Weekly Roundup: In Case You Missed It
February 18, 2022
COVID-19 Updates

  • Solano County reports that 71% of the total population is fully vaccinated, and 47.6% have received a booster as of February 16.  

  • Napa County reports that 76.2% of the total population is fully vaccinated as of February 17. 
CDPH Revises Mandatory Reporting of COVID Results by Health Care Providers

The California Department of Public Health announced that health care providers’ mandatory reporting requirements are now limited to severe COVID-19 cases, such as hospitalizations and deaths. This change reflects the evolving priorities for COVID surveillance. Read the full public health order here
New COVID Monoclonal Antibody Treatment

The FDA authorized the use of a new COVID-19 antibody drug, bebtelovimab, from Eli Lilly & Co. that retains effectiveness against the Omicron variant of the virus. The FDA cleared the drug for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID in non-hospitalized individuals 12 and older who are at high risk of getting severely sick. Access the bebtelovimab fact sheet for health care providers.
What’s at Stake this November: Threats to MICRA

Hundreds of organizations have joined CMA to fight the Fairness for Injured Patients Act (FIPA). Read more about how this initiative would benefit lawyers, and dramatically impact the cost and delivery of health care in California. Find more information and how to get involved to protect MICRA on our website
Join Health Equity-Rooted Physicians, Help Close the Health Gap

The Medical Justice in Advocacy Fellowship is asking physicians who are committed to closing the detrimental health gap to apply to its second cohort. Using an anti-racist, equity-centered learning framework, the fellowship provides a mentoring and training platform that equips participants with the foundational skills, tools and knowledge to engage in institutional and political health advocacy.  The fellowship empowers and mobilizes physicians to be part of the next generation of advocacy leaders, driving meaningful policy and structural changes that produce equity and justice in the communities they serve. Click here to apply. 
Share Your Experiences Providing Behavioral Health Services 

The California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) began conducting investigations of all full-service commercial health plans to assess barriers and challenges physicians experience in providing behavioral health services. In 2022, DMHC will investigate five health plans: Alameda Alliance for Health, Anthem Blue Cross, Kaiser, Sharp Health Plan, and Western Health Advantage. If you would like to participate in an interview as a component of the investigations of the mentioned health plans, please contact DMHC at ProviderBHI@dmhc.ca.gov or call (279) 666-5858.
WEBINARS & EVENTS
On-Demand | Presented by African American Wellness Project 
 
Conversations around COVID can be challenging. The African American Wellness Project believes that physicians can be the best source of information for families. Learn how to have conversations around COVID-19 with your diverse patients, particularly African American parents, in this Wellness Watch series webinar. 
 
Click here to access the webinar. 
Tuesday, February 22 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm 
FREE | Presented by Physicians for a Healthy California 
 
Learn how to better advocate for and improve communication with the LGBTQ+ population in a health care setting in this panel discussion webinar hosted by the Network of Ethnic Physicians Organizations (NEPO). Attendees will hear from LGBTQ+ individuals and advocates who will discuss the unique experience of this population and provide actionable suggestions. 
 
Register here
Thursday, February 24 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm 
FREE | Presented by CAP 
 
Staying compliant with California’s annual employment law updates can be overwhelming, especially with ever-changing pandemic-related guidelines and mandates. Join the Cooperative of American Physicians (CAP) for a free one-hour webinar sharing essential insights on the 2022 employment laws and COVID-19 workplace regulations that medical practices need to know for proper implementation and compliance. To learn more about becoming a CAP member, please contact Al Malasig at 650-543-2185 or via email at AMalasig@CAPphysicians.com

Register here.
Thursday, February 24 | 9:00 – 10:00 am | FREE
 
Dr. Mark Greenawald launched the nationally acclaimed PeerRxMed program last year to help healthcare professionals support each other as they move away from distress and toward thriving. The tag line for the PeerRxMed program is "No One Cares Alone," which captures Dr. Greenawald’s mission in his work toward advancing professional well-being. Join the AMA to revisit Dr. Greenawald's webinar. A live Q&A session with Dr. Greenawald will follow the presentation. 
 
Register here
Thursday, February 24 | 12:15 –1:15 pm 
Members – FREE | Non-members $99 

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was first enacted in 1996. Although 25 years have passed since the enactment of the regulations, many challenges to compliance still exist. This CMA-hosted webinar will discuss both the privacy and security measures required by HIPAA. You will learn how to assess your clinic for risks of privacy and security incidents and what steps to take to minimize those risks. Lastly, the webinar will provide an overview of a HIPAA breach and the required steps of a breach analysis. 

For more information and to register, click here. 
Wednesday, March 23 | SAFE Credit Union Convention Center 
Registration fee $349 | 20% Discount for CMA Members 
 
The 2022 Northern California State of Reform Health Policy Conference convenes 350 senior health care executives and health policy leaders to address the most pressing health care policy issues. For more information, access the event flyer here. This is an in-person event held in Sacramento. Secure your spot by registering here or call (425) 361-2118 if you are having trouble registering. Save 20% with promo code CMA20. 
Leadership Reading and Discussion Group 
Wednesday, April 6 | 6:00 to 7:30 pm  
Free | CME Available | Online  
  
Physicians are free to join any meeting of the Leadership Reading and Discussion Group; reading the book is not required. Doctor Hilary Worthen, course director of the Physician Leadership Program, facilitates the discussion group that is held on Zoom. Our next group meets on April 6 to talk about “The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life,” by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. This book, published in 2000, is by a family therapist and her husband, a noted orchestral conductor and professor at the New England Conservatory of Music. It is an exuberant guide to a set of practices they feel can make life and relationships bloom. Check out Ben Zander's TED Talks to get a sense of his remarkable style.

Email Mae Lum, Deputy Director, at mlum@accma.org to get the Zoom/videoconference link. 
NSMS's On-Demand Library

To access all on-demand programs, go to https://www.pathlms.com/medical-society/courses 
 
QUESTIONS/CONCERNS?
Please contact NSMS at grogers@napasolanodocs.org or (707) 255-3622with any questions or concerns you have.