IMQ offers free online training course on child abuse and neglect Over 1.5 million children in California suffer at least two instances of childhood abuse and neglect, according to a report by the nonprofit Children Now. There has also been a 3 percent increase in abuse nationally, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In an effort to prevent more childhood trauma, the California Medical Association's Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) is offering a free online course to help physicians recognize and report child abuse and neglect. This interactive course, approved for 1.25 continuing ... February 1, 2016 General Continuing Medical Education, Institute for Medical Quality, Maternal and Child Health, CME, IMQ 0 0 Comment Read More »
CDC issues clinical guidelines for possible congenital Zika virus infection The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued interim guidelines for health care providers in the evaluation, testing and management of infants with possible congenital Zika virus infection. The guidelines, developed in conjunction with the American Academy of Pediatrics, were published in the January 26 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Zika virus is a mosquito-borne infectious disease primarily transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. These mosquitoes, which also transmit dengue and chikungunya viruses, are found throughout much of the Americas, including parts of the United States. The ... February 1, 2016 General Public Health, CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA President's Message: Thinking big to save lives On January 1, 2016, a California Medical Association (CMA) co-sponsored law went into effect that will help protect the health of California’s children and communities by eliminating the personal belief exemption from school immunization requirements. As a physician who has a vested interest in the advancement of California’s public health efforts, I can’t think of a better way to start 2016. With the new year underway, I’m thrilled to stand with you all, as your CMA president, during what will surely be an exciting time for the future of health care ... February 1, 2016 General Physician Leadership, Political Advocacy, Save Lives California, Election, President's Message 0 0 Comment Read More »
SBCMS Now Accepting Application for 2016 Bangasser Medical Student Scholarship This scholarship established in 2008 honors Ronald P. Bangasser, M.D., a physician who was known locally and nationally for his contributions to health care, medicine and his community. Dr. Bangasser was a well respected and compassionate clinician and served in numerous leadership positions throughout his career including president of the California Medical Association and the San Bernardino County Medical Society. Scholarship money will be used to assist medical students at Loma Linda University School of Medicine (LLUSM), University of California Riverside (UCR) Medical School, and Western University of Health Sciences ... January 26, 2016 Awards, General Bangasser Medical Student Scholarship 0 0 Comment Read More »
Vaccination rates for California kindergartners are up Approximately 93 percent of California kindergartners received all of their required immunizations by December 2015, an increase of 2.5 percent more than the previous year, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced last week. However, vaccination rates in 20 counties still fall below the percentage necessary to stop the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases. CDPH officials noted potential role in the increase of public awareness from the 2014 measles outbreak at Disneyland and the extensive media coverage of the debate and passage of Senate Bill 277 (Pan and Allen, ... January 25, 2016 General Public Health, Vaccination, Immunization 0 0 Comment Read More »
Joint hospital survey program cancelled After 40 years of partnership, the Joint Commission is terminating its agreement with the California Medical Association's Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ). IMQ will, however, offer expanded consulting services for hospitals, which may include mock surveys and/or survey preparedness. Medical staffs will be able to request an IMQ consultant separate from any hospital survey. Since the 1970s, IMQ has participated in hospital licensure and accreditation surveys in partnership with the Joint Commission. In May 2014, the consolidated survey program was discontinued, but California hospitals were still able to request an ... January 25, 2016 General IMQ, Hospital Accreditation, Institute for Medical Quality 0 0 Comment Read More »
New study reveals staggering costs of smoking in California While the dramatic health impacts of smoking have been widely known for some time, including the fact that cigarette smoking causes nearly half a million deaths in the U.S. each year, a new study from WalletHub reveals the unacceptable monetary cost as well. The study, released in honor of Tobacco-Free Awareness Week, calculates the cumulative costs of the cigarettes themselves, income losses from illness or death, health care expenses and more to determine the true per-person cost of smoking in all 50 states. In California, the cost of a single smoker ... January 25, 2016 General Save Lives California, Smoking, Tobacco, Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
UCSF and UC Davis medical schools selected for professional development program The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Fresno Medical Education Program and the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine and School of Nursing have been selected to participate in a three-year, grant-funded program that seeks to help faculty teams better prepare medical students and allied professionals to work together in patient-centered medical homes. The two schools are among nine nationwide institutions to participate in the Professionals Accelerating Clinical and Educational Redesign (PACER) program. “The (PACER) program will enhance our knowledge and skills to provide and teach interprofessional, team-based, comprehensive ... January 25, 2016 General Medical Homes, Medical School, Allied Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
Field Poll shows support for warning labels on sugary drinks; study confirms labels can be a deterrent A new statewide Field Poll finds increasing voter support in California for warning labels on sugary beverages, despite ramped-up counter efforts by the beverage industry. Nearly four out of five registered voters polled (78 percent) support requiring warning labels to be printed on sugary drinks, up from 74 percent two years ago. A national study published last week in the journal Pediatrics also suggests that warning labels on sugary beverages might indeed deter people from buying the products. Researchers said they found that the impact of putting a label on the ... January 25, 2016 General Obesity, Public Health, State Legislative Advocacy, Diabetes 0 0 Comment Read More »
Campaign to increase state's tobacco tax launches signature-gathering drive in Sacramento The signature-gathering phase of a campaign to increase California’s tobacco tax by $2 per pack has now officially begun. On January 21, the Save Lives California coalition held a press conference at C.K. McClatchy High School in Sacramento to kick off the next big step in the initiative’s development—procuring more than half a million valid signatures to qualify the measure for the November 2016 ballot. Philanthropist and campaign co-chair Tom Steyer; California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson; Sacramento’s state Senator Richard Pan, M.D.; and representatives from several coalition members, ... January 25, 2016 General Political Advocacy, Public Health, Save Lives California, Smoking, Tobacco Tax, Election 0 0 Comment Read More »
