Weekly Roundup: In Case You Missed It |
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COVID-19 Updates
Gov. Newsom signed an executive order on January 27, at the urging of the California Medical Association, which confirmed that all COVID-19 vaccination efforts, whether administered through a private practice or public effort, are pursuant to the state's vaccine program and therefore safeguarded under existing law that protects physicians and other vaccine administrators from lawsuits when they render services at the request of state or local officials during a state of emergency.
The California Medical Association has joined a coalition to fight for a state bill (AB 281) to protect physician practices by conforming California law with recent changes to federal law that allows the deduction of expenses paid with forgiven Paycheck Protection Program loans. The bill would align state law with federal policy, afford increased financial support to hard-hit practices and eliminate the burden of preparing separate sets of books for state and federal tax purposes.
This week, the state rearranged its vaccine priority list to move people 65 and older to the front of Phase 1B, joining people over 75 and workers in education, food and agriculture, and public safety. Gov. Newsom also indicated that after people in the first tier of Phase 1B are vaccinated, the state will move on to immunizing people based on age, and not on the other factors initially considered in the priority plan, such as occupation and medical fragility.
For vaccine providers who need technical support for uploading data into CAIR2 (the California Immunization Registry), a help desk is staffed every day from 8 am to 8 pm PST at (833) 502-1245, option #2 or Helpdesk.CalVax@calvax.accenture.com.
CDPH is holding weekly “office hours” to provide an update on COVID-19 vaccination planning and allow providers in the state to ask questions, on Fridays from 9-10 am. The February 5 session can be accessed through this link or by calling (415) 655-0001. The event number is: 145 305 3168. The password is: Immunize2021!
The American Medical Association and the COVID Collaborative are hosting a Fireside Chat with Dr. Anthony Fauci, a discussion between Dr. Fauci and the co-chairs of the COVID Collaborative, on February 9 at 9 am. Dr. Fauci will answer questions about how the Biden administration is approaching the crisis. After the initial discussion, there will be a moderated Q&A during which time you can ask Dr. Fauci questions through the chat function.
Contra Costa Health Services reports that, as of January 28, it has given almost 115,000 vaccinations (first and second doses) with a 7-day rolling average of 4,940 per day. As of January 28, ICU capacity in the county is at 12% with 189 confirmed COVID patients hospitalized.
Alameda County reports that it has administered over 25,000 doses at county clinics. As of January 28, ICU capacity in the county is at 17% with 353 confirmed COVID patients hospitalized.
The City of Berkeley has received 4,000 doses and given over 1,550 vaccinations to healthcare workers and residents 75 and over who are not being vaccinated through their employer or health care provider.
Alameda and Contra Costa counties exited the Regional Stay at Home Order on January 25 and both counties are now in the Purple Tier. This means that four-week ICU capacity projections for the Bay Area are above 15%; on January 24, that projection was 25%. As of January 25, the Bay Area had 8.2% remaining ICU capacity. Statewide ICU capacity stayed at 0%.
CMA's COVID-19 Vaccine Resource Center can be accessed here.
The ACCMA and the California Medical Association (CMA) are continuing to provide PPE directly to medical practices in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. A two-month supply of N95 masks, surgical masks, isolation gowns, face shields, goggles, coveralls, and hand sanitizers may be ordered (click here for specs); vinyl gloves are out of stock until further notice. PPE order forms are reviewed and if approved, will be shipped directly to medical offices. Only shipping and handling fees are charged for each individual case shipped. For groups with multiple offices, a separate form must be completed for each location. Please contact the ACCMA at accma@accma.org or (510) 654-5383 for more information.
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HHS Withdraws Guidelines to Expand Access to Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
On January 14, the Department of Health and Human Services, under the Trump Administration, announced forthcoming Practice Guidelines for the Administration of Buprenorphine for Treating Opioid Use Disorder. Unfortunately, the announcement was made prematurely. The Biden Administration wants to evaluate all regulatory actions that were taken in the last few weeks of the previous administration before they go into effect. Therefore, the Guidelines previously announced were withdrawn. The California Medical Association (CMA) and organized medicine are sending a joint letter to the Biden Administration requesting that this rule be allowed to move forward.
For any questions, please contact David Lopez, Associate Director of Advocacy and Strategic Initiatives, at dlopez@accma.org or (510) 654-5383, ext. 6320.
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Save the Date for CMA's Legislative Advocacy Conference, April 5-9
The ACCMA will be meeting virtually with state legislators on priority health care issues the week of April 5 to 9. Before these meetings, attendees will receive a virtual training on CMA’s current legislative priorities and policy issues affecting the practice of medicine. This is a unique event for ACCMA physician members, residents and medical students to join their colleagues as they prepare to lobby their legislative leaders and serve as champions for the house of medicine. If you are interested in joining the ACCMA delegation, contact David Lopez, Associate Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives, at (510) 654-5383, ext. 6320 or dlopez@accma.org.
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Covered California Announces Special Enrollment Period
Covered California announced that effective February 1, anyone uninsured and eligible to enroll in health care coverage through Covered California can sign up through May 15. The move followed President Biden’s executive order to declare a special enrollment period for the 36 states served by the federally facilitated marketplace, reopening the doors to coverage for millions of Americans.
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ACEs Aware Trauma-Informed Network of Care Grants
On January 27, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced $30.8 million in ACEs Aware grant funding awarded to 35 organizations across California to build and strengthen robust “networks of care” to effectively respond to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress with community-based health and social supports that meet the needs of children, adults, and families. Local grantees include First 5 Contra Costa and the Community Health Center Network. |
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Tuesday, February 2 | 12:15 - 1:15 PM
Members and non-members: FREE | Presented by CMA
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Regional Chief Medical Officer Ashby Wolfe, MD will provide an update on CMS policy for the 2021 calendar year. Information presented will be relevant to practicing clinicians including an overview of the updates to the 2021 Physician Fee Schedule and an update on the agency COVID-19 response.
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Tuesday, February 2 | 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Members and Non-members: FREE | CME Available
This webinar will provide an opportunity for you to pause for a bit and, for a change, to think about yourself, despite the remarkable slurry of uncertainties and challenges in which we find ourselves. You will be able to visit or re-visit your own purpose and develop ways to move ahead.
To do this, we will explore your context, the Big Picture of culture and attitudes that shape society's, hospitals', and systems' policies about physicians. Importantly, we will also look at barriers that can hold you back and - the good news - boosters that can propel you forward. You will discover practical and achievable ways to replenish your energy, find opportunities, and reach toward your own goals.
You are encouraged to submit questions in advance to help her address the range of clinician concerns and responses to the crisis. And you can also briefly share any personal tips and practices that are helping you during this difficult time. Please send your questions and comments to edanmeier.renew@gmail.com.
Speaker: Linda Hawes Clever, MD, MACP, is the founder of the nonprofit organization RENEW. She is a graduate of the Stanford Medical School and board certified in internal and occupational medicine. Dr. Clever is active at UC Berkeley and Stanford University, a member of the National Academy of Medicine, and the author of The Fatigue Prescription: Four Steps to Renewing Your Energy, Health and Life.
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Thursday, February 4 | 12:15 - 1:15 PM
Members and non-members: FREE | Presented by CMA
As physicians make the transition to telehealth, one of their biggest challenges is maintaining the same level of patient engagement as they would see in a regular office visit. Patients may not be comfortable with technology, or they may fear that they will receive lower quality care in a virtual setting. With the right tools and strategies, physicians can overcome these challenges and provide high quality care using telehealth.
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Tuesday, February 9 | 9:00 - 10:00 AM
Members and non-members: FREE | Presented by AMA & the COVID Collaborative
The American Medical Association is part of COVID Collaborative, a national assembly that has brought together leading organizations in health, education, and the economy to tackle the COVID-19 crisis. COVID Collaborative is hosting a Fireside Chat with Dr. Anthony Fauci, which will be a discussion between Dr. Fauci and the co-chairs of the COVID Collaborative, former Governors Deval Patrick (D-MA) and Dirk Kempthorne (R-ID). This will be one of Dr. Fauci’s first appearances as the Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden, and he will answer questions about how the new administration is approaching the crisis. After the initial discussion, there will be a moderated Q&A during which time you can ask Dr. Fauci questions through the chat function.
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Tuesday, February 9 | noon - 1:30 PM
FREE | CME Available | Presented by CMA
As the vaccine rollout continues, COVID-19 variants that may be more transmissible have become increasingly common across the globe and have already been found in California. The race is on; now, we move to stem the tide of this deadly virus before it becomes resistant to current vaccines. Join us to hear from Erica Pan, MD and Debra Wadford, PhD from the California Department of Public Health, who will update us on the status of vaccine rollout and the latest epidemiology of the virus and its variants. They will also present tips and practical strategies for addressing vaccine hesitancy in health care providers and others. Moderated by Kimberly Newell Green, MD, Associate Clinical Professor at UCSF.
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Thursday, February 18 | 12:15 - 1:15 PM
Members and Members' Staff (with promo code): FREE | Non-members: $99 | Presented by CMA
The federal information blocking rule, issued by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, takes effect on April 5, 2021. This rule will, with some exceptions, prohibit any action defined as information blocking by physicians, hospitals, and health IT vendors. Join this webinar to learn about the components of this new rule and steps physicians should take to come into compliance.
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Wednesday, February 24 | 12:15 - 1:15 PM
Members and Non-members: FREE | Presented by CMA
Just in case you missed it, we will cover the Medicare updates for this year and answer questions regarding the new evaluation and management (E/M) coding guidelines. Covered topics include:
- Telehealth and other communications technology
- New CMS E/M 2021 guidelines
- Noridian documentation changes
- Medicare Part B issues
Speakers: Cheryl Bradley, Associate Director, CMA Center for Economic Services and Arthur N. Lurvey, MD, FACP, FACE, Contractor Medical Director, Noridian Healthcare Solutions
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Tuesday, February 25 | 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Members and Non-members: FREE | CME Available - free for members; $99 for non-members
This is a four-hour online training for qualified prescribers (including physicians, Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants) to receive half of the 8 hours of training required to obtain a MAT waiver for treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).
Speaker: Kenneth Saffier, MD, FASAM, is a family physician at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center's Family Medicine Residency program. He specializes in addiction medicine and chronic pain management, and is board certified in family and addiction medicine. He is president of the Medical Education and Research Foundation for the Treatment of Addiction (www.merfweb.org).
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ACCMA's On-Demand Library
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Adaptive Leadership and Trust in Times of Crisis, with Claire-Cecile Pierre, MD (with CME)
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Trust, Governance, and Change in Times of Crisis, with Arpana Vidyarthi, MD (with CME)
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Strategy and Adaptation in Times of Crisis, with Read Pierce, MD (with CME)
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Communication in Times of Crisis, with Niraj Sehgal, MD (with CME)
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Please contact ACCMA at 510-654-5383 or accma@accma.org with any questions or concerns you have.
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