Monday Rx: Delta Variant, President's Corner, HHS, CalVax and Upcoming Events July 21, 2021 150th Installation, ACEs, Aledade, American Rescue Plan, CalVax, coronavirus, COVID-19, Delta Variant, District, Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS, L.A. County, Los Angeles County, MDLifeline, Member Appreciation, Online Wellness Engagement Groups, Primary Care Practice, public health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, Value-Based Care, Well Being Index 1530 Delta Variant Cause for Alarm Los Angeles County is now recording more than 10,000 coronavirus cases a week which is concerning to all of us including local public health officials and as predicted, the Delta variant poses a serious threat to progress made over a year and a half. L.A. County was recording 101 weekly coronavirus cases for every 100,000 residents, up from 12 for the seven-day period that ended June 15. That means the county has surpassed the threshold to have “high” community transmission of the disease, the worst tier as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A region must hit 100 or more weekly cases per 100,000 residents to enter the worst tier. It’s still far fewer than during the deadly winter surge, when L.A. County was recording more than 1,000 weekly cases for every 100,000 residents, but it underscores growing concerns that unvaccinated people are at heightened risk. The rise here and elsewhere is the reason why 11 counties — home to more than half of Californians — are urging all residents regardless of vaccination status to wear masks in indoor public settings. So far, L.A. County is the only county to make it a requirement, while much of the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as Sacramento, Fresno and Yolo counties, have made the plea a recommendation. Today’s COVID-19 Facts: In the past 24 hours, Los Angeles has had 1,635 new COVID 19 cases, four deaths and 507 hospitalizations. To see other data, click here. Message from LACMA President Dr. Jeffery Lee Masking Requirement and Vaccination The big news this past week in L.A. healthcare was the reinstatement of universal masking in indoor public places to mask in indoor public places. This was a difficult decision on the part of our public health officials, and some may think it was controversial, but I strongly support this decision. After many months of doing well, L.A. County has had seven days of over 1,000 cases/day before the return to universal indoor masking was announced. In the days that followed, the daily new cases remained at over 1000, with a high of about 1900 last Friday. The Delta variant is now the predominant strain in Los Angeles with over 70% of positive cases. This strain appears to be more transmissible than previous variants. And although this is bad news, there is good news. The good news is that we know what we can do to beat this - masking and vaccination. Masking does work, and if we can effectively mask, we can suppress transmission and get more people vaccinated. COVID-19 is now by and large a pandemic of unvaccinated people. However, there are about 4 million Angelenos who are not vaccinated, and we need to do what we can to get them vaccinated. Masking will buy us time to do that. The unvaccinated who are most vulnerable to getting infected are not taking the necessary and simple measures to protect themselves. So, the masking mandate was necessary, and we hope that it will be for a only short period of time. During that time, we must double our efforts to promote vaccinations. Please talk with every single patient about whether they have been vaccinated and if they have not, please ask about their concerns. This weekend, we attended a backyard gathering with other families that we had not seen since before the beginning of the pandemic. I was glad to know that almost all the adults there had been vaccinated, but two had not. We had some frank conversations about it, and I'm not sure if any minds were changed. But I tried to emphasize that we all have the responsibility to help each other out by getting this vaccine. Getting vaccinated is important to help protect each other, it's the neighborly thing to do. So please support the indoor public masking requirements, and please speak with all your staff and patients to encourage them to get vaccinated! HHS Announces $103 Million from American Rescue Plan to Strengthen Resiliency and Address Burnout in the Health Workforce Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced the availability of an estimated $103 million in American Rescue Plan funding over a three-year period to reduce burnout and promote mental health among the health workforce. These investments, which take into consideration the needs of rural and medically underserved communities, will help health care organizations establish a culture of wellness among the health and public safety workforce and will support training efforts that build resiliency for those at the beginning of their health careers. “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring our frontline health care workers have access to the services they need to limit and prevent burnout, fatigue and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “It is essential that we provide behavioral health resources for our health care providers – from paraprofessionals to public safety officers – so that they can continue to deliver quality care to our most vulnerable communities.” Health care providers face many challenges and stresses due to high patient volumes; long work hours and workplace demands. These challenges were amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic and have had a disproportionate impact on communities of color and rural communities. The programs announced today will support the implementation of evidence-informed strategies to help organizations and providers respond to stressful situations, endure hardships, avoid burnout, and foster healthy workplace environments that promote mental health and resiliency. If you need assistance of any kind, LACMA’s MDLifeline initiative features four areas to help you and your practice: free PPEs, over practice 20 solutions, the Well Being Index (confidential) and Four Seasons Physician Retreats. To learn more contact gustavo@lacmanet.org. CalVax Grant Program Provides Up to $55,000 per practice As California continues its efforts to vaccinate all eligible residents against COVID-19, the state is offering up to $55,000 for physician practices to support vaccination efforts. To be eligible for the CalVaxGrant, organizations must: Have a physician medical practice with no more than 200 physicians within the organization Complete sections A and B of the myCAvax application process Need help with the myCAvax application? Primary care practices can email practice and contact information to vaccinenetwork@cmadocs.org for one-on-one support Expend or plan to expend $10,000 per site (up to 5 sites) between November 1, 2020, and November 1, 2021 Have an unrestricted license and be in good standing with their licensing board The CalVaxGrant application cycle runs July 12 through August 13, 2021. 150th Installation of President and Officers Join us as we celebrate our 150th Installation of President and Officers. Register for the live in-person event taking place on Thursday, August 5, 2021, at the Luxe Sunset Blvd Hotel at 6:30 pm. We are taking serious measures to ensure the safety and health of all of our guests. We ask that those in attendance provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 prior to the event. Capacity will also be limited. The event will be recorded and streamed on August 19th, 2021. RSVP Here or email Lisa Le for registration at lisa@lacmanet.org. SAVE THE DATE! LACMA’s 150th Anniversary Member Appreciation Event We will be celebrating LACMA’s 150th anniversary with our members at the Huntington Library on November 6, 2021, at 3:00 pm. Event details will be available soon, so please be on the lookout! District Information Calling all LACMA Members! Reconnect with your District, voice your opinions, ideas, or suggestions on how to get active in your District. LACMA has set up weekly “Open Calls” via Zoom to provide you an opportunity to check in with ideas, requests, comments, or questions. Below is the Zoom “call-in” schedule: District Check In calls Schedule Mondays: 3pm - District 1 4pm – District 2 Tuesdays: 3pm – District 3 4pm – District 5 Wednesdays: 3pm – District 6 4pm – District 7 Thursdays: 3pm – District 9 4pm – District 10 Fridays: 3pm – District 14 4pm – District 17 Please contact Vitelio – District Outreach Membership Manager at vitelio@lacmanet.org for more information. ACEs Online Wellness Engagement Groups - Tuesday Series Join CMA's Free, Online Wellness Engagement Groups for Physicians Screening/Treating Patients with ACEs or Toxic Stress The California Medical Association's (CMA) wellness program (CMA Wellness) is pleased to launch free, online wellness engagement groups for health care providers that conduct patient screenings for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Treating patients with multiple ACEs or toxic stress can potentially impact your personal wellness and increase feelings of burnout. CMA Wellness' engagement groups will support providers by offering subject matter experts, best practices and an open forum to share experiences, facilitated by trained, volunteer physicians. Each monthly webinar is organized around a prevailing theme with a stakeholder co-host to provide a variety of perspectives with a general discussion and breakout rooms. Registration is required, and providers will be joining the Tuesday series for a 6-month duration. Event Date: July 20, 2021 - December 14, 2021 The last day to register for the early bird discount is Tuesday, July 20, 2021. Register Here Aledade: Value-Based Care: Securing the Future of Primary Care Practice As the top-rated, physician-led ACO in the country, Aledade helps independent primary care practices quickly improve financial performance and get more from the data and technologies they already have. This year, Aledade projects it will help practices earn more than $83 million in shared-savings for their performance in 2020. Other highlights include: This webinar will provide an in-depth overview of the roadmap utilized by these practices to achieve success in value-based care and illustrate how other practices can replicate this roadmap to secure their continued independence and financial futures with Aledade's physician-led ACOs. Date: Wednesday, July 21, 2021 Time: 1:00 pm EST Format: Webinar Register Here #MondayMotivation "I am only one; but I am still one. I cannot do everything; but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do." Gustavo Friederichsen Chief Executive Officer Los Angeles County Medical Association “If it matters to our LACMA members, it matters to me.”