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The SBCMS keeps you up to date on the latest news,
policy developments, and events

SBCMS News/Media

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Community EMR Survey (Solo & Medium Group Practices)

During this challenging healthcare era, there’s never been a greater need for an efficient, reliable and affordable electronic medical record (EMR) with full health information exchange and telehealth interoperability.  San Bernardino County Medical Society (SBCMS) and Riverside County Medical Association (RCMA) are conducting an interest survey for a community electronic medical record (EMR). If there is sufficient interest, we may have the opportunity to offer a community EMR product that would be available at low or no cost to physicians in the Inland Empire with minimal annual fees along with ...

Connect IE's Move the Needle Conference

Connect IE is excited to announce the Move the Needle Conference! We invite you to join us for a robust discussion that will unearth the power of collaborative partnerships between healthcare providers, community and social service organizations and data information exchanges to achieve health equity for communities. This timely conference will discuss trends and solutions that are sure to move the needle forward and initiate change in the overall community health of the Inland Empire. Breakout Sessions Include: •    Moving Toward Health Equity Using Geographical Information Systems: The Power of Data ...

CMA urges CMS to further reduce MACRA administrative burdens

The California Medical Association (CMA) recently submitted comments on proposed 2018 changes to the Medicare Quality Payment Program (QPP), established by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). Though not perfect, CMA is pleased that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has listened to physician feedback and has made changes that will significantly reduce the administrative burdens on physicians, particularly for small and rural practices. We appreciate the agency’s responsiveness to many of our concerns about the ability of physicians to successfully participate in the ...

Cloud computing providers need to sign business associate agreements, says OCR

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights (OCR) recently released updated guidance on the use of cloud computing for the storage or transmission of electronic personal health information (ePHI). The new guidance clarifies that cloud service providers are considered "business associates" under HIPAA, even if the provider only stores encrypted data and doesn't have a decryption key to view the data. This means that if a covered entity (or business associate) uses a cloud service provider to maintain ePHI without entering into a business associate ...

AMA asks feds to decouple EHR certification from meaningful use

The American Medical Association (AMA) has sent a letter to the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Karen B. DeSalvo, M.D., urging that the certification of electronic health records (EHR) be decoupled from meaningful use certification requirements. “Unfortunately, we believe the meaningful use certification requirements are contributing to EHR system problems, and we are worried about the downstream effects on patient safety,” the letter said. “Many physicians find these systems cumbersome, do not meet their workflow needs, decrease efficiency, and have a limited, if any, interoperability,” the letter said. “”Most ...

CMS conducts meaningful use audits in California

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has begun auditing California physicians who received payments through the federal electronic health record (EHR) incentive programs. Physicians selected for the audit have received letters from CMS contractor Figliozzi and Co., with requests for documentation to support their stage 1 meaningful use attestation. Figliozzi is an accounting firm that specializes in auditing health care facilities for Medicare cost compliance. Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments by demonstrating meaningful use of ...

Need EHR Help or Guidance on EHR Incentives

The Inland Empire EHR Resource Center (IEEHRC) has recently secured additional federally subsidized funding to assist Primary Care Providers with their Electronic Health Records.  The IEEHRC has already assisted 600 Inland Empire providers in receiving $4,300,000 in incentive payments! Has your practice achieved Meaningful Use of your EHR and received incentive payments?  Whether you are implementing your EHR or needing assistance with achieving Meaningful Use, the IEEHRC can help. The assistance for Primary Care Providers is paid for by a federally subsidized grant and  will be provided at no cost to the PCPs ...