July 2010

Pertussis Outbreak in California

During the first five months of 2010, there have been at least 584 cases of pertussis (whooping cough) in California, resulting in the deaths of five infants.  In comparison, over the past decade, there has been an average of three infant deaths per year due to pertussis in California.

Infants with pertussis may become seriously ill and be hospitalized with complications (including pneumonia and brain damage).

In order to protect very young infants, all age groups should be vaccinated appropriately against pertussis. Most children receive five doses of pertussis vaccine (DTaP) before kindergarten but are susceptible again by middle school age.  Carrier parents and caregivers may spread the disease through coughing and sneezing.

The California Department of Public Health, very concerned that 2010 will be a peak year for pertussis, is planning to prepare new educational materials for healthcare providers.

For information about pertussis (clinical symptoms, modes of transmission, clinical guidance, and pertussis prevention), please see the California Department of Public Health website at:
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/discond/Pages/Pertussis.aspx. Resources for pertussis prevention as posted on the California Immunization Coalition’s website: http://immunizeca.org/index.pacq

CMA Foundation Continues to Fight Childhood Obesity in Partnership with the Network for a Healthy California and RecreationRx Program

The CMA Foundation Obesity Prevention Project is working to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and their families. The Obesity Prevention Project continues to carry out its purpose by working with the Network for a Healthy California to disseminate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) information, 5-2-1-0 messaging and by working with the RecreationRx Program. Click here to download flyers from the Educational Resources section of the Obesity Prevention Project website.

AWARE Project Cited as Best Practice

The California Department of Health Care Services released its 2009 HEDIS Aggregate Report for the Medi-Cal Managed Care Program in July 2010. Please see: (http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/dataandstats/reports/Pages/MMCDQualPerfMsrRpts.aspx#hedis)

CMA Foundation’s AWARE Project was cited under the “Best Practices” (page 34) within the section on appropriate treatment for children with upper respiratory infection, as follows:

“Five plans operating in 13 counties participated in a small-group collaborative [SGC] QIP aimed at increasing appropriate treatment for children with a URI…The SGC plans worked in coordination with the California Medical Association’s [Foundation’s] Alliance Working for Antibiotic Resistance (AWARE) and developed the Antibiotic Awareness Provider Toolkit, which they mailed to providers.”

For more information about the AWARE Project, please go to www.aware.md, or contact Sandra S. Navarro, PhD, MPH, AWARE Project Director, at snavarro@thecmafoundation.org.

June 2010

Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Provider Reference Guide Now Available!

The California Medical Association (CMA) Foundation’s Advancing Practice Excellence in Diabetes Program is aware that many physicians feel overwhelmed and frustrated by the daunting task of addressing diabetes with their patients given the physical, emotional, social and environmental factors associated with this disease.  Health care providers hear a variety of messages about the prevention, treatment and management of diabetes that make it increasingly difficult to determine the best plan of action to take with patients.

In an effort to address these issues and improve patient care and outcomes, the Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Provider Reference Guide was developed in cooperation with expert panels of physicians and other health care providers to determine the most effective ways to prevent, assess and treat diabetes and related cardiovascular disease.

Click here to access the Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Provider Reference Guide

Help Make the 2010 President's Reception and Awards Dinner a Success!

Mark your calendar for the CMA Foundation's Annual President's Reception and Awards Dinner to be held on Sunday, October 3, 2010 in Sacramento, California. Proceeds from the event will help support the Foundation's mission to improve community health. Please click here to learn more about sponsorship opportunities!

April 2010

CMA Foundation Announces Increased Funding For Medical Student-Run Clinics

Thanks to funding from The Doctors Company Foundation, the CMA Foundation is pleased to announce that grants up to $2,000 are available to medical student-run clinics. The funding for the medical student-run clinics is also supported by Hoops for Health, a medical student-run fundraiser.  Please click here to download a flyer.  Examples of medical student-run clinic grants funded in 2009 include:

University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine
The Screen Now and Prevent Program (SNAPP) is Keck’s first and only student-run free health clinic. SNAPP opened on January 10, 2007 and will continue to operate on the second Tuesday of every month. The clinic currently offers screenings for common conditions, education about lifestyle changes and free prescription pharmaceuticals. SNAPP is run at St. Camillus Church, across the street from Los Angeles County Hospital. For the many medical students who volunteer for SNAPP, this experience in the privilege and responsibility of patient care will help craft a new generation of socially conscious and compassionate doctors.

Loma Linda University, School of Medicine
With a strategic partnership with Social Action Community Health System (a group founded by medical students 35 years ago), the students at LLU reopened a student-run clinic in the Norton neighborhood in Southern California. The one-year anniversary of the clinic opening was marked by an expansion in services, from once monthly to two evening clinics per month, with double the number of staff. The clinic’s bilingual services reflect the cultural heterogeneity of the area’s population. This clinic provides young medical professionals with pragmatic understanding of patients’ realities. It develops skills for delivering efficient and economically feasible medical interventions, a facet of medical training which is often overlooked in other settings.

The CMA Foundation continues to offer Medical Student Community Leadership Grants to support health-related educational, advocacy, community service, and other outreach programs that enhance the well-being of California communities.  These grants average $250 to $1,000. Please click here to access Medical Student Community Leadership Grant application materials.  For more information, please contact Sandra Navarro, PhD, MPH at snavarro@thecmafoundation.org or (916) 779-6637.

March 2010

Nominate an Outstanding Colleague for the CMA Foundation Leadership Awards by June 30, 2010

The California Medical Association (CMA) Foundation is accepting nominations for the 2010 Leadership Awards which celebrate the efforts of individuals or organizations that make a difference in the health of Californians.  Nominations are being accepted for the following prestigious awards:

The Adarsh S. Mahal, MD Access to Health Care and Disparities Award
The Ethnic Physician Leadership Award
The Robert D. Sparks, MD Leadership Achievement Award

February 2010

AWARE Supports CDC's Recommendations Regarding Pneumococcal Vaccination

Influenza predisposes individuals to developing bacterial community-acquired pneumonia. The Alliance Working for Antibiotic Resistance Education (AWARE), a project of the California Medical Association Foundation, supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations regarding pneumococcal vaccination.  Pneumococcal infections have been identified as an important complication in severe and fatal cases of 2009 H1N1 influenza virus infection.  For more information, please visit the CDC Health Alert Network Info Service message . 

January 2010

CMA Foundation to Launch California Cervical Cancer Free Campaign

The CMA Foundation is launching the California Cervical Cancer Free Campaign to raise awareness about cervical cancer and develop approaches to reduce the rate of this disease in California which kills more than 4,000 women nationwide.   Each year, about 1,400 California women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 400 die from this disease.

The CMA Foundation will serve as the lead, coordinating agency for the California campaign and work with clinicians serving a large segment of patients from diverse communities, patient groups and community organizations.   “With proven prevention methods, including the new HPV vaccine, regular screenings, and stronger public awareness, we have a tremendous opportunity to do even more to curb the devastating effects of cervical cancer,” said Carol Lee, Esq., president and CEO of the CMA Foundation. Please click here for more information.

December 2009

Make a Difference this Holiday Season!
Support the work of the CMA Foundation

The CMA Foundation is the foundation for California's physicians. Everything we do is aimed at helping physicians improve the health of their patients and their communities. Your continued support of the CMA Foundation will enable us to continue making a difference in the health of all Californians. Please visit the Ways of Giving section of our web site to donate now!

Physicians Inspiring Change in Our Communities
Coming soon: Obesity Prevention Project Monograph

In early 2010, the CMA Foundation’s Obesity Prevention Project will be distributing Inspiring Change in our Communities: Physician Champions Making a Difference.  This monograph provides a snapshot of the innovative programs implemented by Physician Champions throughout California.  Each of these physicians was inspired by a patient, an incident, or a movement.  Some have dedicated months and years while others could only spare a few hours; and each has changed behavior to break the cycle of childhood obesity by empowering patients to take control of their health.

San Bernardino County Medical Society, the SBCMS Alliance and the Inland Wellness Information Network’s Healthy Lifestyle Award is one of the programs highlighted in the monograph.  “When you believe in something and it comes from your heart, you become passionate about it,” said Clifford Walters, MD, EMBA, Past President of the San Bernardino County Medical Society.  “Change then happens.”

The monograph is made possible by the generous support of the Network for a Healthy California and Kaiser Permanente.  To obtain a copy of the monograph or for more information about the Physicians for Healthy Communities Initiative, please contact Alisa Matthews, Obesity Prevention Project Director at amatthews@thecmafoundation.org or contact (916) 779-6620. 

November 2009

CMA Foundation and Network of Ethnic Physician Organization (NEPO) Highlighted in San Francisco Medicine

Articles written by presenters from the Network of Ethnic Physician Organization’s (NEPO) 2009 Ethnic Physician Leadership Summit were published in the “Diversity in Medicine” November issue of San Francisco Medicine, the official magazine of the San Francisco Medical Society.  Click here to view a copy of the "Diversity in Medicine" issue.