January 2016 Download PDF Here SCMA NEWS Countywide physician survey 135 new health laws in 2016 Still time to receive a 5% discount on dues Watch for Sonoma Medicine this month SCMA member donations create new scholarship funding high! Join us at the Capitol for Legislative Advocacy Day April 13 Applicants PEOPLE CALIFORNIA NEWS Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine opening in 2019 State launches CURES 2.0 and streamlined registration TOP CMA STORIES RESOURCES / WEBINARS / CME CLASSIFIEDS ABOUT SCMA SCMA NEWS Countywide physician survey As part of SCMA's ongoing commitment to address issues and activities that concern local physicians, we invite you to participate in a brief survey. It will only take a few minutes to complete. Your feedback will help SCMA better serve our community and you, your practice and your patients. Survey results will help guide SCMA board members as they consider updating SCMA's strategic plan for 2016 and beyond. All responses are anonymous. However, if you wish to be entered in a drawing for one of five $20 VISA gift cards, please provide your name and email address at the end of the survey. Card winners will be selected at random. Click here to access the survey. Please complete by Friday, Jan. 29, 2016; the online survey will be closed after that date. Survey results will be published in a future issue of Sonoma Medicine. The report will also include comparisons of results from the 2013 and 1996 physician surveys. Thank you in advance for your valued input! 135 new health laws in 2016 The California Legislature had an active year, passing many new laws affecting health care. In particular, there was a strong focus on health care coverage, public health issues and end-of-life care. Click here to access the list of significant new health laws of interest to physicians (PDF download). Still time to receive a 5% discount on dues Pay your dues by Jan. 15, 2016 and save 5%. The discount is already calculated on SCMA invoices, and you can pay by check or credit card. For questions regarding your invoice, contact Rachel Pandolfi at 707-525-4375 or rachel@scma.org. Watch for Sonoma Medicine this month The winter 2016 issue focuses on mental health, featuring articles by local experts that cover mental illness and mass shootings, integrated behavioral health care, advances in child and adolescent psychiatry, and mental health services at the county jail. The magazine will be mailed later in January and will also be available online at www.scma.org. SCMA member donations create new scholarship funding high! The Holiday Greeting Card, now celebrating its Golden Anniversary, has almost reached its goal of $50,000 in recognition of funding more than 800 scholarship awards during the past 50 years. This achievement has been made possible by the generosity of donors who raised the bar on their annual giving for scholarships. Three donors joined the Circle of Champions with $1,000 gifts and an unprecedented seven donors gave gifts of $500 each. To date, $19,000 in donations has been received for the card fund. These funds will be added to the $20,000 contribution from SCMAAF's Gala85 and the 2015 Garden Tour. An investment with the Sonoma County Community Foundation will also factor in, as well as a pending grant from the Pacific Foundation for Medical Care. Holiday Greeting Card chair, Barbara Ramsey, thanks everyone for their contributions benefiting local students who pursue a career in medicine. For more information about the scholarship fund and other SCMA Alliance activities, visit www.scmaa.org. Join us at the Capitol for Legislative Advocacy Day April 13 SCMA members, you are invited to join your peers at CMA's annual Legislative Advocacy Day on Tuesday, April 13, at the Sheraton Grand in Sacramento. Attended by more than 400 physicians, medical students and alliance members, this conference provides an opportunity to meet with local legislators regarding pressing health care issues. For more information contact Dr. Brad Drexler at b9drexler@gmail.com, or Cynthia Melody at 707-525-4375, cmelody@scma.org. Applicants Welcome, new SCMA/CMA members! Cuyler Goodwin, DO, Psychiatry, Touro Univ Oreoluwa Ogunyemi, MD, Urology, 6880 Palm Ave., Sebastopol, UC Los Angeles Sonoma County Indian Health Project Meredith Coble, DO, Family Medicine, 144 Stony Point Rd., Santa Rosa, Touro Univ PEOPLE In November, HIFU Prostate Services, LLC, a leading provider of minimally-invasive prostate cancer treatment using High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), announced that physician partner and Medical Director, Michael J. Lazar, MD treated the first prostate cancer patient in California with minimally invasive HIFU, in San Francisco at the San Francisco Surgery Center. This was the second patient ever treated in the country using Sonablate HIFU technology. CALIFORNIA NEWS Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine opening in 2019 Kaiser Permanente announced plans to open the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine as part of the organization's ongoing effort to lead in meeting America's demands for 21st century health care. The school is scheduled to open in the fall of 2019 and will be located in Southern California. Shifts in the U.S. population have created more diverse communities, which require greater cultural competency and understanding. The Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine will teach advanced skills in decision-making, teamwork, the use of technology, evidence-based medicine and communication tailored to specific populations. State launches CURES 2.0 and streamlined registration The upgrade to the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) prescription drug monitoring system was rolled out Jan. 8, 2016. Commonly referred to as "CURES 2.0," it is available to all users in compliance with the system's security requirements. The upgraded database promises an improved user experience and features-added functionalities, including the ability to delegate report queries and new practitioner-identified patient alerts. Also a streamlined, fully-automated registration process enables licensed health care prescribers and pharmacists to request access to CURES and validate their credentials entirely online using a secure web browser. All individuals practicing in California who possess both a state regulatory board license authorized to prescribe, dispense, furnish or order controlled substances and a Drug Enforcement Administration Controlled Substance Registration Certificate must be registered to use CURES no later than July 1, 2016. To register using the new automated system, visit http://oag.ca.gov/cures. Physicians who experience problems with the new system are encouraged to contact CMA's member help line at 800-786-4262 or email memberservice@cmanet.org. TTOP CMA STORIES CMA publishes the biweekly e-newsletter, CMA Alert, to keep its members up-to-date on critical issues affecting the practice of medicine in California. Click here to view the current issue RESOURCES / WEBINARS / CME CMA Practice Resources (CPR) is a free monthly e-bulletin from the California Medical Association's practice management experts. It focuses on critical payor and health care industry changes and how they directly impact the business of a physician practice. Each issue includes tips on reimbursement and contracting-related issues, along with information on the latest practice management news. View the current issue. New 2016 POLST form Proposed revisions to the California POLST form were approved by the Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) Commission at their December meeting, allowing providers to move forward with full implementation of the provisions of Assembly Bill 637. AB 637 (Wolk) authorizes nurse practitioners and physician assistants (under the supervision of a physician and within their scope of practice) to sign POLST forms and make them actionable medical orders. The bill went into effect Jan. 1, 2016. Click here for more information. Upcoming Webinars (click here for full list of titles and descriptions) • CMA Federal Advocacy Update. Jan. 20, 12:15 p.m. • CMA Priorities: Health System Transformation and the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization. Jan. 27, 12:15 p.m. • HIPAA Compliance: Key Risks all Physicians Should Know. Feb. 24, 12:15 p.m. • Closing a Medical Practice. March 9, 12:15 p.m. Archived webinars CMA's archived webinars are free to SCMA members and staff. Nonmember fee: $99. For more information, contact CMA's member-help center, 800-786-4262 or memberservice@cmanet.org. Free online CME: Child Abuse Prevention, Recognition and Reporting When is a child's bruise from an accident or something more? Do you know what, when, and how to report? Take this complimentary course to learn essential signs that should be reported. Free CMEs available. Click here to pre-register for this free course. Western Health Care Leadership Academy. May 13-15, 2016 Save the date for the 2016 Western Health Care Leadership Academy, which will be held at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square from Friday, May 13, through Sunday, May 15. Click here for more information. CLASSIFIEDS 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 Susan Gumucio at susan@scma.org or 707-525-0102. 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. © 2016 SCMA, 2312 Bethards Dr. #6, Santa Rosa, CA 95405 January 27, 2016 SCMA News Briefs SCMA News Briefs 0 0 Comment Read More »
