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IN THIS ISSUE


Featured news

Updates from our health officers


CDPH COVID-19 orders effective April 3


CMA Legislative Advocacy Day April 19


Other highlights

NEW tips and tools for practice management


April webinars and events


Community Bulletin Board


Featured April event:

Practice Leadership Forum April 19

President's Perspective



On Feb. 1, 2023, Assembly-member Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) introduced Bill AB-374, which would allow legalization of cannabis cafes.


The bill would permit cities and counties to pass local laws that allow “a retailer or microbusiness to conduct business activities on the premise other than the smoking, vaporizing and ingesting of cannabis or cannabis products, including, but not limited to, selling non-cannabis infused food, selling non-alcoholic beverages, and allowing and selling tickets for live musicals or other performances . . . a local jurisdiction may allow for smoking, vaporizing, and ingesting of cannabis or cannabis products on the premises of a retailer or microbusiness.”

 

This could allow “marijuana bars” or “cannabis cafes“ in our community. Supporters of the bill believe this would meet a growing need and could result in a welcomed proliferation of authentic cannabis cafes. However, this could also mean the

Continue reading

NEWS AND EVENTS

As many of you may have already heard, I am resigning as Health Officer of Sonoma County, effective April 7. I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with you for the past three years, during an unprecedented pandemic. I appreciate all of the hard work and effort that every one of you contributed during these difficult times. As a result of our joint work, we were able to protect the community and save lives.


My work here is now done, and I have taken a position with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, as the Team Lead Medical Officer for the Quarantine and Travel Epidemiology Team. I will be returning to national and international work in infectious disease, including tuberculosis. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions, and I hope that our paths cross again in the future.

 

Best regards,

Sundari Mase, MD, MPH | Health Officer

Department of Health Services

Transition and challenge in Mendocino County

Andy Coren, MD

As we enter spring 2023, we are seeing a change in the COVID-19 pandemic that we hope will last. Hospitalizations and positivity of waste-water samplings have been decreasing and have reached levels approaching a bad influenza season. While this does not spell the end of the pandemic, it does mark the end of a required emergency response (orders and reporting) and a normalizing of activity and community response to the disease. Now patients can once again depend directly on their medical providers.

 

The California Medical Association recently published an article titled “End of the COVID-19 Emergency: What Physicians Need to Know,” which I hope you will all review. I found it to be a helpful guide for the transition.

 

Another challenge we now face is the current epidemic of opioid overdoses and deaths. Community education and the collaboration of many organizations, from schools to emergency rooms and outpatient care, are extremely important. Continue reading

COVID-19 revised orders from CDPH

effective April 3, 2023

New COVID-19 guidance related to changes in vaccination, masking, isolation, and quarantine requirements was announced by the California Department of Public Health in March. Click here to download a PDF with links and a summary of changes effective April 3 and March 13, 2023. Additionally, please be aware that greater protective measures may be required by your facility, healthcare organization, or other entities such as OSHA. Check SonomaMendocino, and Lake County websites for COVID-19 information in your local area.

JOIN US ON SACRAMENTO'S CAPITAL HILL

CMA 2023 Physician Legislative Advocacy Day

The California Medical Association will host its 49th annual Legislative Advocacy Day on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2023, in Sacramento.


CMA's "Leg Day" brings together more than 400 physician and medical student leaders from all specialties and modes of practice throughout California. Physicians meet with legislators regarding priority healthcare issues as scheduled by their local medical society.


Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake County physicians – Are you planning to attend Leg Day? We will include you in scheduled meetings with our legislative representatives, but we must let them know in advance that you are joining us. We are scheduling appointments with Senators Bill Dodd and Mike McGuire and Assembly members Cecilia Aguiar-Curry and Jim Wood. Carpool Lane? YES, please! SMLMA Executive Director Wendy Davies is planning to drive, leaving Santa Rosa at 6:30 a.m. for 8:00 a.m. conference start. Please let us know ASAP!


Self register using the link below or contact us at 707-525-4375 or rachel@smlma.org.

CMA LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY DAY - REGISTER HERE

CMA announces 2023 priority bills

The California Medical Association announced its 2023 priority bill package, which includes legislation that would reform prior authorization, expand cultural and linguistic competency, streamline provider credentialing, protect physicians providing reproductive healthcare and more. Click here for summaries of CMA's seven priority bills.

Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake MDs needed for HOD DXC

CMA House of Delegates

The "House of Delegates" is the principal policy-making body for the CMA, and SMLMA is part of HOD's District X Caucus (DXC). CMA HOD physician delegates meet annually to review, debate, and vote on resolutions and reports dealing with a myriad of medical practice, public health, and governance issues. SMLMA delegates represent the interests of physicians in our tri-county service area. We are now seeking nominations to fill delegate/alternate seats for SMLMA's District 10 delegation.


To nominate yourself or a colleague, submit the name and a brief explanation of your interest or nomination to rachel@smlma.orgQuestions? Call SMLMA at 707-525-4375.

– NEW BIMONTHLY FEATURE –

Tips and tools for practice management leaders

SMLMA Practice Leadership Forum is pleased to present TIPS & TOOLS—a new bimonthly feature offering information, insights and solutions for improving practice workflow and administrative efficiencies. Our first article, shared by SMLMA Supporting Partner Principled Medical Management, addresses the need to streamline rapidly rising operating costs.


Reducing Administrative Expenses

By Melanie Keil, MBA

As we close the first quarter of 2023, the challenges of staffing during the pandemic have shifted into challenges of post-pandemic cost concerns. Specifically, physicians are increasingly concerned about rising administrative costs along with continued inflation worries. We can all agree that administrative costs are not only related to staffing costs, but also to IT and EMR systems and management, which are critical to keep current Continue reading


TIPS & TOOLS is sponsored by the SMLMA Practice Leadership Forum. For questions or to submit an article for publication, contact Rachel Pandolfi at rachel@smlma.org or 707-525-4375.

Principled Medical Management provides financial management, operations management, organizational governance, business development and marketing, human resource management, risk and compliance oversight, and strategic planning for solo and small group practices. Visit www.principledmedical.com


SMLMA PRACTICE LEADERSHIP FORUM PRESENTS

Developing your wildly important goals


Join us for lite bites and refreshments and learn about developing strategies for implementing important goals. SMLMA Supporting Partner Melanie Keil / Principled Medical Management will present and lead the discussion.


Wednesday, April 19, 2023 | 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Location: Partnership HealthPlan

495 Tesconi Circle, Santa Rosa

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To reserve your place, contact

Rachel Pandolfi at 707-525-4375 or rachel@smlma.org

Bay Area medical components explore collaborations

The SMLMA Team recently met with teams from our sister Bay Area medical societies (pictured above) for a day of connection and brainstorming. The group spent a full day sharing experiences and exploring how to best serve the needs and interests of member physicians.


Please contact SMLMA Executive Director Wendy Davies at 707-620-0808 or exec@smlma.org with your suggestions, ideas, or challenges. How can SMLMA assist you and your practice? Remember, we are here to serve YOU!

COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD

JOB OPENINGS


Looking for an internal medicine physician interested in quality of life while still delivering excellent care to patients. Are you interested in slowing down, taking time with your patients, and taking more and longer vacations? Me too! Come work with me in Healdsburg, share space and fantastic medical assistants, and most importantly, cover each other so we can take the vacations we deserve. Contact Dr. Rachel Mayorga at 707-755-0095.



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Begin a rewarding career in Public Health! Mendocino County seeks Licensed Vocational NursesRegistered NursesPublic Health Nurses, and Senior Public Health Nurses to fill immediate full-time and extra help openings. LVN: $55,515 - $67,475; RN: $ $78,187 - $95,014; Public Health Nurse: $91,124 - $110,780; Senior Public Health Nurse $100,297 - $121,908. Apply now at www.governmentjobs.com/careers/mendocinoca

FREE classifieds or announcements for SMLMA MEMBERS



SMLMA members can place FREE classified ads or announcements on the Community Bulletin Board. Cost for nonmembers is $1 per word. Contact Susan Gumucio at 707-481-8995 or susan@smlma.org.

APRIL WEBINARS AND EVENTS

Providence Hospice Sonoma County

My Journey as a Hospice Physician

Hear from Hospice Medical Director Shara Yurkiewicz, MD, about her journey to practice medicine and offer end-of-life care in our community (a "Wednesdays at Hospice" presentation).

Wednesday, April 12, 2023 • 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

See website for Zoom link. Meeting ID 973 3020 7869  | Passcode: Hospice

California Medical Association

Working with Different Generations

Tuesday, April 4, 2023 • 12:15 - 1:15 p.m. | REGISTER HERE


Leading the Charge: Embedding Health Equity into the Forefront of

Value-Based Care

Thursday, April 6, 2023 • 12:15 - 1:15 p.m. | REGISTER HERE


CMA Data Exchange Explainer Series #2 – Data Exchange Policy and Legal Environment

Thursday, April 13, 2023 • 12:15 - 1:15 p.m. | REGISTER HERE


Introduction to Value-Based Care for Physicians

Thursday, April 20, 2023 • 12:15 - 1:15 p.m. | REGISTER HERE

Sutter Health

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.


AddressiAlcohol Use Disorder

Wednesday, April 5, 2023 • 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. | REGISTER HERE


Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Trauma, Resilience and Long-Term Consequences

Wednesday, April 12, 2023 • 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. | REGISTER HERE


Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine Perspective on Cancer Prevention

Wednesday, April 19, 2023 • 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. | REGISTER HERE


Prenatal Genetic Screening: Current Guidelines and Updates

Wednesday, April 26, 2023 • 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. | REGISTER HERE

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS


Congratulations, new SMLMA members!

We look forward to supporting you and your practice

with Providence Medical Group and Vituity.

PROVIDENCE MEDICAL GROUP



Neil Levin, MD

Internal Medicine


William Markoff, MD

Family Medicine


Pamela Maur, MD

Cardiovascular Disease


Daniel Mirda, MD

Hematology


Ridgely Muller, MD

Emergency Medicine

Roger Kin Chee Ng, MD

Cardiovascular Disease


Tiffany Ngai, MD

Infectious Disease


Thong Phan Nguyen, DO

Internal Medicine


Anna Paulsson, MD

Radiation Oncology


Michael Pezold, MD

Vascular Surgery


Rajveer Sangera, DO

Internal Medicine

Matthew Singer, MD

Surgery


Jacqueline Skvaril, MD

Internal Medicine


VITUITY


William Miller, MD

Internal Medicine


David Streeter, MD

Internal Medicine




COOPERATIVE OF AMERICAN PHYSICIANS

Important lessons for avoiding lawsuits

In From Exam Room to Courtroom: Lessons Learned from Real Medical Malpractice Cases, you will find important insights focusing on three areas of liability to help you avoid unnecessary lawsuits:


  • Physician misjudgment errors
  • Gaps in communication and documentation
  • Oversights during specialist referrals
REQUEST YOUR FREE COPY

To learn more about becoming a CAP member, please contact Dorine Leong at 650-543-2183 or DLeong@CAPphysicians.com. Request an Instant Quote today to see how much you can save on medical malpractice coverage as a member of CAP.