Monday Rx: COVID-19 Spike, Guidance & Help for Medical Practices, 150th Installation and Member Events July 12, 2021 150th House of Delegates, 150th Installation, Accountable Care Organizations, CalVax, CMA, COVID-19, District 3, L.A. County, Los Angeles County, Physicians for a Healthy California, Virtual Grand Rounds 1571 Los Angeles Sees COVID-19 Spikes Over 3 days Of the 4.67 million L.A. County residents who have been fully vaccinated, only 0.06% have subsequently tested positive for the coronavirus, 0.004% have been hospitalized for COVID-19, and 0.0004% have died while more than 3,000 new coronavirus cases have been recorded in three days, part of a troubling rise in cases as viral transmission increases among unvaccinated people. Just in the past 24 hours, more than 1,100 cases, 4 deaths and 373 hospitalizations have been reported. Click here to learn more. CalVax Grants Help Practices Physicians for a Healthy California (PHC) are offering grant funding, one-on-one myCAvax support and vaccine administration resources to help physician practices vaccinate their communities against COVID-19. Individual practices may receive up to $55,000 to support vaccination efforts, and to be eligible, practices must complete Section A of the myCAVax application process. The CalVaxGrant application cycle runs July 12 through August 13, 2021. Visit calvaxgrant.org for more information. Guidelines for Practices in Medical Office Buildings Several medical practices have inquired about COVID-19 safety protocols as infection rates begin to rise again, particularly among the non vaccinated. Some practices, located in medical office buildings, have witnessed a relaxing of rules in buildings. I asked Dr. Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County’s health officer to provide guidelines: Per the State, everyone, regardless of vaccination status, is required to wear a mask in the following settings: Public transit Healthcare settings (including long term care facilities) Indoors in K-12 schools, childcare, and other youth settings State and local correctional facilities and detention centers Homeless shelters, emergency shelters, and cooling centers Per our County order, Face Masks section 4.b, we require the same and also require it in any business or government office serving the public that requires everyone to wear a mask. Q: The regulation exempts employees with occupational exposure as defined by section 5199, when covered by that section. Can a firefighter be subject to both the ETS and section 5199 at different times? A: No, a firefighter cannot be subject to both the ETS and section 5199. However, a firefighter must be protected from COVID-19 under one of the standards. If the firefighter performs emergency medical services (EMS) duties, such as those of a paramedic, emergency medical technician or first responder; or if the firefighter otherwise provides support in the field to those performing EMS duties, the firefighter has occupational exposure to aerosol transmissible diseases (ATDs), as defined in section 5199, and is covered by the requirements of section 5199, and not the ETS. This is true even when that firefighter performs tasks that do not necessarily involve potential exposure to ATDs, e.g., when responding to non-EMS calls and when otherwise traveling in fire department vehicles; when performing routine tasks, such as training and maintenance; and while engaged in the normal routines of a fire station, including meals and sleeping. Section 5199(e) requires employers to use feasible engineering and work practice controls to minimize employee exposures to aerosol transmissible pathogens. This includes implementing COVID-19 protections in fire department vehicles and facilities, such as by improving ventilation, physical distancing and mask use in accordance with CDPH requirements, including in facility sleeping quarters and other common areas. Under Section 5199(h)(6)-(9), covered employers must implement specific follow-up requirements in the event an employee is exposed to an aerosol transmissible pathogen. This includes fire departments when firefighters are potentially exposed to COVID-19, regardless of the source of the exposure. If a firefighter is not identified as having occupational exposures to ATDs in the employer's ATD Prevention Plan or if a firefighter is not protected under that plan, the firefighter would be subject to the ETS. Value Based Care for Medical Practices Means Revenue For independent primary care practices and community health centers, the upside of adopting value-based care can be significant — increased revenue, more efficient workflows, more accessible, impactful patient data. While data shows physician-led Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) outperform other models, the process of transitioning is often more challenging for practices with limited human, technical and financial resources. For this reason, LACMA is partnering with Aledade to help independent physicians succeed in value-based care, ensuring practices and health centers are able to thrive while delivering the best possible patient care. Click here to view Aledade's calculator. For more information, contact Dr. Kim Yu, Regional Medical Director: kyu@aledade.com. 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. CMA to Tackle Two Major Issues at 150th House of Delegates The 150th Annual Session of the California Medical Association (CMA) House of Delegates (HOD) will tackle two major issues when it convenes October 23-24, 2021, in Los Angeles. CMA physician delegates meet annually to establish broad policy on current major issues that have been determined to be the most important issues affecting members, the association and the practice of medicine. This year’s major issues are: Racism and Other Barriers to Health Equity Corporatization of Health Care These major issue topics are now available for comment. If you have any input on the direction of the topic, now is the time to offer your testimony. The testimony provided at this time will help guide the CMA councils in the development of their reports. Visit cmadocs.org to learn more. If you are interested in serving on the LACMA delegation, please reach out to Lisa Le 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 3 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 Join us tonight, Monday, July 12, 2021, at 7 pm PST, for a conversation. Click here to attend now. Virtual Grand Rounds: A Fireside Chat with California's Top Doc, Mark Ghaly, M.D., MPH, Secretary of California Health and Human Services Agency Join CMA's Virtual Grand Rounds: A Fireside Chat with California's Top Doc, Mark Ghaly, M.D., MPH, Secretary of California Health and Human Services Agency on Tuesday, July 13, 2021, from 12:00 p.m. PT to 1:30 p.m. PT As a result of this activity, participants should be able to: Describe the role of physicians and public health providers in navigating policy during a pandemic. Assess the mental and behavioral health impacts of COVID-19 on Californians and describe systemic changes to the care delivery model that aim to address mental health. Discuss the California programs that have been directed at caring for the most vulnerable populations in California. Summarize the current epidemiology of COVID-19 in California, as well as the vaccination rates including rates in vulnerable populations. Describe the evolution of COVID-19 variants in the US and California. Register Here #MondayMotivation “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” Gustavo Friederichsen Chief Executive Officer Los Angeles County Medical Association “If it matters to our LACMA members, it matters to me.”