COVID-19 Update – April 21, 2020
Blue Shield Financial Support, Crisis Care Guidelines

As of April 21, there are 1,239 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Alameda County and 43 deaths (including City of Berkeley information). As of April 21, there are 749 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Contra Costa County and 22 deaths. Please check  www.accma.org/COVID-19   for the latest updates.   
Physicians Can Apply NOW for Financial Support from Blue Shield of CA

Blue Shield of California recently announced it would be providing $200 million in direct support to physician practices and other health care providers. Today, the payor started accepting applications for the support, which will be offered in a number of categories:

  1. Loans: Blue Shield is providing up to $100 million in in provider loans. Loan amounts must not exceed $2 million.
  2. Advance Payments: Blue Shield is providing up to $100 million in advance payments for contracted Blue Shield providers. There is a grace period of six months and must be repaid in full by 12 months either directly or through offset of future claims.
  3. Value-Based/Risk Sharing Contracts: Physicians can convert their contracts to value-based contracts (where available) or risk sharing contracts, which provide a monthly base revenue stream.

Providers can also opt to receive the patient cost-sharing portion of the bill at the time the claim is paid, eliminating the time and expense of collecting patient out-of-pocket costs. ACCMA is encouraging physicians to apply as soon as possible, as available funding is limited. For more information and to apply for the programs, email  Financecommunication@blueshieldca.com  
CDPH Releases Crisis Care Guidelines for Health Care Facilities

The California Department of Public Health has released  crisis care guidelines  to help health care facilities and county health departments plan for the potential COVID-19 surge.

The  California State SARS-CoV-2 Crisis Care Guidelines  are based on best practices from across the country, and guided by ethical principles and a commitment to equity. The guidelines aim to ensure that, should conditions push our systems into providing crisis care, this care is done in a coordinated and thoughtful manner, using a common framework, procedures and decision making that best protects the health of all Californians.

The guidelines address common categories of health care delivery, triage, staff and space that could arise when available resources are limited or insufficient to meet the medical needs of patients. It provides an overview of surge capacity and crisis care operational considerations for health care facilities with an emphasis on hospitals.

Click here  to download the guidelines.
COVID-19 Testing Taskforce Publishes Criteria for Evaluating Serology Screening Tests

The California COVID-19 Testing Task Force has published evaluation criteria for COVID-19 serology screening—both rapid disposable serology tests and enzyme linked immunosorbent assays.

Read more about the evaluation criteria for COVID-19 serology screening.
New JAMA COVID-19 Video

Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, of Harvard University discusses public health strategies and policies for lifting shelter-in-place and quarantine and for returning the US to a new post-first-wave normal. Access the video here .
ACCMA & CMA COVID-19 Resource Toolkits
 
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.

To help physicians understand the rapidly evolving personnel and other employment-related issues during the COVID-19 public health emergency, the California Medical Association has published the  CMA COVID-19 Toolkit for Physician Employers . This resource is free to all and available on CMA’s COVID-19 resource page,  cmadocs.org/covid-19 .
Intuit Aid Assist - Financial Assistance Resource

Intuit Aid Assist  is a free service that allows businesses, self-employed, contractors, and others to understand and access different business relief programs. Individuals and businesses can complete a loan eligibility assessment to see if they qualify for any federal funding programs.
Alameda & Contra Costa County Recruiting Physicians for COVID-19

East Bay physicians can support COVID-19 response efforts through paid and/or voluntary service opportunities through the Alameda County, Contra Costa County, or the State of California. Please visit accma.org/COVID-19 and scrolling to "COVID-19 Volunteer Opportunities" for application instructions.
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
Tips for Physicians to Protect Themselves and Their Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic
 
Click here for tips on what to do before going to work, at work, and after work/coming home to protect yourself and your family. Tips include how to create a hot zone (contaminated area) near your home entrance and how to take care of your skin. Courtesy of the TPMG Diablo Health and Wellness Team.    
Upcoming Webinars
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 ccaufield.renew@gmail.com.
Thursday, April 23, 2020 | 12:15 PM - 1:15 PM | FREE
Presented by the California Medical Association

The webinar will be presented by Chris Bell and Georgia Green of Moss Adams, a leading accounting, consulting and wealth management firm with over 250 professionals dedicated to the health care industry. The California Medical Association (CMA) will also provide an overview of its advocacy efforts to sustain the financial viability of medical practices. 
Friday, April 24, 2020 | 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM | FREE

Join a panel discussion with three physicians who successfully transitioned to using Telemedicine in their practices. 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 accma@accma.org 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.