COVID-19 Update – April 13, 2020
Updated Guidance for Licensed Facilities and COVID-19 CPT Codes

As of April 13, there are 886 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Alameda County and 23 deaths (including City of Berkeley information). As of April 13, there are 552 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Contra Costa County and 11 deaths. Please check  www.accma.org/COVID-19   for the latest updates.   
New Guidance for Licensed Facilities to Help Control the Spread of COVID-19

Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) and Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) each issued Orders for all Licensed Facilities and Other Agencies, as well as their staff, contractors and any essential visitors entering those sites to comply with guidance to control the spread of COVID-19. The Orders become effective at 12:01 AM on Tuesday, April 14, 2020.

New guidelines for licensed facilities include:

  • Temperature check for all staff, contractors, and other essential visitors before entering the facility.

  • All individuals entering the facility must self-evaluate for mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms, including fever, sore throat, coughing, shortness of breath, or general weakness in the last 7 days.

  • All individuals with a temperature of 100° F or 37.8° C or greater should be prohibited from entering the facility.

  • All staff, residents, and other essential visitors should wear masks to cover their nose and mouth while in the facility and, for residents, outside their rooms. Appropriate and recommended PPE must be worn by staff when available if there is a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case at the facility.

  • All group activities and communal dining must be canceled. Staff and residents should maintain a physical distance of 6 feet apart when leaving their rooms.

  • If a resident who is suspected or confirmed of having COVID-19 is being transferred to an acute care hospital, the hospital, EMS, and transport agencies should be notified. The facility should notify EMS and the receiving hospital if the facility already has COVID-19 cases.

  • Avoid, as much as possible, staffing scenarios that use employees who have worked at another Licensed Facility or Other Agency in the past 14 days. Facilities must keep a daily log of employees present, identifying any other facilities the employees have worked at in the previous 14 days, and that log must be produced immediately if requested by any staff member of the ACPHD.

The Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association is closely partnering with the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD)'s Long-Term Care Facility Task Force. This new order aims to keep patients safer by making compliance mandatory. Review the full order here.

Contra Costa Health Services has issued a similar order, outlining the same guidelines above.
AMA Announces New CPT Codes for COVID-19 Antibody Tests
  
The American Medical Association (AMA) today announced two new CPT codes to report when patients receive blood tests that detect COVID-19 antibodies.The new codes are intended for use as the industry standard for accurate reporting and tracking of blood tests performed to specifically detect antibodies associated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. These two new codes are effective immediately.

  • 86328: Immunoassay for infectious agent antibody(ies), qualitative or semiquantitative, single step method (eg, reagent strip); severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19])

  • 86769: Antibody; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19])

Review the updated COVID-19 CPT Codes and Coding Guidance here.
PPE and Supplies - County Request Forms

The following is information about placing orders for PPE and other medical support through County resource allocation processes:


  • Contra Costa County: All Resource Requests should be submitted using the attached “CCCHS Request Form”. If requesting PPE, must also complete attached “Medical/Health Items Provider Questionnaire" (found on the first page of the CCCHS Request Form). These forms should be submitted directly to the CCHS DOC Logistics Section at [email protected]. Per CCHS, you should first work within your vendors and systems first before sending requests to the DOC.
CMA Releases Financial Impact Survey

CMA has released a survey requesting input on the financial impact COVID-19 has had on physician practices. If you have not already completed the survey, please take a minute to submit your response no later than April 15, 2020 .
Complimentary Peer Discussion Groups
 
RechargedMD  is offering ACCMA members  complimentary online peer discussion and coaching specifically for physicians. With the guidance of a certified physician coach, physicians can receive and offer support, as well as learn from one another. Small groups will meet beginning on April 25 for 45 minutes per week for three facilitated sessions. Go to  rechargedmd.com/covid19support . 
ACCMA Resources Toolkit
 
The ACCMA has put together a free toolkit of resources that address the day-to-day needs of East Bay physicians of all career stages and in all modes of practice, from food and grocery delivery services to exercises that can be done at home. Click here to access and download the toolkit.  
Upcoming Webinars
Wednesday, April 15, 2020 | 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM | FREE

Anjali and Mary Jean will present on the changing landscape of telemedicine reimbursement what it was in the past, where it is now during the National Emergency, and probable future outcomes based on her experience and insight. Additionally, she will provide practical guidance on coding to avoid fraud and abuse issues to avoid post-pandemic audits and investigations. To register , please click here and complete the form at the bottom of the page. Please note that completion of the form will register you for the whole Telemedicine series, so if you are interested in attending more than one webinar, please only submit the form once.

Presenters:  
Anjali Dooley, Managing Partner of Law Office of Anjali B. Dooley, LLC  
Mary Jean Sage, The Sage Associates 
Thursday, April 16, 2020 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | FREE

During this COCA Call, presenters will provide an overview of the importance of mortality data, discuss the NCHS publication and the guidance it provides to clinicians who may need to certify a death involving COVID-19, and present a summary of COVID-19 surveillance through the NVSS.
Friday, April 17, 2020 | 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM | FREE

Telemedicine is the new normal for patient care through the COVID-19 Emergency. This webinar will focus on using telemedicine to enhance patient-centered care, including exploring new and upcoming technology solutions that will help support physicians in providing optimal person-centered care to patients. To register , please click here and complete the form at the bottom of the page. Please note that completion of the form will register you for the whole Telemedicine series, so if you are interested in attending more than one webinar, please only submit the form once.

Presenters:  
Michael Harbour, MD
Monday, April 20, 2020 | 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM | FREE

With the COVID-19 Emergency requiring physicians to adopt telehealth and position more of their staff to work from home, important patient privacy and security risks emerge. This webinar will address those along with practical tips for compliance. To register , please click here and complete the form at the bottom of the page. Please note that completion of the form will register you for the whole Telemedicine series, so if you are interested in attending more than one webinar, please only submit the form once.

Presenters:  
David Ginsberg, co-founder and president of PrivaPlan Associates, Inc. 
Allen Briskin, Senior Counsel, Pillbury Winthrop Saw Pittman LLP 
Wednesday, April 22, 2020 | 6:00 - 7:00 PM | FREE

This one-hour webinar led by Linda Hawes Clever, MD, MACP, will offer practical, creative, and effective remedies to deal with the crush on personal and professional lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will start with some strategies, resources, and suggestions and then quickly evolve to questions and answers, as we listen and see the ingenuity, guts, and devotion with which we are addressing the harrowing challenges we all face as a profession, community, and nation. Participants will discover how to r educe personal stress and learn healthy ways to contend with the impact of COVID-19.

You are encouraged to submit questions in advance to help her address the range of clinician concerns and responses to the crisis. And you can also briefly share any personal tips and practices that are helping you during this difficult time. Please send your questions and comments to [email protected].
Thursday, April 24, 2020 | 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM | FREE

To register , please click here and complete the form at the bottom of the page. Please note that completion of the form will register you for the whole Telemedicine series, so if you are interested in attending more than one webinar, please only submit the form once.

Panelists:  
Marc Dean, MD 
Uli K. Chettipally, MD 
Richard Thorp, MD
Questions/Concerns?  

Please contact ACCMA at 510-654-5383 or   [email protected]   with any questions or concerns you have. Although we may not currently have an immediate answer to all questions, we want to know the information and resources that you need to continue to provide care for our community during this difficult time.  
 
This information will also be posted online at www.accma.org/COVID-19 and will be updated frequently. Please check the ACCMA website regularly for updates.