Tuesday Rx: Public Health Emergency Extended, Bomb Threat, Town Hall, LACMA Alliance and Support for Shooting Victims January 18, 2022 AB 72, At-Home COVID-19 Tests, Bomb Threat, California, California Health Care Foundatio, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, COVID-19, COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, Expanding Healthcare Coverage Town Hall, Federal Law, health care, healthcare, Healthcare Burnout Symposium, LACMA Alliance, No Surprises Act, Physicians, Public Health, Shooting Victims, telehealth 1427 Public Health Emergency Extended U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has extended the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) for an additional 90 days. This means that the telehealth and other waivers and flexibilities that have been implemented during the PHE will remain in effect until at least April 16, 2022. This renewal marks the eighth time the federal government has done so since the public health emergency was first declared at the start of the pandemic last year. This latest renewal is effective Monday, January 16, 2022, and will continue for 90 days. Bomb Threat at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science California Medical Association (CMA) President Robert E. Wailes, M.D., issued the following statement in response to the bomb threat at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU), a historically Black college and university in Willowbrook: “I was sickened to learn of the racially motivated bomb threat directed toward medical students at Charles R. Drew medical school. These students and their teachers have dedicated their lives to serving ALL patients, whatever their race or ethnicity. I suspect this incident will not deter our colleagues at CDU because time and again we see physicians put their patients first, even in the face of threats to their own safety. But they shouldn’t have to face that. We will continue to support California’s Black physicians and medical students as we strive to remove the ugly stain racism continues to leave in its wake." Town Hall Featuring Dr. Sandra Hernandez, CEO, California Health Care Foundation February 8th LACMA will host Dr. Sandra Hernández, MD, MPH CEO of the California Health Care Foundation on February 8, 2022, at 6:00 pm. This town hall will cover the following objectives: 1. Review the major recommendations of the HCFA Commission. 2. List the basic assumptions for these recommendations. 3. Describe the potential impact on health plans, hospitals and physicians. 4. Suggest strategies for provider collaboration. Register here. LACMA Alliance News The team at LACMA Alliance have been officially granted 501 c3 non-profit status and is seeking donations and volunteers. Learn more about their 2021 events, connections and 2022 membership opportunities here. Support for the Families of Shooting Victims The recent gun-related tragedies which took the lives of a young off-duty police officer, a Taco Bell employee and a young girl have touched all of us. There are ways for you to help: The Officer Down Memorial page for Officer Fernando Arroyos is here. There is a GoFundMe page for Alejandro Garcia, the Taco Bell employee killed over a counter-fit dispute. View the link here. There is also a GoFundMe page for Valentina Orellana-Peralta, the young girl killed by police at the Burlington Coat store. View the link here. Get Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. The tests are completely free. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days. You and your patients can order tests now so you'll have them when you need them. Order test here. Webinar: No Surprises Act - The New Federal Law and Its Impact on California Physicians Eric D. Chan, Esq., Partner at Athene Law LLP, and CMA’s own Lance Martin, Legal Counsel, will introduce the No Surprises Act, its interplay with California law (AB 72) and other California level surprise/balance billing protections. Presenters will focus on when balance billing is and is not permissible, what new notices must be provided to patients, and the new requirement that physicians provide uninsured patients with a good faith estimate of the charges for scheduled care. Presenters will also highlight the evolving considerations around the dispute resolution process and consent procedure for obtaining a patient’s agreement to be balanced billed. Date: Wednesday, January 19, 2022 Time: 12:15 pm - 1:15 pm To register, click here. The Healthcare Burnout Symposium We are proud to partner and support 2022 The Healthcare Burnout Symposium. Join healthcare leaders from around the country who address the multiple facets of the burnout crisis and share how to increase the well-being of our physicians, nurses, and administrators. Understand the far-reaching consequences of burnout Discover strategies for burnout prevention and mitigation Learn how to identify burnout in yourself and others Date: January 24 - 26, 2022 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco, CA. Register here. Enter code: LACMA for 15% discount for all LACMA members. #MondayMotivation "Growth is the only evidence of life." Gustavo Friederichsen Chief Executive Officer Los Angeles County Medical Association “If it matters to our LACMA members, it matters to me.”