Report on California’s Physician Workforce Trends

California has one of the lowest primary care physician-to-patient ratios in the nation – 31 of 58 counties lack enough primary care providers to meet national standards. That’s one of the findings in a report developed by Physicians for Healthy California on key trends in physician counts, geographic, demographic, and specialty distribution of active patient care physicians, residents, and medical students. To access this resource, click here.

On September 9, 2021, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra released a comprehensive plan to lower drug prices. The report released by HHS is guided by the Biden Administration’s principles for equitable drug pricing reform through competition, innovation, and transparency. One of the key policies in this effort is legislation that would allow HHS to negotiate Medicare Part B and Part D drug prices directly with pharmaceutical companies and make those prices available to other purchasers, an approach that is projected to generate reductions in patient cost-sharing and large savings for patients, government, and commercial payers.

Over the past decade, there has been a 44.4% decrease in opioid prescribing nationwide, according to a new report from the AMA. At the same time, the country is facing a worsening drug-related epidemic of overdose and death. To address this continuing epidemic, AMA is urging policymakers to join physicians to reduce mortality and improve patient outcomes by removing barriers to evidence-based care, specifically:

CMA Publishes Guide for Patients Impacted by Wildfires

Under a law enacted in 2018, health plans and insurers are required to act quickly to ensure patients in areas affected by wildfires and other disasters have continued access to care. The California Medical Association has published a guide to help patients navigate these services. This guide includes phone numbers to call if patients are experiencing difficulty refilling prescriptions, replacing medical supplies or obtaining access to care, as well as links with more information about other services each payor is offering. Download the guide here. 

ACCMA History Book Now Available

Read about ACCMA’s quest during the years 1945–55 to embrace its mantra, “Medical Care for All, Regardless,” in a book just published by the ACCMA this month. One lesson everyone will take away from this book is that physicians have the capacity to influence major challenges affecting our society when they collectively set their sights on doing so. The book is available for download here or members can request a hard copy by contacting the ACCMA at (510) 654‑5383 or accma@accma.org. Former ACCMA Executive Director Donald Waters, author of “Medical Care for All, Regardless,” will present highlights from the book via Zoom in a program hosted by UCSF Department of Archives on November 17. Stay tuned!

Questions for the MBC About Current Licensure Issues?

On Thursday, October 7, at 6 PM, Deputy Director of the Medical Board of California Reji Varghese will be presenting at an ACCMA wellbeing committee meeting and will be available for your questions. He plans to discuss the process of evaluation and intervention for impairment, the second phase of the Death Certificate Project investigation, and the current status of the Physician Health Program. If you would like to attend and/or have questions you'd like Mr. Varghese to address, please email rsvp@accma.org. 

By Taking on Poliovirus, Marguerite Vogt Transformed the Study of All Viruses, Science News, 9/17/21

A Year of Genomic Surveillance Reveals How the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic Unfolded in Africa, Science, 9/9/21

Six Rules That Will Define Our Second Pandemic Winter, The Atlantic, 9/20/21

At an Overrun ICU, ‘the Problem Is We Are Running Out of Hallways,’ Kaiser Health News, 9/22/21 

New Staff Onboarding Series

Now available! Current and new staff can receive on-demand training on HIPAA, OSHA, and customer service. Intended for all staff encountering patients in person or by telephone, this course covers customer service techniques, the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). For questions, contact Jenn Mullins, Education and Event Associate, at jmullins@accma.org.

Click here to register. 

The California Medical Association's (CMA) wellness program (CMA Wellness) is pleased to launch free, online wellness engagement groups for health care providers who conduct patient screenings for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Treating patients with multiple ACEs or toxic stress can potentially impact your personal wellness and increase feelings of burnout. CMA Wellness's engagement groups will support providers by offering subject matter experts, best practices, and an open forum to share experiences, facilitated by trained, volunteer physicians. Each monthly webinar is organized around a prevailing theme with a stakeholder co-host to provide a variety of perspectives with a general discussion and breakout rooms. Registration is required, and providers will be joining the Tuesday series for a 6‑month duration.

For more information and to register, click here.

Implementing ACE Screenings: How-to Guide and Lessons from the Field

Speakers include Heyman Oo, MD, MPH; Jodi Chroman; Rachel Steward, MD, MSc, FACOG; Mikah Owen, MD, MPH, FAAP; Dayna Long, MD, FAAP; and Tanya Schwartz, MSW, MPP.

Register here.

Discussion on the COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate and Workplace Issues

Presenters will provide information on COVID-19 compliance obligations for California physician employers, COVID-19 testing/vaccination issues, and best practices in response to the recent vaccination orders for health care workers issued by the California Department of Public Health. This webinar will be structured as a question-and-answer discussion between Joey Cachuela, California Medical Association legal counsel, and Oscar Rivas, the principal of Rivas Law, APC. Members’ staff: To receive a promo code for free registration, email Becky Paplanus at events@cmadocs.org with your physician’s California medical license number.

 

Register here. 

Join us for an online presentation by Reji Varghese, Deputy Director of the Medical Board of California. He will discuss the process of evaluation and intervention, the second phase of the Death Certificate Project investigation, and the current status of the Physician Health Program. All ACCMA members are welcome to join this meeting of our Advisory Committee for Physician Wellbeing for this informative presentation and discussion.

If you would like to attend, email rsvp@accma.org. 

Learn more and register here.

Review some of the most critical privacy and security standards in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Rules. In this one-hour webinar with expert HIPAA and practice management consultant David Ginsberg, you will receive important updates on who is covered, what information is protected, how you can stay secure in the Information Age, and how to avoid costly mistakes, as well as learning what is new for compliance. For questions, contact Jenn Mullins, Education and Event Associate, at jmullins@accma.org.

Click here to register.

Medical Staff Policies Related to Use of Cannabis Products and New Therapeutic Agents

Thursday, October 21 | noon – 1:30 PM

$50 or $75 for 2–3 physicians from same hospital/group | CME Available | Presented by CPPPH/CSAM

This webinar will focus on what medical staff/medical group policy makers need to know about physicians’ use of drugs that are no longer “illegal,” for example, cannabis products and psychoactive agents that are being used therapeutically.

Register here by October 19. 

Thursday, October 21 | 6:15 – 7:30 PM

FREE | CME Available

In this webinar, we will start with the core — you — and then expand. You will have time to think about your attitudes, the way you treat yourself and others, how you spend your time, your purpose, and resilience. The speaker is Linda Clever, MD, of RENEW. For questions, contact Jenn Mullins, Education and Event Associate, at jmullins@accma.org.

Click here to register.