News

A Week to Celebrate Women in Medicine

This past Saturday, the LACMA Women Physicians Issues and Advocacy Committee hosted the 2019 Celebration of Women in Medicine luncheon. I want to personally thank Dr. Stephanie Booth, chair of the committee, for hosting such an uplifting and sobering event. Dr. Valencia Walker provided a robust presentation on bias, discrimination, and racism in medicine. Dr. Anna Yap was honored with the “Rising Star of Physician Leadership” award. Dr. Elaine Batchlor, CEO of MLK Jr. Community Hospital was honored with the “Rose Talbot Bullard” award and Dr. Christina Ghaly, Director of the Los Angeles Department of Health Services was presented with the “Extraordinary and Inspirational Achievement Award”. I also want to thank the sponsors, CAP, Wells Fargo, Gynesis Group, MLK Jr Community Hospital and the Institute for Medical Leadership (thank you Dr. Reynolds!) for making the vision for the committee a reality. I also want to extend thanks to Lisa Le and Sheila Hoyer on the LACMA team for coordinating an incredible day. 

A New Addition

Pleased to announce that Foothill Cardiology Medical Group has joined LACMA as part of a three-year agreement. We are excited to have FCMG join as a long-term group member and look forward to supporting their physicians going forward.

For some time, I’ve been sharing updates on what specifically LACMA is doing about physician burnout. Sharing best practices is not enough. Nor is offering episodic solutions. That said we will be committing resources, energy, and dollars to help our members as we close out 2019 and in earnest in 2020 and beyond. For starters, our partnership with the Four Seasons Resorts brand is much more than discounts on rooms. The partnership provides our members 50% off an exclusive 3 ½ MD Wellness Retreat. 

Here is a link to a sample program designed with our members in mind.

Preferred Partner Spotlight

Home Helpers has joined our preferred partner program! We're so excited for you to learn more about this preferred partner.

Home Helpers is a home care agency specializing in non-medical, personal in-home care and companionship. The team at Home Helpers is committed to “making life easier” for clients and providing peace of mind for families. Caregivers provide independence by helping seniors, those facing lifelong challenges and people recovering from injuries or illness live safer and healthier lives in the comfort of their own home.

Advocacy and Influence at Work

The 2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule will implement the final phase of the California geographic payment fix, which is transitioning California payment localities to Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). CMA submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed fee schedule, expressing the association’s extreme concern with the errors, inaccuracies and unprecedented lack of transparency related to the national geographic practice cost index (GPCI), particularly the rent and wage indices, and the payment area update in California.

CMA has a long history of advocating for Medicare geographic payment accuracy with consistent methodologies and transparent data sources. We have successfully partnered with CMS, MedPAC, and Congress to improve the accuracy of Medicare geographic payments. When the 2020 proposed physician fee schedule rule was released, CMA’s analysis uncovered serious errors in the transition of the California payment localities to MSAs that were implemented inconsistently with the law. CMA also found major discrepancies in the national practice expense rent indices and question the change in methodology for calculation of the professional work, wage, and professional service indices.

CMA is also very concerned that there is an unprecedented lack of transparency in the data sources, which make it extremely difficult to understand the methods used by CMS and verify the accuracy of the payments. CMA is urging CMS to immediately remedy these egregious GPCI-related errors and notice the corrections in the Federal Register for verification prior to the adoption of the final rule.

LACMA Lends Voice to Walmart, AG and Supervisors Actions

Last week LACMA President Dr. Sion Roy sent a letter of support to Walmart CEO Doug McMillon for his decision to stop the sale of ammunitions (like those used in recent shootings) and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra’s fight to continue California emission standards. This week, Dr. Roy will applaud the efforts of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for their recent decision to ban all flavored e-cigarettes as the health care crisis continues.

Diversify, Evolve and Take Risks

Dr. David Hopp, LACMA Board member, PatientPop client, and membership advocate started a medspa brand in a crowded space and has transformed one spa into 6 sites!  He is a testament to how MDs can diversify, evolve, take risks, challenge themselves and fulfill their own dreams to eventually thrive in medicine.

YouthFill MD was developed from the philosophy that for those of us “on the go” there had to be a better alternative to attaining a more youthful appearance, healthier looking skin, and reversing the aging appearance process of the skin.

These services are delivered in a highly effective, “available immediately” express manner under the direction of Dr. David Hopp at Robertson BLVD Medspa.

Do you have a great story about the growth of your practice? Email Eve and let us know how your work ethic helped scale your business.

Exclusive Member Only Deals

The holiday season is right around the corner and LACMA has amazing member-only deals for you to check out. Visit the link below to see all the discounts offered to you!

The annual Los Angeles Healthcare Awards honors LA County’s top physicians, healthcare leaders and institutions for their work to improve healthcare in LA County. Honorees are individuals and organizations whose outcomes are positively impacting the lives of LA County residents and improving our local communities.

The Patient Care Foundation will also announce this year's scholarship recipients at the awards ceremony at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills on November 8th, 2019.

The American Society of Hiroshima-Nagasaki A-Bomb Survivors (also known as A.S.A.) is a nonprofit organization based in the suburb of Los Angeles.  A.S.A. supports A-bomb Survivors in Southern California with their medical needs, health problems, and communication with the Japanese Government.

This year, the Medical Examinations for Survivors are taking place at Osato Medical Clinic and the Medical Consultations with Japanese Doctors will take place at this same clinic on November 9^th and 10^th.

On November 9, 2019, at 2 pm, Osato Medical Clinic will also host a seminar on “Medical Care of Atomic Bomb Survivors” sponsored by HICARE.

If you are interested in attending and to reserve your seat, please RSVP and email your full name.

#MotivationMondays


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."
— Aristotle