May 2016 May 17, 2016 SCMA News Briefs SCMA News Briefs 0 Download PDF Here SCMA NEWS Deadline to register for CURES is July 1, 2016 RSVP now for May 19 Wine & Cheese Reception Cast your vote in the annual SCMA election by May 31 Get your 2016 Sonoma County Physician Directory now! AMA House of Delegates report SCMA applicants LOCAL NEWS PRACTICE RESOURCES & CME CLASSIFIEDS SCMA NEWS Deadline to register for CURES is July 1, 2016 Under California law, 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 (DEA Certificate) must register to use the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) by July 1, 2016. CMA has compiled a list of educational materials to familiarize physicians with the registration process and key features of the newly upgraded system, CURES 2.0. These resources are available at www.cmanet.org/cures. Physicians who experience problems with the new system should contact the Department of Justice (DOJ) CURES Help Desk at 916-227-3843 or cures@doj.ca.gov. PLEASE report these technical issues to CMA's member service center at 800-786-4262 or memberservice@cmanet.org. CMA recently cohosted a webinar with DOJ to help physicians navigate the CURES 2.0 registration process. The presentation is now available on demand in CMA's online resource library and is free to all interested parties. The webinar, "CURES 2.0: Navigating the State's New Prescription Drug Monitoring Database," provides an overview of key user features of the updated system and tips on how to avoid technical issues. RSVP now for May 19 Wine & Cheese Reception Last chance to RSVP for the gathering at Orpheus Wines in Kenwood on Thursday evening, May 19. Hosted this year by winery owners Dr. Rachel Friedman and her husband, Marc Kraft, the reception runs from 5:30 to 8 p.m. and features a delightful sampling of fine wines and cheeses. This popular annual event is FREE for SCMA members and their spouse or guest. Cost for nonmembers is $55 per person. To RSVP, contact Rachel Pandolfi at rachel@scma.org or 707-525-4375. Visit www.orpheuswines.com for directions and information about their wines. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase the wines being poured at a 15% discount. Fore more details, see the invitation. Cast your vote in the annual SCMA election by May 31 SCMA election ballots will be mailed by postal mail to all members in May and are due back by May 31. On the election ballot, Dr. Peter Sybert, a Santa Rosa anesthesiologist, has been nominated as SCMA president-elect. Others nominated to the SCMA Board of Directors are Drs. Brad Drexler (treasurer), Patricia May (secretary), Richard Powers (West County district), Peter Sybert and Jan Sonander (Santa Rosa district), James Pyskaty (TPMG), and five nominees for the CMA delegation: Drs. Rob Nied, Richard Powers and Jeff Sugarman (delegates) and Regina Sullivan and Stephen Steady (alternates). Board nominees join the current board of directors, which include Drs. Mary Maddux-Gonzalez, Margaret Gilford, Clinton Lane, Rajesh Ranadive, Marshall Kubota, Jeff Sugarman, Rob Nied, Karen Milman, and Rick Flinders. For more information, contact Cynthia Melody at cmelody@scma.org or 707-525-4375. Get your 2016 Sonoma County Physician Directory now! One of the many benefits of SCMA membership is a free copy of the annual Sonoma County Physician Directory. Extra copies are a hot commodity, and right now is the best time to order. Last year's edition sold out, so don't wait! Each SCMA member has already received one complimentary copy of the 2016 directory. Extra copies are $30 for SCMA members and $40 for nonmember physicians, health care facilities and the general public. To order by phone with a credit card, contact Rachel Pandolfi at 707-525-4375 or rachel@scma.org. You can also purchase online or you can fax or mail the order form. AMA House of Delegates report Dr. Peter Bretan, a urologist and transplant surgeon with offices in Sonoma and Marin counties, is the CMA District X alternate delegate to the American Medical Association. He is also president of the Marin Medical Society. Click here to read Dr. Bretan's report on last fall's AMA House of Delegates. SCMA applicants Welcome, new SCMA/CMA members! Eye Care Institute - 1017 Second St., Santa Rosa Esther Penn, MD, Ophthalmology*, Vanderbilt Univ 1998 Redwood Family Dermatology - 2725 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa Ligaya Park, DO, Dermatology, Western Univ TPMG - 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa Adam Bellinger, MD, Urology*, Univ Texas 2008 * Board certified LOCAL NEWS Dr. Peter Bretan honored by NEPO May is Asian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and on May 9 the Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations (NEPO) recognized Dr. Peter Bretan for his service as "President of the Marin Medical Society and for going above and beyond to serve people around the world. He frequently travels to the Philippines to help perform life-saving transplants with Life Plant International, the charity organization he founded to promote disaster preparedness, organ donation and early disease screening worldwide. He was presented with the Benjamin Rush Award for Citizenship and Community Service by the American Medical Association (AMA) in 2014. Dr. Bretan's altruism is truly inspiring!" Click here to view the NEPO Facebook page. Jewish Community Free Clinic dinner & auction June 5 Support the Jewish Community Free Clinic by attending the Spirit of Hippocrates Dinner & Auction at Congregation Shomrei Torah in Santa Rosa, June 5 at 5 p.m. Share delicious food and local wines and celebrate the artistic contributions made to the clinic by local artists Leslie Gattmann and Marsha Connell. Click here for event details. JCFC provides free care to the uninsured in our community, regardless of religious beliefs. Services include primary care, social services, labs and medications. During the past year more than 2,500 adults and children received services from JCFC. PRACTICE RESOURCES & CME New! May 17 seminar: Increasing medical debt recoveries and building a customer service culture This seminar will teach attendees medical debt recovery practices to increase patient satisfaction and recoveries in their office, while highlighting processes to implement ways to build a customer service culture. The seminar cost is $79 and benefits the Center for Well-Being. Click here for more information. New! July 22 seminar: Improve oral health care for pregnant women and infants Sonoma County medical and dental professionals are invited to attend a no-cost educational seminar and workshop focused on oral health care for pregnant women and infants from 8:30 a.m. to Noon on July 22. Emcee: Dr. Jayanth Kumar, DDS, MPH, California State Dental Director. See flier for details. Free CME on Child Abuse Prevention, Recognition and Reporting The Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) is offering a course on Child Abuse Prevention, Recognition and Reporting. This 75-minute course, is designed for physicians, nurses and other health care professionals who are mandated by law to report suspected child abuse and neglect, but who may not be as familiar with the signs and symptoms or may not know what, when and to whom to properly report findings. This course is free, CMEs available. Pre-registration is required. For more information, contact Leslie Anne Iacopi at liacopi@imq.org. Practice Management Tip of the Month: May Plan ahead to reduce scheduling disruptions and long patient wait times! It's rare that an appointment schedule in a medical office survives a day without any changes. No-shows, cancellations and last-minute emergencies will always crop up and cause shifts and changes. Effectively managing the appointment schedule can have a positive impact on both patient and practice satisfaction. For more information on scheduling strategies visit www.cmanet.org/practice-check-up. Are you receiving CMA newsletters? 1) CMA Alert. CMA publishes a 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. 2) CMA Practice Resources. CCPR is a free monthly bulletin from CMA's practice management experts that focuses on critical payor and health 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. Click here to view the current issue. CLASSIFIEDS Seeking full-time medical assistant for busy, small family practice Front and back office experience preferred. Email or fax resume to: nlofficemanager@att.net or 707-782-1163. Steal my practice. I'm retiring. Fall in love with practicing medicine again. Proven, profitable weight loss practice in Marin County. Multiple 6 figures, ready to take it to the next level. Work-life balance, time freedom, financial security, relationship-driven practice. I'm 100% committed to all the support necessary to ensure a smooth transition. Contact for more information or to schedule a visit. Gail Altschuler, MD, 415-309-6258 or drgail@marinweightloss.com. Free classifieds for SCMA members! 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 Comments are closed.
