Strong majority of Californians support requiring vaccinations for school children Some of the key findings in a statewide survey published on June 3 showed that a majority of those surveyed agreed with Senate Bill 277 (Pan), a bill sponsored by the California Medical Association that would eliminate personal belief exemptions and require parents to vaccinate their children before enrolling them in school. According to a survey released yesterday by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), two-thirds of Californians (67 percent) and public school parents (65 percent) say children should not be allowed to attend unless they are vaccinated. Majorities ... June 15, 2015 General Immunization, Public Health, State Legislation, Vaccination, Advocacy, I Heart Immunity 0 0 Comment Read More »
Senate passes bills to regulate e-cigarettes, raise smoking age Two bills aimed at making it harder for California’s youth to use tobacco products passed in the state Senate on Tuesday. Senate Bill 151 (Hernandez) would raise the minimum age for buying cigarettes from 18 to 21. SB 140 (Leno) would regulate e-cigarettes similar to combustible cigarettes, including banning their use in the usual “smoke-free” locations, such as schools, restaurants and hospitals. SB 151 was the first of the two bills heard on the Senate floor. It passed on a 26-8 vote. “We will not sit on the sidelines while big tobacco ... June 5, 2015 General Smoking, Smoking Age, State Legislation, Tobacco, Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
DHCS extends meaningful use attestation deadlines for 2014 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a final rule on September 4, 2014, that revised the meaningful use timeline. Under the rule, eligible professionals can use 2011 Edition certified EHR technology (CEHRT) or a combination of 2011 and 2014 Edition CEHRT for the 2014 EHR reporting period to demonstrate meaningful use. Eligible professionals who were scheduled to begin stage 2 in 2014 will not be required to begin stage 2 until 2015, if they could not fully implement 2014 Edition CEHRT due to delays in availability ... June 5, 2015 General, Medi-Cal EHR, Electronic Health Record, Meaningful Use, Medi-Cal, CMS 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA submits comments on Meaningful Use Stage 3 to CMS On May 29, the California Medical Association (CMA) submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology on the Meaningful Use Stage 3 notice of proposed rulemaking. Under the federal electronic health records (EHR) incentive programs, qualifying Medicare and Medi-Cal providers are eligible to receive incentive payments for adopting and demonstrating “meaningful use” of certified health information technology (HIT). The proposed rule, published in the Federal Register on March 30, specifies the final stage of meaningful use criteria that eligible ... June 5, 2015 General Electronic Health Record, Health Information Technology, HIT, EHR, Meaningful Use 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA changes stance on physician aid in dying, takes neutral position on End of Life Option Act The California Medical Association (CMA) has changed its long-standing position on the issue of physician aid in dying, and has taken a neutral position on Senate Bill 128 (Monning/Wolk), the End of Life Option Act. The organization’s physician leadership decided to change CMA’s decades-old policy after several committee hearings and an extensive amount of discussion by members. A final vote was taken by the CMA Board of Trustees in April, making CMA the first state medical association in the nation to change its stance on physician aid in dying. “The decision ... June 5, 2015 General Physician Aid in Dying, State Legislation, End of Life Issues 0 0 Comment Read More »
Save the date: 2016 Leadership Academy to feature Karl Rove and Donna Brazile Check your calendar and save the date for the 2016 Western Health Care Leadership Academy to be held in San Francisco May 13-15 at the Hilton. The opening session will feature a preview of the 2016 Presidential election and its impacts on health care. Speakers for this session include Karl Rove, former Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush, and Donna Brazile, Al Gore’s campaign manager and Democratic National Committee Vice Chair. Physicians and nurses, medical practice managers and other health care professionals will find ... June 5, 2015 General Western Health Care Leadership Academy 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA and NORCAL Mutual announce expanded partnership NORCAL Mutual Insurance Company announced this week that it would expand its long-standing relationship with the California Medical Association (CMA). NORCAL Mutual and CMA both share a commitment to protecting physicians and patients, and ensuring the viability of the health care marketplace through advocacy. This partnership will help support the work that CMA does on behalf of its members in the coming year. “NORCAL has always been a strong supporter of the California medical community in a variety of ways, and we are excited to continue and expand our partnership. ... June 5, 2015 General NORCAL Mutual Insurance Company 0 0 Comment Read More »
Dev GnanaDev M.D. reappointed to the Medical Board of California Dev GnanaDev, M.D. of Redlands has been reappointed to the Medical Board of California, where he has served since 2011. He has been a clinical professor of surgery at the Western University for Health Sciences since 1995; an associate professor of surgery at Loma Linda University since 1993; and chairman of the Department of Surgery at the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center since 1989, where he was medical director from 2000 to 2012. He has been president and chief executive officer of the California University of Science and Medicine since ... June 5, 2015 General Dev GnanaDev MD, Medical Board of California 0 0 Comment Read More »
Preview the new location of Southern California Medical Museum The Southern California Medical Museum invites you to a preview of their new location on the Western University of Health Sciences campus at the Nursing Science Center in the heart of downtown Pomona. Thursday, June 25, 2015 from 5:00-8:00 p.m. 350 S. Garey Ave. 1st Floor, Pomona, CA 91766 RSVP: Debbie Long at dlong@sbcms.org or 909-273-6000 Call Send SMS Call from mobile Add to Skype You'll need Skype CreditFree via Skype June 2, 2015 General Western University of Health Sciences, Southern California Medical Museum 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA files amicus brief before the California Supreme Court in La Vida IPA nonpayment case The California Medical Association (CMA) recently filed an amicus brief in the California Supreme Court in Centinela Freeman Emergency Medical Assocs. v. Health Net et al. to urge a fair and just interpretation of provisions within the Knox-Keene Act that permit health plans to delegate payment responsibility to risk-bearing organizations (RBO). CMA filed the brief to support the plaintiffs in the case, out-of-network health care providers who were left unpaid for emergency medical care when La Vida Independent Practice Association went bankrupt in 2010. Most of the major Knox-Keene ... June 2, 2015 General Legal Advocacy, Emergency Physicians 0 0 Comment Read More »
