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.

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

UPCOMING SFMMS WELLNESS EVENTS

The physician driven Wellness Committee provides a variety of offerings focused on nourishing our members through social, educational, and professional development events. Ongoing offerings include:

Mindful Yoga for Healers

A monthly weekend offering of free Mindful Yoga for Healers. This is specifically for SFMMS members to join their colleagues in order to heal, replenish, restore, and connect! Sign up at https://mindfulyoga. jessiemahoneymd.com/ to be notified of class dates and times.

Culinary Medicine

A quarterly Culinary Medicine session with local physician chefs. During these sessions, the physician chefs share healthy recipes, culinary medicine concepts and demonstrate cooking techniques for our SFMMS physician members on their culinary medicine journeys.

Women and Parents in Medicine Sessions

Quarterly sessions for SFMMS members that alternate between Women in Medicine discussion topics for those members who identify as women or Parents in Medicine sessions for members to discuss parenting techniques, while balancing work as a physician.

Book Club

A quarterly book club for SFMMS members. Each quarter, participants choose a new book, usually written by local physicians. Past books include, “God’s Hotel” by Dr. Victoria Sweet and “Together” by Dr. Vivek Murthy. The winter 2022 Book Club book will be “My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward: A Memoir” by Mark Lukach. SFMMS Members who register for the Book Club receive a free copy of that quarter’s book. For more information, contact Director of Engagement, Molly Baldridge at mbaldridge@sfmms.org. For direct links and to register for upcoming events, visit the SFMMS Wellness Page at www.sfmms.org/get-help/ physician-wellness.

In September, the SFMMS Book Club discussed "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse" by Charlie Mackesy. “Inspiration and hope in uncertain times in this beautiful book, following the tale of a curious boy, a greedy mole, a wary fox and a wise horse who find themselves together in sometimes difficult terrain, sharing their greatest fears and biggest discoveries about vulnerability, kindness, hope, friendship and love. The shared adventures and important conversations between the four friends are full of life lessons that have connected with readers of all ages.” For more information or to join the SFMMS Book Club, contact Director of Engagement, Molly Baldridge, at mbaldridge@sfmms.org.

Editor Gordon L. Fung, MD, PhD, FACC, FACP Managing Editor Steve Heilig, MPH Production Maureen Erwin

EDITORIAL BOARD

Editor Gordon L. Fung, MD, PhD, FACC, FACP Tonie Brayer, MD Linda Clever, MD Anne Cummings, MD Irina DeFischer, MD Shieva Khayam-Bashi, MD John Maa, MD David Pating, MD

SFMMS OFFICERS

President Monique Schaulis, MD, MPH President-elect

Michael C. Schrader, MD, PhD, FACP Secretary Dennis Song, MD, DDS Treasurer Heyman Oo, MD, MPH Immediate Past President Brian Grady, MD

SFMMS STAFF

Executive Director

Conrad Amenta Associate Executive Director, Public Health and Education

Steve Heilig, MPH Director of Operations and Governance

Ian Knox Director of Engagement

Molly Baldridge, MPH Staff Associate

Ashley Coskey

2021 SFMMS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Edward Alfrey, MD Ayanna Bennett, MD Julie Bokser, MD Keith Chamberlin, MD Anne Cummings, MD Nida F. Degesys, MD Manal Elkarra, MD Beth Griffiths, MD Robert A. Harvey, MD Harrison Hines, MD Zarah Iqbal, MD Michael K. Kwok, MD Jason R. Nau, MD Sarita Satpathy, MD Kristen Swann, MD Kenneth Tai, MD Melanie Thompson, DO Winnie Tong, MD Matthew D. Willis, MD, MPH Joseph W. Woo, MD Andrea Yeung, MD