CMA joins 97 specialty and state medical societies in letter to VA about plan to allow advanced practice registered nurses to practice independently The California Medical Association (CMA) joined 97 specialty and medical societies to send a letter to the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) expressing concerns with a proposed rule that would allow advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) to practice independently in the VA health system. CMA also submitted an additional letter opposing the proposed regulations. The agency announced at the end of May that it wants to expand the scope of practice for APRNs to allow them to order and read diagnostic tests, administer anesthesia, prescribe medications and manage acute and ... August 8, 2016 General Registered Nurses, Regulatory Advocacy, Scope of Practice, Veterans, Nurses 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA Capitol Insight: Aug. 3, 2016 CMA Capitol Insight is a biweekly column by veteran journalist Anthony York, reporting on the inner workings of the state Legislature. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ November Ballot Rundown California’s ballot has evolved into an impressive – and daunting – laundry list of policy proposals, running the gamut of fiscal and social policy. While the 17 measures on the ballot are not a statewide record, many of the state’s hot-button political issues – including health care, guns, criminal justice and environmental protection – will all be decided by voters this fall. Tax measures loom large this ... August 8, 2016 General CMA Capitol Insight, Election, Political Advocacy, Ballot Measures 0 0 Comment Read More »
IMQ offers customized peer review to assist medical staffs Did you know that the Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ), a subsidiary of the California Medical Association (CMA), offers peer review consultations? IMQ currently offers two types of consultations—a clinical case review or a comprehensive evaluation of a physician’s practice. In both cases, IMQ's physician reviewers are in active practice in the clinical specialty or sub-specialty of the case selected for peer review. These services are customized for each medical staff, group or clinic, with fees based on the scope of services provided. Upon completion, the reviewers create a report detailing ... August 8, 2016 General IMQ, Institute for Medical Quality, Peer Review, Hospital Medical Staff, Medical Staff 0 0 Comment Read More »
August is National Immunization Awareness Month; talk to your patients about the importance of vaccination August marks National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), a national effort to promote vaccinations and protect children and adults from serious, and sometimes deadly, preventable diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), immunizations are one of the top 10 public health accomplishments of the 20th century. Among children born between 1994-2013, vaccination will prevent an estimated 322 million illnesses, 21 million hospitalizations and 732,000 deaths over the course of their lifetimes. As part of this important effort, the California Medical Association (CMA) and its county medical societies ... August 8, 2016 General Public Health, Vaccinations, Immunizations 0 0 Comment Read More »
California Medical Association promotes child and adult vaccinations during National Immunization Awareness Month August marks National Immunization Awareness Month, a national effort to promote vaccinations to protect children and adults from serious, and sometimes deadly, preventable diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), immunizations are one of the top 10 public health accomplishments of the 20th century. Among children born during 1994-2013, vaccination will prevent an estimated 322 million illnesses, 21 million hospitalizations and 732,000 deaths over the course of their lifetimes. In response, CMA President Steve Larson, M.D., MPH, issued the following statement: “By protecting your loved ones, we ... August 8, 2016 General Immunization, Practice Resources, Public Health, Vaccination, I Heart Immunity 0 0 Comment Read More »
Prepare for Zika transmission in the U.S. with August 10 webinar The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Medical Association (AMA) are hosting an important one-hour webinar next week focused on transmission of the Zika virus in the United States. The webinar will be next Wednesday, August 10, 2016, at 4 p.m. PT. All interested parties are invited to participate in this free webinar. CDC Medical Epidemiologist Susan Hills will present an update on the epidemiological and clinical aspects of the current outbreak. CDC Medical Officer Kiran Perkins, M.D., MPH, will present on the implications for pregnant ... August 5, 2016 General Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health, Webinars, Zika Virus, CDC 0 0 Comment Read More »
Inland Empire surgeon elected president of California Medical Board Dev GnanaDev, M.D., was elected president of the Medical Board of California at the board's quarterly meeting Friday in San Francisco. Dr. GnanaDev has been a member of the medical board since 2011, and was reappointed to a second term by Gov. Jerry Brown in June 2015. He previously served as the medical board’s vice president. Dr. GnanaDev, who was president of the California Medical Association (CMA) from 2008 to 2009, is a trauma surgeon and chairman of the Department of Surgery at San Bernardino's county hospital, Arrowhead Regional Medical ... August 5, 2016 General Physician Leadership, Medical Board of California 0 0 Comment Read More »
Yes on 56/Save Lives California message training webinar now available on-demand A recording of the California Medical Association’s (CMA) recently held webinar – Yes on 56/Save Lives California: Message Training – is now available to download in CMA’s online resource library. The webinar is available free to members only. Nearly 17,000 California kids get hooked on smoking every year, and about one-third of them will eventually die from tobacco-related illnesses. CMA and the Save Lives California coalition is helping to reverse this trend through the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016 (also known as Proposition 56), a ... August 5, 2016 CMA, General Prop. 56 (tobacco tax), Save Lives California, Tobacco Tax, Webinars, Political Advocacy 0 0 Comment Read More »
CDC urges aggressive screening of pregnant women for Zika The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging physicians to be more aggressive in screening pregnant women for the Zika virus. The new guidance comes amid growing concerns about Zika, which, if contracted by pregnant women, can result in severe birth defects — including microcephaly, which stunts children’s brain development. It has also been implicated in miscarriages and diseases like Guillain-Barre, a neurological disorder that causes temporary paralysis. The CDC update recommends that all pregnant women in the United States and its territories should be “assessed for possible ... August 5, 2016 General Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health, Zika Virus, CDC, Infectious Diseases 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA Foundation releases PSAs to raise awareness about important adult immunizations The California Medical Association (CMA) Foundation has released public service announcements (PSA), in English and Spanish, to raise awareness about the importance of adult immunizations. The Foundation suggests that physicians turn their attention to adults, who haven’t been as diligent about getting their own shots. Vaccines are important at all ages. While there has been a lot of focus on unvaccinated children, physicians must not lose sight of the vaccines that are important at every age and stage in life. Millions of Californians are newly covered under the Affordable Care Act ... August 5, 2016 General I Heart Immunity, Immunization, Public Health, Vaccination, CMA Foundation (CMAF) 0 0 Comment Read More »
