Weekly Roundup: In Case You Missed It
COVID-19 By the Numbers (as of 09/03/20):
Bulletin Is Available Online!
County News
Last Friday, Governor Newsom announced a shift from its Monitoring List to a color-coded four-tier Blueprint for Safe Reopening. In doing so, the State altered the reopening plans for various businesses and activities. Alameda County has updated their local Health Officer Orders to align with a limited selection of activities allowed in the Purple Tier and issued in-person learning readiness questionnaire for schools.

Alameda County issued a press release urging people to use best practices when going out this Labor Day weekend. Please see this week's press release for tips on preventing the spread of COVID-19 during the Labor Day Weekend.
 
COVID-19 Testing and Guidelines
New testing sites opening this week/month:
Updated testing locations and appointment links are posted on the COVID-19 testing webpage and searchable in this interactive map of COVID-19 services for Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
Contact the Governor to VETO AB 890

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, creating 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!
In Other News

This week the public was invited to comment on a National Academy of Medicine committee report on the national SARS-CoV2 vaccination policy, commissioned by the CDC and NIH. The Draft of the Preliminary Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine recommends a phased-in approach to vaccine distribution based on availability.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Trump Administration has asked states to accelerate approval for vaccine distribution sites by November 1. CDC Director Robert Redfield urged governors to remove barriers for building such sites.

Last Friday, Governor Newsom signed into law a bill that will end the sale of flavored tobacco products – including minty menthol. With the governor’s signature on SB 793 (Hill, D-San Mateo), California will have among the nation's strongest protections against Big Tobacco’s business model that markets deadly tobacco products to kids.

CMA and the California COVID-19 Testing Taskforce partnered to conduct a survey of California physicians to better understand the physician experience with COVID-19 testing. The survey results highlight the immediate need for improvements in the testing supply chain, timelier test processing, and better data and reporting of COVID-19 test results.

Lastly, on Monday, Governor Newsom signed a statewide temporary tenant and landlord protection legislation. The law extends protections for tenants to shield them from evictions due to COVID-19-related back rent to February 1, 2021 and extends anti-foreclosure protections in the Homeowner Bill of Rights to small landlords.

What We're Reading - COVID-19 Resources and Guidance
WEBINARS & EVENTS
FREE | CME Available | Tuesday, September 8 | 12:00 - 1:30 PM
Presented by the California Medical Association

As a result of this activity, participants should be able to: 
  • Discuss and disseminate information on the importance of masking to patients and communities
  • Utilize behavior change strategies to encourage patients' adoption of best practices for face coverings
  • Choose the appropriate tests for patients and interpret test results based on the current state of COVID-19.
  • Make test recommendations based on test shortage issues and state testing priorities
  • Recommend protective equipment to use in clinical settings and community settingsTo

Saturday, September 12| 9:00AM - 1:15 PM

ACCMA is pleased to sponsor AAP-CA1's second annual Advocating for Children Together Conference – a collaborative effort between pediatricians across the Bay Area organized by California Chapter 1, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAPCA1) and sponsored by:
  • Kaiser Permanente
  • San Francisco Marin Medical Society (SFMMS)
  • Sean Parker Center at Stanford for Allergy & Asthma Research
  • Center for Care Innovations
  • ACCMA
This year's theme is COVID-19 & Health Equity. Topics will include structural racism, health disparities, poverty, educational equity, voting access, and much more!

FREE Webinar | Tuesday, September 22 | 6:30 - 7:30 PM (PST)

As women physicians, we face unique challenges over the course of our careers: from frequent microaggressions to overt differences in salaries, promotions, and leadership roles.

Join the ACCMA and RechargedMD for an interactive introduction to the RechargedMD Women Physician Peer group! We’ll explore our experiences as women physicians, discuss how to overcome these barriers together, and make use of tools to make strides in our personal and professional development. 

Stress First Aid for Physicians during Unprecedented Times
FREE | CME Availalbe | Thursday, September 24 | 6:00 - 7:00 PM (PST)

Do coping strategies and self-care interventions seem to be failing you? Are you finding yourself with more work, but feeling less productive? This session will introduce you to the core concepts behind the Stress Continuum Model, a model first developed by the military (Navy/Marine Corp) as a way to acknowledge stress responses that occur on a continuum and ways to assess the level of your own, and others', stress response.
CME Available | Eight Evening Sessions | 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Sessions Begin October 6

ACCMA's Physician Leadership Program, from the ACCMA, 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
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.

Registration coming soon!
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."
CMA On-Demand Library
FREE | Available On-Demand
QUESTIONS/CONCERNS?
Please contact ACCMA at 510-654-5383 or accma@accma.org with any questions or concerns you have.