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August 2012

Nominations needed for SCMA Outstanding Contribution awards

Now is the time to nominate one or more of your colleagues for an Outstanding Contribution award from SCMA. The awards will be presented at the annual SCMA Awards Dinner on Dec. 6, but nominations are needed by the end of August. The dinner will be held at the Vintner’s Inn in Santa Rosa.

The award categories and a nomination form appear below. You can fax your nominations to SCMA at 707-525-4328 or by email to cynthia@scma.org. Do it today!

  • 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 the nomination form and a list of past award recipients, visit www.scma.org/resources..

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Sutter Community Connect

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Marin dinner features congressional candidate interviews

Both Jared Huffman (D) and Dan Roberts (R), the two candidates for the 2nd Congressional District--which includes Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, Del Norte and Humboldt counties--are slated to be interviewed at the Marin Medical Society’s annual Fall Membership Dinner on Tuesday evening, Sept. 18.

The dinner, which is open to all physicians in the District, begins with a reception at 6 p.m. at Jason’s Restaurant, 300 Drakes Landing Rd., Greenbrae. Dinner begins at 7, followed by the candidate interviews. Physicians are invited to submit questions beforehand to Cynthia Melody at cynthia@marinmedicalsociety.org.

Tickets are $45 per person. To RSVP and identify your dinner choice, contact Rachel Pandolfi at 415-924-2749 or rachel@marinmedicalsociety.org. Dinner choices include baked salmon, blackened ribeye steak, brandy chicken or mushroom gnocchi.

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MARSH

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New smartphone app helps Sonoma physicians

By Jill Bustamante, DocBookMD

SCMA members now have access to a member benefit that can help them communicate more efficiently and save time and money in the process. That benefit is DocBookMD, a doctors-only smartphone app that allows physicians to:

Send HIPAA-compliant text messages and photos. Message content can include diagnosis, test results or medical history. Physicians can also add a high-resolution image of an EKG, x-ray, lab report or anything that can be photographed with a smartphone.

Assign an urgency setting to outgoing text messages. Physicians can assign each message a 5-minute, 15-minute or normal response time. If the receiver does not answer the message within 5 minutes or if the message does not get to the receiver, the sender receives a message back stating that the original message did not make it.

Enable enhanced notifications. The physician can enter a cell phone number to receive text messages or an email address to receive notifications that DocBookMD messages are waiting. The email feature sends a weekly reminder to view DocBookMD messages.

Search local county medical society directories. Physicians can look up colleagues in Sonoma and other North Bay counties by first or last name or by specialty. Physicians can then contact their colleagues by messaging, office phone, cell phone or email.

Search a local pharmacy directory. Physicians can search for a local pharmacy alphabetically or find a pharmacy by zip code. Users can also create a “favorites” list of physicians or pharmacies.

DocBookMD, which began in 2010, is offered through county and state medical societies to their members and is currently available in 23 states. As Texas nephrologist Dr. Ruben Velez notes, “It has made communication better and faster, particularly about patients in hospitals. I can also get a summary about discharged patients from the hospital.” In addition, Dr. Velez uses the app to find contact information for referring physicians.

One of the most popular features of the app is texting, as DocBookMD offers physicians one of the only ways to text patient information securely and in a way that meets HIPAA requirements. “A photograph is worth a thousand words,” observes Texas plastic surgeon Dr. Rocco Piazza. “With DocBookMD, I can have the emergency department physicians send me all the information, with a photograph of a hand injury or a face laceration. I know right where it is, and I can tell them right away what we need to do or where we need to go, assess whether it’s something I need to see right now, or if it can wait until morning.”

Texting features are one reason why medical professional liability carriers sponsor the app and support its use among physicians. Carriers believe DocBookMD can improve communication and help physicians practice safe medicine.

In 2012, DocBookMD began regionalizing the app, allowing physicians to communicate across county lines. Regionalization breaks down the communication barriers between counties, allowing for real-time access to specialists. This is particularly important in rural areas where access to specialty care is limited.

DocBookMD is available for iPad, iPhone and Android devices and is offered at no charge to SCMA members thanks to the generous sponsorship of Norcal Mutual Insurance. To register or for more information, visit www.docbookmd.com.

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Norcal

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Register now for Latino Health Forum

Registration is open for the 20th annual Latino Health Forum, to be held at the Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa on Oct. 11, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The conference, which is cosponsored by SCMA and several other local organizations, has sold out the past two years, so early registration is recommended. To register, visit www.latinohealthforum.org.

The theme of this year’s forum is “Living a Healthy Life: Now and in the Future.” Speakers include Francisco Gonzalez, a professor of Latin American Studies at Johns Hopkins University; Herb Schultz, regional director of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services; and Robert Garcia, founding director of The City Project, an advocacy organization in Los Angeles. Breakout sessions will cover perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, diabetes research, and several other medical and political topics.

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Redwood Regional

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Physician needed for Workers’ Compensation committee

The Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) has asked the California Medical Association to submit nominations by Aug. 10 for the DWC’s Medical Evidence Evaluation Advisory Committee, which reviews medical evidence and makes recommendations for DWC treatment guidelines. Interested physicians who regularly deal with workers’ compensation cases should send a statement of interest, a current CV (5 pages max) and a brief biographical sketch by Aug. 10 to David Ford at dford@cmanet.org. For further details, contact Ford at 916-551-2554.

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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.

  • Have you checked your medical board profile recently?
  • Blue Shield recontracting effort expanding to 18 additional counties
  • GAO upholds award of Tricare West Contract to United Healthcare
  • CMA member elected president of the Medical Board of California
  • REC partnerships double odds of EHR incentives, agency finds

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PEOPLE

Retired Santa Rosa endocrinologist Dr. Robert Mims has published “B4 U Cook,” a cookbook for beginners. As he writes in the introduction, “It is with this beginner’s concept in mind that I offer this book for all those out there, young and old, who do not yet cook but need to know the basic language and some rules of the cooking world.” The book is available on Amazon or directly from Dr. Mims at b4ucook@yahoo.com.

Dr. Gary Greensweig, a leader in the county’s medical community for more than three decades, has taken a new job as a chief physician executive for Dignity Health, the San Francisco-based company formerly known as Catholic Healthcare West. Dr. Greensweig, who was most recently chief medical officer for Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, will move to Half Moon Bay. During his long career in Sonoma County, he was instrumental in establishing the Cherry Street Medical Group, Primary Care Associates, the St. Joseph Health Foundation and the Annadel Medical Group, among many other accomplishments. In a staff memo, local St. Joseph CEO Kevin Klockenga noted that, “Gary’s talents and commitment have profoundly shaped St. Joseph Health and our Sonoma County ministry, and we will greatly miss his leadership, camaraderie and dedication to our patients and our mission, vision and values.”

Dr. Rick Flinders, inpatient director of the Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency, was the subject of a lengthy profile in the July 22 edition of the Press Democrat. The article describes his long career at the residency and his previous life as a literature major and Peace Corps volunteer. Also mentioned is his new book, “The Santa Rosa Reader: A Personal Anthology from the Family Medicine Residency,” which was published earlier this year by SCMA. An order form is available on the Physician Resources page at www.scma.org/resources. All proceeds benefit the residency program.

Interventional radiologist Dr. Michael Caccavale is the newest member of the Redwood Regional Medical Group. He received his MD from the University of Arizona and completed his residency and fellowship at the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education.

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MEDICAL FACILITIES

The Northern California branch of Adventist Health, which operates five hospitals in Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Solano counties, will move a key administrative office to Santa Rosa, even though Adventist has no medical facilities in Sonoma County. The aptly named Revenue Cycle Center will handle billing, coding and information management.

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RESOURCES

On Oct. 24, UCSF is sponsoring a 3-hour CME course titled Cannabis in Medicine: A Primer for Health Care Professionals. The course costs $95 and will be held at the Laurel Heights Auditorium, 3333 California St., San Francisco. To register, visit www.cme.ucsf.edu.

The Sonoma County Section on Aging is sponsoring a Medical Equipment Recycling Center in Santa Rosa. The Center will accept and give away wheelchairs, walkers, toilet risers and similar equipment. All items can be dropped off or picked up Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Careful Moving and Storage, 812 Donahue St., Santa Rosa. For more details, call Yvonne Baginksi at 707-226-7127.

Several CMA webinars are scheduled for August. All webinars begin at 12:15 p.m. and run until 1:15 or 1:30. To register, visit www.cmanet.org. Seminars are free for CMA members and their staff; cost for nonmembers is $99 per person. Here’s the lineup:

  • Accessing CMA’s online health law library (Aug. 8)
  • Program integrity in Medicare and Medi-Cal (Aug. 15)
  • California workers’ comp eBill, parts 1-3 (Aug. 16, 23, 30)

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CLASSIFIEDS

Emergency Medicine physician needed for part-time position
The Coast Life Support District in Gualala seeks a board certified Emergency Medicine physician to serve as medical director for an Advanced Life Support rural ambulance service. This is a part-time contract position. Primary duties include patient care report review via secure website; monthly meetings with paramedics; liaison with regulatory agencies and receiving hospitals; advise staff on quality assurance and improvement. For further information, contact Scott Foster, district administrator, at scott.foster@clsd.ca.gov or 707-884-1829, Ext. 16.

Family Medicine positions available at Annadel
Family Medicine positions are available with the Annadel Medical Group in Sonoma County. For details, contact James.DeVore@stjoe.org.

Office space
Small suite for lease. 800 sf. Reception, business office, 3 rooms. Summerfield Rd. on Sutter/Warrack campus. Contact Connie, 707-525-0211.

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 Erika Goodwin at erika@scma.org or 707-548-6491.

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APPLICANTS

Katya Adachi, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, adachika@sutterhealth.org, UC San Francisco 2011

Nicole Baltrushes, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, baltrun@sutterhealth.org, Univ Chicago 2012

Jennifer Betts, MD, Family Medicine*, 144 Stony Point Rd., Santa Rosa 95401, 521-4500, Fax 544-4626, Univ Health Sciences 1997

Allison Block, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, blockad@sutterhealth.org, UC San Francisco 2011

Michael Caccavale, MD, Diagnostic Radiology*, Vascular & Interventional Radiology*, 121 Sotoyome St., Santa Rosa 95405, 546-4062, Fax 525-6653, mcaccavale@rrmg.com, Univ Arizona 2006

Anna Chollet, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, chollea@sutterhealth.org, Tulane Univ 2012

Cathryn Christensen, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, christc6@sutterhealth.org, Harvard Med Sch 2010

MaryAnn Dakkak, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, dakkakm@sutterhealth.org, UC San Francisco 2012

Parker Duncan, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, duncanpa@sutterhealth.org, UC Irvine 2010

Yael Eskinazi, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, eskinay@sutterhealth.org, Univ Maryland 2011

Adam Francis, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, franciac@sutterhealth.org, UC Irvine 2011

Jared Garrison-Jakel, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, garrisj@sutterhealth.org, UC Irvine 2010

Hana Grobel, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, grobelh@sutterhealth.org, Mount Sinai Sch Med 2010

Tyler Gray, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, graytc@sutterhealth.org, Columbia Univ 2012

Aaron Greenblatt, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, greenbad@sutterhealth.org, Univ Pennsylvania 2011

Karl Greer, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, greerka@sutterhealth.org, Univ Texas 2012

Ann Griego, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, griegoa@sutterhealth.org, UC San Francisco 2011

Sarah Junker, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, junkers@sutterhealth.org, Univ Colorado 2012

Scott Karpowicz, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, karpows@sutterhealth.org, Georgetown Univ 2011

Ember Keighley, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, keighle@sutterhealth.org, Univ Michigan 2011

Jennifer King, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, kingja@sutterhealth.org, UC San Francisco 2011

Molly Kirkconnell, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, kirkcomr@sutterhealth.org, UC Davis 2012

Amy Marietta, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, marieta@sutterhealth.org, Univ North Carolina 2012

Laura Martin, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, martila@sutterhealth.org, Boston Univ 2010

Trevor Moerkerke, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, moerket@sutterhealth.org, UC San Francisco 2011

Ron Romero, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, romeror3@sutterhealth.org, Univ Michigan 2012

Emily Shaw, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, shawec@sutterhealth.org, Brown Univ 2010

M. Jasmine Silva, DO, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, silvamj1@sutterhealth.org, Western Univ 2012

Noreen Singh, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, singhn8@sutterhealth.org

Anish Shah, MD, Psychiatry, 1049 4th St. #G, Santa Rosa 95404, 206-7268, Fax 206-7254, siyanclinical@gmail.com, Sardar Patel Univ 1996

David Stromberg, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, strombd@sutterhealth.org, Univ New Mexico 2010

Arlene Vazquez, MD, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, vazqueav@sutterhealth.org, UC San Francisco 2012

Trang Vo, DO, Family Medicine, 3569 Round Barn Cir., Santa Rosa 95404, 303-3600, Fax 303-3611, voy@sutterhealth.org, Touro Univ 2010

* = board certified; italics = special medical interest

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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.

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