Happy New Year! I have heard from many of you concerned about vaccinations, particularly those of you in private practice. I know that the lack of vaccine information is frustrating. I too am frustrated and wish I had the answers for you much sooner.
Let me assure you, all of you are included in the current Phase IA. We are working with the county to set up vaccination sites for you and your medical staff. I will be sharing this info via a separate email as soon as plans are cemented.
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"I'M IN!" VACCINATION CAMPAIGN |
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Physicians and providers support vaccinations |
The"I'm in!" campaign kicked off in December and will continue this month with an ad in the Press Democrat newspaper. Names of participating healthcare providers will be listed with the statement: "I'm in! For my health and the health of my community, I have been vaccinated or plan to get the coronavirus vaccine as soon as it's available to me."
The campaign is being organized by Dr. Brian Prystowsky and SCMA in an effort to bring our local healthcare institutions together to build public trust in the coronavirus vaccines. We are doing this through several media modalities:
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Press Democrat advertisement listing local providers' names with the "I'm In!" statement.
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KSRO radio interviews. Dr. Brian Prystowsky did the first segment on Dec. 21 along with Drs. Veronica Jordan and Kendal Hamann, answering questions about the vaccine.
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Eight-foot tall "I'm In!" campaign signs with logos of Sonoma County healthcare organizations to display at sites where the coronavirus vaccine is being administered. The intent is to show the public that we are a united healthcare community supporting their decision to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
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Social media postings. Join CMA and SCMA and post your vaccination photo on social media with #thisisourshot.
Additional details and media schedule to follow as plans are developed in conjunction with the vaccine rollout. For more information about the campaign, reply to sonomacountyvaccines@gmail.com.
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COVID-19 NEWS AND UPDATES |
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Click the links below for current information and statistics in each county.
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SCMA and MLCMS can still help you with PPE supplies.
Please complete the form in its entirety. For practices needing shipments to multiple offices, please complete a separate form for each location. We aim to approve orders within 24 hours and ship within 48 hours. Advance payment is not required.
If you have any questions, please call 707-525-4375. Return your PPE Order via email to rachel@scma.org. Orders are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. We are happy to help you take advantage of this opportunity to receive PPE supplies at minimal cost to you.
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Congratulations 2020 Physician Award recipients! |
The SCMA Board of Directors is pleased to announce our 2020 award recipients. A tradition since 1985, the annual awards program recognizes exemplary service and contributions to the practice of medicine and community. Please join us in congratulating and thanking our distinguished 2020 awardees.
Although we are not able to gather in person this year to present the awards, we’ve arranged a full measure of recognition with local media and the medical community. Watch for ads in January/February Sonoma Magazine, the Jan. 10 Press Democrat and coverage in the North Bay Business Journal later this month. More details to follow.
Awardees are listed below. See awards flier for details — download and share the good news with colleagues and friends! Please also extend your appreciation to our 2020 sponsors, media partners and SCMA business partners. Without their support, this program would not be possible.
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OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY
Don Carlos Steele, MD
Sonoma County Indian Health Project
Patrick Caskey, MD
North Bay Vitreoretinal Consultants
OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO LOCAL MEDICINE
Sundari R. Mase, MD, MPH
Sonoma County Department of
Health Services
OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO SCMA
Regina Sullivan, MD, MBA, CPE
Kaiser Permanente Medical Group (TPMG), Kaiser Permanente
RECOGNITION OF ACHIEVEMENT
Carly Sullivan
Coastal Valleys EMS Agency
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PRACTICE MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Isabelle von Tobel
Sutter Medical Group of the Redwoods
ARTICLE OF THE YEAR
Kreigh P. Moulton, MD, FACC, FACP, FCCP
Sutter Medical Group of the Redwoods
OPERATION ACCESS AWARDS
Above & Beyond Award
Nina Ni, MD
Eye Care Institute
Unsung Hero Award
Robert Haimson, MD
Sutter Medical Group of the Redwoods
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PHYSICIAN WELLNESS SUPPORT |
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Sonoma County wellness engagement group forming |
The California Medical Association’s wellness program (CMA Wellness) and Sonoma County Medical Association (SCMA) are happy to announce the formation of the 2021 Sonoma County physician wellness engagement group.
The wellness engagement group will include lively, monthly small group discussions designed to cultivate professional fulfillment and provide support to physician colleagues. Meetings will initially be held virtually. However we are hopeful of being able to meet in person when public health protocols allow. The Sonoma County group will be led by volunteer physician facilitator Daciana Iancu, MD. Participants will reflect all specialties, practice settings and backgrounds.
Participants will receive one CME unit for each engagement group session attended, up to six if attending all six sessions. Attendance and completion of the session evaluation for each session attended is required for CME credit.
- Duration: six months (one 60-minute meeting per month)
- CME units for attendance
- Time: Noon–1:00 p.m. 4th Tuesday of the month
- Start date: January 2021
- Enrollment deadline: 12:00 p.m./Noon on Jan. 8, 2021
- Enrollment limited to 10 physician participants + facilitator
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The Sonoma Community Resilience Collaborative invites you to join them for
10-minute virtual meditation breaks, Mondays thru Fridays at 10:00 a.m., led by trained facilitators. These live, audio-only sessions are designed to fit into your workday and can be accessed easily by computer or phone.
or call 669-900-6833. Meeting code: 8523553870#.
Find a comfortable and quiet place, and take a few important minutes for self-care through guided meditation and other mind-body skills.
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Register now for CMA's January webinars
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GME Webinar Series: The Time is Now for Rural Counties & Communities
E/M Coding Changes 2021
Be ready for the most powerful overhaul of E&M codes in more than 25 years.
Telehealth Series (Part 9) Telehealth 2021 Overview
This series made possible through the support of the California Health Care Foundation and is open to all physician practices.
Virtual Grand Rounds: COVID-19
The California Medical Association designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Moderator: Kimberly Newell Green, MD, Immediate Past President, San Francisco Marin Medical Society; Associate Clinical Professor, University of California, San Francisco
GME Webinar Series: Expand or Create New Residence Programs?
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Marijuana Prevention Education Series 2021 |
This series of virtual trainings and workshops provides comprehensive marijuana prevention education to youth, parents/families, adult allies, educators/school personnel, and healthcare/mental health professionals.
Marijuana 101
Neuroscience and the developing adolescent brain; impact of use on brain functioning, academic performance, mental health and life outcomes; forms of use, potency and vaping.
Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 • 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021 • 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
See the series flier for schedule through May 2021, registration link and workshop details. All sessions are presented on Zoom. |
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Pediatrics
Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
Psychiatry
Psychiatry
Family Medicine
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New health laws 2021: Are you ready? |
The California Medical Association has published a summary of the most significant new health laws of interest to physicians. Also included is a detailed summary from the AMA with a Medicare payment impact chart by specialty. For details, see CMA publishes year-end federal legislative summary. |
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California Surgeon General's ACE report |
The Office of the California Surgeon General has released the first California Surgeon General’s Report: Roadmap for Resilience: The California Surgeon General's Report on Adverse Childhood Experiences, Toxic Stress, and Health. The report serves as a blueprint for how communities, states, and nations can recognize and effectively address Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress as a root cause to some of the most harmful, persistent, and expensive societal and health challenges facing our world today. Read the Report and CMA Article.
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SCMA BUSINESS PARTNER SPOTLIGHTS |
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Protect your practice from the common risks
of medical malpractice lawsuits
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In CAP’s recent publication, From Exam Room to Courtroom: Lessons Learned from Real Medical Malpractice Cases, you will find 10 real-life case studies of physicians who have been involved in medical malpractice legal disputes. Authored by Gordon Ownby, General Counsel at CAP, these malpractice case studies impart important lessons in risk management that physicians don't necessarily learn in medical school, but acquire as they practice medicine.
Become a CAP member and begin saving today!
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Financial Focus: Investment Lessons from 2020 |
As 2020 drew to a close, it’s fair to say that we all learned something about the social, political, physical and environmental forces that have affected everyone. But as an investor, what lessons can you learn from 2020? Here are some points to consider:
The markets look ahead. Here’s something many investors discovered in 2020: Investment prices don’t always move in the same direction as the overall economy. This might not have seemed apparent right after the COVID-19 pandemic struck in mid-February, as the overall economy and the stock market took big hits.
But just about five weeks later, the markets began a rally that lasted several months. During this time, the economy also recovered somewhat, but still remains on weak footing. What can explain this discrepancy between the markets and economic activity? READ THE ARTICLE.
Contact Russell Van Sistine.
SCMA physicians receive individual, customized service plans that include advantages available only to SCMA members.
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EDUCATIONAL LOAN REPAYMENTS
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Dates have been announced for the next application cycle of the CalHealthCares educational loan repayment program for California physicians and dentists who provide care to Medi-Cal patients. Visit the CalHealthCares website for full program details, informational webinars and resources.
Open for applications: Jan. 18, 2021
Early review period deadline: Jan. 29, 2021, 5:00 p.m. (PST)
Application deadline: Feb. 12, 2021, 11:59 p.m. (PST)
Awardee announcement: May 31, 2021
Contract begins: July 1, 2021
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Operation Access is seeking volunteer physicians to provide surgical and specialty care for low-income and uninsured adults in Northern California. You determine the frequency of participation and types of cases you accept. Please get in touch with us to learn more about how you can get involved. Call 415-733-0052, email info@operationaccess.org or visit our website.
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Volunteer physicians and medical professionals are urgently needed to spend an afternoon or evening giving a talk and answering questions about topics California Homemakers Association members request as part of their preventive medical benefit. Please consider volunteering a few hours to provide medical consultation to those who have no other access to preventive care. For more information, call Erica at 707-591-9573, see the program flier, or visit the CHA website.
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SCMA and MLCMS members can place FREE classified ads in News Briefs. (Cost for nonmember physicians and the general public is $1 per word.) To place a classified ad or display banner, contact Susan Gumucio at susan@scma.org or 707-481-8995.
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When you shop at smile.amazon.com and designate the Medical Society of Sonoma County as your charitable organization, a percentage of your purchases is donated to MSSC—which works in tandem with SCMA to support physicians and healthcare professionals in Sonoma County. Thank you and Happy New Year from the SCMA Team! |
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Contact SCMA|MLCMS: exec@scma.org
or: rachel@scma.org | 707-525-4375
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