Monday Rx: Mandatory Vaccines for Healthcare Workers, Small Practice Resources and the CalVaxGrant Deadline July 26, 2021 150th Installation, ACEs, American Medical Association, American Nurses Association, California Medical Association, CalVax Grant Program, Cooperative of American Physicians, COVID-19, Delta Variant, District, Executive Order, Healthcare Workers, Independent Practice, Los Angeles County, Member Appreciation, Physicians for a Healthy California, Small Practices, Vaccinated 1097 The Unnecessary Delta Variant Predicament The United States is in an "unnecessary predicament" of soaring COVID-19 cases fueled by unvaccinated Americans and the virulent delta variant, the nation's top infectious diseases expert said Sunday. "We're going in the wrong direction," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, describing himself as "very frustrated." He said recommending that the vaccinated wear masks is "under active consideration" by the government's leading public health officials. Also, booster shots may be suggested for people with suppressed immune systems who have been vaccinated, Fauci said. Los Angeles County health officials reported 2,089 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, with hospitalizations rising as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to spread. There are 716 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19, up from 452 on July 16, officials said. The county also reported four new deaths, bringing the total to 24,628 fatalities since the pandemic began early last year and the rate of increase between July 3 and 16 was 135%. Is your practice seeing more patients impacted by the Delta variant? What can LACMA do to help those practices facing uncertain futures? Let us know by emailing Gustavo at gustavo@lacmanet.org. Why Aren’t America’s Healthcare Workers Getting Vaccinated? As of this week, one in four healthcare workers in the US has not been vaccinated. Groups including the American Medical Association, American Nurses Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, Association of American Medical Colleges, and National Association for Home Care and Hospice are calling for COVID-19 vaccine mandates for all health workers. Click here to see the press release. As for Los Angeles County, 69 percent of health care workers including 78 percent of nursing home and long-term care facilities staffs — had received at least one shot of vaccine. The question still looms large: What’s preventing the 31% and 22% from getting vaccinated? Distrust? Misinformed? Politics? CMA President Weighs In CMA president Peter N. Bretan, Jr., MD issued a statement today supporting mandatory COVID-19 vaccines for health care workers. Click here to learn more. Helping Small Practices Last week, LACMA held its “LACMA Listening” Zoom call and a few practices, including 37-year member Dr. Bryan Jick, submitted their most pressing issues in advance. I would like to know if these resonate with our members: 1) Getting low worker’s comp insurance rates 2) Getting help with HR 3) Compliance issues 4) Employer requirements 5) EDD requirements 6) Help with coding 7) Help with collections, patients that owe us 8) Marketing help 9) “Secret shopper” have someone call and pretend to be a new patient. Send us a report. How did we do? Please email Gustavo and let us know what your current pain points are! Gustavo@lacmanet.org CalVax Grant Program Could Mean Up to $55,000 for Practices CalVaxGrants—administered by Physicians for a Healthy California (PHC) awards eligible practices up to $55,000 in grant funding for COVID-19 vaccine administration. The deadline to submit your application is August 13, 2021. To learn more click here. Essential Resources for Running a Successful Independent Practice The Cooperative of American Physicians (CAP) created One Step Ahead: An Essential Guide for Running a Successful Independent Medical Practice to help you stay ahead of issues stemming from pandemic-related challenges, regulatory changes, and more—all to help you maximize your practice’s full potential so you can spend more time with your patients. Download Your Free Guide In this guide, you will find a comprehensive collection of articles and resources addressing the following: ▪ Human Resources Compliance in the Age of COVID-19 ▪ The Patient Experience and Your Bottom Line ▪ Managing the Billing Office ▪ Consent and Privacy in a Virtual World ▪ Standards for Proper Documentation ▪ And more! As a leading provider of superior medical malpractice coverage in California for more than 40 years, CAP is pleased to offer this free resource to help you and your staff run a safe and successful practice. To learn more about becoming a CAP member, please call 800-356-5672 or email MD@CAPphysicians.com. Request an Instant Quote today to see how much you can save on medical malpractice coverage through CAP. 150th Installation of President and Officers Join us as we celebrate our 150th Installation of President and Officers. Register for the live in-person event taking place on Thursday, August 5, 2021, at the Luxe Sunset Blvd Hotel at 6:30 pm. We are taking serious measures to ensure the safety and health of all of our guests. We ask that those in attendance provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 prior to the event. Capacity will also be limited. The event will be recorded and streamed on August 19th, 2021. RSVP Here or email Lisa Le for registration at lisa@lacmanet.org. SAVE THE DATE! LACMA’s 150th Anniversary Member Appreciation Event We will be celebrating LACMA’s 150th anniversary with our members at the Huntington Library on November 6, 2021, at 3:00 pm. Event details will be available soon, so please be on the lookout! District Information Calling all LACMA Members! Reconnect with your District, voice your opinions, ideas, or suggestions on how to get active in your District. LACMA has set up weekly “Open Calls” via Zoom to provide you an opportunity to check in with ideas, requests, comments, or questions. Below is the Zoom “call-in” schedule: District Check In calls Schedule Mondays: 3pm - District 1 4pm – District 2 Tuesdays: 3pm – District 3 4pm – District 5 Wednesdays: 3pm – District 6 4pm – District 7 Thursdays: 3pm – District 9 4pm – District 10 Fridays: 3pm – District 14 4pm – District 17 Please contact Vitelio – District Outreach Membership Manager at vitelio@lacmanet.org for more information. ACEs Online Wellness Engagement Groups - Tuesday Series Join CMA's Free, Online Wellness Engagement Groups for Physicians Screening/Treating Patients with ACEs or Toxic Stress The California Medical Association's (CMA) wellness program (CMA Wellness) is pleased to launch free, online wellness engagement groups for health care providers that conduct patient screenings for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Treating patients with multiple ACEs or toxic stress can potentially impact your personal wellness and increase feelings of burnout. CMA Wellness' engagement groups will support providers by offering subject matter experts, best practices and an open forum to share experiences, facilitated by trained, volunteer physicians. Each monthly webinar is organized around a prevailing theme with a stakeholder co-host to provide a variety of perspectives with a general discussion and breakout rooms. Registration is required, and providers will be joining the Tuesday series for a 6-month duration. Event Date: July 20, 2021 - December 14, 2021 Register Here #MondayMotivation "With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts." Gustavo Friederichsen Chief Executive Officer Los Angeles County Medical Association “If it matters to our LACMA members, it matters to me.”