May 2016 Download PDF Here MMS NEWS Deadline to register for CURES is July 1, 2016 Cast your vote in the annual MMS election by May 31 2016 MMS Contribution Awards Marin Medicine marks six decades MMS membership increases; directory to publish this fall AMA House of Delegates report PEOPLE PRACTICE RESOURCES & CME CLASSIFIEDS MMS NEWS Deadline to register for CURES is July 1, 2016 Under California law, all individuals practicing in California who possess both a state regulatory board license authorized to prescribe, dispense, furnish or order controlled substances and a Drug Enforcement Administration Controlled Substance Registration Certificate (DEA Certificate) must register to use the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) by July 1, 2016. CMA has compiled a list of educational materials to familiarize physicians with the registration process and key features of the newly upgraded system, CURES 2.0. These resources are available at www.cmanet.org/cures. Physicians who experience problems with the new system should contact the Department of Justice (DOJ) CURES Help Desk at 916-227-3843 or cures@doj.ca.gov. PLEASE report these technical issues to CMA's member service center at 800-786-4262 or memberservice@cmanet.org. CMA recently cohosted a webinar with DOJ to help physicians navigate the CURES 2.0 registration process. The presentation is now available on demand in CMA's online resource library and is free to all interested parties. The webinar, "CURES 2.0: Navigating the State's New Prescription Drug Monitoring Database," provides an overview of key user features of the updated system and tips on how to avoid technical issues. Cast your vote in the annual MMS election by May 31 The MMS Board of Directors recently approved retaining the current president and president-elect, so Dr. Peter Bretan will continue as president through June 30, 2017. As president-elect, Dr. Michael Kwok, a Greenbrae internist, will assume the presidency July 1, 2017. He heads the list of nominees including Dr. Naveen Kumar, secretary/treasurer, and board of directors nominees Drs. Jason Nau, Naveen Kumar, Peter Bretan, and Irina deFischer. Dr. Lori Selleck has been nominated as a delegate, and Dr. Michael Kwok as alternate delegate to CMA. This year's MMS election ballots will be mailed to members in May and are due back by May 31. For more information, contact Cynthia Melody at cmelody@scma.org or 707-525-4375. 2016 MMS Contribution Awards Mark your calendar for the MMS Contribution Awards Dinner on Wednesday, Sept. 28. With a special note of appreciation to our event sponsors, Marin Health & Human Services and Healthy Marin Partnership, the event will be held at Jason's Restaurant in Greenbrae from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are free for MMS members; spouses, guests and nonmembers are $59 each. To RSVP or purchase tickets, contact Rachel Pandolfi at 415-924-3891 or rachel@scma.org. The evening begins with a social hour from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by dinner and the award presentations. Three Marin physicians will receive Outstanding Contribution awards: Dr. David Witt, Outstanding Contribution to Community Health Dr. Jeffrey Schneider, Outstanding Contribution to Marin County Medicine Dr. Lori Selleck, Outstanding Contribution to Marin Medical Society Dr. Gail Altschuler will receive the Article of the Year award for "Healthy Weight, Healthy Pregnancy," which appeared in the spring/summer 2015 edition of Marin Medicine. RxSafe Marin will receive a special Recognition of Achievement for its tremendous work addressing the problem of prescription drug misuse and abuse, and adopting guidelines for the use of opioids in the treatment of chronic non-cancer pain. Marin Medicine marks six decades As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Marin Medical Society's publication, the board of directors is proud to share a retrospective look at the magazine changes and modifications that have occurred over the years. Watch for this visual trip down memory lane in the upcoming spring/summer issue of Marin Medicine. MMS membership increases; directory to publish this fall Despite all the turmoil in medicine locally and nationally, membership in MMS continues to increase at a steady pace, growing by 11 percent since last year. To help keep track of the many new physicians, MMS will be verifying all Marin physicians' contact information; please complete the form you will be receiving in the mail to verify your data is correct. The 2016-17 edition of the Marin County Physician Directory will be published this fall. The directory, a standard reference book for local medical offices, includes photos and complete specialty, address and training information for MMS members, along with an alphabetical listing of almost every Marin physician, various specialty indexes, and a guide to medical resources. Each MMS member receives one free copy of the directory. Additional copies are $30 for members and $40 for nonmembers, health care facilities and the general public. To preorder the new directory, use the Advance Sale form being mailed with the verification letters or contact Rachel Pandolfi at 415-924-3891 or rachel@scma.org. AMA House of Delegates report Dr. Peter Bretan, a urologist and transplant surgeon with offices in Sonoma and Marin counties, is the CMA District X alternate delegate to the American Medical Association. He is also president of the Marin Medical Society. Click here to read Dr. Bretan's report on last fall's AMA House of Delegates. PEOPLE Dr. Peter Bretan honored by NEPO May is Asian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and on May 9 the Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations (NEPO) recognized Dr. Peter Bretan for his service as "President of the Marin Medical Society and for going above and beyond to serve people around the world. He frequently travels to the Philippines to help perform life-saving transplants with Life Plant International, the charity organization he founded to promote disaster preparedness, organ donation and early disease screening worldwide. He was presented with the Benjamin Rush Award for Citizenship and Community Service by the American Medical Association (AMA) in 2014. Dr. Bretan's altruism is truly inspiring!" Click here to view the NEPO Facebook page. PRACTICE RESOURCES & CME New! May 17 seminar: Increasing medical debt recoveries and building a customer service culture This seminar will teach attendees medical debt recovery practices to increase patient satisfaction and recoveries in their office, while highlighting processes to implement ways to build a customer service culture. The seminar cost is $79 and benefits the Center for Well-Being. Time: 8 to 11 a.m. in Santa Rosa. Click here for more information. New! July 22 seminar: Improve oral health care for pregnant women and infants Marin County medical and dental professionals are invited to attend a no-cost educational seminar and workshop focused on oral health care for pregnant women and infants. Time: 8:30 a.m. to Noon in Santa Rosa. Emcee: Dr. Jayanth Kumar, DDS, MPH, California State Dental Director. See flier for details. Free CME on Child Abuse Prevention, Recognition and Reporting The Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) is offering a course on Child Abuse Prevention, Recognition and Reporting. This 75-minute course is designed for physicians, nurses and other health care professionals who are mandated by law to report suspected child abuse and neglect, but who may not be as familiar with the signs and symptoms or may not know what, when and to whom to properly report findings. This course is free, CMEs available. Pre-registration is required. For more information, contact Leslie Anne Iacopi at liacopi@imq.org. Practice Management Tip of the Month: May Plan ahead to reduce scheduling disruptions and long patient wait times! It's rare that an appointment schedule in a medical office survives a day without any changes. No-shows, cancellations and last-minute emergencies will always crop up and cause shifts and changes. Effectively managing the appointment schedule can have a positive impact on both patient and practice satisfaction. For more information on scheduling strategies visit www.cmanet.org/practice-check-up. Are you receiving CMA newsletters? 1) CMA Alert. CMA publishes a biweekly e-newsletter, CMA Alert, to keep its members up-to-date on critical issues affecting the practice of medicine in California. Click here to view the current issue. 2) CMA Practice Resources. CPR is a free monthly bulletin from CMA's practice management experts that focuses on critical payor and health industry changes and how they directly impact the business of a physician practice. Each issue includes tips on reimbursement and contracting-related issues along with information on the latest practice management news. Click here to view the current issue. CLASSIFIEDS Sports medicine MD looking for space and staff 2 days/week in Marin I am a Musculoskeletal Medicine Doctor (board certified sports medicine), specializing in treatment of musculoskeletal pain using prolotherapy, neuro-prolotherapy and PRP. I have a cash-only practice and have outgrown my current office space and staff. Looking to share space and staff with another practitioner(s) 2 days per week, ideally in the NOVATO area. Gloria Tucker, MD, 925-381-0379. San Francisco Financial District Medical office sublet for 1 or 2 days per week. Central location at Battery and Market. Jeffrey Binstock, MD, 415-956-8686. Sublet Mill Valley medical office 535 Miller Ave. office available on Mondays. 2 exam rooms, adequate parking, beautiful space. Jeffery Binstock, MD, 415-383-5475. Steal my practice. I'm retiring. Fall in love with practicing medicine again. Proven, profitable weight loss practice in Marin County. Multiple 6 figures, ready to take it to the next level. Work-life balance, time freedom, financial security, relationship-driven practice. I'm 100% committed to all the support necessary to ensure a smooth transition. Contact for more information or to schedule a visit. Gail Altschuler, MD, 415-309-6258 or drgail@marinweightloss.com. Medical condo for sale Located on South Eliseo Drive in Greenbrae. 415-435-8589. Free classifieds for MMS members! 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 Susan Gumucio at susan@scma.org or 707-525-0102. 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. Founded in 1898, MMS is affiliated with the California Medical Association and the American Medical Association. © 2016 MMS, 2312 Bethards Dr. #6, Santa Rosa, CA 95405 May 17, 2016 MMS News Briefs MMS News Briefs 0 0 Comment Read More »