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CDC Health Advisory: Using Therapeutics to Prevent & Treat COVID-19

OFFICIAL CDC HEALTH ADVISORY Distributed via the CDC Health Alert Network Friday, December 31, 2021, 5:00 PM ET    CDCHAN-00461 Using Therapeutics to Prevent and Treat COVID-19 Summary The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has quickly become the dominant variant of concern in the United States and is present in all 50 states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that eligible individuals should get all vaccines and booster shots as the best preventive measure available against severe disease, hospitalizations, and death due to COVID-19. Therapeutics are also available for preventing and treating ...

CMA/AMA Successful in Getting Congress to STOP Physician Medicare Cuts

U.S. Senate votes to stop nearly all of the Medicare payment cuts facing physicians for 2022 CMA has some good news to share on the federal front:   Tonight the U.S. Senate voted to stop nearly all of the Medicare payment cuts physicians were facing on January 1, 2022.  Earlier this week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the legislation which included provisions to increase the debt ceiling – a must-pass bill for Congress and the nation. President Biden is expected to sign the bill before the debt ceiling deadline of ...

Call for Nominations 2022-2023 FY

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS! Nominations are now open for 2022-2023 positions on the San Bernardino County Medical Society (SBCMS) Board of Directors and Delegation to the California Medical Association (CMA) House of Delegates! Nominees must be a SBCMS/CMA member in good standing for 2022.  Term begins July 1, 2022.  The SBCMS Nominations Committee will meet in early January 2022 to review the slate of nominations. Contact Alison Elsner, SBCMS CEO, at aelsner@sbcms.org, to submit your name or that of a colleague no later than January 3, 2022.

SBCMS Members Claim Your FREE 1-Yr Mocingbird CME Subscription

Dear SBCMS Member, MANAGE ALL YOUR CME AND LICENSES IN ONE PROGRAM! When you join or renew your SBCMS membership by January 15, 2021, you will receive an early bird special: a one-year free subscription to Mocingbird valued at $495. The subscription is compliments of Mocingbird, the Medical Society's newest Preferred Business Partners. (Note: If you have already renewed your membership, you will be receiving an email with link to start your subscription.) And guess what, as an additional bonus Mocingbird also offers free CME courses from their partners via their ...

Upcoming Webinars on Building Covid-19 Vaccine Trust

Three Upcoming Webinars on Building COVID-19 Vaccine Trust  How to Have Effective Conversations with Parents about COVID-19 Vaccines for School-Aged Children November 10, 2021, at 12pm Register Here!  Please join Dr. Eric Ball, pediatrician, for a webinar training on how to effectively communicate with parents about COVID-19 vaccines for children. This training will cover: Evidence regarding safety & efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine for children. Key messages addressing common concerns among parents about COVID-19 vaccination for their child(ren). Communication tips and resources to use with parents. This webinar is a collaboration between CDPH Vaccinate All 58 and #ThisIsOurShot. #ThisIsOurShot ...

Letter to Providers by SBDPH Public Health Officer on Monoclonal Antibody Treatments

LETTER TO HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS BY MICHAEL SEQUEIRA, M.D., PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER, SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH ON MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY TREATMENT - DOWNLOAD PDF COPY September 23, 2021 Dear Healthcare Provider: San Bernardino County Department of Public Health is receiving allocations of monoclonal antibody therapies, REGEN-COV and Bamlanivimab/Etesevimab, to distribute to providers. It is important to note that both treatments have been shown to be highly effective against SARS-CoV-2 and the Delta Variant.  Most importantly, both have been approved for use in treating mild to moderate COVID-19 disease AND to provide post-exposure prophylaxis ...

Telehealth (Article Contributed by Eric Hansen, D.O.)

TELEHEALTH by Eric Hansen, D.O. During the pandemic, did you know that telehealth is how some physicians managed to provide consistent care to patients, and even as COVID-19 subsides, telehealth is an option for those with certain kinds of health concerns or for whom logistically it makes more sense? While the field is relatively new, the conditions brought on by COVID-19 have increased awareness about telehealth. The key is making sure you have a physician who is  experienced with telehealth and has integrated appropriate software into their practice that is easy to use. What are some of the issues that can be handled by a primary ...

LifeStream Critical Blood Shortage

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 16, 2021 DOWNLOAD PDF COPY OF PRESS RELEASE LifeStream experiencing extreme blood shortage Community is ill-prepared to support hospital patients. LifeStream Blood Bank, the provider of blood products and services to more than 80 Southern California hospitals, is experiencing an extreme blood shortage. As the region emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic era, the need for blood donations is more urgent than ever. Hospitals are reporting an increased need for blood yet, our blood bank shelves are at their lowest level since the pandemic began. We are urging the public ...

California Department of Public Health Guidance on COVID-19 Death Determination, Evaluation, and Certification

Guidance on COVID-19 Death Determination, Evaluation, and Certification - DOWNLOAD IT HERE This document provides guidance on the determination and evaluation of deaths when Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is being considered as an underlying cause or a significant contributing condition. This document reviews existing guidance from federal, state, and independent expert organizations for certifying deaths due to COVID-19 and outlines the process in seeking further assistance from the California Department of Public Health Guidance (CDPH).

New COVID-19 Vaccine Claims Reimbursement Program

The US Department of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), has launched the COVID-19 Coverage Assistance Fund (CAF). This new program is providing reimbursements on a rolling basis directly to eligible health care providers for claims associated with administering COVID-19 vaccines to beneficiaries whose health insurance does not cover vaccine administration fees, or does but typically with patient cost-sharing. Review and share the program fact sheet for a quick look at the program. Providers can now begin submitting eligible claims for COVID-19 vaccine administration ...