East Bay COVID-19 Update: March 27, 2020 As of March 27, there are 220 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Alameda County and 4 deaths (including City of Berkeley information). As of March 27, there are 147 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Contra Costa County and 1 death. Please check www.accma.org/COVID-19 for the latest updates.

AMA and CMA Frequently Asked Questions Both the American Medical Association and the California Medical Association have created FAQ sections on their websites with the most frequently asked questions from physicians regarding the COVID-19 outbreak.

The AMA has categorized their FAQs by: Patient-Physician Relationship Clinical Practice Management Ethical

The CMA has categorized their FAQs by: Personnel Financial Telehealth Testing Prescribing Miscellaneous

If you have any additional questions that are not currently listed, please contact [email protected].

"Managing Your Practice Through COVID-19" Now Available

This one-hour online training provides private practice physicians with the information needed to manage the COVID-19 crisis while maintaining your practice. Learn how to handle layoffs with a labor law expert, manage the cash flow in your practice, and learn more about telemedicine codes as you navigate your practice through this challenging time. Click here to access the free audio recording. Click here to access the presentation slides.

Alameda County Alameda County Public Health Department released information about Operation Comfort , Alameda County's COVID-19 isolation housing. Operation Comfort is available for referral agencies who serve people experiencing homelessness and who meet the following criteria:  Tested positive for COVID-19 OR Experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 OR Been exposed to COVID-19 For the protection of onsite staff and the recovery of current patients, no walk-ins will be accepted.

Contra Costa County On March 26, Contra Costa Health Services released a joint statement with Martinez Unified School District concerning local COVID-19 preparations. Contra Costa County has been exploring "alternate care sites," facilities to care for people with less complicated medical needs, and is currently preparing Pittsburg Health Center to possibly serve as an alternate care site. Contra Costa County has recently requested supplies from the federal government to help establish an alternative care site at Alhambra High School in Martinez, and a shipment of beds, medical equipment, and other supplies are expected to arrive within the next few days. Alhambra High School is located in close proximity to Contra Costa County Regional Medical Center, which is why it has been targeted as an alternative care site. Contra Costa County will likely identify additional sites in the coming days. In addition, Contra Costa County is working to identify shelters for people who are unhoused and has identified a number of hotel rooms and other resources throughout Contra Costa County that will be used for this purpose. Read the full joint statement , including a statement from Superintendent CJ Cammack from the Martinez Unified School District.

CDC Release Guidance for Optimizing PPE Supply The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have released a webpage for providers, focusing on optimizing their supplies of PPE. This webpage provides guidance for eye protection , isolation gowns , face masks , and N95 respirators , including advice for reprocessing PPE, crisis capacity strategies, contingency capacity strategies, and more. Visit the CDC's PPE webpage to learn more.

Upcoming Webinars

Implementing Telehealth in Your Practice - COVID-19 Emergency (presented by CMA) Monday, March 30 | 12:15 PM – 1:15 PM | FREE   Telehealth continues to deliver value in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by allowing physicians to see patients safely and limit the spread of the virus. Additionally, federal and state waivers, guidance and directives now enable physicians to get reimbursed fairly for telehealth visits, practices. This webinar will provide you with tools and resources for implementing telehealth in your practice. We will discuss options for your practice including the recently announced partnership between CMA Physician Services and Amwell. To register for this webinar  please click here .

Financial Assistance Available to Practices - COVID-19 Emergency  (presented by CMA) Tuesday, March 31 | 12:15 PM – 1:15 PM | FREE This webinar will provide a layout out of financial assistance programs available to physician practices and small businesses, offered by both the federal government and the State of California. These programs are intended to help practices maintain their financial viability while dealing with the influx of patients into their offices and the moratorium of non-essential procedures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. CMA staff will direct physicians to specific resources they can take advantage of during this crisis. To register for this webinar  please click here .

End of Life Planning in the LGBTQ Community Thursday, April 2 | 5:30 - 8:00 PM | FREE End-of-life planning with LGBTQ community members should be approached with an awareness of the issues and concerns that impact the community to insure patients receive the care they want. LGBTQ patients may experience reduced access to care, prejudice, and in some cases are more likely to be diagnosed with certain illnesses. Having knowledge of the unique challenges leads to greater empathy and better ability to support LGBTQ patients with the end-of-life planning process. To register for this webinar, please click here.

Opioid Epidemic and Disparity in Access to Advanced Pain Management Thursday, April 16 | 7:00 - 8:00 PM | CME Available | FREE* This one hour, online video training aims for the participants to understand the history of the opioid epidemic and where we are today in the effect it has on our communities. Learn to assist patients with Opioid Use Disorder and be knowledgeable of alternative treatments for patients experiencing pain. To register for this webinar please click here. If you would like to request CME for this training, please contact Jennifer Mullins at [email protected] . *Non-members requesting CME will be charged $49.

Questions/Concerns?   Please contact ACCMA and 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.