San Francisco Marin Medicine, Vol. #94, No. 4, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

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MEMBERSHIP MATTERS SFMMS/CMA Distributes Over $500k to Local Practices for Vaccinatons We are delighted to announce that 40 practices in San Francisco and Marin County that have now received $500,000 in #CalVaxGrant funds! Funding supports physician practices in becoming vaccination sites. Physicians for a Healthy California > Programs > CalVaxGrant (phcdocs.org). DEADLINE: December 17, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. (PT)

San Francisco and Marin Public Health Alerts: Health issues and conditions are evolving so rapidly in these times that publication in our quarterly journal is simply not timely enough. Physicians are encouraged – sometimes required – to check regular alerts from the health departments. Most recent important alerts include COVID boosters and influenza vaccination. To see and subscribe to such alerts, see: San Francisco: Health Alerts - Disease Prevention and Control, San Francisco Department of Public Health (sfcdcp.org) Marin: Information for Healthcare Providers (https://www.marinhhs.org/content/public-health-updates)

CMA-sponsored law requires payors to cover cost of COVID-19 testing and vaccine admin

Ensuring physicians can administer tests and vaccines is critical to putting the COVID-19 pandemic behind us. This is why the California Medical Association (CMA) sponsored legislation (SB 510) that requires health plans and insurers to cover COVID-19 testing and vaccinations during the pandemic without barriers like patient cost-sharing or prior authorizations.

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Last day to change your Medicare participation status for 2022 is December 31 It’s that time of year again—time for physicians to decide if they want to make changes to their Medicare participation status. Physicians have until December 31, 2021, to make changes for the 2022 participation year. The effective date for any changes made will be January 1, 2022. CMS recently released the final fee schedule and policies for next year.

SFMMS Offers Free PPE Masks

A supply of quality N95 and KN95 masks are available from the SFMMS, courtesy of funding from the California Health Care Foundation. Dozens of local physicians have availed themselves of this free resource, picked up in central San Francisco. For info: Steve Heilig at Heilig@sfmms.org

COVER ART "Leelanau County Road” oil on canvas, 2016 Courtesy of Catherine Dunn dunnc@sidwell.edu 240/925-2515

SAN FRANCISCO MARIN MEDICINE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

WWW.SFMMS.ORG


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Articles inside

A Day I Wish We Didn't Need

3min
pages 41-42

Legalizing "Obstetrics of the Soul" in California

6min
pages 39-40

The Respect Project

3min
page 38

SFMMS Interview: Alex Smith and Eric Widera, Hosts of GeriPal Podcast

7min
pages 36-37

Community Approach to Advance Care Planning and Palliative Care in San Francisco

3min
page 34

Storytelling in Palliative Care

3min
page 35

Palliative Aesthetics: Finding Our Way Into the Eye of the Beholder

4min
page 33

Reconciliation: A Practice in Letting Go

7min
pages 30-31

Palliative Care and Our Community

6min
pages 28-29

Amazing Grace in Navajo Nation

4min
page 32

Discussing the Unspeakable: Serious Illness with Aging Chinese Parents

7min
pages 26-27

Racial Disparities in Palliative Care: Can We Be Honest?

6min
pages 24-25

Universal Palliative Care—The MERI Center's Vision for Education in Palliative Care

8min
pages 20-21

Some Myths About Medical Aid in Dying: What Have We Learned at the Bedside?

8min
pages 22-23

The Benefit of Hospice

6min
pages 18-19

Pandemic to Pandemic: A Career in Palliative Care

4min
page 16

New and Improved Advance Care Planning: Making it Easier for Patients and Clinicians

7min
pages 12-13

Membership Matters

4min
pages 4-6

Grief on Fire

7min
pages 14-15

President's Message

3min
page 7

SFMMS Book Review: "Pearls From the Practice" by John Chuck, MD

4min
page 17

Pediatric Palliative Care and the Cure for Medicine

8min
pages 10-11

Executive Memo

0
page 8
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