’s or C’s, and two were not rated. No one received a D or an F, the lowest grade. For complete listings of all 2,600 hospitals participating in the ratings, visit www.hospitalsafetyscore.org. RESOURCES The following CMA webinars are scheduled for December. Webinars begin at 12:15 p.m. and run until 1:15 or later. To register, visit www.cmanet.org. Seminars are free for CMA members and their staff; cost for nonmembers is $99 per person. * Impact of ICD-10 (Dec. 5) * California's new Coordinated Care Initiative (CCI) for dual eligibles Medical volunteers of all types are needed for a Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corps clinic to be held in the Coachella Valley in Southern California during April 2013. The clinic will provide free medical, dental and vision care to patients with limited access to care. For more information, or to volunteer, visit www.ram-ca.org. CLASSIFIEDS Family medicine positions available Family medicine positions available with Annadel Medical Group in Sonoma County. Contact James.DeVore@stjoe.org. Office space, Santa Rosa Small suite for lease. 800 sf. Reception, business office, 3 rooms, Summerfield Rd. on Sutter/Warrack campus. Contact Connie, 707-525-0211. Office space needed, Petaluma Medical office space needed in Petaluma near Petaluma Valley Hospital for physician to see patients, no staff needed. Need one day a week, Monday or Thursday. Contact Tammy at 707-252-8407 or nvna@napanet.net. Office space needed, Santa Rosa Medical office space needed in Santa Rosa for physician to see women’s health patients. Need one day a week. Contact Kristyn at 415-827-9945. SCMA members get free classifieds! SCMA members can place free classified ads in News Briefs or Sonoma Medicine. Cost for nonmember physicians and the general public is $1 per word. To place a classified ad, contact Erika Goodwin at erika@scma.org or 707-548-6491. APPLICANTS Ali Sina Bari, MD, Plastic Surgery, 145 Foss Creek Cir., Healdsburg 95448, Stanford Univ 2006 Jose Chibras, MD, Internal Medicine, 1179 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma 94954, Michigan State Univ 1990 Rafael Fletes, MD, Nephrology, 2301 Circadian Way #A, Santa Rosa 95407, Univ Chicago 1991 Helena Longin, MD, Dermatology, 3883 Airway Dr. #130., Santa Rosa 95403, Pennsylvania State Univ Erin Lunde, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95403, Harvard Med Sch 2005 Jalet Ontanillas, MD, Internal Medicine, 3925 Old Redwood Hwy., Santa Rosa 95403, West Visayas State Univ 2000 Majonel Ontanillas, MD, Internal Medicine*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, Celon Institute Med 1992 Jean Talleyrand, MD, Family Medicine, 5202 Old Redwood Hwy., Santa Rosa 95403, Boston Univ 1995 * board certified ABOUT SCMA The Sonoma County Medical Association, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit association, supports local physicians and their efforts to enhance the health of the community. Founded in 1858, SCMA is affiliated with the California Medical Association and the American Medical Association. © 2012 SCMA, 2901 Cleveland Ave. #202, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 December 1, 2012 SCMA News Briefs December 2012, SCMA News Briefs 0 0 Comment Read More »
November 2012 • RSVP now for Dec. 6 SCMA Awards Dinner • Sonoma doctors invited to a free Operation Access celebration on Dec. 11 • Time to update or verify your Physician Directory listing • Nov. 10 conference to focus on opioid prescriptions • Flu shots required for staff in high-risk settings • SCMA members invited to holiday cocktail party on Dec. 1 • Donations needed for SCMA health careers scholarships • CMA opposes Proposition 32 • Top stories from CMA Alert • PEOPLE • MEDICAL FACILITIES • RESOURCES • CLASSIFIEDS • APPLICANTS • ABOUT SCMA RSVP now for Dec. 6 SCMA Awards Dinner Who can turn down a free dinner, particular when it’s with your friends and colleagues? Right now is the best time to RSVP for the Dec. 6 SCMA Awards Dinner, which is free for SCMA members. Spouses, guests and nonmembers are $50 each. To RSVP, or to purchase tickets, contact Rachel Pandolfi at 707-525-4375 or rachel@scma.org. Mail orders can be sent to SCMA, 2901 Cleveland Ave. #202, Santa Rosa, CA 95403. Please indicate dinner choice: either “duet” (prawns and steak) or vegetable lasagna. The dinner runs from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6, at the Vintner’s Inn, 4350 Barnes Rd., Santa Rosa. The festivities begin with a social hour at 6, followed by dinner and the awards presentations. Award winners include: • Dr. Sanjay Dhar, a Santa Rosa cardiologist, for Article of the Year (“You Will Be Assimilated,” Sonoma Medicine, Winter 2012). • Dr. Jeff Haney, program director of the Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency, for Outstanding Contribution to the Community. • Dr. Mark Netherda, former deputy public health officer, for Outstanding Contribution to Sonoma County Medicine. • Dr. Catherine Gutfreund, a family physician at Kaiser Santa Rosa, for Outstanding Contribution to SCMA. • Dr. John Dervin, a longtime Santa Rosa family physician, for Lifetime Achievement. • Redwood Community Health Coalition, for Recognition of Achievement. For a flyer about the dinner, click on the link below. See you there! SCMA Awards Dinner flyer Sonoma docs invited to FREE Operation Access celebration on Dec. 11 Operation Access, which coordinates donated surgical and specialty care for uninsured and underserved patients, will co-host a Celebration of Medical Volunteerism with SCMA and the Marin Medical Society on Tuesday, Dec. 11, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. This informal free event will be held at the Lagunitas Brewery, 1280 N. McDowelll Blvd., Petaluma. All local doctors and their spouses or significant others are invited to attend and are asked to bring an unwrapped holiday gift for a foster child. Beer, wine, hors d’oeuvres and wood-fired oven pizza will be offered, along with live music from Under the Radar (folk, blues, bluegrass) and the Petaluma High School Jazz Combo. The evening also includes a brief program honoring community volunteers, with special recognition for Dr. Julie Clark, Dr. Anne Delaney, Dr. David Galland, and Gale O’Connor, CRNA. To RSVP, contact Daniel Rabkin at rsvp@operationaccess.org or 415-733-0004. The event is cosponsored by the Meritage Medical Network, Kaiser Permanente, Marin General Hospital, Sutter Health and St. Joseph Health. Time to update or verify your Physician Directory listing Verification forms for the 2013 Sonoma County Physician Directory have been mailed to all local physicians and are now due back at SCMA. The form allows doctors to update or verify their listing in the Directory, a standard reference guide used at medical offices throughout the county. If you haven’t returned your form yet, please do so ASAP. If you need a copy of the form, contact Rachel Pandolfi at rachel@scma.org or 707-525-4375. Because the Directory is sold to the public and posted on the Internet, please do not list your personal phone number, home address or personal email address. SCMA strongly recommends that you only list your office phone, office address and office email. The Physician Directory, now in its 55th year, features photographs and detailed listings for all SCMA members, including their specialty(s), special medical interest and medical training. Specialty, city and phone for nonmember physicians are included as well. If you’re a nonmember and want a more detailed listing, contact Rachel Pandolfi at rachel@scma.org or 707-525-4375 about joining SCMA. You can also join online at www.scma.org/join.asp. Nov. 10 conference to focus on opioid prescriptions A timely conference titled “Starting Opioid Prescriptions: Pearls & Pitfalls to Preventing Misuse and Dependency” will be held at Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa (SMCSR) from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10. Public Health Officer Dr. Lynn Silver-Chalfin will introduce the keynote speaker, Dr. Scott Fishman, chief of pain medicine at UC Davis and author of “Responsible Opioid Prescribing: A Clinician’s Guide.” The presentation and breakout sessions will address the epidemiology of prescription drug abuse; identify key steps for reducing the risk of dependency; and recognize prescriber practices that contribute to misuse. The conference, to be held in the Vesalius Room at SMCSR, is accredited for 3.25 hours of Category 1 CME and costs just $30, which includes lunch. (Cost for family medicine residents is $15.) To register online, visit tinyurl.com/9ym5xxk or contact Rebecca Munger at 707-565-4553 or rebecca.munger@sonoma-county.org. The conference is cosponsored by the Department of Health Services, Partnership HealthPlan, Community Prevention Initiative and Santa Rosa Community Health Centers. Flu shots required for staff in high-risk settings Sonoma County has joined a growing list of California counties that require staff in hospitals, nursing facilities and other high-risk settings to get an annual flu shot each fall. The order, issued by Public Health Officer Dr. Lynn Silver-Chalfin in mid-October, takes effect Dec. 15. Anyone who declines the order will be required to wear a surgical mask. The order does not apply to clinics and other low-risk settings, but it does recommend that staff in those facilities get a flu shot as well. SCMA members invited to holiday cocktail party on Dec. 1 The SCMA Alliance is hosting a free holiday cocktail party for SCMA members and their spouses or significant others on Saturday evening, Dec. 1. The event, to be held at a private home in Santa Rosa, includes heavy appetizers, beer, wine, and plenty of holiday cheer. To RSVP, contact Lynn Rambach at lramb@sbcglobal.net or 707-523-4250. Donations needed for SCMA health careers scholarships Physicians and their families are asked to give generously to this year’s Holiday Greeting Card project. The proceeds help fund scholarships for deserving students who are Sonoma County residents and are currently enrolled or intending to enroll in a medically related field of study. Last year’s effort helped raise $31,000 in scholarship money--a record amount--for a dozen students in medical, nursing and allied health programs. SCMA members will soon be receiving a letter from the SCMA Alliance Foundation asking for donations to next year’s scholarship fund. Donors who contribute by Dec. 6 will be acknowledged in the Holiday Greeting Card. The greeting card, which will feature a photograph by Santa Rosa pediatrician Dr. Leland Davis, will then be sent to physicians throughout the county. Donations can be made by mail or by visiting the SCMA Alliance website at www.scmaa.org. The program has given scholarships to local students since the 1960s, and several former recipients are currently practicing medicine in Sonoma County. CMA opposes Proposition 32 The board of trustees of the California Medical Association has voted to oppose Proposition 32, which would ban corporate and labor union contributions to political candidates. The proposition would also prohibit government contractors from contributing money to government officials and would forbid the use of payroll-deducted funds for “political purposes.” CMA believes that Prop. 32 would impact the ability of CMA’s political action committee to receive contributions from members who use a corporate entity to pay CMA dues. The proposition would also impact doctors or local medical societies who hold government contracts. Consumer, education, environmental and health care groups throughout California--including Californians Allied for Patient Protection, which protects MICRA--are opposing Prop. 32. In addition, nearly every major newspaper in the state has editorialized against the proposition. Top stories from CMA Alert Here are the top stories from the latest CMA Alert, the California Medical Association’s biweekly email newsletter. For a free subscription, visit www.cmanet.org/cma-alert. * CMA tells Senate committees that elimination of Healthy Families is irresponsible * CMA, AMA and others developing alternative Medicare payment system to replace SGR * Unsure whether you should sign the new Blue Shield agreement? * Recovery Audit Contractor overpayments: Pulmonary diagnostic testing and E/M services * CMA opposes lifetime ban on blood donations from gay men PEOPLE Longtime Santa Rosa gastroenterologists Drs. Richard Auld, Paul Hornberger, R. Logan Faust and Sumit Kohli have joined the Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation. They will remain in their office at 1210 Sonoma Ave. Also joining Sutter is Dr. Helena Longin, a board-certified dermatologist, who will practice at 3883 Airway Dr., also in Santa Rosa. Drs. Loie Sauer, Francesca Manfredi and Dennis McDonald were quoted at length in a recent Press Democrat article on mammogram screening guidelines. Both Dr. Sauer, a surgeon at Kaiser Santa Rosa, and Dr. McDonald, a radiologist at the Sutter Women’s Health Center, recently wrote articles on mammograms for Sonoma Medicine. Dr. Manfredi serves on the SCMA board of directors. MEDICAL FACILITIES Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa recently received 5-star ratings from HealthGrades in almost a dozen different categories of care, from heart attack and hip replacement to pneumonia and sepsis. The hospital was also recognized for its women’s health programs. HealthGrades rates about 5,000 hospitals across the United States based on clinical performance in 28 categories. Grades range from one star (below average) to five stars (highest quality). Healdsburg District Hospital also received a 5-star rating for its hip fracture treatment program. West County Health Centers has been selected to participate in the Learning from Effective Ambulatory Practices (LEAP) study being conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The study is trying to determine the most effective health care delivery models in light of the physician shortage and the pending implementation of the Affordable Care Act. The West County centers--which have implemented electronic medical records and established a wellness program--are one of just 30 primary care practices nationwide to be included in the study. The Petaluma Healthcare District has begun the formal process of re-evaluating its agreement with St. Joseph Health System to manage Petaluma Valley Hospital. The agreement doesn’t expire until 2017, and St. Joseph’s has indicated it would like to continue managing the hospital, but the board of the public district is nonetheless exploring its options, which may include soliciting proposals from other potential managers. Add Roseland Pediatrics to the growing number of clinics affiliated with Santa Rosa Community Health Centers. The newest addition--nearly 4,000 square feet in a southwest Santa Rosa shopping center--began in a crowded mobile trailer at Roseland Elementary School, a space it has long since outgrown. The new site, directed by pediatrician Dr. Meredith Kieschnick, has 10 exam rooms and is staffed by three pediatricians, three medical assistants and a nurse. The clinic, which opened in October, will serve about 3,000 children. For the 16th time in 17 years, Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital has won a Consumer Choice award from the Modern Healthcare journal. The result is based on a nationwide survey of consumers conducted by the National Research Corporation. The hospital was among 297 nationwide to achieve the distinction. RESOURCES The following CMA webinars are scheduled for November. Webinars begin at 12:15 p.m. and run until 1:15 or later. To register, visit www.cmanet.org. Seminars are free for CMA members and their staff; cost for nonmembers is $99 per person. * Understanding ARC and CARC revenue codes (Nov. 7) * 2013 updates to meaningful use (Nov. 8) * State disability insurance online (Nov. 14) * Successful Medi-Cal provider enrollment (Nov. 15) * Understanding the CBAS transition for dual eligibles (Nov. 28) * California: A physician melting pot (Nov. 29) CMA members can get a $200 discount on ICD-10-CM training sessions offered by AAPC, the nation’s largest coding organization. Available in either classroom or online webinar, this 3-part series gives your staff a high-level overview and fundamental knowledge of ICD-10. You’ll learn documentation challenges, the differences with ICD-9, and how ICD-10 will affect each business area of your practice. The webinars run from 7:45 to 8:45 a.m. or 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. The next series begins on Nov. 29, with additional webinars on Dec. 6 and 13. To learn more, go to www.cmanet.org/aapc and log in to receive the discounted member price. CLASSIFIEDS Family medicine positions available Family medicine positions available with Annadel Medical Group in Sonoma County. Contact James.DeVore@stjoe.org. Office space needed, Petaluma Medical office space needed in Petaluma near Petaluma Valley Hospital for physician to see patients, no staff needed. Need one day a week, Monday or Thursday. Contact Tammy at 707-252-8407 or nvna@napanet.net. Office space available, Santa Rosa Small suite for lease. 800 sf. Reception, business office, 3 rooms, Summerfield Rd. on Sutter/Warrack campus. Contact Connie, 707-525-0211. SCMA members get free classifieds! SCMA members can place free classified ads in News Briefs or Sonoma Medicine. Cost for nonmember physicians and the general public is $1 per word. To place a classified ad, contact Erika Goodwin at erika@scma.org or 707-548-6491. APPLICANTS Note: Because of Internet privacy concerns, News Briefs no longer lists phone numbers, fax numbers or email addresses in the Applicants section. Instead, that information will be listed in the next print edition of the Sonoma County Physician Directory. Rachel Friedman, MD, Family Medicine, Integrative Medicine, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa, Yale Univ 2008 Lynn Silver-Chalfin, MD, Pediatrics*, Public Health & Preventive Medicine, 3313 Chanate Rd., Santa Rosa, Johns Hopkins Univ 1983 * = board certified; italics = special medical interest ABOUT SCMA The Sonoma County Medical Association, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit association, supports local physicians and their efforts to enhance the health of the community. Founded in 1858, SCMA is affiliated with the California Medical Association and the American Medical Association. © 2012 SCMA, 2901 Cleveland Ave. #202, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 November 1, 2012 SCMA News Briefs News Briefs, November 2012 0 0 Comment Read More »
October 2012 Drs. Haney, Netherda, Gutfreund and Dervin to receive SCMA awards PFMC grant applications due Oct. 1 Celebration for Dr. Menachof on Oct. 6 You’re invited to meet Assembly candidates on Oct. 9 Heart & Brain Symposium in Santa Rosa on Oct. 13 Still time to register for Latino Health Forum SCMA Alliance Give-a-Gift program benefits foster children Physicians invited to Oktoberfest at Wild Oak on Oct. 6 PEOPLE MEDICAL FACILITIES RESOURCES CLASSIFIEDS APPLICANTS ABOUT SCMA Drs. Haney, Netherda, Gutfreund and Dervin to receive SCMA awards Four well-known local physicians will receive Outstanding Contribution and Lifetime Achievement awards at the annual SCMA Awards Dinner in December. The awards will be presented to: Dr. Jeff Haney, program director of the Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency, for Outstanding Contribution to the Community. Dr. Mark Netherda, the former deputy public health officer, for Outstanding Contribution to Sonoma County Medicine. Dr. Catherine Gutfreund, a family physician at Kaiser Santa Rosa, for Outstanding Contribution to SCMA. Dr. John Dervin, a longtime Santa Rosa family physician, for Lifetime Achievement. In addition, a Recognition of Achievement award will be presented to the Redwood Community Health Coalition. The Article of the Year award will also be presented, but the winner has yet to be determined. All local physicians are invited to the Awards Dinner, which runs from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6. The event will be held at the Vintner’s Inn, 4350 Barnes Rd., Santa Rosa. Tickets are free for SCMA members; spouses, guests and nonmembers are $50 each. The evening begins with a social hour at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and the awards presentation. Dinner choices include “duet” (prawns and steak) or vegetable lasagna. To RSVP, or to purchase tickets, contact Rachel Pandolfi at 707-525-4375 or rachel@scma.org. Mail orders can be sent to SCMA, 2901 Cleveland Ave. #202, Santa Rosa, CA 95403. Please indicate dinner choice. For more details, click on the link below. SCMA Awards Dinner flyer PFMC grant applications due Oct. 1 Time is short before the next deadline, but nonprofit health organizations in Sonoma County are encouraged to apply for Community Grants from the Pacific Foundation for Medical Care. The grants, generally in the $10,000 range, are awarded twice a year by the nonprofit foundation to support local projects that enhance health services. The application deadline for the next round of grants is Oct. 1. If that’s too close, the deadline for the subsequent round of grants is April 2, 2013. For application materials, contact Kathy Pass at 525-4281 or kpass@rhs.org. For more information, visit www.pfmc.org Celebration for Dr. Menachof on Oct. 6 Local physicians and their families are invited to a celebration in honor of legendary pediatrician Dr. Lou Menachof’s 50 years of teaching at the Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency. The celebration--scheduled for 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6--will be held at the Vista Family Health Center, 3569 Round Barn Circle, Santa Rosa. Everyone will be given an opportunity to say a few words about Dr. Menachof. Snacks and beverages will be served, and music will be played. Musicians are encouraged to bring an instrument and join in the festivities. To RSVP, contact Beth Pardo at 707-583-8801 or pardob@sutterhealth.org. You’re invited to meet Assembly candidates on Oct. 9 On Thursday evening, Oct. 9, physicians are invited to a meet-and-greet with Michael Allen and Marc Levin, the two candidates in the 10th Assembly District, which includes Petaluma, Santa Rosa and Marin County. The event will be held in a private home at 159 La Cuesta Dr. in Greenbrae. The evening begins with wine and hors d’oeuvres at 6:30 p.m., followed by candidate interviews with Allen (7 to 7:30) and Levine (7:30 to 8). The event is free, but RSVPs are required. To RSVP, contact Rachel at 415-924-3891 or rachel@marinmedicalsociety.org. The event is cosponsored by SCMA, the Marin Medical Society, and the Marin and Sonoma chapters of the California Academy of Family Physicians. For more information, see the attached flyer. Assembly flyer Heart & Brain Symposium in Santa Rosa on Oct. 13 Physicians throughout the North Bay are invited to attend a free half-day symposium, “Regional Care Coordination: Treating the Heart & Brain,” on Saturday, Oct. 13, at the Vintners Inn in Santa Rosa. The keynote presenter is Dr. Frank Kim, who will discuss multi-disciplinary regional coordination of neurocritical care. Other presenters include Drs. John Reed, Thomas Dunlap, Tucker Bierbaum, Patrick Coleman, Emily Conway, Peter Chang-Sing, Ramzi Deeik, and Jay Hunter, as well as Christo Brockway, RN. The symposium, which is worth 3.5 CME hours, begins with breakfast at 8 a.m., followed by speakers until 12:15 p.m., and then lunch. To RSVP, contact Janette Lablue at Janette.Lablue@stjoe.org or 707-525-5300, ext. 3389. The Vintners Inn is located at 4350 Barnes Road in Santa Rosa. Still time to register for Latino Health Forum Registration is open for the 20th annual Latino Health Forum, to be held at the Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa on Oct. 11, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The conference, which is cosponsored by SCMA and several other local organizations, has sold out the past two years, so early registration is recommended. To register, visit www.latinohealthforum.org. The theme of this year’s forum is “Living a Healthy Life: Now and in the Future.” Speakers include Francisco Gonzalez, a professor of Latin American Studies at Johns Hopkins University; Herb Schultz, regional director of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services; and Robert Garcia, founding director of The City Project, an advocacy organization in Los Angeles. Breakout sessions will cover perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, diabetes research, and several other medical and political topics. For a complete list of topics, see the attached brochure. Latino Health Forum brochure SCMA Alliance Give-a-Gift program benefits foster children Believe it or not, the holidays are just around the corner, and local foster children of all ages are hoping to receive gifts from the SCMA Alliance Give-a-Gift program. For almost six decades, this program has brought a little holiday cheer into the lives of local foster children, and the Alliance is hoping to distribute more gifts this year than ever before. Signing up for Give-a-Gift is simplicity itself. To make a secure donation, just visit www.scmaa.org/support/children.html. Alliance volunteers will then purchase, wrap and deliver a wonderful gift in your name to a deserving foster child who otherwise might not receive a present. Last year the Alliance delivered gifts to more than 200 foster children. For volunteer opportunities with Give-a-Gift, contact Laura Robertson at giveagiftteam@yahoo.com. < Physicians invited to Oktoberfest at Wild Oak on Oct. 6 All local physicians and their spouses or guests are invited to an Oktoberfest celebration at the Wild Oak Saddle Club on Saturday evening, Oct. 6. The event, which is sponsored by the SCMA Alliance, features authentic German beer, buffet and music. The cost is just $45 per person. To purchase tickets, click here or contact Lynn Rambach at lramb@sbcglobal.net or 707-523-4250. PEOPLE With the high school football season in full swing, Santa Rosa sports medicine physicians Dr. Ty Affleck and Dr. Robert Nied were the featured medical experts in a Sept. 15 Press Democrat article on concussions, and Dr. Affleck was interviewed for a subsequent Channel 5 News story on the same topic. The Summer issue of Sonoma Medicine includes an article by Dr. Nied about diagnosing and treating concussions, along with information about the ImPACT concussion testing program that Dr. Affleck has implemented at Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University. Dr. Gary Pace, of the West County Health Centers, received a “physician leader” award at the annual Northern California Center for Well-Being “Celebration of Dreams” luncheon on Sept. 14. Dr. Pace is a family physician at the Sebastopol Community Health Center and also serves as medical director of the Forestville Wellness Center. Dr. Mark Friedman, an orthopedic surgeon, has joined Sebastopol Orthopedics and the medical staff of Palm Drive Hospital. He specializes in shoulder and knee arthroscopy and in shoulder, hip and knee replacement. Dr. Michael Gregg, a general practitioner in Santa Rosa for almost 50 years, died in September at the age of 86. Born in Italy, Gregg immigrated to Illinois as a child and then worked multiple jobs to put himself through medical school at the University of Illinois. He served in the Air Force during the Korean War and subsequently moved to Santa Rosa, where he established a practice at Doctors Park and bought a 1958 Ford Thunderbird, a car that he continued to use until he retired in 2009. He is survived by his wife of 62 years (Martha) and their four children. MEDICAL FACILITIES Western Health Advantage, an HMO based in Sacramento, plans to expand to Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties in January 2013. The network for the HMO will include the 600-physician Meritage Medical Network (formerly called the Marin-Sonoma IPA), all the district hospitals (Sonoma Valley, Palm Drive, Healdsburg and Marin General), and three hospitals affiliated with St. Joseph Health (Santa Rosa Memorial, Petaluma Valley and Queen of the Valley). The HMO will target small employers and individuals and hopes to receive a major boost from the California Health Benefits Exchange mandated by the Affordable Care Act. Western Health currently has 92,000 members in the Sacramento area. Both Kaiser Santa Rosa and Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa have been named “top performers” by the Joint Commission. They were among the 620 hospitals in the United States recognized by the Commission for “exemplary performance” in using evidence-based guidelines to improve care for certain conditions, such as heart attack, pneumonia and children’s asthma. Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital has received $2 million from the Finley Foundation to support an ongoing campaign to expand the hospital’s emergency department and regional trauma center. The expansion is scheduled for completion in early 2014. Even though construction is still underway, the Santa Rosa Surgery Center and Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation plan to be the first tenants for the medical office building next to the new Sutter hospital in northern Santa Rosa. The office building is expected to open in summer 2014 and to include family medicine, ambulatory services and specialty surgeons. RESOURCES Medicare’s Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) enables eligible fee-for-service Part B providers to qualify for payment incentives. Providers who successfully submit PQRS data to Medicare may be eligible to receive an incentive of up to 0.5% of their Medicare fee-for-service billing. Providers who are otherwise eligible to report to PQRS but are not doing so starting January 1, 2013, will see a Medicare payment reduction of 1.5% in 2015, increasing to 2% in 2016. The Health Services Advisory Group is providing free technical assistance to providers to help them successfully report PQRS measures to Medicare. To learn more, contact Shanti Wilson at swilson@hsag.com. The following CMA webinars are scheduled for October. Webinars begin at 12:15 p.m. and run until 1:15 or later. To register, visit www.cmanet.org. Seminars are free for CMA members and their staff; cost for nonmembers is $99 per person. * Protect your practice from payor abuse (Oct. 3) * Impact of ICD-10 (Oct. 10) * Establishing expectations for high performance from medical staff (Oct. 17) * Managing your medical school debt (Oct. 24) Need help improving practice efficiency and viability? Try a free subscription to CMA Practice Resources (CPR), a monthly bulletin full of tips and tools for physicians and their office staff. To subscribe, visit www.cmanet.org/cpr. CLASSIFIEDS Family medicine positions available Family medicine positions available with Annadel Medical Group in Sonoma County. Contact James.DeVore@stjoe.org. Office space needed, Petaluma Medical office space needed in Petaluma near Petaluma Valley Hospital for physician to see patients, no staff needed. Need one day a week, Monday or Thursday. Contact Tammy at 707-252-8407 or nvna@napanet.net. Office space, Santa Rosa Small suite for lease. 800 sf. Reception, business office, 3 rooms, Summerfield Rd. on Sutter/Warrack campus. Contact Connie, 707-525-0211. Skull model needed I am a student in need of an inexpensive skull model. 541-597-4904. SCMA members get free classifieds! SCMA members can place free classified ads in News Briefs or Sonoma Medicine. Cost for nonmember physicians and the general public is $1 per word. To place a classified ad, contact Erika Goodwin at erika@scma.org or 707-548-6491. APPLICANTS Todd Antenucci, DO, Family Medicine*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, 393-5481, Fax 393-4298, nucc1212@yahoo.com, New York Med Coll 2009 Eugene Hong, MD, Urology*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, 393-4064, Fax 393-4872, eugene.k.hong@kp.org, New York Univ 1999 Tinh Hua, DO, Emergency Medicine*, Internal Medicine*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, 393-4800, Fax 393-4174, Tinh.q.hua@kp.org, Chicago Coll Osteo Med 2000 Marisha Lockwood-Chilcott, MD, Family Medicine*, 500 Doyle Park Dr. #G04, Santa Rosa 95405, 303-8360, Fax 303-8361, marisha.chilcott@stjoe.org, UC Davis 2003 Cathryn Ross, MD, Pediatrics*, 1144 Sonoma Ave. #113, Santa Rosa 95405, 545-2082, Fax 545-2083, cathryn.ross@stjoe.org, Harvard Med Sch 1972 Anish Shah, MD, Psychiatry, 1049 4th St. #G, Santa Rosa 95404, 206-7268, Fax 206-7254, siyanclinical@gmail.com, Sardar Patel Univ 1996 Jun Yang, MD, Internal Medicine, 401 Bicentennial Way #250, Santa Rosa 95403, 393-5482, Fax 393-4298, jun.x.yang@kp.org, Henan Med Univ 1994 * board certified ABOUT SCMA The Sonoma County Medical Association, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit association, supports local physicians and their efforts to enhance the health of the community. Founded in 1858, SCMA is affiliated with the California Medical Association and the American Medical Association. © 2012 SCMA, 2901 Cleveland Ave. #202, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 October 18, 2012 SCMA News Briefs news briefs, october 2012 0 0 Comment Read More »
September 2012 Meet your congressional candidates at Sept. 18 dinner You’re invited to a celebration for Dr. Menachof on Oct. 6 Save the date: meet Assembly District 10 candidates on Oct. 9 All resident physicians at SR Residency join SCMA Board member needed for Redwood MedNet Register now for Latino Health Forum “Santa Rosa Reader” to be featured at Sonoma County Book Festival Top stories from CMA Alert PEOPLE MEDICAL FACILITIES RESOURCES CLASSIFIEDS APPLICANTS ABOUT SCMA Meet your congressional candidates at Sept. 18 dinner Physicians in Sonoma County are invited to meet their congressional candidates at a Sept. 18 dinner sponsored by the Marin Medical Society. Both Jared Huffman (Democrat) and Dan Roberts (Republican) will be attending the dinner, to be held at Jason’s Restaurant, 300 Drakes Landing Rd., Greenbrae. The event begins with a Meet & Greet Reception at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and program at 7. The program features interviews with both candidates for the reconfigured 2nd Congressional District, which includes Marin, Sonoma and other coastal counties up to the Oregon border. Dinner choices include baked salmon, blackened ribeye steak, brandy chicken or mushroom gnocchi. Tickets are just $45 per person. To RSVP and identify your dinner choice, contact Rachel at 415-924-3891 or rachel@marinmedicalsociety.org. You can also fax the form below to 415-924-2749. Sept. 18 MMS Dinner flyer You’re invited to a celebration for Dr. Menachof on Oct. 6 Local physicians and their families are invited to a celebration in honor of legendary pediatrician Dr. Lou Menachof’s 50 years of teaching at the Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency. The celebration--scheduled for 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6--will be held at the Vista Family Health Center, 3569 Round Barn Circle, Santa Rosa. Everyone will be given an opportunity to say a few words about Dr. Menachof. Snacks and beverages will be served, and music will be played. Musicians are encouraged to bring an instrument and join in the festivities. Please RSVP to Beth Pardo at 707-583-8801 or pardob@sutterhealth.org. Save the date: meet Assembly District 10 candidates on Oct. 9 Physicians in the 10th Assembly District--which includes Petaluma, Santa Rosa and Marin County--are invited to meet the two candidates for the district on Tuesday evening, Oct. 9, at a private home in Marin County. The event, to be held at 195 La Cuesta Dr. in Greenbrae, begins with wine and hors d’oeuvres at 6:30 p.m., followed by candidate interviews with Allen (7 to 7:30) and Levine (7:30 to 8). RSVPs are required. To RSVP, contact Rachel at 415-924-3891 or rachel@marinmedicalsociety.org. The event is cosponsored by SCMA, the Marin Medical Society, and the Marin and Sonoma chapters of the California Academy of Family Physicians. All resident physicians at SR Residency join SCMA All of the resident physicians at the Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency have been accepted as members of SCMA. The residency achieved 100% participation due to the efforts of Program Director Dr. Jeff Haney, Deputy Director Dr. Walter Mills, and Dr. Anthony Lim. SCMA thanks the residency program for its support of organized medicine. Board member needed for Redwood MedNet Redwood MedNet, a nonprofit health information exchange based in Ukiah, is seeking a physician to serve a 3-year term on its board of directors. The term will begin in January 2013. Meetings are held from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on the third Friday of each month. Most board members participate by conference call; the actual meeting is held at the Ukiah Valley Medical Center. Interested physicians should contact Will Ross at 707-462-6369 or wross@redwoodmednet.org. Register now for Latino Health Forum Registration is open for the 20th annual Latino Health Forum, to be held at the Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa on Oct. 11, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The conference, which is cosponsored by SCMA and several other local organizations, has sold out the past two years, so early registration is recommended. To register, visit www.latinohealthforum.org. The theme of this year’s forum is “Living a Healthy Life: Now and in the Future.” Speakers include Francisco Gonzalez, a professor of Latin American Studies at Johns Hopkins University; Herb Schultz, regional director of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services; and Robert Garcia, founding director of The City Project, an advocacy organization in Los Angeles. Breakout sessions will cover perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, diabetes research, and several other medical and political topics. For a complete list of topics, see the attached brochure. Latino Health Forum brochure “Santa Rosa Reader” to be featured at Sonoma County Book Festival “The Santa Rosa Reader,” a book by Dr. Rick Flinders published earlier this year by SCMA, will be featured at the Sonoma County Book Festival on Saturday, Sept. 22. The annual festival, held in downtown Santa Rosa, showcases local authors and publishers. The book, subtitled “A Personal Anthology from the Family Medicine Residency,” features articles and memoirs from Dr. Flinders’ long career at the residency. The paperback version costs just $9.95, and more than 200 copies have already been sold. All proceeds benefit the residency program. To purchase a copy from SCMA, call Rachel at 707-525-4375, or send in the order form below. The book is also sold at local bookstores and online retailers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. An eBook version is available as well. Santa Rosa Reader order form Top stories from CMA Alert Here are the top stories from the latest CMA Alert, the California Medical Association’s biweekly email newsletter. For a free subscription, visit www.cmanet.org/cma-alert. Could you be contracted with the state’s new exchange plans? Blue Shield to exit Healthy Families program statewide CMA member named chair of Assembly Health Committee CMA leadership working with California congressional members to plan for contentious lame duck session FFAQ: What is an NPI number and how do I get one? PEOPLE Thirteen more physicians have joined the Annadel Medical Group, bringing its total membership in Sonoma County to 50 doctors and 10 nurse practitioners. The new recruits include gastroenterologists Dr. Joshua Beirne and Dr. Michael Lustberg; ob/gyns Dr. Julie Clark and Dr. Anthony Kosinski; internist Dr. Joel Paine; family physicians Dr. Scott Chilcott and Dr. Marisha Lockwood-Chilcott; hospitalists Dr. Jeannette Curie, Dr. Philippe Edouard and Dr. Daljeet Samra; and intensivists Dr. Aaron Hegg, Dr. Greg Houghton and Dr. Hyun Kang. The Annadel group is affiliated with St. Joseph Health. Past SCMA President Dr. Jan Sonander, a Santa Rosa family physician, was voted “best doctor” in the recent “Best of Sonoma County” competition sponsored by the Press Democrat. More than 1,800 readers voted in the competition, which included dozens of categories, from “best picnic spot” (Armstrong Woods) to “best place to get married” (Trentadue Winery). Past SCMA presidents Dr. Catherine Gutfreund and Dr. Clinton Lane were interviewed on the Aug. 24 edition of “This Week in Politics,” a weekly radio show on KSVY (91.3 FM) hosted by retired lobbyist Ron Willis. The show was part of a series on health care reform. Current SCMA President Dr. Walt Mills is scheduled to be interviewed for the Aug. 31 edition of the show. MEDICAL FACILITIES Tom Harlan, a veteran health care executive, has been named CEO of Palm Drive Hospital. During his 35-year career in the Bay Area, Harlan has served as senior or chief executive at Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center and Chinese Hospital in San Francisco, and at John Muir Medical Center in Concord. RESOURCES The second annual Conference on Integrative Medicine for the Underserved will be held at Santa Clara University from Sept. 6 to 8. The conference, worth up to 19.5 Category 1 credits, is subtitled “Taking integrative medicine out of the boutiques and into the streets.” Sessions will focus on affordable integrative approaches to common chronic diseases, evidence-based best practices, and community activism for underserved populations. Conference fees range from $179 to $269 and include meals. To register, visit www.im4us.org. Medicare is recruiting primary care physicians and cardiologists for a Cardiac Population Health Program to improve the health of patients with cardiovascular disease. Participating doctors will gain access to several resources to help improve care for these patients, including assistance with qualifying for PQRS (physician’s quality reporting system) payments. All program assistance is provided at no cost. Enrollment forms and an information sheet have been posted at www.scma.org/resources. For more details, contact Shanti Wilson of the Health Services Advisory Group at 916-217-7078 or swilson@hsag.com. Medical students are invited to attend the CMA Medical Student Leadership Conference on Sept. 15 at UC Irvine. The conference will focus on how physicians can become champions for a healthy California. Topics include implementation of health reform, improving patient safety, and getting involved in community service. To register, contact Thomas Lawson at 916-551-2078 or tlawson@cmanet.org. The following CMA webinars are scheduled for September. Webinars begin at 12:15 p.m. and run until 1:15 or 1:30. To register, visit www.cmanet.org. Seminars are free for CMA members and their staff; cost for nonmembers is $99 per person. Guide to reviewing payor contracts (Sept. 5) Effective eBilling (Sept. 6) Impact of ICD-10 (Sept. 12) Creating and implementing financial and office policies (Sept. 19) CLASSIFIEDS Family medicine positions available Family medicine positions available with Annadel Medical Group in Sonoma County. Contact James.DeVore@stjoe.org. Office space, Santa Rosa Small suite for lease. 800 sf. Reception, business office, 3 rooms, Summerfield Rd. on Sutter/Warrack campus. Contact Connie, 707-525-0211. SCMA members get free classifieds! SCMA members can place free classified ads in News Briefs or Sonoma Medicine. Cost for nonmember physicians and the general public is $1 per word. To place a classified ad, contact Erika Goodwin at erika@scma.org or 707-548-6491. APPLICANTS Wynnelena Canio, MD, Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, Geriatric Medicine, 401 Bicentennial Way, MOBE 2nd floor #270, Santa Rosa 95403, 393-3274, Fax 393-3498, wccanio@gmail.com, Ross Univ 2006 Carolyn Cole, MD, Emergency Medicine, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, 393-4800, Fax 393-4741, carolyn_chevez@yahoo.com, SUNY Brooklyn 2008 Henry Flores, MD, Surgery*, General Surgery, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, 393-4090, Fax 393-4557, hcfloresmd@comcast.net, Univ Minnesota 1994 Shawn Hsieh, MD, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation*, Sports Medicine*, 3975 Old Redwood Hwy. MOB 5, #152, Santa Rosa 95403, hsiehmail@gmail.com, St. Louis Univ 2007 Patricia May, MD, Surgery*, Hospice & Palliative Medicine*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, 393-3251, patricia.e.may@kp.org, Chicago Med Sch 1990 Afshin Mohammadi, MD, Neurology*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, 571-3923, Fax 571-3941, Shiraz Univ 2000 Roxanne Rapan, MD, Anesthesiology, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, 393-4000, Fax 393-4717, rrapan@gmail.com, Mount Sinai Med Sch 2004 Brian Vukelic, MD, Family Medicine*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, 393-4000, Fax 393-4558, bvukelic@hotmail.com, Univ Washington 2009 * = board certified; italics = special medical interest ABOUT SCMA The Sonoma County Medical Association, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit association, supports local physicians and their efforts to enhance the health of the community. Founded in 1858, SCMA is affiliated with the California Medical Association and the American Medical Association. September 26, 2012 SCMA News Briefs September 2012, News Briefs 0 0 Comment Read More »
