Membership
120 physicians, 34 House Officers and 106 medical students joined SBCMS during 2004/2005. Active recruitment continues and in the past year, board members made presentations at hospital medical staff meetings throughout the county on the value and benefits of organized medicine.

Leadership

Edward A. Hess, MD, a Diabetes specialist at Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, became the 112th president of the San Bernardino County Medical Society on July 1, 2004. Executive Officers elected for 2004/2005 were President-Elect Dennis Flynn, MD; Vice President Manmohan Nayyar, MD: Secretary Clifford Walters, MD: Treasurer Guillermo Valenzuela, MD: and Past President Samuel Wilson, MD.

The SBCMS Leadership Retreat took place on Sunday, October 10th at Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center. Participants included the SBCMS Executive Committee, Board of Directors, CMA Trustee, CMA Delegates and Alternate Delegates, AMA Delegate and Alternate Delegate, Chairs of all SBCMS Committees, and Past Pressidents (1991-2003). Short term goals:

• Hold town hall meetings in geographic areas of the county. Invite members and non-members.
• Make presentations at all hospital medical staff meetings.
• Each SBCMS leader will recruit one new member.
• Invite hospital chiefs of staffs to attend CMA Legislative Leadership Day.
• Hold an open house at SBCMS' new offices.
• Hold coding seminars.
• Hold a strategic planning session to plan long-term goals.

SBCMS members attended the CMA Leadership Academy November 19-21 at the La Quinta Resort and Club. "Acceleration: Access, Quality and Cost in the Era of Consumerism" focused on the theme of "consumer-directed health care". The faculty included keynoter Uwe Reinhardt, PhD from Princeton University, one of the world's foremost health care economists and analysts. The agenda also included concurrent half-day "mini-summits" devoted to the future of solo practice, medical staff/hospital relations, legislative advocacy and physician leadership in community health.

Nineteen leaders attended the Annual Session of the CMA House of Delegates March 19-21, 2005 in Anaheim. Former CMA President (2003/2004) SBCMS past-president Dr. Ronald Bangasser concluded his term on the CMA Executive Committee on March 21.

Physician Advocacy
On July 21, 2004, 49 physicians and staff attended a Medical Staff Leadership Forum hosted by RCMA and SBCMS in our joint conference room. The objectives of the meeting: to have an understanding of the challenges facing organized medicine today; to understand the effects of specialty hospitals on the healthcare community; to undersand the role of medical staff self-governance; and to understand the peer review process and its relationship to quality of care and patient safety.

A second Forum for Hospital Medical Executive Leaders was held May 25th. Greg Abrams, Esq, CMA Legal Counsel, discussed recent developments in peer review discipline, recent case summaries, and the CMA Peer Review legislative bill. Roundtable discussion and networking followed.

The Inland Empire Foundation for Medical Care (IEFMC) has been successful in signing network access contracts under the student insurance program for several community colleges, which affect San Bernardino County doctors. IEFMC is steadily working on contracting with physicians and facilities in San Bernardino County.

AMA Delegate Dr. Ronald Bangasser and AMA Alternate Delegate Dr. Victor Ching attended the Interim Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates December 2-7 in Atlanta, and the June 18-22 House of Delegates in Chicago.

SBCMS collaborated with the Public Health Department to send out letters to all county physicians giving them an update on West Nile Virus. The letter reviewed the salient clinical characteristics of West Nile Virus (WNV), provided updated guidelines for collection and submission of laboratory speciments, and provided instructions for reporting cases.

The SBCMS Emergency Medical Services Funds Ad Hoc Committee met in December 2004 and in February 2005. Prior to the December meeting, monthly EMS reports were provided by the County's Risk Management Division and Ms. Stratton mailed the reports to the EMS Funds Committee. Rafael Viteni, Administrative Supervisor II, Risk Management Division, is in charge of the EMS Program. He and Linda Cook, systems Analyst for the EMS program attended both meetings. The committee oversees the reimbursement for physician services under AB75 and SB612 funds and makes recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. The County's Risk Management Division pays the claims. Because funds were nearly depleted, the Committee recommended that the Board of Supervisors temporarily reduce (18 months) the fee schedule reimbursement for all claims (from 40% to 20% of the adopted fee schedule based on the St. Anthony Relative Values). At their March 22 meeting, the Board of Supervisors adopted the Committee's recommended reimbursement methodology for physician services under the AB75 and SB612 programs.

On May 25, the RCMA and SBCMS Joint Physicians' Well-Being Committee hosted the 17th annual Western States Regional Conference on Physician Well Being at the University of California Riverside Extension Center. Course objectives included recognition and identification of the impaired physician and the disruptive physician; education on the role and function of the Physicians' Well-Being Committee in the hospital setting; and an update on legal issues relating to physician impairment. The annual meeting is endorsed by the CMA and co-sponsored by the California Society of Addiction Medicine and the University of California Riverside CME program. Throughout the year the committee discussed and exchanged ideas on various cases involving the disruptive physician.

Legislative Advocacy
CALPAC was able to continue its electoral success with 144 of the 145 candidates they supported winning their November 2, 2004 races. CALPAC supported the winning candidates in all 19 of the State Senates general election races, 75 of the 75 Assembly general election races, and all 51 of the US House general elections.

SBCMS/RCMA hosted a Member Connect Roundtable on March 7 in the Inland Empire Conference Center. This was an exclusive opportunity for AMA members to connect with AMA leadership in a small, interactive group setting to give input, ask questions, and exchange ideas about the AMA's agenda and priorities.

SBCMS coordinated a delegation of 46 SBCMS and RCMA members to CMA's Legislative Leadership Day (Day in Sacramento) April 6. The SBCMS Board and active membership sponsored 14 SBCMS medical students who attended. A review of major legislative issues in health care was discussed at meetings with our legislators.

The Legislative Commission/LOPAC Committee, under the leadership of Dr. Dev GnanaDev, participated in six fundraising events for local legislative representatives. Participation in the fundraisers ensures that SBCMS maintains personal contact with the legislators and provides opportunities to express medicine's views.

Communications
On September 8, 125 physicians and attorneys met at the San Bernardino Hilton for a special meeting sponsored by the Medical-Legal Committee. This year's program, "The Right to Die: The Dax Cowart Case - a Medical/Legal Controversy", examined the compelling decisions that must be made in managing pain, disfigurement and catastrophic injury. The speakers were Dax Cowart, Esq., a nationally known lawyer and advocate for patients' rights; and Stewart Shankel, MD, a highly respected Inland Empire physician and teacher. Bryan Reid, Esq., Committee Co-Chair, served as moderator.

The SBCMS hosted a Holiday Open House on December 8 in our new headquarters at 3993 Jurupa Ave., Riverside. Those attending were given the opportunity to view our new offices, conference center and medical museum. Three pharmaceutical companies sponsored the event.

SBCMS was named as a finalist in the nonprofit category of "Top Companies of Inland Southern California". The Business Press honored the recipients of the annual awards on February 23 at a luncheon held at the Riverside Convention Center. The Medical Society received certificates of recognition from the California Legislature, as well as a letter of congratulations from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Publisher/Editor Janis Rizzuto and her staff have transformed the Southern California Physician magazine into a state of the art professional magazine. The official publication of San Bernardino, Riverside, Imperial, Orange, Los Angeles and Ventura county medical societies, the SCP is published monthly and mailed at no cost to all SBCMS members. Drs. Thelma Korpman, Ron Bangasser and Rodney Willard, along with Executive Director Linda Stratton and Managing Editor Sue Bradshaw, attended an SCP Editorial Advisors meeting in January.

SBCMS, IWIN, and especially the AAHI received extensive media coverage this year. In December 2004, AAHI received attention in The Press Enterprise, The Business Press, The Sun, The Black Voice, Westside Story, and the Precinct Reporter. Articles on Donate Life California were covered in radio and various newspapers. Early in 2004/2005, Dr. Frank Randolph appeared in a television interview on KCSB TV 3 - Inland Empire Alive - discussing the Medical Reserve Corps. In March the TV station's reporters chatted with Dr. Elliot Weinstein about the Medical Museum and Dr. Heather Shover about the Medical Reserve Corps in a joint interview. In March, KHPY Radio 1670 AM, Spanish station, interviewed Dr. Rodney Borger about the Medical Reserve Corps.

On the evening of December 31, 2004, following the 5th Annual Unforgettables Lights for Little Lives Community Walk, the Unforgettables Foundation presented SBCMS member Dr. Yolanda Leparulo their Top Doctor Award. In a ceremony celebrating the lives of all Inland children, awards were also given to local police and firefighters who have saved the life of a child in the past year and a special salute for the contributions of clergy. On December 30th and again on January 1st, The San Bernardino Sun newspaper had extensive coverage regarding the Unforgettables and the doctors who were honored.

Lieutenant Colonel Conrad Salinas, M.D. (Family Practice/Emergency Medicine San Bernardino) reported for duty on December 5, 2004 with the Army National Guard to serve our country in Iraq. After his return to the States in March, local newspapers picked up the story, and the Southern California Physician (SCP) lauded Dr. Salinas as a "Healthcare Hero" in the magazine's "Doctors of Distinction" column in the April 2005 issue. The SCP story, written by Dina Burwell, reported that he was "stationed at a Battalion Aid Station on a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Baghdad. His assignment was to provide medical treatment to American soldiers and Iraqi detainees in the FOB's area of operation". Dr. Salinas is an Emergency Room physician at Desert Regional Medical Center, St. Bernardine Medical Center, and Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center. He heads two Disaster Medical Assistance Teams and is medical director/commander of the Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency (ICEMA).

SBCMS continues to communicate with our members through the "FaxFacts" bi-monthly broadcast newsletter. SBCMS members' office personnel receive our quarterly Medical Office Managers newsletter. The publications include timely legislative and organizational events and issues.

SBCMS published a 2005 Physician Directory that includes complete office information on nearly 1750 physicians plus Inland Empire hospitals, legislative contacts, and community resources. In May, SBCMS members received a copy of the directory as a free benefit of membership. Nonmembers and the public pay $70 per copy.

The SBCMS and IWIN websites (www.sbcms.org and www.inlandwellness.org) continue to provide physicians and the general public with local information and links to CMA and other important medical websites. The Electronic Communications Committee serves as advisors and reviews the accuracy of the websites links and pages. The Medical Reserve Corps website, www.sbcms.org/mrc, is new this year. Following a thorough review of our hardware and software conducted by the SBCMS Electronic Communications Committee, SBCMS updated its outdated IT system, including replacement of the server and five workstations. A state-of-the-art video conferencing system was installed in the Inland Empire Conference Room. CMA, RCMA and SBCMS shared the cost.

SBCMS hosted several programs and seminars for SBCMS and RCMA members on the following dates: July 21, 2004, Medi-Cal Billing Seminar; July 21, 2004, Medical Staff Leadership Forum; October 2-3, 2004, Risk Management CME program; December 1, 2004, "Coding and Payor Abuse Workshop"; April 13, 2005, Medical Office Manager Workshop, "Medicare Updates - HIPAA Security Rules - Employment Laws"; and May 12, 2005, "Language Access in Your Practice".

On January 16, 2005, Dr. Dave Williams spoke on Stress Management to members of the United Organ Transplant Association at their meeting at Chino Valley Medical Center. Our Speakers' Bureau coordinated the speaker's arrangements.

July 4-11, 2004 SBCMS/RCMA sponsored a 7-night Alaska Cruise, "Cruisin' Thru Pain". The cruise offered a 16-hour CME Program (12 hours of CME designed specifically to help the non-pain management specialist meet the new MBC requirement of 12 hours of pain and palliative care CME plus four additional hours of general CME programs). The SBCMS Alliance sponsored a 4-day, 3-night cruise to Mexico aboard the Monarch of the Seas May 13-16.

Community Advocacy
SBCMS participated in a disaster preparedness training session on September 11, 2004 at the Ontario Fire Department. The San Bernardino County Medical Reserve Corps held its inaugural training session on September 15, 2004 at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC). On April 5, the MRC held a recruiting/training meeting at ARMC. Dr. Heather Shover discussed the San Bernardino County Surge Capacity and the chain command and role of the MRC during the medical disaster.

On May 12, the MRC held training at the San Bernardino County Fire Department's Emergency Operations Center in Rialto. Emergency Services Officer Dennis West provided an introduction to the Standardized Emergency Management System and Incident Command System. In June, the MRC has scheduled a training workshop on Introduction to Weapons of Mass Destruction. The SBC MRC is designed to provide an organized framework for emergency resources to work effectively in emergency situations. Its structure will ensure that volunteers are activated and deployed in a manner that is fully planned and coordinated with the broader emergency response plans in San Bernardino County. The goal of the SBC MRC is to bring together the knowledge and skills of many different health professionals and other volunteers to address public health crises.

Dr. Rodney Borger received the CMA's 2005 Young Physician Section (YPS) Leadership in the Community Service Award on March 18, 2005. The award encourages excellence in community service activities carried out by young physicians.

Dr. Dev GnanaDev received the Medical Board of California's Physician Recognition Award for outstanding service to underserved patients in San Bernardino County. On March 19 he also accepted the American Heart Association's 2005 Medical Honoree award for his shared mission of fighting heart disease and stroke, particularly in underrepresented segments of the population.

In 2004/2005, the Inland Wellness Information Network's (IWIN) Live and Then Give (LTG) collaborated with OneLegacy and other partners to launch the "Southern California Donate Life Network". As a collaborative partner, LTG was able to participate with OneLegacy in a rose parade float dedicated to organ donor awareness on January 1, 2005 at the Rose Parade. LTG also joined the Blood Bank of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties and the United Organ Transplant Association in manning display booths at four area Saturn dealers to promote National Donor Day on February 14. LTG also collaborated with Southern California Donate Life Network (SCDLN) partners to promote the Donate Life California (DLC) Registry campaign. Advertising slides were placed in seven Krikorian Theatres in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, reaching nearly 2 million moviegoers. LTG, with our SCDLN Inland Empire partners, promoted organ, tissue and blood donation at our annual event at the Rancho Cucamonga, Epicenter Quakes game and distributed approximately 1,000 balloons and information on organ donation. Dr. Victor Ching attended to assist in promoting organ donor awareness. LTG also delivered Donate Life brochures and promotional items to hospitals and physicians' offices and promoted organ and tissue donations and Donate Life California throughout the year in presentations, press releases, articles in newspapers, press conferences and faxes.

The African American Health Initiative presented its comprehensive report "Voices of the People: An Afrocentric Plan for Better Health" at a ceremony at the San Bernardino County Government Center on December 2 and held their Awards and Recognition Banquet at the National Orange Show that evening. AAHI is in a transition process from an initiative to a nonprofit organization that will focus on the health needs of the Black/African American population of San Bernardino County. The new nonprofit will be run by leaders in the African American community. The California Endowment Local Opportunities Fund has granted IWIN/AAHI $49,955 to begin the transition process, and will grant IWIN/AAHI an additional $50,000 through a board discretionary grant. The IWIN board agreed to be the fiscal agent/sponsor for both grants.

The SBCMS Historical Committee hosted its 8th Annual Southern California Medical Museum Open House on April 3 at the SBCMS headquarters. Dressed in period costume, Doctor Mark Rutledge presented an entertaining lecture on "18th Century Colonial Medical Practices" and discussed the background and use of a number of medical artifacts of the Revolutionary War and colonial era. The SBCMS Alliance staffed the reception table and served refreshments, and docents conducted tours of the museum and library.

SBCMS formed a new Maternal, Child, Adolescent Committee. This committee, which held its first meeting in late April, is composed of school nurses and pediatricians who address commonalities and concerns in school health offices and pediatrician's offices in San Bernardino County. Issues addressed through this committee may include:

• Requirements for Home/Hospital placement
• New laws allowing inhalers/Epi-pens to be carried in school by all students K-12
• New medication policies and procedures
• The concerns with using Diastat for seizures in the school setting
• Developing forms that are common to all districts for health needs
• Developing a website for physicians to access these forms