IN THIS ISSUE
Featured news
From our county health officers
New medical arts program for physician wellness
Orthopoxvirus testing guidance
COVID-19 communications tool kit
Other highlights
Award from Sonoma County Winegrowers
Call for nominations: 2022 contribution awards
Women in Medicine Sept. 14 at Juice Beauty Farm
Webinars and CME events
For Ukraine, From the Heart
Healthcare Day at Cal Football
Meet our partners
Volunteers needed for SMLMA first-aid tent
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Rarely something truly
exciting hits our inboxes, right? Well, today is my lucky day for such an experience! I received an email from Drs. Rachel Friedman, Kari Foulke and Allison Bacon outlining their vision for the Medical Arts Project of Sonoma. This new wellness program will offer a series of medical arts seminars designed to bolster creative thinking and problem-solving in the medical practice, while bringing physicians together to find connection and meaning in their personal and professional lives.
Sessions will be led by physicians with experience in various art forms ( e.g., collage, writing, movement, music, culinary arts). The initiative kicks off with its first session on Thursday, Aug. 25 at the Fulton Crossing Art Collaborative in Santa Rosa. See more information below in News & Notes.
On July 13, the Sonoma County Winegrowers
recognized SMLMA with its Nick Frey Community Contribution Award. It was an honor to accept the award on behalf of SMLMA and stand on stage alongside representatives from the other community health providers who all worked together to help thousands of vineyard employees receive a vaccination.
Community service with benefits! SMLMA continues to host the first-aid tent at Transcendence Theatre’s summer 2022 outdoor performances at Jack London Park. If you haven’t yet volunteered for one of the shifts, it’s a great way to see a wonderful show and support community arts.
Speaking of outdoor gatherings, we’ve organized a Women in Medicine social on Sept. 14 at the Juice Beauty Farm in Healdsburg. We were last at the farm in 2020 and look forward to going back to this beautiful place. Continue reading here.
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FROM OUR COUNTY HEALTH OFFICERS |
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Sundari Mase, MD, MPH: Sonoma County’s COVID-19 case rate has plateaued at around 30 to 40 new cases per day per 100,000 residents. This relatively high rate is akin to what we were seeing during the Delta surge last summer. The Omicron variant and its sub variants, which are responsible for the latest surge in cases, are much more transmissible than previous variants, yet do not cause more severe outcomes. As a result, our hospital and ICU capacity has not been impacted.
I still strongly encourage everyone to continue wearing their masks in indoor public settings with large groups of people gathered close together. I encourage people to get tested and stay at home if they have symptoms or have been exposed to a COVID-positive person.
Pfizer and Moderna have started distributing COVID vaccines for children as young as 6 months old. The Pfizer vaccine is available for children 6 months to 4 years old and the Moderna vaccine is available for children 6 months to 5 years old. This “baby vaccine” has allowed us to vaccinate the youngest residents of our community, the final age group to receive vaccine authorization. Continue reading here.
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Andy Coren, MD: In July 2022, COVID cases continued to increase in Mendocino County and, to a lesser extent, hospitalizations and deaths. Current modeling suggests hospitalizations will peak early in August. Please continue to encourage your eligible patients to get vaccinated and boosted to avoid severe outcomes. Special efforts should be made to get children vaccinated starting at 6 months of age. Masks are strongly recommended in public indoor spaces. Encourage antivirals for patients with any risk factors, especially those with racial, ethnic or social disparities.
On another note, rashes suspected to be caused by monkeypox should be covered and medical staff should don full PPE. Call the Mendocino County Health Department CD line at 707-272-8035 for additional advice on sampling and testing. ◊
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COVID-19 DEVELOPMENTS & UPDATES |
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Sonoma COVID-19 communications toolkit
Visit the SoCoEmergency.org for weekly updates to COVID-19 vaccine and testing clinics and encourage patients to report their at-home antigen test results using this online form. Quick links included below for fliers to share with colleagues and patients.
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Children and vaccination toolkit
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Save these links in your browser for quick reference. The county websites contain frequently updated information for COVID-19 that you can share with patients.
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Want to keep up-to-date with the latest Sonoma County COVID-19 information and guidance? Visit the County's sign-up page to have a weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox.
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NEW WELLNESS INITIATIVE
Medical arts program for physicians
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The Medical Arts Project of Sonoma is a new series of medical arts seminars designed to bolster creative thinking and problem-solving in medical practice, while bringing local physicians together to find connection and meaning in their personal and professional lives. Through creative expression, the program aims to:
• Enhance physician-patient relationships, clinical reasoning, and problem-solving.
• Explore reflective practices and mitigate burnout/compassion fatigue.
• Provide community building and mentorship for resident physicians.
The free creative sessions will be led by physicians with substantial experience in the arts, who will briefly discuss the relevance of the artistic modality to their medical career, then lead a workshop for participants. CME may be offered, but details are still being arranged.
The first session is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 25, at 7:00 p.m. at Fulton Crossing Art Collaborative in Santa Rosa. The workshop will be led by Dr. Jamie Weinstein doing collage. Registration is required; details will be provided with registration.
SMLMA is proud to sponsor this innovative physician wellness initiative, a collaboration between Sutter Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency and Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency, with sessions open to all community physicians, residents and faculty of the programs.
For information or to register for the Aug. 25 session:
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Please nominate your deserving peers and help SMLMA recognize and honor their achievements! Click the image above for more details and a nominations form. Information to follow about the Awards Gala on Thursday, Dec. 8.
Gala program sponsorships are now available for businesses and organizations. See sponsorship form and contact Susan Gumucio at 707-481-8995 or susan@smlma.org.
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FOR TESTING AT SONOMA COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH LAB
Orthopoxvirus Testing Guidance
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Linked below are documents needed to screen patients for orthopox testing through the Sonoma County Public Health Lab. (LabCorp and Quest are also offering orthopox testing and have their own processes; please refer to their instructions for specimen collection. Public Health approval is not needed if testing through either of these labs.)
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NICK FREY COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION AWARD
SMLMA honored for COVID-19 vaccine clinic
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Sonoma County Winegrowers recently recognized SMLMA and four community health centers for their "partnership, leadership, and support of agriculture and our essential workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic." SMLMA Executive Director Wendy Davies accepted the award on behalf of SMLMA at a ceremony on July 13. Read more here.
We recognize and thank the volunteer physicians and medical professionals who served at our 2021 COVID-19 vaccine clinics. You made a difference.
Pictured above: Wendy Davies (far right) and representatives of SCW and community health centers at the SCW awards ceremony.
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ORGANIC VINEYARD AND OLIVE FARM
Women in Medicine social Sept. 14
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We are going back to the beautiful Juice Beauty Farm for our fall Women in Medicine social. SMLMA and Debra Phairas from Practice + Liability Associates invite you to Debra's sister's Juice Beauty Farm for delicious food, sustainable wine and conversation with your colleagues. We'll visit outside and learn about "organic beauty" and "farm to beauty" from founder Karen Behnke. Debra will share tips for "Avoiding Practice Management Hypertension." Please save the date and join us for this special evening in a lovely setting.
Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022 • 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Juice Beauty Farm • 5895 West Dry Creek Rd., Healdsburg
Gate code provided at RSVP
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AUGUST PERFORMANCE: HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD!
First-aid hosts needed for August and September
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SMLMA is providing a first-aid tent for Transcendence Theatre Company’s 2022 outdoor season at Jack London Park. Tent hosts and backups are needed for several AUGUST and SEPTEMBER dates. Enjoy a fabulous show while supporting community and the arts!
Physicians, NPs, Nurses, EMTs and retired physicians are eligible to volunteer via the sign-up link below. We provide everything you need to treat minor injuries to patrons and performers (bee stings, heat exhaustion, sprained ankles, etc.) Help for anything major is only a 911 call away to emergency personnel.
Volunteer benefits: 2 show tickets with VIP seating, VIP parking, and complimentary dinner for you and your guest. Volunteer 3+ times throughout 2022 and receive a $100 gift certificate for the Starks Family Restaurants in Santa Rosa or Healdsburg.
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Audiology Associates of Santa Rosa, led by Peter Marincovich, Ph.D., CCC-A, has launched a humanitarian initiative: For Ukraine, From the Heart™. At the war’s onset, he recognized, amid rampant bombings, the dangers of loud noises making communication difficult or permanently damaging ears of military troops and innocent civilians.
Peter acquired and donated 20 advanced otoscopes, devices to evaluate inner ear hearing anatomy, for use in Ukraine’s military hospitals. Can we imagine struggling to hear amid loud warfare? Let’s empathetically walk in their boots, attempting to hear comrades or, while recuperating from injuries, precious conversations with far away loved ones.
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Healthcare Day at Cal Football—Saturday, Sept. 3. Join your colleagues as Cal celebrates healthcare professionals at its home opener against UC Davis. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. Discounted tickets for all healthcare workers and families are just $25 and include exclusive seating in the North Bowl and a retractable badge holder. Click here for parking information and see flier for game day details. Watch for SMLMA on the jumbotron! Purchase tickets here.
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Tickets now on sale for the Council on Aging's annual Boots & Bling fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 24. Annual event benefits Meals on Wheels and other Agency programs. Individual tickets are $250 and a limited number of VIP/sponsor tables are available for $2,500. Barbecue, drinks, auction, raffle, live music and dancing at a private estate in Windsor 5–10 pm! See flier for details or visit www.BootsnBling.com. To purchase a table, contact Lauren Schwing at 707-525-0143 x146 or lschwing@councilonaging.com.
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6 Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Android tablets with 10.5 in LCD screen and 64 GB storage. Only $150 each (new $300). Used for a short time by medical/administrative staff for patient check-in and reporting at the SMLMA COVID-19 vaccine clinics. Tablets are perfect for keeping up with email, working on the go, and streaming movies or music.
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Dr. Rachel Mayorga, an internist in Healdsburg, is looking to hire a nurse practitioner for a part-time position caring for adults in Healdsburg. If you know anyone who is interested, please send a resume to rachelmayorga@gmail.com.
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An active SCMA member for 21 years, James E. Cadden, MD, passed away on May 20, 2022. Dr. Cadden graduated from the University of San Francisco and then medical school at the University of Health Sciences/Chicago Medical School. He became an emergency department physician and spent his career at Kaiser Permanente Oakland and Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa. Upon his retirement, Dr. Cadden worked at Sutter Coast Hospital in Crescent City, Calif. Read more.
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James Richard "Jerry" Connell, MD, died in Santa Rosa on June 27, 2022. He attended medical school at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, moving to Santa Rosa for his residency in family practice at Community Hospital. For 29 years Dr. Connell was a family medicine doctor who empowered his patients to engage in their own care. A strong advocate of the single-payer medical system, he often saw patients pro bono. After retirement, he became medical director of the Jewish Community Free Clinic. Read more.
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AUGUST WEBINARS & CME EVENTS |
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California Medical Association
Virtual Grand Rounds: COVID-19 Vaccine Updates—Pediatric Vaccines and New Vaccine Technology | Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022 • 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. | REGISTER HERE
As summer wanes and school is about to begin, we now have new opportunities to vaccinate our youngest patients. At the same time, new vaccines made with old vaccine technology are becoming available. In this session, attendees will hear from California State Epidemiologist Erica Pan, MD, about the state of COVID-19 in California, including variants, treatments and vaccine epidemiology. They will also hear from one of the country’s most articulate and experienced vaccine experts, Paul Offit, MD.
CMA designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM.
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Sutter Health Network
The Sutter Health Virtual Grand Rounds is a Continuing Education (CE) webinar series hosted by Sutter Health Network providers for all medical professionals across Northern California. Interactive Q&A session takes place with each live event. Learn about the series here.
Same-Day Joint Replacement Surgery and Robotics: The Future Is Here
Contraception for Adolescents
Fentanyl Crisis and the Role of Healthcare Workers
30-Day Readmissions: Myths, Mysteries and How Home Health Can Help
Hospice Insights for All
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Shriners Children's Northern California
Shriners mission is to improve the lives of children by offering outstanding specialty care education for medical professionals. Our monthly CME webinars are offered at no cost to you.
Early Identification & Treatment of Hip Dysplasia in Children with Cerebral Palsy
This activity is approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit Designation for 1.5 contact hours.
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Congratulations to our new SMLMA members!
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Welcome, Drs. Oliveira and Steiner. We're delighted to have you aboard and look forward to supporting you and your practice at The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG).
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How to respond to requests for patient records |
It is essential that you protect yourself from the inappropriate release of patient medical records to avoid potential violations of federal or state patient privacy laws. Guidance to help you properly respond to the most common types of requests for patient records, which can originate from subpoenas, attorney’s letters, law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and patients themselves, is provided in a recent article published by the Cooperative of American Physicians (CAP). Read article.
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To learn more about being a CAP member:
you can save on medical malpractice coverage through CAP.
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SMLMA members and their medical staff may contact our Business Partners for a wide range of services and benefits for business and personal needs. See the flier or visit the SMLMA website for full listing details and contact information. Please give our partners a call; they're here to serve YOU!
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• Insurance
• Financial services
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• Banking services
• Real estate services
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• Mortgage lending
• Legal services
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Benefits offered by our partners are just one of many reasons to join SMLMA/CMA. You also gain a package of powerful resources to support and protect your practice.
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