E-Newsletter

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"News You Can Use" <> November 5, 2015



CONTENTS

ABOVE THE FOLD

Executive Director Note: We need “all hands on deck” in order to influence decision-makers; we need at least an additional 1,000 responses — please take five minutes! ➥ Please Take SDCMS's 2015 Physician Workforce & Compensation Survey: We need your input — irrespective of mode of practice — to make it accurate. All answers are de-identified, anonymized, and cannot be traced back to individual submitters. It only takes five (5) minutes of your time. CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY NOW

Qualifying SDCMS Physicians: Receive a $50 Earlybird Discount When You Renew Your 2016 SDCMS-CMA Membership by November 16 — extended from October 31: If you are paying full, nondiscounted dues and are with a medical group of 150 or fewer physicians, you will receive a $50 discount on your 2016 SDCMS-CMA dues if you renew and pay in full by November 16, 2015. Click here to renew your membership today! Questions? Contact SDCMS at (858) 565-8888 or at Membership@SDCMS.org. Thank you for your membership!

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YOUR MEMBER SERVICES QUIZ

Question: As an endocrinologist, do I need to have 12 hours of CME on pain management and the appropriate care and treatment of the terminally ill? Click Here for the Answer

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MEDICAL

CMA Publishes FAQ on SD 277, New School Vaccination Law: Click Here to Download the FAQ

Got Jury Duty Through March 31, 2016? Health Workers Can Get out of It: Click Here

Click Here to Read the County of San Diego’s Nov. 4 Influenza Watch

Bipolar Disorder Clinical Trial Volunteers Needed for UCSD Study: Click Here

Sanofi US Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of All Auvi-Q Due to Potential Inaccurate Dosage Delivery: Click Here

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FEDERAL

CMS Issues Final 2016 Medicare Payment Rule; Includes Reimbursement for End-of-life Discussions: Key policies finalized in the 2016 payment rule include those on advanced care planning, physician payments, and the new Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), which will fully take effect in 2019:

Comment Online on the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA): Click Here

CMS Announces 30-day Preview Period of Physician Compare Website: The site, launched in 2010, provides Medicare physician contact information, specialties and clinical training, hospital affiliations, and group practice information. In 2014, the website began phasing in physician quality data from PQRS. Physicians can access the preview site now through November 6, 2015. Click Here for Details

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STATE

Renewing Your Medical License in the Next Few Months? MBC is asking physicians who need to renew their medical licenses in the next few months to do so early to avoid delays associated with scheduled upgrades to the BreEZe online licensing system. Click Here for Details

Survey Finds State Has Difficulty Attracting Patients Into Cal MediConnect Pilot Program: Click here to read the survey results. Click Here for Further Details

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BENEFITS / PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

Are You Interested in Serving on SDCMS’s Board of Directors? If you wish to be considered for nomination, or if you have any questions about service on the board, please email me at Gehring@SDCMS.org or the Nominating Committee chair, Dr. Steve Poceta, at poceta.steven@scrippshealth.org. You may be interested in a geographic directorship, a geographic alternate directorship, an at-large directorship, or an at-large alternate directorship. Click here for director roles and responsibilities and a list of open positions.

Physicians / Practice Administrators / Office Managers: Please Spend Five (5) Minutes Taking SDCMS’s 2015 Medical Office Salary Survey: All answers are de-identified and cannot be traced back to individual submitters. Everyone who completes the survey will receive a copy of the results once they are compiled. Why does it matter? It will give San Diego physicians and office managers countywide, job-specific data to make salary and personnel decisions. Click Here to Take the Survey Now ➥NOTE: When responding to survey questions asking for salary numbers, enter only numbers into these fields, i.e., no letters or symbols.

Nominate Your Office Manager to Be San Diego County’s “Outstanding Medical Office Manager” for 2015: SDCMS will recognize San Diego County’s most outstanding medical office manager, i.e., someone who goes above and beyond her or his job description, who anticipates problems before they arise, who works efficiently with the practice’s time and resources, and who strikes the right balance between exercising control and boosting morale when supervising staff. SDCMS member physicians can nominate their office managers by explaining in writing (up to 600 words) why their office manager is the best in San Diego County. Email nominations to Editor@SDCMS.org by November 16 (extended from Nov. 2), 2105.

“Is There a Doctor in the House?” SDCMS Physicians and Medical Students: Submit your amusing “Is there a doctor in the house?” anecdotes for possible publication in the December issue of San Diego Physician magazine. 100–400 words. Submission deadline: November 20, 2015. Email Editor@SDCMS.org.

Achieving Meaningful Use Woes? The SDCMS Foundation can provide FREE technical assistance for primary care physicians AND specialists working to attest for Medi-Cal incentive funds. Working to attest for Medicare incentive prior to year-end? Help is at hand as well. Providers can attest according to the old rules if their reporting period is prior to December 15, 2015. Get help with these difficult hurdles! For further information, email Victor.Bloomberg@SDCMS.org or call the SDCMS Foundation at (858) 300-2779.

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LOCAL

Start a Team for the SDCMS Foundation's Sat., Nov. 14 Solana Beach Sunset 5K Run / Walk to Fight Type 2 Diabetes: Click Here for Details

Help Spread the Message of Health by Making a Brief Presentation in Your Community: Educate children, adults, seniors, and employees on how to improve their lives and take charge of their health through the Live Well San Diego Speakers Bureau. Email Barbara.Mandel@SDCMS.org to say YES, you will volunteer just one or two times a year, quarterly, or however your schedule allows.

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“The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” — Plato



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