October 2013

• Drs. Mims, Brett and Mills to receive SCMA awards

• Chief CMA federal lobbyist to speak at Oct. 23 dinner in Santa Rosa

• PFMC grant applications due Oct. 1

• Still time to register for Latino Health Forum

• SCMA Alliance needs your help to expand Give-a-Gift program

• Top stories from CMA Alert

• PEOPLE

• MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS

• RESOURCES

• CLASSIFIEDS

• APPLICANTS

• ABOUT SCMA

Drs. Mims, Brett and Mills to receive SCMA awards

Three local physicians will receive Outstanding Contribution awards at the annual SCMA Awards Dinner on Dec. 5. The awards will be presented to:

• Dr. Robert Mims, a retired Santa Rosa endocrinologist, for Outstanding Contribution to the Community.

• Dr. Peter Brett, a medical oncologist at Sutter Santa Rosa, for Outstanding Contribution to Sonoma County Medicine.

• Dr. Walt Mills, a family physician at Kaiser Santa Rosa, for Outstanding Contribution to SCMA.

In addition, a Recognition of Achievement award will be presented to the Northern California Center for Well-Being. The Article of the Year award will also be presented, but the winner has yet to be determined.

All local physicians are invited to the Awards Dinner, which runs from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5. The event will be held at the Vintner’s Inn, 4350 Barnes Rd., Santa Rosa.

Tickets are free for SCMA members; spouses, guests and nonmembers are $50 each.

The evening begins with a social hour at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and the awards presentation. Dinner choices include “duet” (chicken and fish) or stuffed portobello mushroom. To RSVP, or to purchase tickets, contact Rachel Pandolfi at 707-525-4375 or rachel@scma.org. Mail orders can be sent to SCMA, 2901 Cleveland Ave. #202, Santa Rosa, CA 95403. Please indicate dinner choice.

For more details, click on the link below.

SCMA Awards Dinner flyer

Chief CMA federal lobbyist to speak at Oct. 23 dinner in Santa Rosa

Elizabeth McNeil, CMA’s chief lobbyist in Washington, DC, is the featured speaker at a special SCMA dinner on Wednesday evening, Oct. 23. Topics include pending changes in healthcare reform, deficit reduction, Medicare and Medi-Cal.

The special dinner, to be held at the Fountaingrove Inn in Santa Rosa, is free for SCMA members. Spouses, guests and nonmembers are $40 each. The evening begins with a wine reception at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and program at 6:30. Dinner choices include grilled salmon, pesto penne and grilled chicken.

To RSVP, contact Rachel Pandolfi at 707-525-4375 or rachel@scma.org. You can also fax the attached order form to SCMA at 707-525-4328. Be sure to indicate dinner choice.

SCMA Oct. 23 Dinner flyer

PFMC grant applications due Oct. 1

Nonprofit health organizations in Sonoma County are encouraged to apply for Community Grants from the Pacific Foundation for Medical Care. The application deadline is Oct. 1. 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.

For application materials, contact Kathy Pass at 707-525-4281 or kpass@rhs.org. For more information, visit www.pfmc.org.

Still time to register for Latino Health Forum

Registration is still open for the 20th annual Latino Health Forum, to be held at the Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa on Thursday, Oct. 10, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The conference is cosponsored by SCMA and several other local organizations. To register, visit www.latinohealthforum.org.

The theme of this year’s forum is “How will immigration and healthcare reform affect us?” Keynote speakers include Xóchitl Castañeda, director of the Health Initiative of the Americas; Gilbert Ojeda, director of the California Program on Access to Care; Lucien Wulsin, director of the Insure the Uninsured Project; and Dr. Lynn Silver Chalfin, Sonoma County Health Officer. Breakout sessions will cover mental health disparities, immigration law, healthcare reform and population health.

For more details about the Forum, see the attached brochure.

Latino Health Forum brochure

SCMA Alliance needs your help to expand Give-a-Gift program

For nearly 60 years, the SCMA Alliance has provided holiday presents to foster children in Sonoma County through its Give-a-Gift program--but the program has only been able to reach about half the children in need. Of the more than 500 foster children in the county, only about 250 receive holiday presents from Give-a-Gift.

With this disparity in mind, the Alliance hopes to deliver at least 100 more gifts this season, and they are asking everyone in the medical community to donate generously. Give-a-Gift is offering five levels of sponsorship--from $50 to $500--on their website at www.scmaa.org; or you can send a check, payable to the SCMAA Foundation, to Kathryn Koh, 3605 Fir Ridge Dr., Santa Rosa, CA 95403.

All money raised by Give-a-Gift will be used to buy holiday presents for foster children or portable computers for foster teenagers heading off to college. For many of these young people, the Give-a-Gift present is the only one they receive all year. Please give as generously as you can.

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.

• CMA pilots online reference committee for 2013 House of Delegates

• Legislative update: Year of challenges, victories

• CMA files a petition with the Supreme Court to block the 10 percent Medi-Cal physician reimbursement cut

• Study finds that ACA Medi-Cal expansion could fuel ER use

• Federal, state regulators weigh in on novel grace period proposal

PEOPLE

Four local physicians have received Readers Choice awards from the Press Democrat, based on a reader survey that drew more than 6,000 responses. And the winners are: Dr. James DeVore (best doctor); Dr. Ty Affleck (best sports medicine physician); Dr. Francisco Canales and Dr. Heather Furnas (best cosmetic surgeons). Also receiving an award was Morpheus Medical Aesthetics, directed by Dr. Marisha Chilcott, which was named best medical spa. Photographs and profiles of the winning doctors were published in the newspaper’s “Best of Sonoma County” magazine supplement last month.

Eight SCMA members will be representing Sonoma County physicians at this year’s CMA House of Delegates, set for Oct. 11-13 in Anaheim. The HOD is an annual meeting that sets CMA policy and priorities for the coming year. The SCMA representatives include Drs. Brad Drexler, Leonard Klay, Dan Lightfoot, Richard Powers, Jan Sonander, Stephen Steady, Francesca Manfredi and Anthony Lim. Dr. Manfredi has been appointed to Reference Committee C (membership, finance and governance) and Dr. Lightfoot to Reference Committee D (insurance and physician reimbursement).

Dr. Dominic Mintalucci, an orthopaedic surgeon with fellowship training in hand and upper extremity surgery, has joined the Hand Center at Santa Rosa Orthopaedic Medical Group. His phone is 707-546-1922.

MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS

The first phase of a 50% expansion of the emergency department at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital was completed in late September, resulting in larger waiting and reception areas and additional private space for consultations with patient families. In addition, six patient rooms were fully enclosed by walls and doors, replacing the classic privacy drapes. When the $15 million project is completed next summer, the ED will house 26 private treatment rooms. On average, the facility treats about 100 patients per day.

Sonoma Valley Hospital is set to open its new wing in mid-November. The 12,000-square-foot addition, which cost $46 million, includes a new emergency department on the first floor and a new surgery center on the second. The new ED will be three times larger than the current facility, which gets about 10,000 patient visits per year.

Palm Drive Hospital has purchased a 3D digital mammography system that hospital administrators say will offer more accurate scans of dense tissue with better detection of small tumors.

Partnership HealthPlan, which offers managed Medi-Cal throughout the North Bay, has become one of the fastest-growing companies in the region. It now employs 325 people and is expected to add at least 100 more as it continues to expand.

A recent San Francisco Chronicle survey of emergency care options in the Bay Area cited three North Bay hospitals for superior care. The survey, published on Sept. 1, rated Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital as “top for complex cases.” Both Novato Community Hospital and Kaiser Santa Rosa were rated “top for simple cases.” More than 20 hospitals in the Bay Area received top marks in one or both of those categories.

RESOURCES

The Dutton-Goldfield Winery is donating 5% of the proceeds of its wine sales from Oct. 26 to Nov. 3 to Operation Access, which arranges donated surgical and specialty care for underserved local residents. Wines can be purchased at www.duttongoldfield.com or at the winery, 3100 Gravenstein Hwy. North in Sebastopol. Remember to use the promotion code DGACCESS at checkout. Operation Access will also be hosting an open house at the winery from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26.

An FAQ on the HIPAA Omnibus Final Rule, which went into effect on Sept. 23, is available in the Privacy and Security section of www.cmanet.org. The FAQ includes answers to questions such as “Do I need to conduct a risk analysis” and “Do I need to update my business associate agreements?” (The answers are yes and yes.) More details on HIPAA, including sample forms and policies, can be found throughout the Privacy and Security section.

SCMA members can get registration discounts for the Napa Primary Care Conference: Caring for the Active and Athletic Patient, to be held at the Napa Valley Marriott from Nov. 6 to 10. The conference is designed for physicians and medical professionals who care for active and athletic patients or who themselves lead such a lifestyle. Topics include common medical and musculoskeletal problems, healthy lifestyles and personal wellness. The conference offers up to 16 hours of CME. To register, visit the conference website.

CMA’s Institute for Medical Quality and the PACE program at UC San Diego are cosponsoring a Stepping Up to Leadership conference in San Antonio, Texas, on Nov. 7-9. The conference trains medical staff leaders in issues of communication, problem solving, and improving outcomes for patients and staff. Because of a grant from the Physicians Foundation, cost is as low as $595 for all three days. To register, visit www.physician-leadership.org.

The following CMA webinars are scheduled for October. Webinars, which are typically worth one CEU credit, 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.

• Successful Medi-Cal Provider Enrollment for Physician Providers (Oct. 2)

• Benefits of Financing your Electronic Medical Records Project (Oct. 9)

• Utilizing Technology to Increase Patient Engagement and Meet the Requirements of Meaningful Use (Oct. 16)

• CMS Quality Reporting Programs: What Physicians Need to Know and Do Now to Improve Care and Avoid Penalties (Oct. 30)

CLASSIFIEDS

Seeking Locum Tenens for basic general medical office opportunity in Santa Rosa. One or two days a week for up to 6 months. Suitable for any licensed MD with people skills. Submit letter or CV to fax 866-870-0815 to receive a call, further details. Start immediately.

Psychiatrist wanted

A staff psychiatrist at Sonoma Developmental Center participates in the multidisciplinary team process for the management of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Sonoma Developmental Center is operated by the State of California, Department of Developmental Services, and provides long-term residential services for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The psychiatrist performs psychiatric evaluations, participates in the multidisciplinary team meetings and provides recommendations to the primary care physicians in the psychiatric medication management of complex behavioral problems. The psychiatrist is also available via email and pager for consultation with primary care physicians for urgent clinical issues.

SALARY RANGE:$18,146–$22,377 per month

Applications may be downloaded from the California Department of Human Resources website at www.calhr.ca.gov. Applications MUST be filed in person or by mail with:

Sonoma Developmental Ctr., Human Resources Exam Dept., 15000 Arnold Dr., PO Box 1493, Eldridge, CA 95431. For more details, call Dr. Michael Wymore at 707-938-6566.

Staff physicians wanted

Sonoma Developmental Center is a long-term care facility operated by the State of California near Glen Ellen, California. The Center provides comprehensive health services to approximately 500 individuals with intellectual disabilities. We currently have four openings for primary care staff physicians in the fields of Family Practice, Internal Medicine or Pediatrics. The compensation and benefit package is competitive. Sonoma Developmental Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Applications may be downloaded from the California Department of Human Resources website at www.calhr.ca.gov. Applications (Form 678) MUST be filed in person or by mail with: Sonoma Developmental Center, Human Resources–Examination Unit, 15000 Arnold Drive, PO Box 1493, Eldridge, CA 95431. For more information, call Dr. Michael Wymore, medical director, at 707-938-6566.

SCMA members get free classifieds!

SCMA members can place free classified ads in News Briefs or Sonoma 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

Deidre Bass, DO, Pediatrics, 3925 Old Redwood Hwy., Santa Rosa 95403, Nova Southeastern Univ 2010

Armando de Pala Jr., MD, Pediatrics*, 1500A Professional Dr. #200, Petaluma 94954, Univ Philippines 1983

Michelle DeSanto, DO, Family Medicine*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, Western Univ 2010

Michael Gerstein, MD, Emergency Medicine, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, St. George’s Univ 2009

Vishal Goyal, MD, Cardiovascular Disease, 3536 Mendocino Ave. #300, Santa Rosa 95403, St. Louis Univ 2007

Jasper Hollingsworth, MD, Psychiatry*, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry*, 3554 Round Barn Blvd., Santa Rosa 95403, Univ Alabama 1995

Yelena Lapan, DO, Family Medicine*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, Touro Univ 2010

Kim Hoang Le, MD, Internal Medicine*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, Univ Washington 2010

Robert Martinez, MD, Family Medicine*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, Univ Cincinnati 2007

Noel Santo-Domingo, MD, Cardiovascular Disease*, 3536 Mendocino Ave. #300, Santa Rosa 95403, UC Davis 1991

Henry Schwartz, MD, Internal Medicine*, Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism*, 3559 Roundbarn Blvd., Santa Rosa 95403, UC Davis 1996

Erika Simpson, MD, Obstetrics & Gynecology, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, Meharry Med Coll 2009

* = board certified; italics = special medical interest

ABOUT SCMA

The Sonoma County Medical Association, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit association, supports local physicians and their efforts to enhance the health of the community. Founded in 1858, SCMA is affiliated with the California Medical Association and the American Medical Association.

© 2013 SCMA, 2901 Cleveland Ave. #202, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

September 2013

• Reminder: Awards nominations due Sept. 6

• Chief CMA federal lobbyist to speak at Oct. 23 dinner in Santa Rosa

• Volunteers needed for SCMA committees

• SCMA, RCHC respond to Press Democrat MICRA editorial

• Medicare payment reform bill now includes California GPCI fix

• Reminder: Medicare transitions to Noridian on Sept. 16

• Top stories from CMA Alert

• Report from the CMA board of trustees

• PEOPLE

• MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS

• RESOURCES

• CLASSIFIEDS

• APPLICANTS

• ABOUT SCMA

The clock is ticking on SCMA’s awards nominations. You only have until Sept. 6 to submit nominations for the following Outstanding Contribution and Recognition of Achievement awards, to be presented at the annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 5.

• Outstanding Contribution to the Community. Presented to an SCMA member whose work has benefited the community.

• Outstanding Contribution to Local Medicine. Presented to an SCMA member who has improved local medical care.

• Outstanding Contribution to SCMA. Presented to an SCMA member who has served the medical association beyond the call of duty.

• Recognition of Achievement. Presented to a nonphysician who has helped advance local medicine.

For a list of past award recipients and a nomination form, click on the links below. Nominations can be submitted to SCMA by fax, email or regular mail.

SCMA Awards nomination form

SCMA Awards history

Chief CMA federal lobbyist to speak at Oct. 23 dinner in Santa Rosa

Elizabeth McNeil, CMA’s chief lobbyist in Washington, DC, is the featured speaker at a special SCMA dinner on Wednesday evening, Oct. 23. Topics include pending changes in healthcare reform, deficit reduction, Medicare and Medi-Cal. (Please note that the annual Awards Dinner is still scheduled for Dec. 5; see story above.)

The special dinner, to be held at the Fountaingrove Inn in Santa Rosa, is free for SCMA members. Spouses, guests and nonmembers are $40 each. The evening begins with a wine reception at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and program at 6:30. Dinner choices include grilled salmon, pesto penne and grilled chicken.

To RSVP, contact Rachel Pandolfi at 707-525-4375 or rachel@scma.org. You can also fax the attached order form to SCMA at 707-525-4328. Be sure to indicate dinner choice.

SCMA Oct. 23 Dinner flyer

Volunteers needed for SCMA committees

Members interested in helping SCMA achieve its goals in public health, government relations and other areas are encouraged to serve on an SCMA committee. The board of directors annually appoints members to the committees listed below. For more information, or if you wish to be nominated, contact Cynthia Melody by Sept. 6 at 707-525-4375 or cmelody@scma.org.

Awards. Reviews nominations and makes recommendations to the board of directors for the annual Outstanding Contribution awards.

Community Health/Healthy Community. Works collaboratively with other organizations to promote a healthy community, with a particular focus on reducing obesity and improving oral health.

Editorial Board. Identifies topics and authors for Sonoma Medicine magazine and determines recipient of the Article of the Year award.

Government Relations/Legislative. Serves as liaison between SCMA and local, state and national legislators to communicate physician views on health-related issues. Also encourages physicians to participate in the political process.

Health Careers Scholarship. Awards scholarships to Sonoma County students pursuing health careers.

Medical Review Advisory. Confidentially reviews open professional liability claims involving members. Also investigates written complaints regarding standards of medical care and ethical conduct of physician members.

Membership. Oversees new member application process, including orientation and information for new members. Advises the board of directors on recruitment and retention campaigns.

Physician Wellness and Well-Being. Advises the board of directors on SCMA activities committed to improving physician practice viability and promoting healthy lifestyles for physicians. 

SCMA, RCHC respond to Press Democrat MICRA editorial

Earlier this month, SCMA President Dr. Stephen Steady, along with Pedro Toledo of the Redwood Community Health Coalition, published an opinion piece in the Press Democrat strongly opposing efforts by trial lawyers to change California’s Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA). The piece, posted at www.pressdemocrat.com, was written in response to a PD editorial advocating for changes to MICRA.

Ever since its passage in 1975, MICRA has been subjected to ongoing assaults by trial lawyers. The most recent is a potential 2014 ballot initiative that would raise MICRA’s $250,000 cap on non-economic damages in malpractice judgments to $1.2 million, thereby causing physicians’ malpractice insurance rates to rise. Thanks to MICRA, California’s malpractice rates are among the lowest in the country.

The California Medical Association has begun a major campaign to preserve MICRA and has already raised more than $28 million. For more details, or to donate, visit www.cmanet.org/micra.

Medicare payment reform bill now includes California GPCI fix

The House Energy & Commerce Committee has unanimously approved a bipartisan bill to overhaul the Medicare sustainable growth rate (SGR) physician payment formula. Included in the bill is the CMA-sponsored update to the geographic practice cost index, commonly known as the “GPCI fix.” The bill now moves to the House Ways & Means Committee; there is a long way to go.

The GPCI fix will be groundbreaking for many localities in California in terms of payment equality. While Medicare updates the hospital geographic regions and payments annually, it has not updated the physician regions in California in over 16 years. Counties such as Sonoma are still designated as rural and not accurately compensated based on their higher local costs to provide care. According to Medicare’s own data, 14 California counties are underpaid by up to 10% each year.

The Medicare SGR payment reform provisions of the bill provide updates for physicians participating in fee-for-service quality measures and clinical improvement projects. The provisions also give physicians incentives to participate in alternative payment models.

The Ways & Means Committee is expected to move its own Medicare payment reform bill in September. Then the Energy & Commerce and Ways & Means committees will reconcile their bills into one package that moves to the House floor. The Senate Finance Committee is also expected to move forward with its legislation in the fall.

Reminder: Medicare transitions to Noridian on Sept. 16

Sept. 16 is the cutoff date for transition of the Medicare Part B fee-for-service contractor from Palmetto GBA to Noridian. Although every effort has been made to minimize the burden to practices and to ensure that physicians continue to receive their Medicare payments in a timely fashion, physician practices will still have to make some changes in their processes, including:

• Electronic claim submitters must change the Contractor ID (Payor ID) on their transmissions. The new ID for Northern California jurisdiction is 01112; for the Southern California jurisdiction, it’s 01182. Please note that the change to the Contractor ID should not be made before Sept. 12 for Part B claims.

• Paper claim submitters will submit claims to a new address, to be announced in the CMA Medicare Transition Guide.

• There will be a new toll-free telephone number (855-609-9960) for all telephone inquiries to Noridian, but the number will not be activated until Sept. 16.

For a comprehensive preparation checklist, see the CMA Medicare Transition Guide.

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.

• Medical board to suspend licenses of physicians with delinquent taxes

• Is your license renewing in September or October? Renew early to avoid delays with new online licensing system

• DHCS to implement 10% Medi-Cal cuts beginning in October

• MICRA: Haven’t we seen this all before?

• Are you ready for the next HIPAA compliance deadline?

Report from the CMA board of trustees

Dr. Peter Bretan, Dr. Mark Davis and Dr. Catherine Gutfreund

[Dr. Bretan (Novato) and Dr. Davis (Crescent City) are the District X trustees on the CMA board of trustees. Dr. Gutfreund (Santa Rosa) is the TPMG trustee.]

The July 26 meeting of the CMA board of trustees focused on MICRA, governance issues and the CMA strategic plan.

MICRA. California’s trial attorneys made good on their May threat to ask voters to repeal California’s landmark Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA) by submitting language to the California Attorney General, the first step in placing an initiative on the ballot. The initiative’s main provision would increase the cap on speculative, “non-economic” damages from the current $250,000 to more than $1.2 million, with automatic increases every year. The initiative would also require drug and alcohol testing for all physicians on hospital medical staffs.

The measure is nothing more than a self-serving attempt by trial lawyers to generate more in legal fees. CMA and a coalition of doctors, hospitals, insurance companies, nurses, community clinics, local governments, labor unions, police, emergency responders, employer groups and others will wage a significant campaign to expose the lawyers’ self-serving agenda and defeat the measure.

If the initiative is successful, it will cause malpractice rates to skyrocket, force the closure of safety net clinics and recreate the same conditions that threatened to throw California’s healthcare system into crisis during the early 1970s. Imagine receiving notice that your medical malpractice premiums will increase 250% or even 400%. That’s what occurred in 1974 and 1975, leading to a crisis of unprecedented proportions that forced providers to close their doors, leave California or choose to go without coverage. Failure to defend MICRA will destroy medical practices, resulting in irreparable damage and impeding access to care in California.

CMA estimates that it will need $40-60 million to defend MICRA. During the meeting, trustees were asked to contribute $2,000 each; by the end, more than $60,000 had been contributed. [Editor’s note: CMA has raised more than $28 million to date.] The board also authorized CMA to loan the MICRA Education Fund $5 million to defend the measure.

Governance. Your district X trustees expressed our concern that the relevance of the CMA House of Delegates not be undermined, and that the HOD should remain the policymaking body of CMA. We also noted that it would be a reasonable idea to replace reference committees with increased activity in CMA councils and committees; that the business of the HOD should not be predetermined by a few; that previous debate of resolutions is paramount. After much discussion, the board passed a series of governance recommendations. The main points are summarized below.

• Beginning in 2016, the HOD would annually establish broad policy on three to five issues determined by the speakers, subject to the advice and consent of the board of trustees to be the most important issues affecting members, the Association and the practice of medicine. The board of trustees would detail and implement House-adopted policy on these issues and would assume responsibility for policy-making on all other matters. The board would be delegated authority currently vested in the House for internal administrative matters, such as component society charters and confirmation of elections and appointments.

• To enable more extensive and focused expertise to be brought to bear in less rushed deliberations and to promote continuity and coherence in CMA policy making, the issues determined as most important and designated for House of Delegates action would be referred to standing CMA councils and committees, which would replace and serve as reference committees of the House for purposes of studying the assigned issues, receiving testimony, and preparing reports with recommendations for House action.

• Standing councils and committees would be expanded and/or restructured as appropriate and as needed to equip them for their greater role as drivers of CMA policy-making. In addition to consideration of individual qualifications, efforts would continue to achieve reasonable balance in the geographic, specialty and mode-of-practice representation of CMA membership in council and committee appointments.

• Reports and recommendations of the council and committees serving as reference committees would be made available at a date early enough to allow delegation caucus meetings to occur prior to the annual session, enabling floor action on recommendations to commence immediately upon the convening of the HOD and saving CMA and component medical societies substantial costs they would otherwise incur.

• The annual session would become a two-day meeting consisting of: (1) action on council and committee reports addressing the three to five issues specified by the speakers; (2) action on any matters the board of trustees may refer to the House; (3) elections of officers; (4) educational sessions on key issues; and (5) ceremonial functions that would be scheduled during an evening dinner open to all CMA members.

• The ability of individual members to introduce business of the Association would be preserved by enhancing the existing year-round resolution process, whereby resolutions received would be referred to standing councils and committees for purposes of study, receipt of testimony and preparation of reports with recommendations for action by the board of trustees.

• As transitional steps toward a two-day annual session, HOD reference committees would begin functioning as entirely “virtual” reference committees, beginning with one committee in 2013, two or more at the 2014 annual session, and all committees by 2015. Testimony would be received online, and reports with recommended actions would be distributed no later than the opening session of the HOD.

• That the board of trustees direct that a study be undertaken in consultation with component medical societies to explore a possible redrawing of the CMA geographic district boundaries, in order to reflect the growth and redistribution of California’s physician population and provide greater representational equity among component societies and districts.

The implications of these recommendations are significant for District X. Please let your trustees know your views so they can share them with the board of trustees prior to the next HOD, scheduled for Oct. 11-13.

Strategic Plan. The CMA Executive Committee has identified five distinct goals on which CMA should concentrate its efforts: (1) grow membership by 5%; (2) commitment to public health; (3) prosperity for all physicians; (4) defend MICRA; (5) lead change in health reform.

PEOPLE

Dr. Lisa Ward, a Santa Rosa family physician, has been named chief medical officer of the Santa Rosa Community Health Centers. She replaces Dr. Francisco Trilla, who is returning to the East Coast. The health center also plans to hire a behavioral health director and a director for its new dental clinic, set to open in Santa Rosa early next year.

The Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation has signed seven diagnostic radiologists to work at Sutter imaging facilities in Santa Rosa: Drs. Scott Booth, Linda Casey, Paul Doemeny, Jesse Rael, Bradley Restel, Anthony Sajewicz and Gretchen Smith. With these new signings, the Sutter Foundation now includes more than 250 physicians in San Francisco and the North Bay.

Dr. Patrick Coleman, a cardiologist with Northern California Medical Associates, has been named Physician Leader of 2013 by the Northern California Center for Well-Being. He will be recognized during the Center’s annual Celebration of Dreams event at the Santa Rosa Country Club on Sept. 27.

Internist Dr. Thomas Guyn and cardiologist Dr. Vishal Goyal recently joined Northern California Medical Associates and will work at NCMA offices in Santa Rosa.

Dr. Al Haas, chief allergist at Kaiser Santa Rosa, is one of the featured performers at “The Art of the Protest Song,” an evening of original and classic songs at the Glaser Center, 547 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, starting at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28. All proceeds will be donated to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Tickets are available at The Last Record Store, 1899 Mendocino Ave., or online at www.brownpapertickets.com.

Two longtime Santa Rosa doctors have retired: family physician Dr. Reed Walker and ob/gyn Dr. Bob Field. Both of them practiced locally in a variety of settings for more than 40 years. They were honored at a retirement party earlier this summer.

MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS

Several community health centers in Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties have banded together to form an accountable care organization called the Redwood Community Care Organization. The new ACO--comprised of health centers in Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Healdsburg, Sebastopol, Napa and Pt. Reyes--will serve about 6,000 Medicare patients in the tri-county area. The ACO is one of the first in the country to be based on health centers rather than physician-hospital alliances.

Kaiser Permanente has donated more than $280,000 to 18 Sonoma County nonprofit health agencies, ranging from the Alexander Valley Regional Medical Center to the local YWCA. The money will be used to address several local health issues, including improving access to care, supporting healthy eating and living, and preventing and treating oral health problems.

Northern California Medical Associates has received accreditation in nuclear cardiology at their Santa Rosa and Ukiah locations from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission.

After many delays, the Aurora Santa Rosa Hospital has finally opened at 1287 Fulton Rd. in Santa Rosa. The psychiatric hospital, which has contracted with about a dozen local psychiatrists and primary care physicians, is part of Aurora Behavioral Health Care, a chain of psychiatric hospitals in California, Arizona and Illinois.

RESOURCES

Local physicians are encouraged to refer patients to the diabetes prevention program at the Sonoma County Family YMCA. Led by a trained lifestyle coach, patients work in a small-group setting to adopt healthy habits and reduce their chances of developing diabetes. The year-long program consists of 16 weekly sessions followed by monthly maintenance. National Institutes of Health research has shown the prevention programs can reduce the number of type 2 diabetes cases by almost 60%. More details can be found at www.scfymca.org/programs/health_wellness. To enroll, contact Nicole Martinovich at 707-545-9622, ext. 3412, or nmartinovich@scfymca.org.

A conference on Integrating Mind-Body Medicine into Clinical Practice will be held in San Francisco Oct. 5-9. Sponsored by the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, the conference offers a maximum of 31 Category 1 credits. The focus is on medical techniques to address stress, anxiety, trauma, insomnia and chronic illness. To register, visit www.cmbm.org.

The 21st annual Latino Health Forum runs from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10, at the Flamingo Conference Resort in Santa Rosa. This year’s forum focuses on immigration and healthcare reform and features keynote speakers and morning and afternoon workshops. All local physicians, medical professionals and students interested in medical careers are invited to attend. Cost is just $80 if paid before Sept. 16. Physicians are encouraged to sponsor a student registration for $100. To register, or to sponsor a student registration, visit www.LatinoHealthForum.org.

SCMA members can get registration discounts for the Napa Primary Care Conference: Caring for the Active and Athletic Patient, to be held at the Napa Valley Marriott from Nov. 6 to 10. The conference is designed for physicians and medical professionals who care for active and athletic patients or who themselves lead such a lifestyle. Topics include common medical and musculoskeletal problems, healthy lifestyles and personal wellness. The conference offers up to 16 hours of CME. To register, visit the conference website.

The following CMA webinars are scheduled for late August and September. Webinars, which are typically worth one CEU credit, 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.

• Medicare: Proposed Changes for 2014 (Aug. 28)

• California's Health Benefit Exchange: The Positives and Perils of Contracting (Sept. 11)

• ICD-10 Documentation for Physicians: Part 1 (Sept. 12)

• Recipe for Financial Success: Key Steps to Increasing Your Net Income (Sept. 18)

• ICD-10 Documentation for Physicians: Part 2 (Sept. 19)

• Appropriate Prescribing and Dispensing: New Measures (Sept. 25)

• ICD-10 Documentation for Physicians: Part 3 (Sept. 26)

CLASSIFIEDS

Psychiatrist wanted

A staff psychiatrist at Sonoma Developmental Center participates in the multidisciplinary team process for the management of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Sonoma Developmental Center is operated by the State of California, Department of Developmental Services, and provides long-term residential services for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The psychiatrist performs psychiatric evaluations, participates in the multidisciplinary team meetings and provides recommendations to the primary care physicians in the psychiatric medication management of complex behavioral problems. The psychiatrist is also available via email and pager for consultation with primary care physicians for urgent clinical issues.

SALARY RANGE:$18,146–$22,377 per month

Applications may be downloaded from the California Department of Human Resources website at www.calhr.ca.gov. Applications MUST be filed in person or by mail with:

Sonoma Developmental Ctr., Human Resources Exam Dept., 15000 Arnold Dr., PO Box 1493, Eldridge, CA 95431. For more details, call Dr. Michael Wymore at 707-938-6566.

Staff physicians wanted

Sonoma Developmental Center is a long-term care facility operated by the State of California near Glen Ellen, California. The Center provides comprehensive health services to approximately 500 individuals with intellectual disabilities. We currently have four openings for primary care staff physicians in the fields of Family Practice, Internal Medicine or Pediatrics. The compensation and benefit package is competitive. Sonoma Developmental Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Applications may be downloaded from the California Department of Human Resources website at www.calhr.ca.gov. Applications (Form 678) MUST be filed in person or by mail with: Sonoma Developmental Center, Human Resources–Examination Unit, 15000 Arnold Drive, PO Box 1493, Eldridge, CA 95431. For more information, call Dr. Michael Wymore, medical director, at 707-938-6566.

House for lease

Nicely furnished cozy two-bedroom home plus office available for one-year lease. Five minutes from downtown Santa Rosa. Walk to shopping and public transportation. All furnishings, flat screen TV, linens, dishes, etc. included. Photos available. $1,800 monthly. Deposit and references required. Contact: mcandgn@aol.com.

Office space needed

Need medical office space with 3 exam rooms and one shared office space. Contact Dr. Anne French at 707-326-0855.

SCMA members get free classifieds!

SCMA members can place free classified ads in News Briefs or Sonoma 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

Ricardo Budjak, MD, Psychiatry, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, Temple Univ 2009

ABOUT SCMA

The Sonoma County Medical Association, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit association, supports local physicians and their efforts to enhance the health of the community. Founded in 1858, SCMA is affiliated with the California Medical Association and the American Medical Association.

© 2013 SCMA, 2901 Cleveland Ave. #202, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

July 2013

• Nominations needed for SCMA awards

• Dr. Stephen Steady is new president of SCMA

• Dr. Scott Chilcott retires after 50 years of practice in Santa Rosa

• Did you lose a green iPhone at the SCMA Wine & Cheese Reception?

• CDC soliciting nominations for infectious-diseases board

• Top stories from CMA Alert

• PEOPLE

• MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS

• RESOURCES

• CLASSIFIEDS

• APPLICANTS

• ABOUT SCMA

SCMA is seeking nominations for its Outstanding Contribution and Recognition of Achievement awards, to be presented at the medical association’s annual dinner this fall. Nominations are needed by Sept. 6 for all four awards listed below:

• Outstanding Contribution to the Community. Presented to an SCMA member whose work has benefited the community.

• Outstanding Contribution to Local Medicine. Presented to an SCMA member who has improved local medical care.

• Outstanding Contribution to SCMA. Presented to an SCMA member who has served the medical association beyond the call of duty.

• Recognition of Achievement. Presented to a nonphysician who has helped advance local medicine.

For a list of past award recipients and a nomination form, click on the links below. Nominations can be submitted to SCMA by fax, email or regular mail.

SCMA Awards nomination form

SCMA Awards history

Dr. Stephen Steady, a Petaluma gastroenterologist in private practice, is the new president of SCMA. He will serve through June 2014. In an extensive interview in the current issue of Sonoma Medicine, Dr. Steady discusses the challenges of private practice, his work with the Meritage network and his plans for SCMA.

The other new members of the SCMA executive team are Dr. Rob Nied (president-elect), Dr. Francesca Manfredi (treasurer) and Dr. Regina Sullivan (secretary). They are joined on the SCMA board of directors by Drs. Peter Brett, Maryann Dakkak, Brad Drexler, Catherine Gutfreund, Rebecca Katz, Leonard Klay, Marshall Kubota, Clinton Lane, Mary Maddux-González, Rachel Mayorga, Richard Powers, Phyllis Senter, Lynn Silver Chalfin, Jan Sonander, Jeff Sugarman, Peter Sybert and Francisco Trilla, as well as a medical student, Eugenia Shevchenko, MS-3.

Dr. Scott Chilcott, a mainstay of Sonoma County family medicine for five decades, has retired. Born in Butte, Montana, in 1931, Dr. Chilcott received his MD from UC San Francisco in 1960. He completed his internship in family medicine at San Francisco General Hospital in 1961 and his residency at Sonoma County’s Community Hospital (now Sutter Medical Center) in 1963. He entered private practice in Santa Rosa in July 1963 and continued for exactly 50 years before retiring earlier this month.

“I tackled one day at a time,” Dr. Chilcott said in a phone interview, “so 50 years didn’t seem like 50 years.” Asked why he worked so long after normal retirement age, he reflected, “You feel that your role is important, so to leave has an element of desertion. There’s lots of satisfaction in being able to play that role.” Nonetheless, he decided the time had come to retire. “You may well be important,” he reflected, “but you’re not indispensable.”

Someone left a green iPhone with a University of Oregon logo at the SCMA Wine & Cheese Reception on May 9. If that someone is you, please contact Rachel Pandolfi at 707-525-4375 or rachel@scma.org to reclaim your phone. Thanks!

The CDC is soliciting nominations for Board of Scientific Counselors at the Office of Infectious Diseases (OID). The board consists of 17 experts in fields related to infectious diseases who advise the government concerning strategies, goals, and priorities for infectious-disease programs and research.

Interested physicians with expertise in infectious diseases should submit a CV (5 pages maximum) and a statement of interest by July 19 to Cynthia Melody at cmelody@scma.org. For the complete nomination announcement, visit federalregister.gov/a/2013-16182.

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.

• Attestation for Medi-Cal primary care rate increase to begin in July

• Bill to define patient-centered medical homes in California is on the move

• CMA Foundation seeking donations for annual gala auction

• What you can do to prepare your practice for the transition from Medicare claims administrator Palmetto to Noridian

• Exchange “grace period” continues to confound

Dr. Toni Brayer, a prominent San Francisco internist, has been named CEO of the Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation, which includes more than 250 physicians in Sonoma, Marin, Lake, Del Norte and San Francisco counties. Dr. Brayer, who lives in Mill Valley, has practiced internal medicine in San Francisco for more than two decades and is a past president of the San Francisco Medical Society. She previously served as chief of staff at California Pacific Medical Center and as vice president and chief medical officer of the Sutter West Bay Region. She succeeds Mike Cohill as CEO of the Sutter Foundation, but he will remain as CEO of the West Bay Region.

Dr. Christopher Clark and Dr. Julie Phenco have joined the psychiatry department at Kaiser Santa Rosa. Dr. Clark completed medical school and residency at Yale University, and a fellowship in child psychiatry at the University of Washington. Dr. Phenco received her medical degree from the Magsaysay Medical Center in the Philippines and completed her residency at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut.

Dawn has yet to arrive for the new Aurora Behavioral Healthcare psychiatric hospital in Santa Rosa, but the hour may be drawing close. At press time, the hospital was still expecting state licensing by the end of July, but no firm date has been established. The hospital, housed in a renovated version of the old St. Joseph mental health facility on Fulton Road, has already hired about 60 staff and has contracted with about a dozen independent psychiatrists and primary care physicians. When the hospital finally opens, it will become the county’s only inpatient psychiatric facility.

Partnership HealthPlan is transferring $13.8 million in federal grants directly to county health departments and hospitals throughout the North Bay. Recipients in Sonoma County include Palm Drive Hospital and the Department of Health Services. The funds will be used to provide services in mental health, case management, specialty care access and oral health.

The Redwood Regional Medical Group has begun enrolling patients in a national trial for a potential breast cancer vaccine. The drug, NeuVax, is intended to prevent breast cancer recurrence in early stage patients who have already had surgery and chemo/radiation therapy. About 25% of those patients currently relapse within three years. Dr. Jarrod Holmes, a medical oncologist at RRMG, has been named a national principal investigator for the study, which is expected to enroll 300 adjuvant breast cancer patients nationwide.

Ware Malcomb, a commercial real estate design firm, has begun sketching plans for a medical office building to be located on the new Sutter Medical Center Campus in Santa Rosa. The three-story, 80,000 square-foot building is expected to house dozens of offices for physicians affiliated with the new hospital.

Redwood Mednet is presenting its seventh annual Connecting California to Improve Patient Care conference on Thursday, July 25, at the Hyatt Hotel in Santa Rosa. The conference features experts on electronic health records, personal health records and health information interoperability. Presentations will focus practical solutions for securely sharing electronic clinical information. For complete details, including registration, visit www.redwoodmednet.org.

SCMA supports the Northern California Center for Well-Being in Santa Rosa for patient chronic disease self-management. Physicians are encouraged to refer patients to the Center’s summer classes in diabetes management, smoking cessation, healthy weight and many more. For more details, download the Center’s summer class schedule or visit www.norcalwellbeing.org.

Local hematologists and oncologists are invited to attend a morning workshop on Treating Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma, to be held at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 27. The workshop, which qualifies for 2.5 hours of CME, is chaired by faculty from the Mayo Clinic and the Winship Cancer Institute. To register, visit www.med-iq.com/a706 or call 866-858-7434.

To help physicians prepare for the health insurance exchanges mandated by the Affordable Care Act, CMA has created a Health Insurance Exchange Resources page at www.cmanet.org/resources. The page includes links to exchange-related guidebooks, fact sheets, webinars, seminars and news feeds. All of the material is free to CMA members.

A conference on Integrating Mind-Body Medicine into Clinical Practice will be held in San Francisco Oct. 5-9. Sponsored by the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, the conference offers a maximum of 31 Category 1 credits. The focus is on medical techniques to address stress, anxiety, trauma, insomnia and chronic illness. To register, visit www.cmbm.org.

The 21st annual Latino Health Forum runs from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10, at the Flamingo Conference Resort in Santa Rosa. This year’s forum focuses on immigration and healthcare reform and features keynote speakers and morning and afternoon workshops. All local physicians, medical professionals and students interested in medical careers are invited to attend. Cost is just $80 if paid before Sept. 16. Physicians are encouraged to sponsor a student registration for $100. To register, or to sponsor a student registration, visit www.LatinoHealthForum.org.

SCMA members can get registration discounts for the Napa Primary Care Conference: Caring for the Active and Athletic Patient, to be held at the Napa Valley Marriott from Nov. 6 to 10. The conference is designed for physicians and medical professionals who care for active and athletic patients or who themselves lead such a lifestyle. Topics include common medical and musculoskeletal problems, healthy lifestyles and personal wellness. The conference offers up to 16 hours of CME. To register, visit the conference website.

CMA Practice Resources (CPR) is a free monthly email bulletin from MCA’S Center for Economic Services. The bulletin is full of tips and tools to help physicians and their office staff improve practice efficiency and viability. For a free subscription visit, www.cmanet.org/news-and-events/publications.

The following CMA webinars are scheduled for July and early August. 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.

• Preparing for Phases 3 and 4 of the Healthy Families Program Transition to Medi-Cal (July 18)

• Protect and Preserve Your Patient Relationships (July 24)

• Medicare Transition-MAC Jurisdiction E Implementation Overview (August 7)

House for lease

Nicely furnished cozy two-bedroom home plus office available for one-year lease. Five minutes from downtown Santa Rosa. Walk to shopping and public transportation. All furnishings, flat screen TV, linens, dishes, etc. included. Photos available. $1,800 monthly. Deposit and references required. Contact: mcandgn@aol.com.

Office space needed

Need medical office space with 3 exam rooms and one shared office space. Contact Dr. Anne French at 707-326-0855.

Urodynamic monitor for sale

Urodynamic monitor--$2,900. Like new. Bard 4-channel urodynamic monitor with extra supplies. I left private practice and joined a large group and no longer need this monitor. It is in great condition and was hardly used. I am in the Santa Rosa area but can arrange delivery to other Bay Area locations. Contact Janet at 650-814-7155 or janetpulskamp@comcast.net.

SCMA members get free classifieds!

SCMA members can place free classified ads in News Briefs or Sonoma 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.

Stephen Gamboa, MD, Family Medicine*, Emergency Medicine*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, Univ North Carolina 2004

Jamie Schick, MD, Emergency Medicine*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, Pennsylvania State Univ 1992

James Wong, MD, Surgery*, Vascular Surgery*, 401 Bicentennial Way #270, MOB East, Santa Rosa 95403, Robert Wood Johnson Med Sch 1991

* = board certified; italics = special medical interest

The Sonoma County Medical Association, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit association, supports local physicians and their efforts to enhance the health of the community. Founded in 1858, SCMA is affiliated with the California Medical Association and the American Medical Association.

© 2013 SCMA, 2901 Cleveland Ave. #202, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

June 2013

• New SCMA vision: Lead Sonoma County into better health

• Still time to register for June 4 Medi-Cal rally in Sacramento

• Dr. Rob Nied named SCMA president-elect

• Presentation on high cost of drugs set for June 13 at Sutter Santa Rosa

• Resolutions needed for CMA House of Delegates by June 30

• Nominations needed for Physician Leader award

• SCMA hosts two social events during May

• Get your 2013 Sonoma County Physician Directory!

• Top stories from CMA Alert

• MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS

• RESOURCES

• CLASSIFIEDS

• APPLICANTS

• ABOUT SCMA

The SCMA board of directors has approved a new five-year strategic plan whose central vision is to lead Sonoma County into better health. The plan, based on the results of a member survey distributed earlier this year as well as comments from local medical CEOs, encompasses a revised mission statement for the medical association, along with statements of SCMA’s vision, values and strategies.

The revised mission of SCMA is “To enhance the health of our communities and promote the practice of medicine by advocating for quality, ethical healthcare, strong physician-patient relationships, and for personal and professional well-being for physicians.” The revision brings more detail and specificity to the previous mission, which was “To support physicians and their efforts to enhance the health of the community.”

Coupled with this revised mission statement is SCMA’s new vision of leading Sonoma County into better health, along with five core values: advocacy, collaboration, integrity, quality and well-being. All those factors support SCMA’s five main strategies for the coming years, described below:

Lead change in health care. Support implementation of the Affordable Care Act, advance legislative advocacy, and increase access to needed care and services.

Promote a healthy community. Reduce obesity and improve oral health.

Advocate for physician practice viability and physician wellness. Identify and inform physicians of practice support services and promote physician well-being resources.

Increase membership 5% each year. Promote awareness of membership value, create membership retention and recruitment campaigns, and encourage physicians to practice in Sonoma County.

Strengthen SCMA organization effectiveness and efficiency. Develop physician leadership and refine SCMA governance.

More details on the new strategic plan will be distributed to local physicians in the coming months.

More than 9,000 physicians and other medical professionals statewide have already registered for the June 4 “We Are Medi-Cal” rally in Sacramento, expected to be the largest-ever healthcare demonstration at the State Capitol. Sponsored by the “We Care for California” coalition of healthcare providers, including SCMA, the rally will promote awareness of the threat that looming Medi-Cal cuts pose to healthcare access, especially in rural and underserved communities.

The goal of 10,000 attendees is easily within reach, and all local healthcare workers are urged to register by visiting www.wecareforca.org. Buses to the rally will be leaving from the Kaiser and Sutter medical centers in Santa Rosa between 9 and 10 in the morning on Tuesday, June 4, returning late in the afternoon. The rally is scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Box lunches and water will be provided at no cost. Be sure to wear your white coat!

If you can’t spend all day in Sacramento, you can drive there on your own and spend just an hour or two, but you should still register at www.wecareforca.org.

For more details, see the attached flyer.

June 4 Medi-Cal rally flyer

The results of the recent SCMA election have been tabulated, and Dr. Rob Nied, a family and sports medicine physician at Kaiser Santa Rosa, has been named SCMA president-elect. He will serve in that post for one year and then become SCMA president in July 2014. The current president-elect, Petaluma gastroenterologist Dr. Stephen Steady, will become president next month.

Other physicians winning SCMA board posts in the recent election include Drs. Francesca Manfredi (treasurer), Regina Sullivan (secretary), Richard Powers (West County district) and Jan Sonander and Jeff Sugarman (Santa Rosa district). For a complete list of the board of directors, visit www.scma.org/about.

In addition, three physicians--Drs. Dan Lightfoot, Richard Powers and Jeff Sugarman--were elected as CMA delegates, and four were elected as alternate delegates: Drs. Francesca Manfredi, Rob Nied, Stephen Steady and Regina Sullivan.

For more information, contact Cynthia Melody at cmelody@scma.org or 707-525-4375.

Dr. Don Light, an internationally recognized expert on the pharmaceutical industry, is the featured speaker at “Bitter Pill: The High Cost of American Drugs,” an educational presentation scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 13, in the Vesalius Room at Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa. Dr. Light will discuss the financial and ethical costs of the pharmaceutical industry and its role in healthcare policy. A panel discussion and question-and-answer session will follow the main presentation.

Dr. Light, a professor of comparative health policy at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, is the author of “The Risks of Prescription Drugs,” published in 2011.

The event, which is sponsored by the Sonoma Chapter of the Physicians for a National Health Plan, is free and open to the public.

June 13 Don Light flyer

Resolutions for the CMA District 10 caucus are due by June 30. The caucus is the first stop on the way to the CMA House of Delegates, which meets this fall to consider resolutions from around the state. Submitting resolutions to the House of Delegates is the most direct way for members to influence CMA’s policies and activities, including its advocacy agenda. Resolutions can address virtually any medical practice or health-related topic, or any aspect of the policies and activities of organized medicine.

To submit a resolution, contact Cynthia Melody at cynthia@scma.org or 525-4375.

The Northern California Center for Well-Being is soliciting nominations for its annual “physician leader” award, to be presented at the annual Celebration of Dreams event in September. The award recognizes physicians who have made a difference in community well-being by promoting healthy lifestyles.

Nominations are due June 12. To submit a nomination, complete the attached form and fax or email to the Center for Well-Being. For questions, call 575-6043.

Physician Leader nomination form

May was a busy month for SCMA social events. On May 9, more than 140 local doctors and guests attended the annual SCMA Wine & Cheese Reception at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville. Guests of honor included CMA President Dr. Paul Phinney and CMA board member Dr. Peter Bretan. Then on May 22, nearly all the medical students doing clinical rotations at Kaiser Santa Rosa attended SCMA’s Medical Student Appreciation Social, held at the Third Street Aleworks in downtown Santa Rosa.

One of the many benefits of SCMA membership is a free copy of the annual Sonoma County Physician Directory. Extra copies are a hot commodity, however, and right now is the best time to buy yours before they’re all gone.

The directory costs $30 for SCMA members or $40 for nonmember physicians, health care facilities and the general public. To order by phone with a credit card, contact Rachel Pandolfi at 707-525-4375 or rachel@scma.org. You can also purchase online at www.scma.org/directory, or you can fax or mail the order form below.

Sonoma County Physician Directory order form

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.

• New TRICARE contract might create gap in medical malpractice coverage

• Ninth circuit denies request to rehear Medi-Cal rate cut case

• CMA joins coalition to oppose scope-of-practice bills

• Covered California unveils qualified health plans, expected premiums

• Congress making progress on SGR repeal

The Advanced Surgery Institute--located at 1739 Fourth St. in Santa Rosa--is holding an open house from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19. All local physicians are invited to attend the event, which will feature guided tours of the ambulatory surgery center’s operating rooms, along with appetizers and refreshments. To RSVP, contact Brooke Rohrer at 707-528-6331 or brohrer@advancedsurgeryinstitute.com.

Breast tomosynthesis is the latest offering at the Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation Breast Center in Santa Rosa. This new technology employs 3D mammography to help identify abnormalities with more accuracy than traditional mammography. Tomosynthesis is especially helpful for women with dense breast tissue. “The technology helps us determine more effectively whether something is worrisome or a result of overlapping tissue,” said Dr. Arnold Honick, medical director of the Breast Center. He also noted that the technology allows radiologists to detect breast cancer at an earlier stage.

Sonoma Valley Hospital is the latest North Bay hospital to report a data breach on its website. The hospital said that an employee mistakenly uploaded medical information on 1,350 surgical patients to the website on Feb. 14. The information included the patients’ and surgeons’ names, but not any Social Security numbers, licenses or financial details. All the information was removed in April, after the hospital learned about the breach. Last year, a similar breach affected more than 10,000 patients at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and Napa’s Queen of the Valley Hospital.

The following CMA webinars are scheduled for June. 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.

• Updating your partnership and shareholder agreements (June 5)

• Paid family leave: A valuable safety net (June 12)

• What to expect from a Medi-Cal audit (June 19)

• Meaningful use: What you need to know (June 26)

A conference on Integrating Mind-Body Medicine into Clinical Practice will be held in San Francisco Oct. 5-9. Sponsored by the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, the conference offers a maximum of 31 Category 1 credits. The focus is on medical techniques to address stress, anxiety, trauma, insomnia and chronic illness. To register, visit www.cmbm.org.

The 21st annual Latino Health Forum runs from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10, at the Flamingo Conference Resort in Santa Rosa. This year’s forum focuses on immigration and healthcare reform and features keynote speakers and morning and afternoon workshops. All local physicians, medical professionals and students interested in medical careers are invited to attend. Cost is just $80 if paid before Sept. 16. Physicians are encouraged to sponsor a student registration for $100. To register, or to sponsor a student registration, visit www.LatinoHealthForum.org.

SCMA members can get registration discounts for the Napa Primary Care Conference: Caring for the Active and Athletic Patient, to be held at the Napa Valley Marriott from Nov. 6 to 10. The conference is designed for physicians and medical professionals who care for active and athletic patients or who themselves lead such a lifestyle. Topics include common medical and musculoskeletal problems, healthy lifestyles and personal wellness. The conference offers up to 16 hours of CME. To register, visit the conference website.

Local physicians are encouraged to refer their patients to self-care classes at the Northern California Center for Well-Being in Santa Rosa. The latest schedule, available at www.norcalwellbeing.org/schedule, includes classes on cardiac rehabilitation, diabetes meal planning, strength training, smoking cessation and many other self-care topics.

Family physicians needed

Family medicine positions available with Annadel Medical Group in Sonoma County. Contact James.DeVore@stjoe.org.

Medical office space for lease, Santa Rosa

Newly remodeled medical office with exam rooms available for clinician to see patients. Located on N. Dutton Ave. near West College. Parking, reception area, utilities included. For details, visit www.facebook.com/SantaRosaSportsAndFamilyMedicine. Contact Len at 707-529-8081 or len@srsportsmed.com.

Urodynamic monitor for sale

Urodynamic monitor--$2900. Like new. Bard 4-channel urodynamic monitor with extra supplies. I left private practice and joined a large group and no longer need this monitor. It is in great condition and was hardly used. I am in the Santa Rosa area but can arrange delivery to other Bay Area locations. Contact Janet at 650-814-7155 or janetpulskamp@comcast.net.

SCMA members get free classifieds!

SCMA members can place free classified ads in News Briefs or Sonoma 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.

Larry Gambrell, DO, Otolaryngology*, Integrative Medicine, 1144 Sonoma Ave. #101, Santa Rosa 95405, Oklahoma State Univ 2001

Susan Milam Miller, MD, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry*, 725 Farmers Ln. #16, Santa Rosa 95405, Albert Einstein Coll Med 2001

* = board certified; italics = special medical interest

The Sonoma County Medical Association, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit association, supports local physicians and their efforts to enhance the health of the community. Founded in 1858, SCMA is affiliated with the California Medical Association and the American Medical Association.

© 2013 SCMA, 2901 Cleveland Ave. #202, Santa Rosa, CA 95403