October 2013

• Drs. Mims, Brett and Mills to receive SCMA awards

• Chief CMA federal lobbyist to speak at Oct. 23 dinner in Santa Rosa

• PFMC grant applications due Oct. 1

• Still time to register for Latino Health Forum

• SCMA Alliance needs your help to expand Give-a-Gift program

• Top stories from CMA Alert

• PEOPLE

• MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS

• RESOURCES

• CLASSIFIEDS

• APPLICANTS

• ABOUT SCMA

Drs. Mims, Brett and Mills to receive SCMA awards

Three local physicians will receive Outstanding Contribution awards at the annual SCMA Awards Dinner on Dec. 5. The awards will be presented to:

• Dr. Robert Mims, a retired Santa Rosa endocrinologist, for Outstanding Contribution to the Community.

• Dr. Peter Brett, a medical oncologist at Sutter Santa Rosa, for Outstanding Contribution to Sonoma County Medicine.

• Dr. Walt Mills, a family physician at Kaiser Santa Rosa, for Outstanding Contribution to SCMA.

In addition, a Recognition of Achievement award will be presented to the Northern California Center for Well-Being. 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. 5. 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” (chicken and fish) or stuffed portobello mushroom. 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

Chief CMA federal lobbyist to speak at Oct. 23 dinner in Santa Rosa

Elizabeth McNeil, CMA’s chief lobbyist in Washington, DC, is the featured speaker at a special SCMA dinner on Wednesday evening, Oct. 23. Topics include pending changes in healthcare reform, deficit reduction, Medicare and Medi-Cal.

The special dinner, to be held at the Fountaingrove Inn in Santa Rosa, is free for SCMA members. Spouses, guests and nonmembers are $40 each. The evening begins with a wine reception at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and program at 6:30. Dinner choices include grilled salmon, pesto penne and grilled chicken.

To RSVP, contact Rachel Pandolfi at 707-525-4375 or rachel@scma.org. You can also fax the attached order form to SCMA at 707-525-4328. Be sure to indicate dinner choice.

SCMA Oct. 23 Dinner flyer

PFMC grant applications due Oct. 1

Nonprofit health organizations in Sonoma County are encouraged to apply for Community Grants from the Pacific Foundation for Medical Care. The application deadline is Oct. 1. 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.

For application materials, contact Kathy Pass at 707-525-4281 or kpass@rhs.org. For more information, visit www.pfmc.org.

Still time to register for Latino Health Forum

Registration is still open for the 20th annual Latino Health Forum, to be held at the Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa on Thursday, Oct. 10, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The conference is cosponsored by SCMA and several other local organizations. To register, visit www.latinohealthforum.org.

The theme of this year’s forum is “How will immigration and healthcare reform affect us?” Keynote speakers include Xóchitl Castañeda, director of the Health Initiative of the Americas; Gilbert Ojeda, director of the California Program on Access to Care; Lucien Wulsin, director of the Insure the Uninsured Project; and Dr. Lynn Silver Chalfin, Sonoma County Health Officer. Breakout sessions will cover mental health disparities, immigration law, healthcare reform and population health.

For more details about the Forum, see the attached brochure.

Latino Health Forum brochure

SCMA Alliance needs your help to expand Give-a-Gift program

For nearly 60 years, the SCMA Alliance has provided holiday presents to foster children in Sonoma County through its Give-a-Gift program--but the program has only been able to reach about half the children in need. Of the more than 500 foster children in the county, only about 250 receive holiday presents from Give-a-Gift.

With this disparity in mind, the Alliance hopes to deliver at least 100 more gifts this season, and they are asking everyone in the medical community to donate generously. Give-a-Gift is offering five levels of sponsorship--from $50 to $500--on their website at www.scmaa.org; or you can send a check, payable to the SCMAA Foundation, to Kathryn Koh, 3605 Fir Ridge Dr., Santa Rosa, CA 95403.

All money raised by Give-a-Gift will be used to buy holiday presents for foster children or portable computers for foster teenagers heading off to college. For many of these young people, the Give-a-Gift present is the only one they receive all year. Please give as generously as you can.

PEOPLE

Four local physicians have received Readers Choice awards from the Press Democrat, based on a reader survey that drew more than 6,000 responses. And the winners are: Dr. James DeVore (best doctor); Dr. Ty Affleck (best sports medicine physician); Dr. Francisco Canales and Dr. Heather Furnas (best cosmetic surgeons). Also receiving an award was Morpheus Medical Aesthetics, directed by Dr. Marisha Chilcott, which was named best medical spa. Photographs and profiles of the winning doctors were published in the newspaper’s “Best of Sonoma County” magazine supplement last month.

Eight SCMA members will be representing Sonoma County physicians at this year’s CMA House of Delegates, set for Oct. 11-13 in Anaheim. The HOD is an annual meeting that sets CMA policy and priorities for the coming year. The SCMA representatives include Drs. Brad Drexler, Leonard Klay, Dan Lightfoot, Richard Powers, Jan Sonander, Stephen Steady, Francesca Manfredi and Anthony Lim. Dr. Manfredi has been appointed to Reference Committee C (membership, finance and governance) and Dr. Lightfoot to Reference Committee D (insurance and physician reimbursement).

Dr. Dominic Mintalucci, an orthopaedic surgeon with fellowship training in hand and upper extremity surgery, has joined the Hand Center at Santa Rosa Orthopaedic Medical Group. His phone is 707-546-1922.

MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS

The first phase of a 50% expansion of the emergency department at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital was completed in late September, resulting in larger waiting and reception areas and additional private space for consultations with patient families. In addition, six patient rooms were fully enclosed by walls and doors, replacing the classic privacy drapes. When the $15 million project is completed next summer, the ED will house 26 private treatment rooms. On average, the facility treats about 100 patients per day.

Sonoma Valley Hospital is set to open its new wing in mid-November. The 12,000-square-foot addition, which cost $46 million, includes a new emergency department on the first floor and a new surgery center on the second. The new ED will be three times larger than the current facility, which gets about 10,000 patient visits per year.

Palm Drive Hospital has purchased a 3D digital mammography system that hospital administrators say will offer more accurate scans of dense tissue with better detection of small tumors.

Partnership HealthPlan, which offers managed Medi-Cal throughout the North Bay, has become one of the fastest-growing companies in the region. It now employs 325 people and is expected to add at least 100 more as it continues to expand.

A recent San Francisco Chronicle survey of emergency care options in the Bay Area cited three North Bay hospitals for superior care. The survey, published on Sept. 1, rated Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital as “top for complex cases.” Both Novato Community Hospital and Kaiser Santa Rosa were rated “top for simple cases.” More than 20 hospitals in the Bay Area received top marks in one or both of those categories.

RESOURCES

The Dutton-Goldfield Winery is donating 5% of the proceeds of its wine sales from Oct. 26 to Nov. 3 to Operation Access, which arranges donated surgical and specialty care for underserved local residents. Wines can be purchased at www.duttongoldfield.com or at the winery, 3100 Gravenstein Hwy. North in Sebastopol. Remember to use the promotion code DGACCESS at checkout. Operation Access will also be hosting an open house at the winery from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26.

An FAQ on the HIPAA Omnibus Final Rule, which went into effect on Sept. 23, is available in the Privacy and Security section of www.cmanet.org. The FAQ includes answers to questions such as “Do I need to conduct a risk analysis” and “Do I need to update my business associate agreements?” (The answers are yes and yes.) More details on HIPAA, including sample forms and policies, can be found throughout the Privacy and Security section.

SCMA members can get registration discounts for the Napa Primary Care Conference: Caring for the Active and Athletic Patient, to be held at the Napa Valley Marriott from Nov. 6 to 10. The conference is designed for physicians and medical professionals who care for active and athletic patients or who themselves lead such a lifestyle. Topics include common medical and musculoskeletal problems, healthy lifestyles and personal wellness. The conference offers up to 16 hours of CME. To register, visit the conference website.

CMA’s Institute for Medical Quality and the PACE program at UC San Diego are cosponsoring a Stepping Up to Leadership conference in San Antonio, Texas, on Nov. 7-9. The conference trains medical staff leaders in issues of communication, problem solving, and improving outcomes for patients and staff. Because of a grant from the Physicians Foundation, cost is as low as $595 for all three days. To register, visit www.physician-leadership.org.

The following CMA webinars are scheduled for October. Webinars, which are typically worth one CEU credit, 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.

• Successful Medi-Cal Provider Enrollment for Physician Providers (Oct. 2)

• Benefits of Financing your Electronic Medical Records Project (Oct. 9)

• Utilizing Technology to Increase Patient Engagement and Meet the Requirements of Meaningful Use (Oct. 16)

• CMS Quality Reporting Programs: What Physicians Need to Know and Do Now to Improve Care and Avoid Penalties (Oct. 30)

CLASSIFIEDS

Seeking Locum Tenens for basic general medical office opportunity in Santa Rosa. One or two days a week for up to 6 months. Suitable for any licensed MD with people skills. Submit letter or CV to fax 866-870-0815 to receive a call, further details. Start immediately.

Psychiatrist wanted

A staff psychiatrist at Sonoma Developmental Center participates in the multidisciplinary team process for the management of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Sonoma Developmental Center is operated by the State of California, Department of Developmental Services, and provides long-term residential services for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The psychiatrist performs psychiatric evaluations, participates in the multidisciplinary team meetings and provides recommendations to the primary care physicians in the psychiatric medication management of complex behavioral problems. The psychiatrist is also available via email and pager for consultation with primary care physicians for urgent clinical issues.

SALARY RANGE:$18,146–$22,377 per month

Applications may be downloaded from the California Department of Human Resources website at www.calhr.ca.gov. Applications MUST be filed in person or by mail with:

Sonoma Developmental Ctr., Human Resources Exam Dept., 15000 Arnold Dr., PO Box 1493, Eldridge, CA 95431. For more details, call Dr. Michael Wymore at 707-938-6566.

Staff physicians wanted

Sonoma Developmental Center is a long-term care facility operated by the State of California near Glen Ellen, California. The Center provides comprehensive health services to approximately 500 individuals with intellectual disabilities. We currently have four openings for primary care staff physicians in the fields of Family Practice, Internal Medicine or Pediatrics. The compensation and benefit package is competitive. Sonoma Developmental Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Applications may be downloaded from the California Department of Human Resources website at www.calhr.ca.gov. Applications (Form 678) MUST be filed in person or by mail with: Sonoma Developmental Center, Human Resources–Examination Unit, 15000 Arnold Drive, PO Box 1493, Eldridge, CA 95431. For more information, call Dr. Michael Wymore, medical director, at 707-938-6566.

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 Linda McLaughlin at Linda@scma.org or 707-525-4359.

APPLICANTS

Deidre Bass, DO, Pediatrics, 3925 Old Redwood Hwy., Santa Rosa 95403, Nova Southeastern Univ 2010

Armando de Pala Jr., MD, Pediatrics*, 1500A Professional Dr. #200, Petaluma 94954, Univ Philippines 1983

Michelle DeSanto, DO, Family Medicine*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, Western Univ 2010

Michael Gerstein, MD, Emergency Medicine, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, St. George’s Univ 2009

Vishal Goyal, MD, Cardiovascular Disease, 3536 Mendocino Ave. #300, Santa Rosa 95403, St. Louis Univ 2007

Jasper Hollingsworth, MD, Psychiatry*, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry*, 3554 Round Barn Blvd., Santa Rosa 95403, Univ Alabama 1995

Yelena Lapan, DO, Family Medicine*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, Touro Univ 2010

Kim Hoang Le, MD, Internal Medicine*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, Univ Washington 2010

Robert Martinez, MD, Family Medicine*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, Univ Cincinnati 2007

Noel Santo-Domingo, MD, Cardiovascular Disease*, 3536 Mendocino Ave. #300, Santa Rosa 95403, UC Davis 1991

Henry Schwartz, MD, Internal Medicine*, Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism*, 3559 Roundbarn Blvd., Santa Rosa 95403, UC Davis 1996

Erika Simpson, MD, Obstetrics & Gynecology, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, Meharry Med Coll 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.