SMLMA physicians are invited to a series of FREE dinners, specifically designed to guide medical professionals in financial matters. The March presentations will cover budgeting, disability insurance, mortgage vs rent options, investing, and more. The dinners are a collaboration with Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, and Adventist Health Family Medicine Residencies and SMLMA Business Partner, Russell Van Sistine CFP®, financial planner with SONOMA WEALTH ADVISORS.

Contact Rachel Pandolfi at 707-525-4375 or rachel@smlma.org

Location: Ca'Bianca Ristorante Italiano • 835 Second Street, Santa Rosa

First presentation: Thursday, March 3, 2022 • 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Repeat presentation: Thursday, March 17, 2022 • 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

TBD once we know attendee numbers • Location, Ukiah

One night only: Wednesday, March 23, 2022 • 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Please contact Wendy at exec@SMLMA.org or 707-620-0808 for more details.

Clinician wellness leaders are invited to join the Bay Area Clinician Wellness Collaborative. This NEW collaborative was created by the Bay Area medical associations, including the Sonoma-Mendocino-Lake Medical Association and our sister organizations in San Francisco, Marin, Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Solano, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.

Our vision is that our collective wellness leaders will embrace this Collaborative to fight physician burnout at the regional level and to improve the health and resiliency of clinicians on the frontline of care. The Collaborative needs representatives from Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties to ensure the voice and needs of SMLMA physicians are met.

Free online CME Conference kickoff in April to be followed by quarterly meetings over a two-year period. The evening quarterly meetings will be deep-dive sessions led by wellness experts.

Thursday, April 21, 2022 • 9:00 a.m. – Noon

Thursday, April 28, 2022 • 9:00 a.m. – Noon

SMLMA needs your wellness VOICE and EXPERTISE. See flier for more information. 

Contact Wendy Davies, SMLMA Executive Director

exec@smlma.org or Direct 707-620-0808

On Jan. 1, 2022, the California Department of Health Care Services transitioned all Medi-Cal pharmacy services from managed care to fee-for-service. The Medi-Cal pharmacy benefits and services administered by DHCS in the FFS delivery system are collectively referred to as “Medi-Cal Rx.” According to a notice issued on Feb. 6, 2022, DHCS has revised the Medi-Cal Rx prior authorization policy retroactive to Jan. 1, 2022.

CMA recommends practices subscribe to the Medi-Cal Rx Subscription Service for the latest Medi-Cal Rx news. For questions, contact the Medi-Cal Rx Customer Service Center at 800-977-2273 or email MediCalRxEducationOutreach@magellanhealth.com. For additional resources, visit the CMA website.

CDC’s draft updated Clinical Practice Guideline is now posted for public comment in the Federal Register through April 11, 2022. CDC wants to understand the experience of patients, caregivers, providers, and others who care about safe, effective, and informed pain care. Please add your voice to the conversation feedback here.

Register here for Legislative Day in Sacramento.

Sign up here for the advocacy training webinar. 

2021 brought us tough confrontations over COVID-19 mask mandates and vaccination efforts, legal challenges that threatened to overturn the Affordable Care Act, a renewed fight for racial equity, and an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. But through it all, the California Medical Association was there, fighting for physicians and ensuring that our nation’s healers were able to continue providing care to patients. Read more in Federal Wrap Up: Another Tough Year…But Important Wins for Physicians.

The California Medical Association and its county medical societies, including SMLMA, have joined together with hundreds of organizations in opposing the so-called "Fairness for Injured Patients Act" (FIPA.) This act would devastate our healthcare delivery system, hurt community health centers and raise healthcare costs for ALL Californians. FIPA will be on the November 2022 ballot and, if passed, will effectively eliminate MICRA’s protections. FIPA is funded by a wealthy out-of-state trial attorney. If passed, this proposition would be a windfall for lawyers at the expense of California’s most vulnerable patients. Read more here.

SMLMA ambassadors: Dr. Warren Chin; Wendy Davies, SMLMA Executive Director; and Jim Keil, CEO of Santa Rosa Orthopaedics, will be attending the CMA MICRA Summit in Orange County on March 11–12. When we return, we will share what we learn with anyone who would like more information! If your medical group, neighborhood group, business or social club would like a MICRA overview, please call Wendy at 707-620-0808 to schedule a presentation.

Request from CDPH: Approximately 23,005 emergency room visits are associated with dietary supplement use in the U.S. each year, including acute liver and kidney injury, severe hypoglycemia, psychosis, invasive fungal infection, kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, and selenium toxicity — yet many consumers consider dietary supplements to be safe. Many of these adverse events have occurred among people under the age of 25, including at least 22 deaths. 

The California Department of Public Health’s Food and Drug Branch requests your help to reduce the number of adverse effects related to dietary supplements in 2022. Please take our anonymous, 5-minute survey to help us combat this important issue. Your participation will contribute to the development of educational materials that may benefit your practice and your patients. We value your expertise and participation in our survey. Thank you!

For more information about this study, please contact Dr. Kimberly Conway at kim.conway@cdph.ca.gov or Dr. Madhur Kumar at madhur.kumar@cdph.ca.gov.

All hands on deck for the children’s vaccination train! Pharmacies and mass vaccine events will not be able to provide help for our youngest population as they have done with older groups. All providers who are already in the Vaccines for Children Program should check in and gear up. If you are not yet a VFC provider, PLEASE sign up with the California program! If you can increase your staff or hours to participate, there are grants to help you get started and support your efforts. And it’s easier to administer the COVID vaccine than in the past; there are fewer requirements for special refrigeration/freezing. Thank you for helping with this important effort.

707-472-2789 • corena@mendocinocounty.org

Flier from the California COVID-19 Vaccination Program contains a number of facts and figures concerning COVID vaccinations for children. Pediatric vaccination coverage is low, especially for California's most vulnerable children.

These links may be helpful with guidance and locations for limited supplies of government-procured COVID-19 therapeutics under U.S. Food and Drug Administration Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) authority. The therapeutics locator is intended for provider use only, as the included therapies require a prescription from a licensed and authorized provider. Patients should not contact locations directly.

Save these links in your browser for quick reference. The county websites contain frequently updated information for COVID-19 testing locations and vaccine events that you can share with patients.

What are the long-term effects of contracting COVID-19? In this edition of Virtual Grand Rounds, we welcome clinical experts who will discuss post-acute sequelae of SARS CoV2. We also welcome back Erica Pan, MD, California State Epidemiologist, who will provide updates on the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in California. REGISTER HERE

Learn how to be an effective advocate. Webinar will review CMA's list of legislative issues and bills to be lobbied, effective advocacy tips, and other relevant program information. REGISTER HERE

Sutter Health Network

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.

Presented by Elias Kiwan, MD and Rajesh Behl, MD | REGISTER HERE

Presented by Laurie Gregg, MD | REGISTER HERE

Presented by Jeffrey Stoneberg, DO | REGISTER HERE

Presented by Ryan M. Spielvogel, MD | REGISTER HERE

Presented by Andy Brothers, MD, Stephanie Y. Brown, MD, MPH, Emma Garforth, MD, and Hussain Gilani, MD | REGISTER HERE

Proper implementation of new and revised CPT codes, Medicare rules, and other billing updates is key to ensuring that your practice is receiving the appropriate reimbursements. The Cooperative of American Physicians (CAP) is pleased to provide you with on-demand access to our popular webinar, presented by healthcare business operations and reimbursement expert Mary Jean Sage, addressing the latest billing and coding updates impacting your patients and bottom line.

View webcast now

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

Get an instant quote now!

Financial Therapy, a video series created specifically for physicians, nurses and PAs.

Planning with Your Trustees - JUST RELEASED!

Retire? • 403(b) Plans • Disability Insurance

Contact: Russell Van Sistine, CFP^® at 707-708-3453 or russell@sonomawealthadvisors.com

Visit Sonoma Wealth Advisors' website page for medical professionals.

SMLMA/CMA 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, call CMA's live-person call center at 800-786-4262, or email physicianservices@cmadocs.org.

Contact Rachel Pandolfi at 707-525-4375 or rachel@smlma.org.

The Jacobs Center for Cosmetic Surgery has two openings in their Healdsburg office: Medical Assistant and Patient Coordinator. Click links for full descriptions of these non-exempt, full-time hourly positions. Pay range $20–$25/hour, 3 weeks PTO, 10 paid holidays, 401(k) plan. Send resume to Evelyn Mitchell at evelyn@thejacobscenter.com. 707-473-0220. 

Sebastopol medical office space (1,232 sq. ft.) for lease in a prime location. Please call 707-823-3210.

SMLMA 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.

When you shop at smile.amazon.com and confirm Medical Society of Sonoma County as your charity of choice, AmazonSmile will donate a portion of your eligible purchase price to MSSC, our 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. MSSC works in tandem with SMLMA, supporting physicians and their work to improve the health of our community. Thank you and HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY from the SMLMA Team!