GOLDEN NUGGETS 
May/June 2016
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Visit www.ggahu.org to register for upcoming events.

 

 

2015-2016 Board of Directors

President - John Helms

President Elect - Phil Lee 

Past President - Hazel Bright

Secretary - Cathy Little

Treasurer - Janine Wilson

Legislation - Colleen Callahan

Media Relations - Colleen Callahan

New Membership - Pat Hennessy

Membership Retention - Pat Hennessy

CAHUPAC - Phil Lee 

HUPAC - Phil Lee

Sponsorship - Hazel Bright

Hospitality - Jennie Lapava

Education/Programs - Ron Huppert 

Awards - Casey Stratmeyer

Communications - Kevin Roberts

Foundation - Linda Rose Koehler

Members at Large - Pat Burns, Rick Coburn, Mitzy Russom

 

 
Board Meetings are held monthly, 2nd Wednesdays @ 9:00 am. Please contact info@ggahu.org for information


For Board member contact information, visit www.ggahu.org

CONTRIBUTE NOW!
www.cahupac.org
Committees - Why we want you on one
By John Helms, President
 
Each chapter President gets a certain amount of leeway to promote a particular pet item or agenda that is near and dear to them. Mine was building a committee system. It is one of the perks you get for carrying the stone for a year and when the new President comes hopefully they will keep it up or not morph it into something unrecognizable.
 
I chose to emphasize the committee system because it is just easier to get things done when you have the right people working on a project together with a minimal of interference. The work load and level of complexity grows exponentially as a chapter expands and there is way too much work on any single event for just one board member to tackle, especially the larger events with many moving parts. GGAHU is now at 354 members and our events are significantly larger than in years past. We are also hosting brand new events such as the Medicare Summit, and in the case of the Tech Summit, an original event that is forcing us to up our game.  
 
Committees are integral to the esprit de corps of a chapter. GGAHU is a volunteer non-paid organization and board members burn out or move on so it is vital to the health of a chapter to continually train and recruit and the committee system is the ideal way to do that. As President, my job is mainly to make sure the board members are happy, staying on budget, and not doing anything they shouldn't (which is never the case). There is a fine line between a thriving chapter and a troubled one. In the latter case, it usually has something to do with too few board members carrying too much of the load.
 
So the moral of the story is that this is your chapter and if you want to get involved the best way is to join a committee. Call me or grab me at the next event and we will find something meaningful that you are interested in. We will take your money but what we really want is you.
The Walking Dead and Ethics
By Kevin Roberts, Communications Chair
 
Where the law doesn't apply, ethics does. Using a reference to the opening scene of, The Walking Dead, Rick Coburn, President-Elect of the California Association of Health Underwriters lead us through his 2 CE Class, Good Ethics is Good Business at our March membership meeting.
 
CAHU President-Elect Rick Coburn leading Ethics class at the March member gathering.
In the show's world full of zombies, the central character is a small town sheriff. He starts with the intention to do the right thing and protect those who can't protect themselves. But as time goes by the law doesn't apply anymore. The sheriff, his uniform, and the concept of a society that had enforceable law means less in the context of personal survival. Rick used this pop culture reference as a stark and brutal example of what happens to behavior when the fabric of society breaks down, and that personal ethics will be a guide when there is no enforceable law.
 
Rick went on to contrast the concept of Meta Ethics which comes from "The Ivory Tower" in the form of corporate codes of ethics, with Normative Ethics which is what actually happens in the trenches. Companies have a duty to have a strong Meta commitment to ethics and apply Normative ethics in their day to day dealings. Rick also touched on definitions of ethics, the process of making an ethical decision, and the requirement that agents are held to a high standard of professional conduct.
 
"Build a reputation as an ethical person", Rick stated, "and use the Golden Rule as a compass when you need direction." Words for us all to live by.

Legislative Committee Needs Your Help!
By Colleen Callahan, Legislative Chair
 
The California Legislature is in session and we need to reach out to the members of the Assembly and Senate Health Committees. CAHU wants to promote our Adopt A Legislator program and the focus for now is the Health Committee.
 
We need your help. Members of the committees include four representatives from the GGAHU region. Assembly members; Susan Bonilla, David Chiu and Tony Thurman and State Senator Lois Wolk. We would like to arrange appointments to meet with them in their district offices.
 
Please contact me if you could help us establish relationships with one of the members listed above. We want to share stories about how we help their constituents and offer to be a resource in the community. Would you attend a meeting and help us? We would appreciate it. If interested, please contact ccallahan@callahaninsurance.com.
 
Visiting John Muir Health's "One Stop Shop"
By Kevin Roberts, Communications Chair
 
Our March membership meeting was held at the newish John Muir Outpatient Center in Walnut Creek. We were fortunate enough to get the lowdown on the center from Dr. Maureen Stevenson, who helped spearhead the effort to get the center from dream to reality. With over 28 Primary Care physicians and specialists in; Endocrinology, Cardiology and Behavioral Health.
 
The center was designed with coordinated care in mind, allowing patients to get multiple services under one roof instead of have to traipse from location to location.
 
Each floor is set up with clinical services in the center with the private doctor's offices in the back. Set up as a "medical home" concept they offer multiple ambulatory services; Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatric and Senior Services, Medical Imaging (X-ray and Ultrasound), Lab and Radiology, and Urgent Care (7 days a week).

Dr. Maureen Stevenson discussing the John Muir Outpatient Center.

 
"With the advent of the Affordable Care Act and the ongoing shortage of primary care physicians, we are using a team-based approach to patient care with the primary care physician as the lead to help improve care, access and the patient experience," said Dr. Stevenson. "We are partnering with our patients to ensure that they receive the right care at the right time with an eye toward proactive medicine so they can avoid trips to the Emergency Room and unnecessary hospitalizations."

All of the services provided are connected into the EPIC electronic health record sharing system to chronicle the story of a patient's healthcare over time. These records can be accessed from any location, allowing physicians to access the patient's medical records when they receive care at any John Muir Health facility.
 
All in all, a big step forward for John Muir's efforts to serve patients and our thanks for them as a continued Metallic Sponsor of GGAHU.

GGAHU Golf Tournament May 9
By Ron Huppert, Education & Programs Chair    
     
The GGAHU Golf Tournament will be May 9, and we're very pleased to announce that it will be held at the beautiful Oakhurst Country Club in Clayton. We have a lot of great events planned. Be sure to get there early and take some practice swings at the driving range, then enjoy the breakfast burrito bar.  The format is a "best ball" scramble, and you can scramble to the "Bloody Mary" stand before heading out with your lunch to enjoy on the course. The beverage carts will be roaming, so have no fear of thirst, and mulligans will be available to keep your scores low!
 
Besides the "Longest Drive", and "Closest to the hole", there will be some other surprises for you. If you don't golf, don't worry, it's best ball!  Grab a cold drink and enjoy the day. Buy some raffle tickets and join your fellow health coverage professionals for a post-game cocktail and refreshments at the club house, with its great views of the Diablo Valley. If you only play in one golf tournament this year, this is one. 
 
Please see the GGAHU website for details and directions. Sponsorship are available.

The gorgeous view of the 18th hole and clubhouse at Oakhurst C.C. in Clayton --site of this year's GGAHU Golf Tournament.



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