Monday Rx | March 6, 2019 |What Are Your Thoughts on the CBD Trend? March 6, 2019 Tag 979 LACMA Hosted AMA President Dr. Barbara McAneny Several LACMA leaders including Dr. C Freeman, Dr. Jerry Abraham, Dr. Omer Deen, Dr. Stephanie Booth, Dr. Maria Lymberis, Dr. Troy Elander and Dr. Laura Halpin joined Dr. Barbara McAneny, President of the American Medical Association (AMA) to discuss the multitude of challenges facing medical providers around the country and specifically, the complexity of problems in the region.Topics discussed included the skyrocketing cost of healthcare and what viable economic models are in the mix or on the horizon in California to address cost. They also discussed how to make healthcare more affordable for patients while several other factors continue including escalating drug pricing. Another common theme was the need for transparency, the battle over pre-authorizations, opioid epidemic and how physicians are being unfairly targeted. LACMA will continue to seek member feedback on the dysfunctional cycle that consistently plays out. Is there an end in sight? Partnership with Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital As you may know, LACMA entered into a 5-year membership agreement with Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital starting with nine new physician members. Dr. Freeman and I met with Dr. John Fisher, chief medical officer and CEO of the newly established medical foundation model designed to recruit physicians to the community as there is a massive shortage of providers in the South Los Angeles region. Anti-Vaping Strategy Call LACMA continues to partner with mission-minded organizations to address public health issues. Vaping has reached epidemic levels in area schools as middle school usage continues to rise at alarming rates. Recently, LACMA convened a conference call with some of the area's most active organizations fighting the vaping trend including the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Tobacco Control; BreathLA, Board of Supervisors staff and Dr. C Freeman and Dr. Pedram Salimpour. The goal is to get an update on the extent of the problem, to form a more cohesive alliance and set forth an innovative plan to work closer, together to educate communities and providers alike. New Title X Rules Will Limit Access The Trump administration issued a final rule last week that bars qualified family planning providers that provide abortions or abortion referrals from participating in the $286 million federal family planning program. CMA believes this rule will interfere with the physician-patient relationship, undermine established medical access and prevent low-income people from accessing the full range of reproductive health care. I'd like to hear from you on this. The final rule also eliminates current requirements that Title X sites offer a broad range of medically approved family planning methods and nondirective pregnancy options counseling; and directs new funds to faith-based and other organizations that promote fertility awareness and abstinence as methods of family planning, rather than the full range of evidence-based family planning methods. 2019 LACMA Elections LACMA is holding its 148th Annual Election this coming June. Active members of LACMA and CMA have the privilege of voting for their preferred candidates. At the end of May, you can expect to receive a voting ballot via email, and you will be able to cast your vote online. Please be sure to keep an eye out for your ballot and submit your vote. List of Vacancies If members have questions regarding the positions or the election process, please contact Lisa Le at (213) 226-0304 or at lisa@lacmanet.org. CBD News Dr. Pedram Salimpour, a former LACMA Board Member, was recently interviewed for the Dr. Oz program about CBD oil. Cannabidiol (CBD) oil has become a hot new product in many states. The non-intoxicating hemp extract is being credited with helping treat a host of medical problems -- everything from epileptic seizures to anxiety to inflammation to sleeplessness. But experts say the evidence is scant for most of these touted benefits. Worse, CBD is being produced without any regulation, resulting in products that vary widely in quality. Cannabidiol is extracted from the flowers and buds of marijuana or hemp plants. It does not produce intoxication; marijuana's "high" is caused by the chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). CBD oil is legal in 30 states where medicinal and/or recreational marijuana is legal, according to Governing magazine. Seventeen additional states have CBD-specific laws on the books, according to Prevention magazine. Those are Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Last month, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel unanimously recommended approval of the CBD medication Epidiolex to treat two rare forms of childhood epilepsy. For the rest of CBD's potential uses, there is simply too little evidence to make a firm conclusion. As always, I would like to hear from membership on this growing and potentially dangerous trend. What do you think? The Value of Membership By now you know that LACMA provides a robust membership portfolio to support physicians whether they are in private practice or in a group to hospital settings. We have partners that can help when it comes to travel, auto, fitness, resort and soon (next week), events, shows, theme parks, and sporting events. Here are some examples: Travel: Town & Country Travel (Total Immersive Destinations) Auto: BMW Southbay (Employee Discount Program) Fitness: Equinox Resort: Four Seasons Resorts Events, Shows, Parks, Concerts, Games: Employee Benefits Group (Major Discounts COMING SOON) Contact me directly if you need assistance with any of these partners! Visit The Polar Regions with Town & Country Travel Town & Country Travel is planning two trips: the Arctic for Northern Lights & Polar Bears, or Antarctica for Glaciers & Penguins. Learn more about these two adventures at the next informational meeting where a Quark rep and an expedition leader will be presenting. QUARK EXPEDITIONS, THE LEADER IN POLAR TRAVEL WHEN: Thursday, March 21, 2019, from 5:30p - 7p. (Refreshments will be served.) WHERE: Town & Country Travel 195 E Hillcrest Dr. Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 (Space is limited to 20 guests so please contact me if interested!) See the polar bears, penguins, and glaciers before it's too late. Quark offers highly specialized programs that feature unique itineraries and experiences, and also off a Fly-Over-the-Drake-Passage program. There is Still Time to Renew Your Membership Many of you have already renewed your 2019 membership with LACMA and CMA and we thank you for your continued support Whether advocating on behalf of physicians and patients at the Capitol, offering you free reimbursement assistance, connecting you to practice resources, or supporting public health initiatives, no other organizations represent the best interests of physicians, regardless of their specialty or practice setting, like LACMA and CMA. If you have not yet renewed your dues, you may do so online by clicking below or by calling 213-226-0393. Gustavo Friederichsen Chief Executive Officer Los Angeles County Medical Association "If it matters to our LACMA members, it matters to me." EVENTS AND COMMUNITY CME Programs HOW THE EXPERTS TREAT HEMATOLOGIC MALIGNANCIES WHEN: March 21 to 23, 2019 WHERE: Waldorf Astoria, Las Vegas 3752 S. Las Vegas Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89109 Click here for more information. This two-and-a-half-day symposium has been designed by experts in the field of hematologic malignancies and affords the conference attendee specialized educational tracks for both physicians and nurses, providing an opportunity to learn about the most recent advances in the treatment of bone marrow transplant, multiple myeloma, lymphoma, and leukemia. For questions contact: cme@coh.org or 626-218-5622.