March 2013 • Report from the CMA board of trustees • Nominations needed for MMS election • Dr. Wayne Jonas to speak in Santa Rosa on April 3 • Save the date: Legislative Leadership Conference on April 16 • Marin physicians invited to May 9 wine-and-cheese in Sonoma County • Reminder: PFMC grant proposals due April 2 • Leadership Academy heads to Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas • Top stories from CMA Alert • PEOPLE • MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS • RESOURCES • CLASSIFIEDS • APPLICANTS • ABOUT MMS Report from the CMA board of trustees Mark Davis, MD, and Peter Bretan, MD Dr. Davis (Crescent City) and Dr. Bretan (Novato) are the District X trustees on the CMA board of trustees. Your District X trustees attended the Jan. 24-25 meeting of the CMA board of trustees (BOT) in San Diego. Most of the meeting was conducted without much debate and included correspondence and business of the Institute for Medical Quality, the CALPAC board of directors, and the Medical Education Debt technical advisory committee. Informational reports were presented from the AMA delegation, the CMA Foundation, and the CMA Alliance. The BOT also heard reports from the Council on Legislation regarding proposed legislation for 2013. CMA’s president, executive committee and CEO reported on membership (we now represent more than 37,000 physicians in California), the California Health Benefit Exchange, CMA’s economic services, the Policy Center, federal issues, and on CMA’s strategic plan, budget and legal issues. The biggest discussion was about supporting the Medicare geographic adjustment factor (GAF) for implementing the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid increase for primary care. The GAF will in part use the flawed calculations similar to the GPCI adjustments we are all so familiar with in District X. We realized that not to accept the Medicare GAF would be accepting much less increase for our primary care members, so we adopted this compromise. This action will ultimately bring a lot more reimbursement to CMA’s primary care members. At a board retreat immediately following the BOT meeting, USC Economics Professor Dave Logan--co-author of “Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization”--led a discussion about how the CMA board can foster a culture of cooperation without forsaking individual consciences. Afterward, CMA Chief Executive Dustin Corcoran gave a presentation on “Activity Based Costing (ABC) System for CMA.” He explained that the ABC system will provide a high level of accuracy about the real costs of products and services. CMA will be moving to this system to get a better method for analyzing the real costs of each part of CMA. The system will allow CMA to best utilize its limited resources and plan better for the future of the organization. Dr. Bretan learned a lot about the BOT in his first meeting as a District X delegate. He realized that the BOT is composed of incredibly talented physicians working together in a culture of teamwork and respect, with a commitment to recognizing the smallest voice. He is optimistic and looks forward to working with so many committed colleagues on the board. We both agree that together we can help bring CMA to a bright future. Nominations needed for MMS election In preparation for the upcoming MMS election, all members are urged to submit nominations for leadership positions by March 15. Nominees must be MMS members in good standing. Nominations are requested for the following positions: • MMS executive team (2): president-elect and treasurer/secretary • MMS board representatives (4) • CMA delegates (1) • CMA alternate delegates (1) All positions require a three-year commitment, beginning July 1. Nominations can be emailed to cynthia@marinmedicalsociety.org, faxed to 415-924-2749, or mailed to MMS, PO Box 246, Corte Madera, CA 94976. Each nomination should include a brief statement about the nominee’s qualifications. For more details, contact Cynthia Melody at cynthia@marinmedicalsociety.org or 415-924-3891. Dr. Wayne Jonas to speak in Santa Rosa on April 3 Wayne Jonas, MD, one of the nation’s leading family physicians, will speak at the Vista Family Health Center in Santa Rosa on Wednesday evening, April 3. Currently president and CEO of the Samueli Institute, a nonprofit research organization, Dr. Jonas previously headed the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institute of Health. He teaches at Georgetown University and the Uniformed Services University and is a widely published researcher. For his Santa Rosa appearance, Jonas will discuss “Creating optimal healing environments in Sonoma County.” All local physicians are invited to attend this free event, which runs from 6 to 8 p.m. and is sponsored by the North Bay chapters of the California Academy of Family Physicians. Space is limited, however, so RSVPs are required. Light refreshments will be served. To RSVP, contact Erika Goodwin by March 29 at erikagoodwin@sonic.net. For more details, visit www.northbayafp.org. Save the date: Legislative Leadership Conference on April 16 Want to make your voice heard in state government? If so, you’re invited to attend CMA’s free Legislative Leadership Conference in Sacramento on Tuesday, April 16--one day after income taxes are due. Hundreds of physicians from all over California attend this annual event. The morning includes speeches from key legislative leaders. Speakers for 2013 haven’t been confirmed yet, but last year Gov. Brown addressed the conference. In the afternoon, attendees go to the Capitol to meet with their legislators on health care issues. To RSVP for the conference, contact Cynthia Melody at cynthia@marinmedicalsociety.org or 415-924-3891. She will arrange for transportation to Sacramento. Marin physicians invited to May 9 wine-and-cheese in Sonoma County All Marin County physicians and their spouses or guests are invited to attend the Sonoma County Medical Association’s annual wine-and-cheese reception, scheduled for Thursday evening, May 9. This popular event--which features collegial conversation and a sampling of fine wines and cheeses--is absolutely free for both MMS members and nonmembers. CMA President Dr. Paul Phinney, a Sacramento pediatrician, will give an informal “president’s message” touching on what CMA is doing for you, current issues, and opportunities to get involved in CMA, followed by a question-and-answer period. The location is still to be determined, but the date has been confirmed. To RSVP, contact Rachel Pandolfi at rachel@scma.org or 707-525-4375. Reminder: PFMC grant proposals due April 2 Nonprofit health organizations in Sonoma County are encouraged to apply for Community Grants from the Pacific Foundation for Medical Care. The grants, generally in the $10,000 range, are awarded twice a year by the nonprofit foundation to support local projects that enhance health services. The application deadline for the next round of grants is April 2. For application materials, contact Kathy Pass at 707-525-4281 or kpass@rhs.org. For more information, visit www.pfmc.org. Leadership Academy heads to Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas The annual California Health Care Leadership Academy will be held May 31 through June 2 at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. Presented by CMA, the California Medical Group Management Association and the CMA Foundation, “Increasing the Odds of Success” will cover a variety of issues to help physicians succeed in the rapidly changing health care landscape. Hear from the experts and leaders of change and attend a comprehensive slate of practice management seminars and workshops to position your practice for success. For details, contact Roger Purdy at rpurdy@cmanet.org or 916-444-5532. Top stories from CMA Alert Here are the top stories from the latest CMA Alert, the California Medical Association’s biweekly email newsletter. For a free subscription, visit www.cmanet.org/cma-alert. • Get your staff prepared for ICD-10 implementation: Three-part webinar begins March 7 • Medicare reimbursement for physicians may be cut by 2% • DHCS vendor works to solve Medi-Cal EHR incentive program payment issues • CMA grows by 4% in 2012 • Covered California launches consumer website PEOPLE Dr. Elizabeth Olle, a San Rafael family physician, is the lucky winner of a new iPad for completing the recent MMS strategic planning survey. More than 70 local physicians participated in the survey, which included questions about MMS’s role in enhancing community health. Survey results will be used by the MMS board of directors to develop a strategic plan for 2013 and beyond. Dr. Gary Grossfeld, a Greenbrae urologist, recently received a Physician Award from the Marin Prostate Cancer Information and Support Group in recognition of his work with the local prostate cancer community. “I’m incredibly touched by this recognition,” said Dr. Grossfeld. “It’s one thing to be honored by your medical peers, but getting this award confirms that I’m making a difference in the lives of the patients I serve.” MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS Novato Community Hospital has embarked on a project with Medicare to receive bundled payments for hip and knee replacement surgery. The hospital is one of only seven in California to participate in the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement program. By offering bundled payments, Medicare hopes to encourage hospitals, physicians and other providers to work together to improve health outcomes and lower costs. “Novato Community Hospital is uniquely qualified to spearhead this effort because of its robust orthopedics program,” said Grant Davies, CEO of Sutter’s North Bay hospitals, including Novato. RESOURCES The following CMA webinars are scheduled for March. Webinars begin at 12:15 p.m. and run until 1:15 or later. To register, visit www.cmanet.org. Seminars are free for CMA members and their staff; cost for nonmembers is $99 per person. • Fraud and abuse: dangers and defenses (March 6) • Essentials for ICD-10-CM: Part 1 (March 7) • Utilizing the new SDI online system (March 13) • Essentials for ICD-10-CM: Part 2 (March 14) • EHR selection: Top 10 tips for success (March 20) • Essentials for ICD-10-CM: Part 3 (March 21) • Successful Medi-Cal provider enrollment (March 27) The 20th annual HIV/AIDS Review will be held from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, at the Hilton Hotel in Santa Rosa. Speakers includes Drs. Marshall Kubota, Danny Toub and Andy Desruisseau. For information and reservations, call the North Coast AIDS Center at 707-303-8904. CLASSIFIEDS Family physicians needed Family medicine positions available with Annadel Medical Group in Sonoma County. Contact James.DeVore@stjoe.org. Physician wanted Physicians: Retired w/license? Want to cut back to one or two days a week? Rewarding alternative care office in Marin County looking for California licensed MD for consultative work. Part time, excellent compensation. Contact James Gould at 760-703-3767 or james@greenleafcare.com. MMS members get free classifieds! MMS members can place free classified ads in News Briefs or Marin Medicine. Cost for nonmember physicians and the general public is $1 per word. To place a classified ad, contact Linda McLaughlin at Linda@scma.org or 707-525-4359. APPLICANTS Matthew Willis, MD, Internal Medicine*, 899 Northgate Dr. #104, San Rafael 94903, Temple Univ 2001 * = board certified; italics = special medical interest ABOUT MMS The Marin Medical Society, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit association, supports local physicians and their efforts to enhance the health of the community. We are affiliated with the California Medical Association and the American Medical Association. © 2013 MMS, PO Box 246, Corte Madera, CA 94976 March 1, 2013 MMS News Briefs March 2013, MMS News Briefs 0 0 Comment Read More »