Weekly Roundup: In Case You Missed It
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COVID-19 By the Numbers (as of June 12):
- Alameda County: 4,119 confirmed cases, 108 deaths. 88 patients are currently hospitalized (including City of Berkeley data.)
- Contra Costa County: 1,829 confirmed cases, 44 deaths. 21 patients are currently hospitalized.
- California: 141,983 confirmed cases, 4,943 deaths. 4,480 patients are currently hospitalized with positive or suspected COVID-19 (as of June 11).
- US: 2,016,027 cases; 113,914 deaths.
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On the Front Burner
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have
released recommendations
to
ensure that non-emergency healthcare resumes safely
and that patients are receiving necessary in-person treatments.
The ACCMA will be holding a
Virtual Telehealth Vendor Fair tomorrow
(Saturday, June 13), from 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM.
Telehealth/Telemedicine vendors from across California and the Nation will showcase their products and services so participants can evaluate
what solutions will work best in their practice.
To view the full Vendor Fair Packet, please
click here
. To access the Zoom meeting, please
click here
.
On Tuesday, June 9, the California Medical Association (CMA)
released a letter
addressing
unfair attacks on California's county and city health officers
. Over the past few months, public health officials have become political targets amid the COVID-19 pandemic and have been subject to unfair and uninformed attacks.
Alameda County, the City of San Leandro, and the Eden Health District
announced on Monday, June 8
that they will be offering
free COVID-19 testing at the Marina Community Center
in San Leandro starting June 9.
The ACCMA has developed
PPE Guidance for Independent Practices
, bringing together
resources and information regarding PPE requests and PPE use
. If you have any questions or any additional information to add to the document, please contact the ACCMA by calling 510-654-5383 or emailing
accma@accma.org
.
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Policy Developments
In
an emergency press release
from June 4, the Alameda County Health Officer announced that "social bubbles" (groups of 12 individuals or less from different households) are now permitted, along with childcare and extracurricular activities for children, and various other limited person-to-person contact businesses. The order maintained that
face coverings must still be worn at all times,
including when active outdoors.
On June 5, Alameda County's Public Health Officer released an
updated Shelter in Place Order
, which continues to limit movement and gatherings, but does allow
certain additional businesses, recreational, social, and cultural activities to resume
(see order for specific details.)
Another
health order
from June 5 revised the Face Covering Order to more generally
require wearing face coverings when outside
. This health order highlights the
"30-ft-Rule";
if you are in a high movement area with people outside your household, you should have a mask available and be prepared to put on your mask when someone from outside your household is within 30 feet of you.
Last Friday, June 5, Contra Costa County
released an order
, effective at 5:00 PM that same evening, allowing
outdoor dining, outdoor swimming pools, limited religious services, use of outdoor picnic and barbecue spaces, and overnight camping
to resume for people of the same household. Contra Costa County Health Services did release a
guide to safer social interactions
to accompany the relaxation of shelter in place rules.
Contra Costa County also updated its
list of businesses
that are able to operate. Contra Costa County also
released a poster
of
current and future activities
that are beginning to relax as the county progresses to Stage 2.
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Funding, Funding, Funding
The California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), in partnership with the Center for Care Innovations, will be
accepting applications for grants
of up to $100,000 to
help safety-net practices implement virtual care
. The deadline to apply is Friday, June 19 at 5:00 PM.
On Wednesday, June 10, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) opened a new “Medicaid Targeted Distribution” portal through which Medicaid-dependent physicians can
apply to receive a portion of the $15 billion “targeted distribution” for Medicaid providers
. Physicians must
apply for the funding
before July 3, 2020. The funding does not need to be repaid.
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What We're Reading - Resources and Guidance
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Virtual Telehealth Vendor Fair
FREE | Tomorrow, Saturday, June 13 | 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Let us bring the Telehealth vendors to you!
Telehealth vendors from across California and the Nation will showcase their products and services so members can evaluate
what solutions will work best in their practice
. Participants will have the opportunity to join Q&A sessions with individual vendors following the main session.
To access tomorrow's meeting, please
click here
. To view the full Vendor Fair packet, please
click here
.
For questions about the Vendor Fair, contact Mr. David Lopez, Associate Director of Advocacy and Policy at
dlopez@accma.org,
or by calling 510-654-5383.
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ACCMA's On-Demand Library
FREE |
Available On-Demand | CME Available
This one-hour, on-demand webinar led by Linda Hawes Clever, MD, MACP, offers practical, creative, and effective remedies to deal with the crush on personal and professional lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. It contains strategies, resources, and suggestions for handling physician wellness, as well as addressing 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. Discover how to reduce personal stress and learn healthy ways to contend with the impact of COVID-19.
FREE | Available On-Demand
Telehealth services are expanding rapidly during the COVID-19 crisis. In partnership with Bay Area medical associations, the ACCMA teamed up with experts to develop a comprehensive webinar series to help physicians swiftly ramp up their telemedicine capabilities, from technology to practice implementation to coding. Experts discuss choosing a telemedicine platform; compliance; privacy and security considerations; billing and payment; policies, procedures, and workflow; informing your patients; and malpractice. Physicians who have experience practicing telemedicine share their practical reflections.
FREE | Available On-Demand
Medical offices and practices are essential businesses and were not required to close, but many physicians have faced difficulties with staffing, incorporating Telemedicine into their practices, ensuring waiting rooms are safe, etc. Sessions include "Getting Back Up and Running Safely," "HR and Employment Issues," and "Telemedicine and Reimbursement."
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CMA On-Demand Library
FREE | Available On-Demand
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Please contact ACCMA at 510-654-5383 or
accma@accma.org
with any questions or concerns you have.
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.
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