Weekly Roundup: In Case You Missed It |
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COVID-19 Updates
Eligible patients can schedule their third doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, or booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine only, through MyTurn, their health care providers, or local pharmacies.
The CDC issued an urgent health advisory for pregnant or breastfeeding Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Some 125,000 pregnant people have tested positive for the virus; 22,000 of them have been hospitalized, and 161 have died — 22 of them in August, the highest number in a single month since the pandemic began.
Solano County Public Health will be holding mass COVID-19 booster vaccination clinics for eligible groups at the Solano County fairgrounds in Vallejo starting in mid-October. By then, those who are immunocompromised, long-term care facility employees, medical staff, and first responders should have already received their third vaccine doses.
Solano County reported on Wednesday that 78% of residents 16 years and older have received at least one COVID vaccine dose, and 66% are fully vaccinated.
Napa County reported on Tuesday that 90% of residents 16 years and older have received at least one COVID vaccine dose, and 85% are fully vaccinated.
Solano County reports that, as of September 30, it has given more than 528,000 vaccinations (first and second doses). As of September 23, ICU capacity in the county is at 14% with 23 confirmed COVID patients hospitalized.
Napa County reports that as of September 30, more than 198,000 vaccine doses have been administered by the county. As of September 23, ICU capacity was 10% with 6 COVID patients in ICU.
Health Advisory: Influenza & Respiratory Syncytial Virus Activity & Guidance for Clinicians
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released a health advisory on Tuesday to provide physicians with guidance on respiratory virus, besides SARS-CoV-2, that are circulating in California. Routine respiratory virus incidence and seasonality have been disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Transmission of influenza and other respiratory viruses could increase this fall and winter. Testing for influenza and RSV is recommended, and testing for other respiratory pathogens should be considered, especially in patients with respiratory illnesses who test negative for SARS-CoV-2.
Napa & Solano Doctors Make Urgent Plea to Get Vaccinated
More than 70 Napa and Solano doctors have signed an open letter to the community urging their patients to get vaccinated against COVID‑19. “Please get vaccinated,” the letter asks patients. “We ask this from the bottom of our hearts. As your physicians, and people with whom you have worked, played, laughed, and cried.” If you would like to add your name to the letter, send an email to nsms@napasolanodocs.org with your name, specialty, and vaccination status, for example, Carlos X. Chin, MD, internal medicine — vaccinated. The letter, which will be kept updated as signatures come in, will be sent to the local media next week and circulated widely. Help us get the word out by posting about the letter in your social media!
Application Now Open for New Provider Relief Fund Distribution
The Biden Administration just announced it will release the remaining $25 billion of the $185 billion that was deposited into the HHS Provider Relief Fund to assist physician practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. All physicians may apply for this Phase 4 funding starting on September 29, 2021. The CMA urges physicians to get their applications in as soon as possible. Applications must be received before midnight, October 26, 2021.
Apply for CalVaxGrant by October 15
Under CalVaxGrant, a new state program to increase COVID‑19 vaccination rates, physicians and medical practices can apply to receive up to $55,000 in reimbursement for related expenses incurred since November 2020 and through November 2021. Qualifying expenses include staffing and training (most common expenses), technology, infrastructure, supplies and equipment, and administrative overhead. Apply before October 15 at calvaxgrant.org.
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Governor Renews Order Aligning State with Feds on Telehealth and Patient Data
Governor Newsom has renewed most of Executive Order N-43-20, which aligns California with federal emergency rules regarding the release of patient information during the good faith provision of telehealth. The order had been set to expire on September 30, 2021, but will now be extended through the end of the public health emergency. One component was allowed to expire: Physicians will now be subject to the pre-pandemic requirement to obtain patient consent. This consent can either be written or obtained verbally and documented in the patient record. |
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HHS Announces 60-Day Grace Period for Provider Relief Fund Reporting
Physicians who received PRF payments between April 10 and June 30, 2020, in excess of $10,000 will now have an extra 60-days to complete the post-payment reporting process. PRF recipients are required to report for each “payment received period” in which they received one or more payments exceeding, in the aggregate, $10,000 (rather than $10,000 cumulatively across all PRF payments). |
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HHS Releases Second Interim Rule to Implement Prohibition on Surprise Billing
On Thursday, the Department of Health and Human Services issued their second interim final rule (IFR) with comment period to implement the No Surprises Act, a law that helps curb surprise medical billing of patients. Read the American Medical Association’s summary and comments about the IFR here. |
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We Need Your Help to Block Looming Medicare Payment Cuts
Three Medicare payment reductions are going into effect on January 1, 2022, that add up to a combined 9.75% payment cut. Reps. Ami Bera, MD (D‑CA) and Larry Bucshon, MD (R‑IN) are highlighting the dangers these cuts could have on physicians’ ability to provide quality care for their patients if Congress fails to enact legislation to address them. Reps. Bera and Bucshon are asking their colleagues in the House of Representatives to add their names to a “Dear Colleague” letter, and you can, too, by contacting your representative and asking them to sign on! |
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Available on demand
Member $29.00 | Non-member $79.00
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.
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Tuesdays through December 14
Free to attend | CME Available | Presented by CMA
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.
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Friday, October 8 | 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Discounts for Members; Free for Medical Resident and Student Members | Presented by CMA
The NEPO Summit is known for bringing together some of the most diverse voices in medicine and providing an opportunity to discuss critical topics in health care through the lens of multiculturalism and health equity. This year’s online event will be divided into morning and afternoon sessions. In the morning session, experts will discuss how an awareness of Cultural and Linguistic Competency (CLC) and Implicit Bias (IB) can benefit physicians and patients alike. The afternoon session will focus on issues of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), health outcome disparities in the Asian American and Pacific Islander American communities, and physician wellness.
Learn more and register here.
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Friday, October 15 | 6:00 to 7:00 PM
Online | Free to NSMS members, $50 for non-members
Celebrate your physician colleagues, win raffle prizes, and learn how to make a classy cocktail from an experienced bartender. Register for this year’s virtual gala by Oct. 1 and receive a FREE delivery of cocktail ingredients to your front door so that you can join us in making a drink live during the event. The theme of the drink will be “The Doctor is Gin.” Raffle prizes include hot air balloon rides, signed SF Giants memorabilia, bike rentals, wine, and more!
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Register now and the on-demand program will be provided to you on date of release
On demand | Available Friday, October 15
FREE | CME Available
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.
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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.
Speakers: Greg Skipper, MD; John G. Rosenberg, MD, MPH; and David M. Balfour, MD
Register here by October 19.
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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. |
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Wednesday, October 27, 2021 | 12:15 – 1:15 PM
FREE for members & members’ staff | Presented by CMA
Three different value-based care programs will be discussed: the Primary Care Reimagined program, the Medicare Shared Savings Program, and PBGH’s California Quality Collaborative’s Advanced Primary Care Standards. Learn about these models and what the shift toward value-based care means for you and your practice. 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.
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