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May 2011


Dr. Jason Eberhart-Phillips named Health Officer for Marin County


Dr. Jason Eberhart-Phillips, a former health officer for El Dorado County and the state of Kansas, has been named Public Health Officer for Marin. He succeeded Dr. Fred Schwartz on April 19.

 

A former newspaper reporter, Eberhart-Phillips received his MD from UC San Francisco and an MPH from UC Berkeley. Board certified in Public Health & General Preventive Medicine, he has worked for the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, the Communicable Disease Centre in New Zealand, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He served as health officer for El Dorado County from 2006 to 2009, and for Kansas from 2009 to 2011.

 

Eberhart-Phillips’ support for taxing junk food and reducing tobacco use may have led to his ouster from the Kansas post by the state’s newly elected Republican governor earlier this year. While in office, Eberhart-Phillips was a strong advocate for disease prevention and health promotion. He has written two books on infectious diseases, along with many articles for medical journals.



Doctors who don’t use electronic prescribing face Medicare penalty


Medicare recently announced that physicians who do not implement and employ a qualified electronic prescribing (eRx) system by June 30 will face a 1% penalty in 2012. The penalties increase to 1.5% in 2013 and a 2% in 2014.

 

Medicare has excluded physicians who have fewer than 100 cases in the first half of 2011 containing an eligible ambulatory care visit code. Physicians may also be exempt if fewer than 10% of total allowed Part B charges are comprised of these codes.

 

Covered physicians who wish to avoid the 1% penalty in 2012 must report via claims their use of an eRx system for at least 10 patient visits before June 30. New and repeat patient visits qualify for the program. A patient visit in which the patient is given several prescriptions counts as one eRx.

 

For more information, get the CMA document “Medicare electronic prescribing overview: Payment incentives and payment reductions” at www.cmanet.org/resource-library.



Marin-Sonoma IPA signs 28 doctors in Santa Rosa


The Marin-Sonoma IPA continued its northward push in April, signing up all 28 doctors with the Annadel Medical Group, which is affiliated with Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. The IPA has also signed contracts with 11 physicians in Healdsburg and is in negotiations with several doctors in Sebastopol. The IPA now includes more than 400 physicians in Marin and Sonoma counties.

 

“With so many of our patients accessing care across county lines, this is an important step to support physicians working together to advance better communication, patient care and clinical outcomes,” said Dr. J. David Andrew, medical director of the IPA.

 

Joel Criste, the IPA’s chief executive, noted that the group’s expansion will help physicians in private practice continue to practice independently while giving patients access to a larger physician network. He expects the total number of physicians in the IPA to reach 500 within the next year.



MMS announces candidates for June election


The board of directors of the Marin Medical Society has announced the candidates for leadership positions during the 2011-12 fiscal year. Dr. Peter Bretan has been nominated for a second term as president, as have Dr. Irina deFischer (president-elect) and Dr. Georgianna Farren (secretary/treasurer). Dr. Lori Selleck has been nominated for a directorship, and Dr. Anne Cummings as an alternate delegate to CMA.

 

A final ballot will be distributed to MMS members in June.



Marin Cancer Institute gets three-year accreditation


The Marin Cancer Institute at Marin General Hospital has received a three-year accreditation with commendation from the American College of Surgeons. The institute, which is participating in 29 clinical trials, received the award after an on-site evaluation to review compliance with standards for data management, clinical services, research, community outreach and quality improvement.



RESOURCES


The 2011 edition of the Marin County Physician Directory, which was distributed free to MMS members in April, is now available for sale to nonmember physicians and the general public. The directory offers alphabetical and specialty listings for all Marin County physicians, along with detailed entries for MMS members. Cost is $40 for nonmember physicians, or $35 each when ordering five or more copies. Members can purchase additional copies for just $30. To order over the phone with a credit card, contact Rachel Pandolfi at 415-924-3891, or order online at www.marinmedicalsociety.org/directory.

 

The new CMA website is loaded with a suite of digital tools that will help you get the most from your membership. All members will need to activate their new web account in order to access the full suite of members-only tools and resources. Existing passwords from the old website were not carried over for security reasons. The process of activating your account is quick and easy. Simply:
1. Click on "activate web account" at the top of the page.
2. Enter your first and last name to locate your record in our database. Click on your name.
3. Verify your date of birth, enter your email address (this will be your username), and then select and verify your password (passwords must be at least 6 digits long).
If you have any questions, contact CMA's member help center at 800-786-4262 or memberservice@cmanet.org.

 

CMA has revised its Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) Kit to incorporate a new official California POLST form and additional information approved by the California POLST Task Force. The POLST form, used for patients with a serious illness or whose life expectancy is a year or less, outlines a plan of care in actionable physician orders that reflect the patient's wishes concerning medical treatment and interventions at life's end. CMA's POLST Kit includes legal forms and wallet identification cards, and answers frequently asked questions about end-of-life issues. Revised POLST Kits can be purchased from www.cmanet.org/resource-library. Single copies are $5 for members and $6 for nonmembers. Significant discounts are available on bulk purchases. For phone orders, call 800-882-1262.

 

A new CMA medical-legal document, Responding to Requests for Non-Beneficial Treatment Decisions (#0403), discusses the legal immunities, principles of medical ethics and CMA policy that supports physician and medical institution decisions to decline non-beneficial treatment requests from patients or their health care decision-makers. The documents is available free to members at www.cmanet.org/resource-library. Nonmembers can purchase medical-legal documents for $2 per page.

 

A free, nationwide service has been launched to help physicians identify and advise substance-abusing patients. Physician Clinical Support System for Primary Care (PCSS-P) offers peer-to-peer mentorship and resources on incorporating screening and follow-up into regular patient care. Doctors register with PCSS-P and receive the contact information of a mentor who specializes in screening, brief intervention, treatment and referral for patients with substance abuse problems. Mentors can then be contacted, via phone or email, with specific questions about clinical situations involving alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. To register, visit www.PCSSmentor.org or call 877-630-8812.



PEOPLE


The listing for Dr. Natalya Greyz in the 2011 Marin County Physician Directory is incomplete. She is board certified in both of her primary specialties, which are Hematology and Medical Oncology. She is also board certified in Hospice & Palliative Medicine and in Internal Medicine. Her address and contact information remain the same.



APPLICANTS


Ingrid Kristina Brennan, MD, Internal Medicine*, 99 Montecillo Rd., San Rafael 94903, 444-2940, ikbrennan@pol.net, McGill Univ 1997

 

Peter Eisenberg, MD, Medical Oncology*, Internal Medicine*, 1350 S. Eliseo Dr. #200, Greenbrae 94904, 925-5000, Fax 925-5050, peisenberg@pscphysicians.com, Hahnemann Med Coll 1972

 

Susan Gootnick, MD, Diagnostic Radiology*, 329 Goodhill Rd., Kentfield 94904, 722-3597, Fax 461-4416, UC San Francisco 1972

 

Jeffrey Harris, MD, Emergency Medicine*, Occupational Medicine*, Public Health & General Preventive Medicine*, 99 Montecillo Rd., San Rafael 94903, 444-4751, jeffrey.s.harris@kp.org, Univ New Mexico 1975

 

Andrew Knight, MD, Radiation Oncology*, 110 Lynch Creek Way #A, Petaluma 94954, 707-763-0600, Fax 707-765-1757, aknight@rrmginc.com, UC San Francisco 2003

 

J. Richard Mendius, MD, Neurology*, Clinical Neurophysiology*, 1350 S. Eliseo Dr. #220, Greenbrae 94904, 464-0411, Fax 464-0422, mendiurj@sutterhealth.org, UC Los Angeles 1977

 

* board certified



CLASSIFIEDS


Office Space

Medical part-time office space available June 1 in Novato Community Hospital office building. Fully furnished. Availability of office hours flexible. Call Maxine at 415-464-9988.

 

How to submit a classified ad

To submit a classified ad for MMS News Briefs or Marin Medicine, contact Erika Goodwin at erika@scma.org or 707-548-6491. The cost is one dollar per word.



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.

 

© 2011 MMS, PO Box 246, Corte Madera, CA 94976



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