District X representatives from Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties will be heading to Los Angeles to attend our first in-person meeting in a long while! We are still seeking 8 active, practicing physicians to join the representation delegation. New representatives will be invited to join us at our September virtual conference to get up to speed and meet the rest of the representatives, then join us in October at LA Live for a weekend of education, debate and advocacy! Please consider joining District X Chairman Dr. Brad Drexler and SCMA's District X HOD delegation. Contact Wendy Young at exec@scma.org or 707-620-0808 for more information.

SCMA’s vaccine clinic at the Grace Pavilion is still available for walk-ins and appointments. To reach more arms this summer, we are also taking it to the streets! In addition to Grace Pavilion, residents can now receive their COVID-19 vaccine at one of SCMA's pop-up clinics, which are scheduled in different locations every week.

As the vaccine rollout winds down, SCMA continues to consult with Santa Rosa Community Health and the County for collaborative outreach efforts. We intend to support this initiative as long as necessary.

www.scma.org/COVID-19.aspx

We can give residents a second dose if they missed their appointment or it wasn't scheduled—even if we did not provide their first dose. We have Moderna and Pfizer clinic dates and pop-up locations that may not be listed on all the County or state websites.

COVID-19 vaccine outreach: community collaborative health professional volunteer sign-up. As COVID-19 vaccine distribution processes are developed and vaccine scarcity improves, there is greater need for professional healthcare volunteers for targeted outreach teams. These teams are made up of trusted community organizers, healthcare professionals, and other trusted messengers (youth promotores, artists, etc). As specific outreach requests are made, the COC Community Outreach Specialist will put out a blast to the list of volunteers to see who can participate. If you volunteer, please note you will be expected to attend or watch a training session discussing vaccine outreach, vaccine hesitancy, and an anti-oppression framework.

Read about Dr. Brian Prystowky's fight against vaccine hesitancy, one gentle conversation at a time. Full story in June 29 Press Democrat.

Tremendous progress has been made in stopping the spread of COVID-19, and saving lives in our communities since the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) first came ashore December 2019 in the U.S. Looking back, key clinical lessons can help clinicians and scientists gain perspective to prepare for the coming months.

Need a digital copy of your vaccine record? Just enter a few details to get a QR code and digital copy. Please share link with your patients.

All hands on deck; we need your help! Three excellent ways to support your colleagues and the medical community are listed below. Please consider one of these possibilities or call SCMA to ask about other areas of service (e.g., Physician Wellness Committee).

Consider joining District X Chairman Dr. Brad Drexler HOD delegation. Open seats are available for SCMA: 4 representatives, 8 alternates and 1 alternate resident. MLCMS: 2 alternate representatives. Contact Wendy Young at exec@scma.org or 707-525-4375 for more information.

YPS helps communicate to CMA the perspective of young physician members (under 40 years of age or within the first eight years of practice) — providing an opportunity to connect with physicians at same stage of their careers. The group is seeking new members and an alternate representative for the YPS Annual Assembly, traditionally held just before the CMA House of Delegates in October.

See the YPS Fact Sheet and Assembly Bylaws for more information. Deadline to renew current representative (Eric Culbertson, MD) and elect new members is Aug. 2, 2021.You can also contact CMA's Navdeep Dhaliwal at ndhaliwal@cmadocs.org to learn more.

Leadership positions open for 2021 and 2022 are listed below. Our 2021 board is seeking representation for four important areas! For a complete listing of BOD positions and those currently serving, visit the SCMA website. Contact Wendy Young at exec@scma.org or 707-525-4375 for details.

My wife Lisa, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, and I walk and hike often with our dogs. On one stroll around Spring Lake about 10 years ago, we lamented the growing incidence and daunting challenges of the childhood obesity epidemic. We wondered how we could help promote the use of the parks to our community members to enhance their physical and emotional health? Then I learned about the Sonoma County Parks Foundation (SCPF), the nonprofit that helps support our 58 incredibly beautiful Sonoma County Regional Parks and park programs.

I have now been on the SCPF Board for nearly eight years, and I am continually thrilled as we support and promote equal access for all to these cherished resources. I even feel like we are making a dent in the obesity epidemic. Furthermore, we all know from our experiences this past year that our parks, nature and open spaces have provided us with spiritual health, as well. I invite you to join me for two exciting programs co-sponsored by SCMA and SCPF.

Coordinated by SCMA’s Physician Wellness Committee, the program offers hikes for physicians and their families in local parks. Watch your email for information about upcoming hikes and outdoor activities.

Parks Rx is a health “prescription” we can give our patients, encouraging them to get outside and spend time in nature. This “prescription” teaches and reminds people that activities such as hiking, biking, having a picnic, or even just sitting quietly in nature benefit their health. Click to download colorful Rx form you can email or print for your patients. (Choose a tree or leaf background; Spanish version coming soon.) Contact Rachel at rachel@scma.org or 707-525-4375 to order printed pads. See you in the parks!

Assembly Bill (AB) 2789 of 2018 created a California state-level mandate that all prescriptions must be transmitted electronically by Jan. 1, 2022. The law applies to all physicians and almost all prescriptions, with very few exceptions. CMA has compiled frequently asked questions in a Fact Sheet to help physicians understand their requirements under the new law. You may also contact CMA at memberservice@cmadocs.org or 800-786-4262.

Please take a few minutes to answer this brief survey regarding your use of communications platforms — including email campaigns, social and/or printed media. It’s an easy “click the box” format with space for any comments you wish to make. Current communications to members are primarily provided via email and postings to the SCMA/MLCMS website or Facebook page. If additional platforms are of interest or would be useful to share information among members, we want to know! 

Deadline for Response: Friday, July 23, 2021 

Follow SCMA/MLCMS on our website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube channel.

Tuesday, July 13, 2021 • 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.  REGISTER HERE

See event flier for details and register with SCMA's sponsor discount code for individual tickets: 2021HCSCMA

Tuesday, July 20, 2021 • 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. REGISTER HERE

Sutter Health

The Sutter Health Virtual Grand Rounds is a Continuing Education (CE) webinar series hosted by Sutter Health Network providers for all medical professionals across Northern California. Interactive Q&A session takes place with each live event. Learn about the entire series here.

Medical Cannabis Update 2021: Presented by Stacy D. D'Andre, MD

Wednesday, July 14, 2021 • 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. REGISTER HERE

Wednesday, July 28, 2021 • 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. REGISTER HERE

Tuesday, July 13, 2021 • 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. REGISTER HERE

CMA/SCMA/MLCMS membership is an investment in your practice—with exceptional member benefits that include help with reimbursements, COVID-19, telehealth, physician well-being, and expert guidance for medical practice operations. Learn more about CMA tools and resources here or call CMA's live-person call center at 800-786-4262 Monday through Friday during business hours.

WELCOME to all new 1st year Residents at

As always, Family Medicine Residents in Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties are automatically given SCMA/CMA or MLCMS/CMA membership at no cost.

The latest edition of Physician Today magazine addresses critical issues like 2021 laws impacting practices and employers, how to address LGBTQIA+ bias in healthcare, ways to optimize the virtual patient experience, and much more. This popular publication created by the Cooperative of American Physicians (CAP) helps physicians stay informed of current practice-related issues.

Download magazine here.

Contact: Dorine Leong | 650-543-2183 DLeong@CAPphysicians.com

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