November 2010 Honor your colleagues at SCMA Awards Dinner on Dec. 1Time to update your listing in the 2011 Sonoma County Physician DirectoryNonprofit health information exchange seeks more physician membersVolunteers and donations needed for SCMA medical scholarship programNew state law mandates Tdap booster for students in grades 7-12Impending 30% cut in Medicare rates by January 1Resolutions by North Bay physicians adopted by CMA HouseSpecial rate for SCMA members at health care conference in Santa RosaDoctors invited to Nov. 18 event honoring physician volunteersGive a gift to a foster childMembers invited to SCMA Alliance holiday cocktail party on Nov. 20PEOPLEHOSPITAL/CLINIC UPDATESRESOURCESAPPLICANTSCLASSIFIEDSABOUT SCMAHonor your colleagues at SCMA Awards Dinner on Dec. 1 Right now is a great time to RSVP for the SCMA Awards Dinner on Wednesday evening, Dec. 1. Tickets are absolutely FREE for SCMA members and $50 each for spouses, guests and nonmembers. The event—held at the Vintner’s Inn, 4350 Barnes Road, Santa Rosa—begins with a social hour at 6 p.m. followed by dinner and the awards presentations at 7 p.m. To RSVP, contact Rachel Pandolfi at rachel@scma.org or 707-525-4375 and indicate your dinner choice. Choices include a “duet” of fresh fish and beef tenderloin; fresh fish only; beef tenderloin only; or vegetarian. Awards will be presented to the following physicians: · Dr. Leonard Klay: CMA Frederick Plessner Memorial Award · Dr. Stacey Kerr: Outstanding Contribution to the Community · Dr. Bo Greaves: Outstanding Contribution to Sonoma County Medicine · Dr. Richard Andolsen: Outstanding Contribution to SCMA · Dr. Matt Joseph: Article of the Year Award, for “Why Poetry?” in the current issue of Sonoma Medicine For more information, contact Rachel Pandolfi at rachel@scma.org or 707-525-4375. Time to update your listing in the 2011 Sonoma County Physician Directory SCMA has begun preparing the 2011 Sonoma County Physician Directory, a standard reference guide used at medical offices throughout the county. The directory features photographs and detailed listings for all SCMA members, including their specialty(s), special medical interest and medical training. Basic information for nonmember physicians is included as well. Directory verification forms were mailed to all local physicians in October and should be returned by Nov. 15. Physicians can use the form to update or approve their current listing. If you need a copy of the form, contact Rachel Pandolfi at rachel@scma.org or 707-525-4375. Along with their verification forms, SCMA members received dues invoices for next year. Members who pay their dues by Jan. 15, 2011, qualify for a 5% discount. Payments need to be at SCMA by Jan. 15; there is no grace period. Installment payments can be arranged. Nonmember physicians can complete a simple online membership application at www.scma.org/join.asp.Nonprofit health information exchange seeks more physician members Redwood MedNet, a nonprofit health information exchange (HIE) located in Ukiah, is accepting inquiries from physicians and health facilities interested in using its services. The HIE currently delivers electronic lab results from Quest Diagnostics, Hunter Laboratory, Sonoma Valley Hospital, Healdsburg District Hospital and Mendocino Coast District Hospital to about 50 providers in Sonoma and Mendocino counties, and will soon be certified to deliver results from LabCorp as well. Practices receive the results via the Redwood MedNet portal, or directly into their electronic health records. Cost of the HIE service is $240 per provider per year, plus a small installation fee. Redwood MedNet hopes to receive a grant from Cal eConnect in early 2011 that will pay most of the costs for adding interfaces and HIE services for about 200 new physician participants in Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties. For more information, or to send a letter of inquiry, contact Tanya Laino at 707-462-6369 or tlaino@redwoodmednet.org.Volunteers and donations needed for SCMA medical scholarship program SCMA is seeking two physicians to serve on its Health Careers Scholarship Committee, which gives scholarships to local students pursuing medical careers. The committee meets just twice a year at lunchtime. Earlier this year, the committee awarded a record $24,000 in scholarships to a dozen high school and college students from Sonoma County. An article about the program appears in the current issue of Sonoma Medicine. Physicians interested in serving on the scholarship committee should contact Cynthia Melody at cmelody@scma.org or 707-525-4375. Even if you can’t serve on the committee, you can still donate to the program via the SCMA Alliance. Just visit www.scmaa.org and click the “Donate” button. For more information, contact Gina Merwin at vmerwin@earthlink.net.New state law mandates Tdap booster for students in grades 7-12 In response to the pertussis epidemic, Gov. Schwarzenegger recently signed a law that makes a pertussis booster (Tdap) mandatory for all students in grades 7-12, starting in fall 2011. State public health officials are also recommending that seniors and women in their childbearing years receive the booster shot. Because pertussis immunity from previous infection or vaccination wanes over time, even fully immunized children become susceptible to pertussis by adolescence. Unfortunately, immunization rates are low for the recommended Tdap booster vaccine, which has been available since 2005. The most recent CDC survey data indicates that 44 percent of adolescents in California and only 6 percent of adults nationwide had received a Tdap booster shot by 2008. Public health officials are urging physicians to offer Tdap booster shots to all adolescents (10 years and older) and adults who haven't yet received it. Give Tdap now to your unimmunized adolescent patients to protect them against the current threat and to meet the forthcoming school requirement. As a reminder, the new Cal/OSHA Aerosol Transmissible Disease (ATD) standard requires all health care entities, including medical offices, to offer Tdap vaccines to their employees. For more information on the ATD standard, see CMA On-Call document #1842, “Protecting Employees from ATDs in the Health Care Workplace.” On-Call documents are free to CMA members on the Member Login tab at www.cmanet.org. Nonmembers can purchase On-Call documents for $2 per page in the CMA bookstore. CMA is also hosting a webinar on the ATD standard on Nov. 10 from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. To register, visit www.cmanet.org/calendar.Impending 30% cut in Medicare rates by January 1 Payment rates for Medicare services will be reduced 30% by Jan. 1 unless Congress acts when it reconvenes on Nov. 15 for its brief “lame duck” session. These cuts are once again triggered by Medicare’s unfair payment formula, the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR). AMA and CMA are lobbying Congress vigorously to take action during its brief session in November, but continued debate over Federal expenditures and competing political issues make this an uphill battle. SCMA is also communicating and meeting with our Congressional representatives to express grave concerns about the impact these cuts may have on access to care for Medicare patients. SCMA members are encouraged to contact their Congressional representatives to inform them of the impact that a 30% cut will have on their medical practices. Call 800-833-6354 and enter your zip code to be connected to your Representative. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer can also be contacted through this number. Additionally, SCMA has prepared the following draft letter you may wish to send to your Medicare patients to solicit their assistance in urging Congress to act. You can also download this sample letter from www.scma.org/resources. [Physician Letterhead] Dear Patient: As your physician, I value my relationship with you and consider your health and well-being my top priority. Unfortunately, I feel it necessary to inform you that a 30% cut in Medicare payments scheduled to take effect by January 1 may jeopardize my ability to provide care to you and other Medicare patients unless Congress takes action when it reconvenes in mid-November. Congress acknowledges that this payment cut is unfair and that payment levels are virtually unchanged for a decade, but they have not fixed the problem. If nothing is done, these cuts will remain in effect at least into the month of February. To prevent this massive cut in payment for Medicare services from happening, I ask for your assistance by urging your Congressional representatives to address this crisis when they return to Washington in mid-November. Please let them know that a 30% cut in Medicare payments may jeopardize my ability to provide care to Medicare beneficiaries unless Congress acts before the end of this year. You may contact your Representative through a toll-free number, 800-833-6354. Enter your zip code and you will be connected to your Congressional Representative. Please use this number to also contact Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. Again, I value my relationship with you and reluctantly ask for your assistance to avert this crisis. It is my hope that your help will prompt Congress to take action to properly fund the cost of medical care for seniors. I will inform you of any action I am forced to take if Congress allows the 30% cut to take effect. Respectfully, INSERT PHYSICIAN NAME HERE SCMA will keep you informed of further developments. Please feel free to contact SCMA at 707-525-4375 or scma@scma.org with any questions.Resolutions by North Bay physicians adopted by CMA House Several resolutions authored or co-authored by North Bay physicians were adopted by the CMA House of Delegates during its annual meeting in October. The resolutions asked CMA to: · Urge component medical and specialty societies to encourage more women physicians to participate in leadership and consider holding a periodic Women in Medicine conference (Dr. Catherine Gutfreund). · Strengthen the alignment between CMA and component medical societies to ensure mutual effectiveness (Dr. Peter Bretan). · Convene a Technical Advisory Committee to recommend policy on marijuana legalization (Drs. Larry Bedard and Gerald Rogan). · Urge that marijuana’s status as a Schedule I drug be reviewed to facilitate clinical research (Drs. Bedard and Rogan). A complete summary of House of Delegates actions is available on the “members only” section at www.cmanet.org.Special rate for SCMA members at health care conference in Santa Rosa SCMA members can get a 25% discount on tickets to the North Bay Business Journal’s annual Health Care Conference, to be held at the Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel in Santa Rosa on Thursday morning, Nov. 18. Speakers include former SCMA President Dr. Kirk Pappas, along with health care executives Mike Purvis (Sutter Medical Center), Kevin Klockenga (St. Joseph Health), Wayne Fairchild (Redwood Regional Medical Group) and Lee Domanico (Marin General Hospital). Tickets are just $35 for SCMA members. To register for the conference, contact Linda Perkins at 707-521-5264 or events@busjrnl.com by Nov. 12, and indicate that you are an SCMA member. The keynote speaker for the conference, which runs from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m., is John Kabateck, the top California official for the National Federation of Independent Business. He will discuss the impact of health care reform on small business. The other speakers will address the impacts on local hospitals, as well as the status of hospital construction projects. For more information, contact Linda Perkins at 707-521-5264 or events@busjrnl.com.Doctors invited to Nov. 18 event honoring physician volunteers Operation Access and the Specialty Access Coalitions of Marin and Sonoma counties invite local physicians to a festive Celebration of Medical Volunteerism featuring live Brazilian music and chair massages, along with complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres. The event, to be held in Novato on Nov. 18, will honor Santa Rosa gastroenterologist Dr. Sumit Kohli, Petaluma surgeon Dr. Michael Bozuk, and two Marin physicians for their work with uninsured patients. The Celebration runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Homeward Bound of Marin, 1385 N. Hamilton Parkway, Novato. RSVP by Nov. 10 to rsvpms@operationaccess.org or to Daniel Rabkin at 415-733-0004.Give a gift to a foster child The Give-a-Gift program, cosponsored by the SCMA Alliance, allows community members to purchase a holiday gift for a foster child who may not otherwise receive a present. The program, which directly benefits more than 250 children, also provides computers to youth leaving the foster system and entering college. To donate, visit www.scmaa.org and click the “Donate” button. For more information, contact Lindsay Mazur at 707-799-6846 or lmazur.rd@gmail.com or Shawn Devlin at 707-538-3448.Members invited to SCMA Alliance holiday cocktail party on Nov. 20 SCMA members and their spouses are invited to a holiday cocktail party at a private home on Saturday evening, Nov. 20. Guests are invited to welcome the holiday season with friends old and new, with cocktails, appetizers, good wine and good cheer. Festivities run from 6 to 9 p.m. To RSVP and receive the location, contact Christine Beakes at 707-799-0125 or chrisbeakes@msn.com or Charlene Staples at 707-526-7877 or charstaples@gmail.com. Please RSVP by Nov. 15.PEOPLE Dr. Shelley Palfy, a pediatrician, and Dr. Kyla Rice, an ob/gyn, have joined the staff of Santa Rosa Community Health Centers, which now includes more than 30 physicians. Dr. Kari Teran, a family physician, Dr. Todd Hofeling, a rheumatologist, and Dr. Rita Wang, an ob/gyn, have joined the Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation. All three doctors will practice in Santa Rosa. “To Your Heath,” a live medical show on the Internet hosted by Santa Rosa family physician Dr. Dave Schneider, is now airing from 12:30 to 1 p.m. every Friday on www.BlogTalkRadio.com/DrDaveS. Archived shows are also available at the same URL.HOSPITAL/CLINIC UPDATES Palm Drive Hospital has hired Richard Polheber as its new chief executive officer. He was previously CEO of the Arizona Association of Community Health Centers and of Carondelet Holy Cross Hospital in Nogales, Arizona. Palm Drive has also hired Diane Emler as its physician liaison. She formerly directed specialty referral services for Marin Community Clinics. Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital won a “Consumer Choice” award in a recent survey conducted by the National Research Corporation. The hospital was one of 269 nationwide to receive the award, which is based on a multiple-category national survey of more than 250,000 households. The hospital scored particularly well on the “best doctor,” “best nurses,” “best overall quality” and “best image and reputation” categories. The new Windsor Urgent Care Clinic will be holding an open house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20. The facility, operated by St. Joseph Health System, is located in the Shiloh Center at 6580 Hembree Lane. About a dozen physicians, nurses and other providers will work at the clinic, scheduled to open later this year. The outpatient blood draw station on Brooks Road will be relocated to the clinic after it opens.RESOURCES The latest issue of CMA Practice Resources is now available online at www.cmanet.org/news/cpr. This free bulletin is full of tips and tools to help physicians and their office staff improve practice efficiency and viability. Topics in the current issue include unfair payment practices, consult code reimbursement policies, and health plan requests for medical records. CMA will be hosting three free webinars during November: Introduction to “just culture” for physicians (Nov. 4); Compliance with the Aerosol Transmissible Disease standard (Nov. 10); and Document, document, document (Nov. 17). Each seminar is scheduled for 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. To register, visit www.cmanet.org/calendar. The CMA Foundation has published an Antibiotic Awareness Toolkit for physicians and other clinicians. The toolkit contains an array of clinical resources and patient education materials to help reduce inappropriate antibiotic use. For a free copy, visit aware.md. Enrollment in the MarshAffinity group dental plan sponsored by SCMA is open until Dec. 31. The plan offers annual benefits of $2,000 per person for dental care (using network providers), $50 per person calendar year deductible ($100 for families), and no deductible on oral exams, x-rays and routine cleanings. For more information, call MarshAffinity at 800-842-3761 or visit www.MarshAffinity.com/cmadownload.html.APPLICANTS Jean Lim, MD, Dermatology*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, 393-4070, jean.l.lim@kp.org, Harvard Med Sch 2004 Prashanth Navaran, MD, Surgery*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, 393-4090 Fax 393-4557, prashanth.s.navaran@kp.org, Indiana Univ 1997 Brenna Yard, MD, Pediatrics*, 1165 Montgomery Dr., Santa Rosa 95405, 546-3210, Fax 544-6090, Wake Forest Univ 2006 * board certifiedCLASSIFIEDS Medical office space Medical office building for lease. 5,370 sq ft or divisible. Brand new, upscale and located directly across from the Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa. Please visit www.1103trancas.com or call Mark at 707-290-0636 for more information. Office space Small suite available for reasonable rent. Reception and three rooms, southeast Santa Rosa. Call Connie, 707-525-0211. Volunteers Needed The Jewish Community Free Clinic, free to all faiths, could use a little help. One volunteer shift every other month is not too little. Specialist consults in your office for uninsured patients are always helpful. Volunteers are needed for the family clinic on Monday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 8:30, and for the pediatrics clinic on Tuesday afternoons, 2:30 to 5. For questions, call Dr. Jerry Connell at 707-527-7754. To sign up for a shift, contact Deborah Roberts at deborah.roberts@sonoma.edu or 707-664-2945. How to submit a classified ad To submit a classified ad for SCMA News Briefs or Sonoma Medicine, contact Erika Goodwin at erika@scma.org or 707-548-6491. The cost is one dollar per word.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. © SCMA 2010 2901 Cleveland Ave. #202 Santa Rosa, CA 95403 November 1, 2010 SCMA News Briefs November 2010 0 0 Comment Read More »
October 2010 Drs. Klay, Kerr, Greaves and Andolsen to receive awards at SCMA dinnerYou’re invited to the SCMA Open House on Oct. 27Former Surgeon General to speak in Belvedere on Oct. 28SCMA Alliance hosts family picnic in Rincon Valley on Oct. 24CMA: Leveraging our strength in numbersPEOPLEHOSPITAL/CLINIC UPDATESAPPLICANTSCLASSIFIEDSABOUT SCMADrs. Klay, Kerr, Greaves and Andolsen to receive awards at SCMA dinner Drs. Leonard Klay, Stacey Kerr, Bo Greaves and Richard Andolsen will be honored during the annual SCMA Awards Dinner on Wednesday evening, Dec. 1. Tickets for the dinner—to be held at the Vintner’s Inn, 4350 Barnes Road, Santa Rosa—are FREE for SCMA members and $50 each for spouses, guests and nonmembers. To RSVP or to order tickets, contact Rachel Pandolfi at rachel@scma.org or 707-525-4375. Dr. Klay will receive the Frederick Plessner Memorial Award from the California Medical Association for his four decades of medical practice, community work and political activism in Sonoma County. The awards presentation will include a video produced by CMA in honor of Klay’s many accomplishments. SCMA will present its Outstanding Contribution to the Community Award to Dr. Kerr for her medical writing, including her monthly health column for the Press Democrat, her articles for Sonoma Medicine, and her recent book, “Homebirth in the Hospital.” The Outstanding Contribution to Sonoma County Medicine Award will go to Dr. Greaves for his work with Health Action, which promotes patient-centered medical homes and the iWALK and iGROW programs. Dr. Andolsen will receive the Outstanding Contribution to SCMA Award in honor of his decades of service to the medical association, including his chairmanship of the Medical Review Advisory Committee and his tenure as president. The evening will also include presentation of the Article of the Year Award. The winner of that award, for the year’s best article in Sonoma Medicine, will be announced later this month. The event begins with a social hour at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and the awards presentation. Dinner choices include a “duet” of fresh fish and beef tenderloin; fresh fish only; beef tenderloin only; or vegetarian. Please indicate dinner choice when purchasing tickets or sending RSVPs. For more information, contact Rachel Pandolfi at rachel@scma.org or 707-525-4375.You’re invited to the SCMA Open House on Oct. 27 Members, their families and other friends of SCMA are invited to an Open House at the medical association’s new office from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 27. Wine and appetizers will be served. The new digs are located in Suite 202 in the Mansi Professional Building, 2901 Cleveland Ave., Santa Rosa, just a half-block south of SCMA’s old office. The Open House is a great opportunity to meet SCMA staff and learn more about the medical association’s many projects and publications. Staff members include: · Cynthia Melody, Executive Director, 707-525-4375, cmelody@scma.org · Rachel Pandolfi, Executive Assistant, 707-525-4375, rachel@scma.org · Steve Osborn, Communications Director, 707-525-0101, sosborn@scma.org · Erika Goodwin, Advertising Representative, 707-548-6491, erika@scma.org To RSVP, contact Rachel Pandolfi at 707-525-4375 or rachel@scma.org.Former Surgeon General to speak in Belvedere on Oct. 28 Physicians in Sonoma County are invited to attend the Oct. 28 Marin Medical Society membership dinner, which will include an address by former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona. Dr. Carmona, a UCSF graduate, trauma surgeon and public health expert, is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Arizona with appointments in public health, surgery and pharmacy practice. He will speak about the role of state and local medical societies in disaster preparedness from his experience as Surgeon General. The event, to be held at the San Francisco Yacht Club in Belvedere, begins with a reception at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7. Dinner choices include pork loin, sea bass or a vegetarian entree. Tickets are $45 per person. To RSVP and identify your dinner choice, contact Jessica Strasheim at jessica@marinmedicalsociety.org or 415-924-3891.SCMA Alliance hosts family picnic in Rincon Valley on Oct. 24 The SCMA Alliance invites SCMA members and their families to a picnic in Rincon Valley Park on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 24. The gathering will run from 1 to 4 p.m. and will feature grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and other traditional picnic fare, along with Halloween activities and a Jumpy for children. Cost is just $10 per family. The park is located at 5108 Badger Rd. in Santa Rosa. To RSVP, contact Christin Hubner-Beakes at chrisbeakes@msn.com.CMA: Leveraging our strength in numbers By CMA President J. Brennan Cassidy, MD The challenges facing California physicians today have never been greater. Doctors face a veritable obstacle course of legislative, regulatory, legal, financial, and technological hurdles in their practices and more will come as a result of passage of the health reform law. At the California Medical Association, our mission is to provide our members with an impressive range of benefits and solutions to help doctors meet these challenges, so they can focus their efforts on caring for patients. We realize that most of you belong to CMA for our legislative advocacy. Representing 35,000 physicians allows us to leverage our strength in numbers to exert a great deal of influence with government agencies and elected officials. Our lobbying efforts are effective in fighting off onerous regulations and in crafting physician-friendly language in major bills, at both the state and national levels. We’ve also waged a continuous battle on behalf of our members, to maximize reimbursements in programs like Medi-Cal and Medicare. As we all witnessed during the health care reform debates, medicine is coming under ever-growing legislative scrutiny, which makes the representation of our members, and our profession, absolutely imperative. Perhaps a lesser known benefit is the legal support we provide to CMA members. We commonly file amicus curiae, or “friend of the court” briefs in health care-related suits and hearings, which often play a crucial role in the final outcomes. On a less frequent basis we file lawsuits against parties such as insurance companies, or even the state of California, in order to protect the best interests of our physicians. Besides active legal representation, we also provide all of our members with access to an extensive online library of medical-legal documents that discuss court cases, laws and regulations as they apply to the practice of medicine in California. And our health law information specialists provide individual assistance to members with human resource, medical, regulatory or legal questions. This assistance is free of charge to all members. Many members find our financial and economic services an invaluable benefit of membership. Our dedicated Economic Services team act on members’ behalf in three key areas: (1) working with public and private payors to eliminate inequitable provisions from contracts; (2) providing members with tools to evaluate and negotiate payor contracts; and (3) assisting physicians with payment disputes with private and public payors. Members are also eligible to receive a wide range of group discounts on products and programs used across most practices, including: insurance, practice financing, payment systems and office supplies. But the benefits don’t stop with just financial or general administrative services. CMA recognizes the challenges doctors face in managing practices, especially in solo or small group settings. To help, we’ve published a Best Practices manual, which provides information and tools to help improve the efficiency and quality of practices. We’ve also created the Red Flags Rule Toolkit, along with a series of webinars, to help physicians understand and comply with the latest identity theft regulations enforced by the FTC. CMA is also developing educational materials and guiding principles for our members interested in forming Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). As health care is going through an unprecedented revolution in electronic data, and as the costs and liabilities are too great for physicians to approach information technology decisions without weighing all of their options very carefully, CMA has been proactive in providing programs that cover health information technology solutions. From practice management systems, to clinical reference software for handheld devices, CMA is exploring solutions to assist members in choosing an effective electronic health record (EHR) system that will meet the government’s meaningful use requirements. Running a successful medical practice grows more challenging every year. It is more important than ever to have a partner in your corner that can provide you with all of the necessary tools to protect your practice and allow you to focus on what’s really important: your patients. As your organization, CMA’s goal is to help you take charge of your own destiny. We want to ensure that medical decisions remain in your hands, so that you can serve your patients. We welcome your input and look forward to working with you.PEOPLE Santa Rosa Surgical Associates, which includes Drs. Allen Cortez, Abdul Harris, Brian Schmidt and Robert Woodbury, has received the Agilent Community Challenge Award for their work with Operation Access, a nonprofit that provides surgeries to uninsured patients. Dr. Jeff Miller, a pediatrician, and Dr. Joe Clendenin, a family physician, have received Celebration of Dreams awards from the Center for Well-Being for their efforts to promote health and wellness in Sonoma County. Dr. Peter Bretan, a urologist with offices in Sebastopol and Novato, recently received a Commendation from the City of Novato for his work with LifePlant International and his efforts to improve disaster preparedness in Northern California. Dr. Don Carlos Steele, a family physician, has been appointed medical director of Sonoma County Indian Health. Dr. Rachel Mayorga, an internist and geriatrician, has joined Healdsburg Primary Care. Dr. Mike Brown, an orthopaedic surgeon, and Dr. Scott Perryman, a general surgeon, have joined the Prima Medical Group and are on staff at Sonoma Valley Hospital. Dr. Paul Doemeny, a diagnostic radiologist, has joined the Redwood Regional Medical Group. In addition to a residency in diagnostic radiology at UC Irvine, he completed a fellowship in musculoskeletal radiology at USC.HOSPITAL/CLINIC UPDATES The clinic to be opened later this year in Fountaingrove by Santa Rosa Community Health Centers will be called the Vista Family Health Center. The 42,500 square foot building at 3569 Round Barn Circle will house both the Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency and the Chanate Family Practice Center. It is expected to serve up to 10,000 patients during the next few years. The healthcare districts representing Healdsburg and Palm Drive hospitals, joined by the California Nurses Association and an environmental group, have filed suit against the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors for their approval of the new Sutter Hospital currently under construction in Santa Rosa. The suit alleges that the board approved the new hospital despite shortcomings in the Environmental Impact Report and without considering the potential effects on district hospitals. Kaiser Santa Rosa is slated to open a new wing and five-story tower at its Bicentennial Way medical center later this month. The 146,600 square foot expansion will double the number of beds in the emergency department and the intensive care unit, increasing the total licensed beds in the hospital to 167. The Sonoma County Jail has received a full two-year accreditation from the Institute for Medical Quality in recognition of its efforts to improve the quality of care delivered to incarcerated patients. APPLICANTS Eki Edwards, MD, Internal Medicine, 500 Doyle Park Dr. #303, Santa Rosa 95405, 303-8300, Fax 303-8301, eedwards05@gmail.com, Mt. Sinai Med Sch 2006 Brian Freeto, MD, Orthopaedic Surgery, Sports Medicine, 3273 Claremont Way #100, Napa 94558, 254-7117, Fax 265-6435, Wayne State Univ 2003 Alexander Iezza, MD, Orthopaedic Surgery*, 208 Concourse Blvd., Santa Rosa 95403, 544-3400, Fax 544-0137, Alex_iezza@hotmail.com, Chicago Med Sch 2004 Heather Iezza, MD, Pediatrics*, 500 Doyle Park Dr. #100, Santa Rosa 95405, 544-6090, Fax 544-2389, heather.iezza@stjoe.org, Chicago Med Sch 2004 Devin Lonergan, MD, Otolaryngology, 1701 Fourth St. #120, 523-7025, Fax 523-3024, devin.lonergan@gmail.com, Univ Texas 2005 * board certifiedCLASSIFIEDS Office space Small suite available for reasonable rent. Reception and three rooms, southeast Santa Rosa. Call Connie, 707-525-0211. Volunteers Needed The Jewish Community Free Clinic, free to all faiths, could use a little help. One volunteer shift every other month is not too little. Specialist consults in your office for uninsured patients are always helpful. Volunteers are needed for the family clinic on Monday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 8:30, and for the pediatrics clinic on Tuesday afternoons, 2:30 to 5. For questions, call Dr. Jerry Connell at 707-527-7754. To sign up for a shift, contact Deborah Roberts at deborah.roberts@sonoma.edu or 707-664-2945. How to submit a classified ad To submit a classified ad for SCMA News Briefs or Sonoma Medicine, contact Erika Goodwin at erika@scma.org or 707-548-6491. The cost is one dollar per word.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. © SCMA 2010 2901 Cleveland Ave. #202 Santa Rosa, CA 95403 October 1, 2010 SCMA News Briefs October 2010 0 0 Comment Read More »
September 2010 Dr. Leonard Klay wins Plessner Award from CMASCMA moves to new office; Open House on Oct. 27Blue Shield pulls out of Healthy Families in Sonoma and 14 other countiesRegistration still open for Latino Health Forum on Oct. 7Former Surgeon General to speak on Oct. 28What you need to know about ACOs and Medical FoundationsCMA offers free subscriptions to Practice Resources newsletterPEOPLEHOSPITAL/CLINIC UPDATESAPPLICANTSCLASSIFIEDSABOUT SCMADr. Leonard Klay wins Plessner Award from CMA Former SCMA President Leonard Klay, MD, has won the 2010 Frederick Plessner Memorial Award, a prestigious honor granted each year by the California Medical Association to a physician who best exemplifies the ethics and practice of a rural practitioner. Klay, who has delivered more than 7,000 babies in Sonoma County since he began practicing here in 1971, is well known throughout the county for his medical expertise, community work and political activism. Klay will receive the Plessner Award on Oct. 2 at CMA’s annual House of Delegates, an event that he has attended for many years as a delegate from SCMA. In nominating his fellow former SCMA president for the award, Dr. Richard Powers noted, “SCMA is continually challenged to find adequate words to describe Dr. Klay’s popularity and the respect bestowed on him by his patients, friends, peers, SCMA and the community.” The nomination and letters of support cited Klay’s contributions to local medicine, his treatment of all patients regardless of their ability to pay, his work at local family planning clinics, his teaching at the Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency, his advocacy for smoking cessation programs, and his critical role in the RICO lawsuit against for-profit insurance companies. As Public Health Officer Dr. Mary Maddux-Gonzáles observed, “Dr. Klay is an extraordinary physician who has improved the health of countless individuals, families and our county as a whole through his many years of patient care, his remarkable work in physician training and with community and environmental approaches to health improvement.” book SCMA moves to new office; Open House on Oct. 27 SCMA has moved to a new office a half-block south of its old location. The new address is 2901 Cleveland Ave. #202, Santa Rosa 95403. Staff e-mail addresses remain the same, but some phone numbers have changed. Contact information is listed below. · Cynthia Melody, Executive Director, 525-4375, cmelody@scma.org · Rachel Pandolfi, Executive Assistant, 525-4375, rachel@scma.org · Steve Osborn, Communications Director, 525-0101 (new), sosborn@scma.org · Erika Goodwin, Regional Marketing Director, 548-6491, solanomedsoc@sbcglobal.net · Fax for all staff: 525-4328 To celebrate the move, SCMA will be holding an open house for members and their spouses or guests on Wednesday, Oct. 27. Invitations are forthcoming. book Blue Shield pulls out of Healthy Families in Sonoma and 14 other counties Effective Oct. 1, Blue Shield of California will no longer provide coverage for 15,000 Healthy Families patients in Sonoma and 14 other counties across the state. Patients were notified of these changes in July and were given the opportunity to select a new plan. If they did not select a plan by the Aug. 31 deadline, they were automatically transferred to a default plan, which in Sonoma County is Anthem Blue Cross EPO. Patients have until Oct. 31 to switch to another plan if they are dissatisfied with the default plan. Details about those plans (Health Net HMO, Kaiser Permanente and Partnership HealthPlan) are available at www.healthyfamilies.ca.gov/Plans_Providers. Physicians in Sonoma County are encouraged to verify their Healthy Families patients’ coverage status before submitting claims with dates of service on or after Oct. 1. Under state “continuity of care” laws, Blue Shield must continue to provide coverage for patients if a change in coverage would interrupt an ongoing course of treatment. Patients who might qualify include, but are not limited to, women who are pregnant, children under age 3, and patients with cancer or other chronic disease who are undergoing a regimen of care. To request or inquire about a continuity of care plan, patients should call the member services number on the back of their ID card, or they can obtain a copy of Blue Shield’s Continuity of Care form in the “download forms” section at www.blueshieldca.com. All other questions should be directed to Healthy Families at 866-848-9166. book Registration still open for Latino Health Forum on Oct. 7 All local physicians are encouraged to attend the 18th annual Latino Health Forum, to be held at the Flamingo Conference Resort in Santa Rosa on Thursday, Oct. 7. The forum, which runs from 7:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., will focus on reducing the risk of chronic disease, and will include presentations and workshops on Latino health by several local and state experts. Registration is $75 before Sept. 17 and $100 thereafter. To register, contact Wanda Tapia at 953-8532 or latinohealthforum@gmail.com. Donations are also requested to fund registration for low-income high school and college students who are pursuing medical careers. The cost of sponsoring a student is just $50. book Former Surgeon General to speak on Oct. 28 Physicians in Sonoma County are invited to attend the Oct. 28 Marin Medical Society membership dinner, which will include an address by former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona. Dr. Carmona, a UCSF graduate, trauma surgeon and public health expert, is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Arizona with appointments in public health, surgery and pharmacy practice. He will speak about the role of state and local medical societies in disaster preparedness from his experience as Surgeon General. The event, to be held at the San Francisco Yacht Club in Belvedere, begins with a reception at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7. Dinner choices include pork loin, sea bass or a vegetarian entree. Tickets are $45 per person. To RSVP and identify your dinner choice, contact Jessica Whittom at jessica@marinmedicalsociety.org or 924-3891. book What you need to know about ACOs and Medical Foundations Many physicians across the state are being approached by hospital systems about joining new hospital-physician organizations. These new entities contemplate being organized either through state law as 1206(l) Medical Foundations, or through Medicare as Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), which were recently authorized by Congress in the federal health care reform legislation. Some physicians are concerned that hospitals are forming these organizations to exert more control over physician practices and to better position themselves financially in an environment of scarce resources. Other physicians would like to join these organizations, but need to understand their rights. And some physicians are seeking to form their own ACOs. CMA is working to help physicians navigate these negotiations with their colleagues and possibly their local hospitals, and to plan a future where physicians have financial and clinical autonomy in the Medicare program and the private marketplace. To help physicians understand their rights and options, CMA is developing educational programs and materials, including legal and financial models to help them understand how to form these organizations, practical tips to assist physicians teaming up with hospitals, and policy to guide regulatory implementation advocacy. CMA's overarching goal is to provide the best possible information to help physicians make decisions about the best practice arrangement for their specific professional situation. Below are some of the resources currently available: Webinars. CMA has launched a series of webinars on ACOs, other payment models and the health care reform law in general to help familiarize physicians with the new law and the impact it will have on their practices. Upcoming webinars are posted on www.cmanet.org/calendar. If you missed any recent webinars, they are available online for on-demand viewing. ACO/Payment Model Issue Briefs. CMA issue briefs on ACOs, medical homes and other topics can be found at www.cmanet.org/healthreform. Medical-Legal Documents. A new document explaining the 1206(l) Foundation Model has been added to CMA's online medical-legal library at www.cmanet.org/bookstore/cmaoncall. “Legal and Practical Considerations Concerning Medical Foundations” explains the legal requirements for these foundations, and practical considerations involved in the decision of whether to join one. Physician-Hospital Alignment Committee. CMA has formed a Physician-Hospital Alignment Technical Advisory Committee to advise the Board of Trustees on the development of future physician empowerment strategies, to guide CMA advocacy, and to oversee the development of documents, tools and models provided to CMA physician members. For more information, contact Samantha Pellon at 916-551-2872 or spellon@cmanet.org. book CMA offers free subscriptions to Practice Resources newsletter CMA Practice Resources, a monthly e-mail bulletin prepared by CMA’s Center for Economic Services, is full of tips and tools to help physicians and their office staff improve practice efficiency and viability. To sign up for a free subscription, visit www.cmanet.org/news/cpr. The current issue includes articles on unfair payment practices, upcoming Blue Cross policy changes, and claiming your share of the $350 million UnitedHealth settlement. If you have questions about medical economics, contact the Center for Economic Services at 888-401-5911 or economicservices@cmanet.org. book PEOPLE Four veteran Sonoma County physicians have joined or will soon join the Annadel Medical Group, along with three relative newcomers. The veterans include family physicians Drs. Gary Greensweig, Herbert Brosbe, Gary Johanson and Cynthia Morris, all of whom have practiced in Santa Rosa since at least the 1980s. The newcomers are Dr. Eki Abrams, an internist from New York City, Dr. Heather Iezza, a pediatrician from Palo Alto, and Dr. Jenny Marie Sullivan, a family physician at Kaiser Santa Rosa since 2007. The fast-growing Annadel Group, which is affiliated with St. Joseph Heritage Healthcare, now includes more than 20 local providers. Former SCMA President Heather Furnas, MD, has edited a new anthology, “The Business of Plastic Surgery,” with Dr. Joshua Korman, a professor of plastic surgery at Stanford University. The book, published by World Scientific, includes 24 articles on business aspects of plastic surgery by national experts, including physicians, lawyers and MBAs. Francisco Trilla, MD, an internist and emergency physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, has been named chief medical officer of Santa Rosa Community Health Centers. David Schneider, MD, a faculty member at the Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency, is giving four presentations at the upcoming Scientific Assembly of the American Academy of Family Physicians. His topics include a review of the thyroid, basics of heart failure, and acute coronary syndrome. Allan Bernstein, MD, a Sebastopol neurologist well known for his development of stroke care programs at local hospitals, has achieved yet more fame by stomping apples. His 14th annual Great Apple Stomp, promoted as an alternative to the Gravenstein Apple Fair, drew guests from far and wide to help Bernstein transform apples from about 40 trees on his rural property into apple juice. Bernstein noted that the juice was organic but not necessarily vegetarian because of occasional worms. Correction: An item about Jill Zechowy, MD, MS, in the August News Briefs listed an incorrect phone number. The correct number for her private practice specializing in women’s mental health is 515-6673. book HOSPITAL/CLINIC UPDATES Kaiser Santa Rosa has received a Gold Plus Achievement Award from the American Heart Association for meeting or exceeding evidence-based performance standards for stroke prevention. The award was reported in the recent “Best Hospitals” issue of US News & World Report. St. Joseph Health System plans to open an Urgent Care clinic in Windsor during November. The 4,500 square foot clinic will be open seven days a week and will offer walk-in care for urgent medical problems. Staff will include family physicians, physician assistants and nurses. St. Joseph already operates similar facilities in Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park. Sutter Health has received final approval from the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to erect a $284 million hospital next to the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa. The first phase of construction, which includes 80,000 square feet of medical office buildings, is scheduled to begin Oct. 1. book APPLICANTS Nicole Faro, MD, Pediatrics*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, 566-5217, Fax 566-5292, nicole.m.faro@kp.org, UC Davis 2002 Derek Gong, MD, Internal Medicine*, Pediatrics*, 5900 State Farm Dr., Rohnert Park 94928, derek.p.gong@kp.org, Chicago Med Sch 1997 Sarah Gong, MD, Neurology, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, 571-4255, Fax 571-3941, Chicago Med Sch 2006 Nandini Lee, MD, Psychiatry, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, 571-3778, Fax 571-3799, Psychiatry, St. George’s Univ 2006 James McKeith, MD, Emergency Medicine*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, 393-4880, jmckeithmd@mac.com, Jefferson Med Coll 1992 Laurie Salameh, MD, Pediatrics*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, Touro Univ 2006 * board certified book CLASSIFIEDS Two nurse consultants wanted full time One in Ukiah and one in Eureka, to provide clinical support for individuals with developmental disabilities. The successful candidates will have proven experience in clinical, wellness, advocacy and administrative responsibilities pertaining to health/well-being and will have demonstrated use of a person-centered/whole-person approach to their work. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: provide clinical consultation, support and education to agency staff, consumers, their families and community agencies/organizations; participate on interdisciplinary program planning teams; provide record/file review and interpretation of medical records; visit consumers to ensure that special health care needs are being met; help facilitate consumer access to health care services; help develop clinical policies and protocols; identify the need for specific clinical services/resources; and liaison with community agencies and organizations. The successful candidates will have knowledge of best practices in nursing, a Master’s Degree or a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing plus one year post-graduate experience, a current RN license and a Public Health Nursing Certificate. For more information see www.redwoodcoastrc.org. Please send letter of interest and CV to Human Resources, RCRC, 1116 Airport Park Blvd, Ukiah, CA 95482. Volunteers needed for free clinic Many patients have lost their medical insurance. The Jewish Community Free Clinic, free to all faiths, could use a little help. One volunteer shift every other month is not too little. Volunteers are needed for the family clinic on Monday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 8:30, and for the pediatrics clinic on Tuesday afternoons, 2:30 to 5. For questions, call Dr. Jerry Connell at 527-7754. To sign up for a shift, contact Deborah Roberts at deborah.roberts@sonoma.edu or 664-2945. Reimbursement specialist For faster payments and low claim rejections call Kathy for a FREE practice analysis. Revenue RN. 1-888-776-1578. www.revenuerecoverynetwork.com How to submit a classified ad To submit a classified ad for MMS News Briefs or Marin Medicine, contact Erika Goodwin at solanomedsoc@sbcglobal.net or 707-548-6491. The cost is one dollar per word. book 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. © SCMA 2010 2901 Cleveland Ave. #202 Santa Rosa, CA 95403 book September 1, 2010 SCMA News Briefs September 2010 0 0 Comment Read More »
August 2010 Six resolutions from North Bay physicians advance to CMA HouseLocal doctors putting iWALK into actionNorth Bay medical societies begin administrative regionalization effortCMA offers updates on Accountable Care OrganizationsMedicare simplifies Meaningful Use requirements for EHRsPOLST kit now available in SpanishPEOPLEHOSPITAL/CLINIC UPDATESEVENTSAPPLICANTSCLASSIFIEDSABOUT SCMASix resolutions from North Bay physicians advance to CMA House Six resolutions from North Bay physicians will be submitted to the CMA House of Delegates at its annual meeting this fall. Depending on what action the House takes, the resolutions may become part of CMA’s legislative agenda for the coming year. In their current form, the resolutions: · Request that CMA help local medical societies and physician group practices develop Accountable Care Organizations and/or medical foundations (Dr. Bretan). · Ask CMA to form a Technical Advisory Committee to investigate strategies for strengthening the alignment between CMA and its component medical societies (Dr. Bretan). · Recommend that CMA convene a Marijuana Technical Advisory Committee to determine the appropriate DEA Classification Schedule for marijuana (Drs. Bedard and Rogan). · Urge CMA to endorse Proposition 19, also known as the Regulate, Control and Tax Marijuana Act (Drs. Bedard and Rogan). · Request that Medi-Cal cover osteopathic manipulative treatment (Drs. McCaffrey and Zaphiris). · Seek to prevent unlawful disclosure of personal health information to ERISA entities, such as insurance companies and third-party administrators (Dr. Jutila). Any CMA member is welcome to submit resolutions for consideration by the House of Delegates. Resolutions approved by the House become official CMA policy, and many are subsequently enacted into law by the state legislature. book Local doctors putting iWALK into action Sonoma County physicians have begun implementing walking programs for their patients as a way to encourage good health and prevent obesity. One example is Sonoma pediatrician Dr. Jerome Smith, who has led monthly walks for local residents for the past year. “Anyone is welcome to go,” said Smith, who said the number of participants for the Saturday morning walks has ranged from five to 30. The walks last about 45 minutes and cover two miles, often through scenic vineyards or historic sites. Like every other physician in the county, Smith received an iWALK prescription pad from SCMA earlier this summer. “I have one in my jacket pocket,” he said, noting that he’s just started to use them. “More and more families are telling me that they’re walking together as a family,” he added. “This program has really raised awareness of walking as a physical activity.” Additional copies of the iWALK prescription pads are available for download at scma.org/resources. The pads give different options for taking brisk 30-minute walks five times a week. The goal is to walk 150 minutes per week. book North Bay medical societies begin administrative regionalization effort In collaboration with CMA, medical societies in Sonoma, Marin, Mendocino, Lake, Napa and Solano counties have begun an administrative regionalization effort to streamline operational systems and realize greater efficiencies. Most notably CMA is pooling its employees with county medical society staff to optimize payroll services and produce significant savings through an Administrative Services Agreement. In addition, administrative regionalization will allow the county medical societies to share an online database and computer network to better utilize existing staff and increase administrative capacity. Many outsourced services will be brought in-house, eliminating redundancies and improving collaboration between the various North Bay medical societies. As part of the regionalization effort, SCMA has hired Erika Goodwin as a part-time advertising representative. Goodwin, who also works for the Napa and Solano medical societies, will sell display and classified advertising for both Sonoma Medicine and Marin Medicine magazines, as well as the News Briefs newsletters and the annual county physician directories. Physicians and others interested in placing display or classified ads in North Bay publications should contact Goodwin at 707-548-6491 or solanomedsoc@sbcglobal.net. book CMA offers updates on Accountable Care Organizations CMA has begun distributing information on Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), a component of the new health reform legislation that is intended to encourage greater coordination of care under Medicare. An ACO is a collection of physicians who join together to coordinate care, share clinical information and report on quality measures. An initial CMA document, “The Basics About ACOs,” has been posted at scma.org/resources. Sample questions and answers appear below. Why create an ACO? ACOs that meet spending benchmarks will receive bonus payments. These payments will be based on the percent of Medicare Part A hospital savings and Part B physician savings in the community served by the ACO. The idea behind the policy is that greater coordination will improve quality of care, prevent costly hospital visits and ultimately produce a more cost-effective health care system. What is allowed to be an ACO? ACOs can be networks of individual physician practices, such as solo and small group physicians; an Independent Provider Association (IPA) or a large medical group; or a fully integrated physician-hospital system, but an ACO does not have to involve a hospital. Most IPAs, medical groups and physician organizations would qualify as ACOs as they currently exist. How do you set up an ACO? That is still to be determined. The health care reform bill only provides general terms for the creation of ACOs. Before ACOs are actually implemented, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will issue detailed regulatory guidelines. Where can I get more information about ACOs? CMA will be providing regular updates, as regulations take shape, and offer members legal and administrative guidance on how to set up and qualify as an ACO. Sign up at legalinfo@cmanet.org. book Medicare simplifies Meaningful Use requirements for EHRs In response to comments from CMA and others, Medicare has greatly simplified the Meaningful Use criteria for electronic health record systems. The final EHR rule, released by Medicare in July, also gives physicians more flexibility to choose measures that apply to their specialty. In addition, there are protections for physicians practicing in areas lacking health information technology (HIT) infrastructure, such as health information exchanges and immunization registries. A summary of the final Meaningful Use rule is available in the HIT resource center at cmanet.org/hit. book POLST kit now available in Spanish Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) last year became a legally recognized document, similar to the widely used “do not resuscitate” (DNR) orders. The POLST form, used for patients with a serious illness or whose life expectancy is a year or less, outlines a plan of care reflecting the patient’s wishes concerning medical treatment and interventions at life’s end. The POLST form complements an advance directive by turning a patient’s treatment preferences into actionable medical orders. CMA’s POLST kit includes legal forms and wallet identification cards, and answers frequently asked questions about end-of-life issues. The kits are available in both English and Spanish and can be purchased from CMA’s online bookstore at cmanet.org/bookstore. Single copies are $5 for members or $6 for nonmembers. Significant discounts are available on bulk purchases. Order 10 kits and members pay $2.13 each. Order 100 and pay just $1.53 per kit. (To receive your member discount, be sure to log in before you place the items in your shopping cart.) For more details, contact Samantha Pellon at 916-551-2872 or spellon@cmanet.org. book PEOPLE In a July 26 interview with the North Bay Business Journal, SCMA President Catherine Gutfreund, MD, discusses a range of issues affecting physicians in Sonoma County, from low Medicare reimbursement rates to immunization challenges. Publication of the interview in the Business Journal—which has a print circulation of almost 9,000 as well as many online readers—enhances the visibility of the medical association and its leadership team. The Summer issue of Sonoma Medicine also includes an interview with Dr. Gutfreund. The Sebastopol Community Health Center has announced that general surgeon Allan Hill, MD, will be joining their staff on a part-time basis. The health center is also negotiating with an orthopaedic surgeon to join their staff, and hopes to attract a cardiologist, psychiatrist and neurologist in the coming months. The addition of specialists is part of a growing trend to improve specialty access for health center patients on a permanent basis. Jill Zechowy, MD, a faculty member at the Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency, has opened a private practice specializing in women’s mental health. Her services include counseling, patient education and psychopharmacologic management. Her office is located at 725 College Ave. in Santa Rosa. For more information, call 515-4473 or visit womensmentalhealthmd.com. Novato urologist Peter Bretan, MD, president of the Marin Medical Society, has opened a satellite office at the Palm Drive Medical Center, 6800 Palm Ave. #D, Sebastopol. Bretan is a kidney transplant surgeon and also maintains a general urology practice. His phone is 415-892-0904. Five of the 12 graduates of the Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency have accepted employment offers in Sonoma County. Drs. Veronica Jordan, Rebecca Katz, Nicole Mohlman, Michele Reynolds and Elise Sullivan will be working at community health centers in Petaluma, Sebastopol and Sonoma. Four other graduates are still in the county, and only three have left. The high retention rate for this year’s class offers another encouraging sign that physicians who train in the residency are deciding to stay. book HOSPITAL/CLINIC UPDATES Sonoma Valley Hospital may soon be treating acute-care patients from Napa State Hospital, pending the outcome of negotiations between the two entities. The influx of patients from the state facility could increase Sonoma Valley’s patient volume by 10% and bring additional revenue. Sonoma Valley is also negotiating with the Marin Healthcare District about a possible partnership. The West County Health Centers will be holding a 37th birthday celebration and open house from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 13, at the Russian River Health Center, 16319 Third St., in Guerneville. All local physicians are invited to attend the event, which will celebrate the growth of the health centers from a single clinic to a network of five health centers across the west county serving 12,000 patients. To RSVP for the open house, call 869-5977, Ext. 3313. book EVENTS Save the date: North Bay membership dinner on Oct. 28 Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona is the featured speaker at the combined North Bay medical societies’ membership dinner on Thursday, Oct. 28. The event, to be held at the San Francisco Yacht Club in Belvedere, begins with a reception at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7. Dr. Carmona, a highly respected trauma surgeon and public health expert, served as surgeon general from 2002 to 2006. He will speak about the role of state and local medical societies in disaster preparedness. Save the date: Medical volunteers honored on Nov. 18 A celebration of medical volunteers for Operation Access and the Specialty Access Coalition will be held in Novato on Thursday evening, Nov. 18. The event—which includes wine, hors d’oeuvres, music and mingling—will recognize medical volunteers in Sonoma and Marin counties. Invitations are forthcoming. book APPLICANTS Pankaj Arora, MD, Internal Medicine*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, 393-2589, Fax 393-2163, pankaj.x.arora@kp.org, Gandhi Med Coll 1997 Roberto Azcarraga, MD, Family Medicine*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, 393-4300, Fax 393-4558, roberto.r.azcarraga@kp.org, UC San Francisco 1993 Christine Kaiser, MD, Internal Medicine*, Pediatrics*, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403, 393-4008, Fax 393-4775, christine.c.kaiser@kp.org, Univ Minnesota 2002 Samer Kanaan, MD, Surgery*, 500 Doyle Park Dr. #303, Santa Rosa 95405, 251-1850, Fax 226-1502, Northwestern Univ 1997 * board certified book CLASSIFIEDS Office space Small suite available for reasonable rent. Reception and three rooms, southeast Santa Rosa. Call Connie, 707-525-0211. Reimbursement specialist Need help with office inefficiencies? Revenue RN provides outsourced billing, coding and revenue cycle services: www.revenuerecoverynetwork.com. How to submit a classified ad To submit a classified ad for MMS News Briefs or Marin Medicine, contact Erika Goodwin at solanomedsoc@sbcglobal.net or 707-548-6491. The cost is one dollar per word. book 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. © SCMA 2010 3033 Cleveland Ave. #104 Santa Rosa, CA 95403 book August 1, 2010 SCMA News Briefs August 2010 0 0 Comment Read More »
