Monday Rx: LACMA's 150th Anniversary, Vaccine and Pandemic Update January 4, 2021 CDC, COVID-19, Healthcare Provider Information Hub, Litigation, Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Medico-Legal Advocacy, Physicians, Public Health, U.S.N.S. Mercy, Virtual Grand Rounds, Webinar, Wellness engagement groups 1330 Happy New Year and Happy 150th Anniversary LACMA! 2021 marks a new beginning but also marks a milestone for the organization, 150 years of supporting physicians. Over the course of the year members will learn about ways to celebrate this historic occasion. For starters, we would like to hear from members if they know of any retired members who can share stories of LACMA’s past. Stories will be collected and shared across our various communication channels. Please email us your stories at info@lacmanet.org. Vaccine Update The most pressing question on the minds of our members is “When can I get the vaccine to care for my patients safely?” Over the past several weeks we’ve shared resources provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, CDC and CMA on what physicians need to know. As of today, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has the Healthcare Provider Information Hub link (view here) for physicians who meet certain criteria to make an appointment for vaccination. We’ve shared with our public health colleagues that all physicians should have access to vaccination to protect themselves, their patients and staff who are patient-facing. In the days and weeks ahead, members will have access to the LACMA Vaccine Playbook with relevant information and timely resources as well as alerts to give more immediate news on the vaccine roll out. Our goal is to give our members real information that is actionable, rather than misinformation. Pandemic Update COVID-19 cases across the county are available on the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s site click here for more information. CDC’s Integrated County View also shows a 3% increase in cases over 7 days, 101% increase in deaths and over 12% increase in positivity rates. The county has reached nearly 11,000 deaths while the national figures are more than 350,000. LACMA Supports Bringing the U.S.N.S. Mercy to Los Angeles As the pandemic reaches historic levels, the need for additional resources has never been more critical. Henry Rogers, our government relations advisor has been working closely with Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn to push for ask Governor Newsom to bring the Army National Guard medical personnel and the 1,000-bed U.S.N.S. Mercy hospital ship back to Los Angeles County. The U.S.N.S. Mercy will provide much-needed support to our Southern California hospitals to meet the early January surge. To view the letter signed by LACMA’s officers click here. Physician Wellness Remains a Top Priority CMA Wellness and LACMA are excited to announce that physician wellness engagement groups are forming in the area. Wellness engagement groups hold monthly discussions to cultivate professional fulfillment and provide support to physician colleagues. Meetings are currently held virtually but will possibly meet in person when public health protocols allow. Groups are led by volunteer physician facilitators, and participants reflect all specialties, practice settings and backgrounds. Duration: six months (one 60-minute meeting per month) Start Date: January 2021 Enrollment Deadline: January 8, 2021 at 12:00pm/noon PST To learn more, contact: Erin Henke Senior Director, Wellness Services CMA Wellness (415) 302-2746 ehenke@wellphysicianca.org View the official letter here. GME Webinar Series: The Time is Now for Rural Counties & Communities This is the fifth webinar in our series, "A Primer on Designing GME in Rural Clinical Facilities," which offers innovative technical advice and solutions to meet rural California’s critical access to care needs. This webinar will provide an overview of what regional organizations are potential resources for funding and how best to plan locally, develop relationships and align priorities. Date: Thursday, January 7, 2021 Time: 12:15 pm - 1:15 pm Register Here E/M Coding Changes 2021 With modifications to the outpatient evaluation and management (E&M) coding guidelines set to take effect on January 1, 2021, physician practices should be ready for the most impactful overhaul of E&M codes in more than 25 years. In this webinar, Mary Jean Sage of the Sage Associates discusses the upcoming changes in E&M coding and other coding changes set to take effect in the new year. Date: Tuesday, January 12, 2021 Time: 12:15 pm - 1:15 pm Register Here Telehealth Series: (Pt. 9) Telehealth 2021 Overview In this webinar you will learn about the future of pandemic-era telehealth laws and waivers; California's telehealth parity law, Assembly Bill (AB) 744, set to take effect on January 1, 2021; and new telehealth legislation in 2021. This webinar series is made possible through the support of the California Health Care Foundation and is open to all physician practices. Date: Thursday, January 14, 2021 Time: 12:15 pm - 1:15 pm Register Here Virtual Grand Rounds: COVID-19 Winter Surge & Vaccine Rollout - Is Hope on the Horizon? The end of 2020 marked two milestones in the COVID-19 pandemic: a broad national surge of cases that have overwhelmed hospital capacity in communities across California and the first rounds of vaccine inoculations. With broader vaccine distribution expected in 2021, is hope on the horizon? Are we at the beginning of an end to the pandemic? This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the California Medical Association (CMA) and California Health and Human Services Agency. CMA is accredited by ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The California Medical Association designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Moderator: Kimberly Newell Green, M.D., Immediate Past President, San Francisco Marin Medical Society; Associate Clinical Professor, University of California, San Francisco Date: Tuesday, January 19, 2021 Time: 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Register Here Vaping: Public Health, Litigation and Medico-Legal Advocacy Date: Thursday, January 21, 2021 Time: 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm Register by calling (800) 361-5569 or emailing RSVP@CAPphysicians.com. #MondayMotivation "Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us." Gustavo Friederichsen Chief Executive Officer Los Angeles County Medical Association “If it matters to our LACMA members, it matters to me.”