Keeping You Connected

The SMLMA keeps you up to date on the latest news,
policy developments, and events

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

2024 Physician Wellness Leadership awards announced

Nominations and award recipients were announced at the Physician Wellness EXPO and Dinner on April 26, 2024, in Petaluma. Awards were presented to physicians in six categories of wellness leadership achievement. Click here or the icon below for the full dinner program, which includes photographs and statements from each of the nominees. Additional details and list of awardees may be viewed in May 2024 News Briefs.

2024 Physician Wellness Expo & Dinner

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

April 2013





 

SCMA Wine & Cheese Reception to be held at Coppola Winery on May 9

Mark your calendar for the annual SCMA Wine & Cheese Reception, to be held at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville on Thursday evening, May 9. This popular event--which features collegial conversation and a sampling of fine wines and cheeses--is absolutely free for SCMA members and their spouse or guest. Cost for nonmembers is $55 per person.

The event, which runs from 6 to 8 p.m., features CMA President Dr. Paul Phinney, a Sacramento pediatrician. He will give an informal “President’s Message” touching on what CMA is doing for you, current issues, and opportunities to get involved in SCMA and CMA.

To RSVP, contact Rachel Pandolfi at rachel@scma.org or 707-525-4375. For more information about the winery, visit www.franciscoppolawinery.com or download the flyer below.

2013 SCMA Wine & Cheese Reception flyer



April 3 Future of Primary Care conference features awards, guest speaker

Dr. Danielle Oryn of Petaluma will receive the Family Physician of the Year award at the annual Future of Primary Care conference on Wednesday evening, April 3. The event, which runs from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Vista Family Health Center in Santa Rosa, features a lecture by Dr. Wayne Jonas, one of the nation’s leading family physicians. His topic is “Creating optimal healing environments in Sonoma County.”

All local physicians are invited to attend this free event, which is sponsored by the North Bay chapters of the California Academy of Family Physicians. Space is limited, however, so RSVPs are required. Light refreshments will be served.

To RSVP, contact Erika Goodwin at erikagoodwin@sonic.net. For more details, visit www.northbayafp.org.


 

Sign up now for April 16 Legislative Leadership Conference

Want to make your voice heard in state government? If so, you’re invited to attend CMA’s free Legislative Leadership Conference in Sacramento on Tuesday, April 16--one day after income taxes are due. Hundreds of physicians from all over California attend this annual event.

The morning includes speeches from key legislative leaders. Speakers for 2013 haven’t been confirmed yet, but last year Gov. Brown addressed the conference. In the afternoon, attendees go to the Capitol to meet with their legislators on health care issues.

To RSVP for the conference, contact Rachel Pandolfi at 707-525-4375 or rachel@scma.org.

 


 

 


Get your Sonoma County Physician Directory today!

The 2013 Sonoma County Physician Directory is now available for sale. This exhaustive reference book gives contact and specialty information for almost every doctor currently practicing in Sonoma County, along with detailed photographic listings for SCMA members and a useful compendium of medical resources. The familiar spiral-bound book is heavily used by local medical offices.

Each SCMA member receives one free copy of the directory. Extra copies cost $30 for SCMA members or $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 at www.scma.org/directory, or you can fax or mail the order form below.

Sonoma County Physician Directory order form


 

The iWALK Challenge is back!

Due to popular demand, the iWALK Challenge is back! This popular springtime activity is part of a broad-based effort to make Sonoma County the healthiest county in California.

The iWALK Challenge is simply a commitment to exercise. Over a 10-week period, individuals commit to get at least 150 minutes of exercise each week. That breaks down to just 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Any type of exercise counts, including swimming, biking, running, walking, hiking or dancing.

This year’s iWALK Challenge runs from March 4 to May 11, ending on the day of the Human Race. Participants can use the iWALK Challenge to train for that popular event. Registration for the iWALK Challenge is completely free and helps support the countywide movement to reduce obesity through exercise. To register, visit www.iWALKsonoma.org and click on the iWALK Challenge button. For more details, contact Becky Lunders at info@iwalksonoma.org or 707-793-0933.


Leadership Academy heads to Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas

The annual California Health Care Leadership Academy will be held May 31 through June 2 at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. Presented by CMA, the California Medical Group Management Association and the CMA Foundation, “Increasing the Odds of Success” will cover a variety of issues to help physicians succeed in the rapidly changing health care landscape.

Hear from the experts and leaders of change and attend a comprehensive slate of practice management seminars and workshops to position your practice for success. For details, contact Cynthia Melody at 707-525-4375 or cynthia@scma.org, or visit www.cmanet.org.


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 now offering CME for free member webinars

Act now to avoid Medicare penalties in 2015

Medi-Cal extends 2012 EHR attestation deadline to April 30

CMA announces 2013-14 sponsored legislation

New breast density notification law goes into effect April 1


Benefit screening of The Healthcare Movie on April 25

A benefit screening of “The Healthcare Movie,” a 65-minute documentary narrated by Kiefer Sutherland, will be held at the Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 25. The movie tells the story of how the Canadian healthcare system turned out to be so different from the system in the United States. Years ago, the systems were essentially the same, but they have since diverged dramatically.

Following the screening, local representatives of the Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) will lead a discussion on how the Affordable Care Act can help make healthcare accessible and affordable. All proceeds from the event will benefit PNHP education and advocacy efforts.

Tickets are just $7 and are available at the Rialto Cinemas box office or online at www.rialtocinemas.com. For more information, contact Stan Gold at sngold@juno.com or download the flyer below.

The Healthcare Movie flyer


PEOPLE

Orthopedic surgeons Dr. Michael Grafe and Dr. Alex Iezza were recently honored by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency for their life-saving surgeries on two customs agents who were shot with an assault rifle in Petaluma last May. The agents, who were investigating a gang-related triple homicide, were rushed to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital after the assault. “The healthcare professionals who attended to our wounded agents are truly the unsung heroes of last year’s shooting,” said Special Agent Clark Settles. “There is no question the extraordinary care our investigators received from the medical team helped prevent the loss of life.” In addition to Drs. Grafe and Iezza, the agency honored nurses Isabel Cavalli and Tiffany Oliver, who helped treat the wounded agents.

Dr. Danielle Oryn, a Petaluma family physician, has been named the Sonoma County Family Physician of the Year by the North Bay chapters of the California Academy of Family Physicians. Oryn will receive her award at the April 3 Future of Family Medicine conference in Santa Rosa.

Dr. Jose-Mario Fontanilla has joined Kaiser Santa Rosa as a specialist in infectious diseases. A graduate of the University of the Philippines Medical School, he completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Connecticut and a fellowship in infectious disease at Dartmouth, where he also received an MPH in quality improvement.

Dr. Roger Barron, a longtime Santa Rosa allergist who retired just two years ago, died in March at the age of 68. For many years he and his partner Dr. Michael Martin were the only allergists in the county, and they maintained offices in Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park and Petaluma. Barron was well known for spending extra time with patients, and also for his devotion to several charitable causes, including Global Partners, Beyond War and Save the Children. He also traveled to Africa and other far-flung locations to help out with medical missions. A celebration of his life will be held on Sunday, April 7, at the Paradise Ridge Winery in Santa Rosa.


MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS

The Jewish Community Free Clinic in Rohnert Park needs physician volunteers to provide free medical care to patients without health insurance. There is a particular need for family physicians, internists and pediatricians. Typical commitments are for one evening per month or every other month. To volunteer, contact Deborah Roberts, RN, at 707-585-7780 or robertde@sonoma.edu. For more information, visit www.jewishfreeclinic.org.

The Kaiser Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency has been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and is expected to admit its first group of six residents in July 2014. Residency Director Dr. Walt Mills described Kaiser Santa Rosa as “an ideal place to train the next generation of family medicine physicians,” noting that the medical center has a commitment to primary care and an integrated care model. Physician-in-chief Dr. Kirk Pappas added, “We are now a center of medical education, and our new Family Medicine Residency Program will continue to make us a major teaching facility.”


RESOURCES

The following CMA webinars are scheduled for April. 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.

• Strategic planning from vision to action (April 3)

• CMS quality reporting programs: What physicians need to know (April 9)

• Preparing for EHR implementation (April 10)

• Valuing, selling, buying or transitioning a practice (April 17)

• California’s Health Benefit Exchange: How it will impact your practice (April 24)

On April 1, UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services (UMVS) began providing managed care services to 2.9 million TRICARE beneficiaries in the 21 western states, including California. UVMS took over the contract previously held by TriWest. To help physicians understand the impact the transition will have on their practices, CMA has published a toolkit, TRICARE Transition Guide: What physicians need to know. The toolkit is available free to members at www.cmanet.org. Questions about the TRICARE transition should be directed to CMA’s Center for Economic Services at 916-551-2061.

The 20th annual HIV/AIDS Review will be held from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, at the Hilton Hotel, 3555 Round Barn Blvd., Santa Rosa. Topics include HIV elimination, substance use and HIV, and psycho-social issues of aging. The event qualifies for up to 5 hours of Category 1 credit. For information and reservations, contact Danielle Jones at 707-303-8904 or danielle.jones@ucsf.edu.

Physicians and office staff of a certain age are encouraged to sign up for the Sonoma Wine Country Senior Games, open to all athletes 50 years and up. The Games, now in their third year, feature competition in 17 different types of sports, from tennis and golf to square dancing and horseshoes. Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente and administered by the Council on Aging, the Games run from May 30 to June 9 at venues around the county. To register, visit www.winecountrygames.com.


CLASSIFIEDS

Family physicians needed. Family medicine positions available with Annadel Medical Group in Sonoma County. Contact James.DeVore@stjoe.org.

Physician wanted. Physicians: Retired w/license? Want to cut back to one or two days a week? Rewarding alternative care office in Marin County looking for California licensed MD for consultative work. Part time, excellent compensation. Contact James Gould at 760-703-3767 or james@greenleafcare.com.

Medical office space for lease, Santa Rosa. Newly remodeled medical office with exam rooms available for clinician to see patients. Located on N. Dutton Ave. near West College. Parking, reception area, utilities included. For details, visit www.facebook.com/SantaRosaSportsAndFamilyMedicine. Contact Len at 707-529-8081 or len@srsportsmed.com.

Urodynamic monitor for sale. Urodynamic monitor--$2900. Like new. Bard 4-channel urodynamic monitor with extra supplies. I left private practice and joined a large group and no longer need this monitor. It is in great condition and was hardly used. I am in the Santa Rosa area but can arrange delivery to other Bay Area locations. Contact Janet at 650-814-7155 or janetpulskamp@comcast.net.

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

Christopher Clark, MD, Psychiatry*, 3554 Round Barn Blvd., Santa Rosa 95403, Yale Med Sch 1977

Susan Gross, MD, Family Medicine*, 3900 Lakeville Hwy., Petaluma 94954, Univ Alabama 1998

* = 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.

© 2013 SCMA, 2901 Cleveland Ave. #202, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

 



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