COVID-19 By the Numbers (as of 09/25/20)
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Alameda County: 21,028 confirmed cases, 404 deaths (including City of Berkeley data)
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Contra Costa County: 16,572 confirmed cases, 205 deaths
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California: 798,237 confirmed cases, 15,532 deaths
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US: 7,009,216 cases; 203,180 deaths
- CDC COVID-19 Numbers Analysis
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When:
Thursday, October 8, 2020,
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
Webinar Link:
Contra Costa and Alameda counties are also preparing for flu season and encouraging flu shots broadly this fall. Alameda County's flu team is finalizing guidance and scheduling large scale flu clinics in the community. Contra Costa is providing free flu shots at various clinics that can be found here. Here is general guidance from the American Medical Association to help encourage patients to get the flu vaccine this fall.
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Physician Leadership Program! Limited Spots Available, Register Today. |
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The Physician Leadership Program, from the Bay Area Medical Society Coalition, is an innovative program developed in 2016 by physician leaders in collaboration with faculty from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and Haas School of Business. It addresses the fact that physicians are, and should be, placed in roles with organizational responsibility, but have limited formal opportunities to learn the concepts, skills, and tools of leadership.
Each virtual session provides an intense, experiential learning experience led by nationally recognized faculty using a dynamic interactive online format. The new format provides additional opportunities:
- Enjoy collaborating and networking with colleagues in breakout rooms
- Earn additional CME opportunities with supplemental materials in each session
- Interact during sessions with digital collaboration tools
- Apply new practices and share in discussion boards with your peers
- Attend online office hours with the Course Director for Q & A
Spots are limited! Register by October 2nd.
ACCMA members and groups receive a discount, click below for more information.
Click here for registration.
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East Bay Safe Prescribing Coalition (EBSPC) Newsletter Available! |
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EBSPC released their newsletter highlighting Dr. Kenneth A. Saffier, MD who is board certified in Family and Addiction Medicine. Doctor Saffier has been practicing at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and Health Center since 1987. Doctor Saffier has been addressing the opioid epidemic as an individual family physician. He treats patients in our FQHC clinics, both in family medicine or in short notice clinics, and he would refer them to his chronic pain management clinic for easier access when he had enough patients. Read the full newsletter here
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County News
This week Alameda County advanced to the Red Tier in California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, meaning they have substantial infection of 4-7 new cases a day. To avoid dramatic increases in disease transmission that would force re-closures, the county is continuing to take a measured approach to reopening and there are no changes to local Health Officer Orders at this time. Contra Costa remains in the Purple Tier, meaning they still have widespread infection of 7 or more new cases a day.
On Thursday, Contra Costa County released a health order requiring private healthcare facilities in Contra Costa County to provide timely COVID-19 tests to essential workers, those with symptoms and those exposed to the virus, according to a new health order released today by Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS). Click here to read the full health order.
Physicians are encouraged to inform patients requesting COVID-19 testing of updated isolation and contact tracing guidance from the CDC. These can be found here.
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AB890 Still Awaits Governor's Signature. Contact the Governor to VETO AB 890 |
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AB 890 (Wood) is a dangerous bill that would undermine physician-led care and could create a lower tier of care for low-income patients, leading to a two -tiered healthcare system. This bill passed the Legislature on the final night of this year’s legislative session and awaits action from Governor Newsom this month. Physicians are urged to contact the Governor and ask him to protect patient safety and #VETO AB 890. Take action today!
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In Other News
California will allow public health officials to participate in a program to keep their home addresses confidential, a protection previously reserved for victims of violence, abuse and stalking and reproductive health care workers. The executive order signed by Governor Gavin Newsom late Wednesday is a response to threats made to health officers across California during the coronavirus pandemic. More than a dozen public health leaders have left their jobs amid such harassment over their role in mask rules and stay-at-home orders.
California Department of Public Health released a new all facilities letter notifying healthcare facilities that Advoque Safeguard issued a regulatory notice for its N95 Particulate Filtering Respirator, model number ADV001, effective September 10, 2020. Advoque masks containing the specific National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) approval number TC-84A-PH02, including masks distributed prior to September 10, 2020, may no longer be distributed and used as an N95 level respirator.
Beginning Nov. 7, UnitedHealthcare will transition the communication of initial claim denials to a consolidated Explanation of Denial statement that outlines all claim denials processed each day. The new Explanation of Denial statement will replace the individual letters that are currently mailed for each separate claim denial
Beginning September 1, 2020, UnitedHealthcare (UHC) will stop mailing claim acknowledgement letters and instead post them online in its Document Vault. Per UHC, acknowledgement letters will be available online the day they are generated and will remain available to download for up to 24 months.
CNN reports maternal use of cannabis during pregnancy “may increase psychotic-like behaviors in children.” Investigators arrived at this conclusion after analyzing “data on 11,489 children who were followed as part of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development” study, then evaluating “the children’s cognitive and behavior patterns...in middle childhood, around age nine.” The findings were published online in JAMA Psychiatry.
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What We're Reading - COVID-19 Resources and Guidance |
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Endorsed by the ACCMA for Disability Income Protection Insurance since 2009.
ACCMA members save 15%!
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FREE |Tuesday, September 29, 2020 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM
Presented by California Medical Association
Patients with underlying health conditions such as lung cancer are at greater risk for infection or complications from COVID-19. Because of this increased risk, it is important that these patients are carefully managed, with telemedicine replacing in-person visits where possible. However, monitoring patients via telemedicine requires special attention, particularly because symptoms of COVID-19 infection are similar to common adverse events associated with lung cancer treatment.
This activity, “Lung Cancer and COVID-19 in the Outpatient Setting: What Clinicians Need to Know” will provide clinicians with the most up-to-date guidance on managing lung cancer during the current pandemic, including information on the pathophysiology of Sars-Cov-2, the risk of infection in patients with lung cancer, and strategies to manage patient care and counsel through telemedicine.
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CME Available | Eight Evening Sessions | 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Sessions Begin October 6. Registration Closes October 2nd
ACCMA's Physician Leadership Program is an innovative program developed in 2016 by physician leaders in collaboration with faculty from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and Haas School of Business. It addresses the fact that physicians are, and should be, placed in roles with organizational responsibility, but have limited formal opportunities to learn the concepts, skills, and tools of leadership.
Each virtual session provides an intense, experiential learning experience led by nationally recognized faculty using a dynamic interactive online format. The new format provides additional opportunities:
- Enjoy collaborating and networking with colleagues in breakout rooms
- Earn additional CME opportunities with supplemental materials in each session
- Interact during sessions with digital collaboration tools
- Apply new practices and share in discussion boards with your peers
- Attend online office hours with the Course Director for Q & A
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Innovation is a cornerstone at Cleveland Clinic, allowing nearly a century of world-class patient care and inspiring the one-of-a-kind Medical Innovation Summit.
The Summit is where influential investors, entrepreneurs, clinicians, and industry professionals collaborate to drive healthcare change according to its most pressing priorities, including the growing need to make health practice more efficient, transparent, value-based, and connected, with a focus on virtual care and other digital health initiatives.
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CME Available |Thursday, October 08, 2020 | 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Presented by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Influenza remains a serious threat to children due to its potential to cause severe illness and death. Nearly 200 flu-associated deaths in children were reported to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during the 2019–2020 influenza season. Clinicians play a critical role in immunizing children, the children’s family members and caregivers, and themselves. While early use of antiviral drugs in children can reduce the duration of symptoms and prevent serious complications, immunization remains the most effective way to prevent influenza and its complications, including death. Immunization is particularly important during the severe COVID-19 pandemic.,
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FREE |Tuesday, October 13, 2020 | 12:00 - 1:30 PM
Presented by California Medical Association
Best practices in COVID-19 treatment have rapidly evolved from the “wild west” of April, and this webinar focuses on the latest clinical practices and decision-making processes. Participants will also learn about state initiatives around the management and allocation of scarce resources, including remdesivir as a case study, as well as California's convalescent plasma donation initiative.
This event will be moderated by Kimberly Newell Green, M.D.
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A virtual webinar series committed to bringing relevant, original content to the world’s audience of healthcare innovators, Cleveland Clinic’s Transformation Tuesdays program increases access to our network of key thought leaders with insight into the future of care delivery. Join us select Tuesdays of every month as we collaborate with diverse decision-makers to discuss healthcare’s big problems, big solutions, and ever-widening opportunities.
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As the picture of COVID continues to develop, it is ever more essential to meet the needs of physicians, their families and their patients. The webinar, “When you’re going through hell, keep going,” builds on and extends the first ACCMA Wellness webinar presented by RENEW in April.
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Saturday & Sunday, November 7 & 8 | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Presented by UCDavis Health: Center for Advancing Pain Relief
This two-day event will feature expert presentations, 20-minute hot topic talks, and engaging panel discussions on the latest issues in pain management. Primary care clinicians and all other health sciences professionals with an interest in pain management are encouraged to attend. This event will be held exclusively online. Zoom information will be provided closer to the date.
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ACCMA's On-Demand Library
FREE | Available On-Demand | CME Available
This one-hour, on-demand webinar led by Angela Trapp MSW, ACC, focuses on self-care and understanding self-preservation. Most of us were taught that being self-centered is an undesirable trait. What if the opposite was true? Could being a little more self-centered improve your well- being and restore resiliency? This presentation identifies the importance of putting SELF first and practicing the 3S Model: Self-Compassion, Self- Awareness and Self Care to continue on the pathway to well-being.
FREE | Available On-Demand
On June 13, the ACCMA hosted its first Virtual Telehealth Vendor Fair. Telehealth vendors from across California and the Nation showcased their products and services so members can evaluate what solutions will work best in their practice. Vendors include Decoded Health, Doctorgram, TigerConnect, Updox, and VSee.
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 | CME Available
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.
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