Posted on 07.06.10 by Executive Vice Presdient Susan Hogeland, CAE

Thanks to the tremendously hard work of our lobbying and policy staff, and the effort of past president Eric Ramos, who provided testimony, CAFP's PCMH definition legislation, AB1542, and our vaccine payment equity legislation, AB2093, both passed out of the Senate Health Committee on June 30.  Additionally, legislation by Senator Yee to remove naturopaths from the Osteopathic Medical Board was also passed.  There are still more hurdles for the PCMH legislation in the Senate Business and Professions Committee, but Tom Riley, CAFP's lobbyist, is confident we will prevail.  Congratulations and thanks to all involved in this effort.

President Jack Chou will be visiting CAFP today - we'll hold a brief staff meeting then break into small groups to review progress toward meeting the goals of the 2010-2012 CAFP Strategic Plan.  We'll also celebrate two birthdays:  Cynthia Kear's (July 5) and Leah Newkirk (July 7).  Happy birthday to both.

In another Herculean (see first paragraph), but slightly less successful effort, CAFP spearheaded submission of a letter to Toby Douglas, head of the Medi-Cal program, urging the State of California to submit a Letter of Intent to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid for Medicare's Multi-Payer Advanced Primary Care Practice Demonstration Project.  The Academy rounded up a coalition of 20 individuals and organizations supportive of participating in the demonstration project, but the state declined to play.  We had proposed that the Fresno area, among others, be considered as the site of a demonstration.  CAFP is continuing discussions with the Fresno Unified School District's Joint Health Management Board about a patient centered medical home demonstration project and will accompany IBM Global Director for Health Care Transformation, Paul Grundy, MD, MPH at a meeting on July 14 in Fresno. 

Plans for Dr. Grundy's second visit to California have nearly been completed.  On tap is a  Roundtable on Primary Care and the Patient Centered Medical Home organized by Kevin Grumbach, MD, at UCSF.  The Roundtable is intended as an open conversation among leaders in the health policy community in California to candidly discuss the challenges facing primary care in the state and the nation and to explore potential strategies to advance primary care reforms in the unique context of the California health care landscape.  Additionally, there will be meetings with representatives of Sutter Health in Sacramento and Brown and Toland in San Francisco to discuss PCMH.  We're very much looking forward to the week.

On Thursday of this week President Jack Chou, Geoff Leung, MD and I will meet with the Dean of the new medical school at UC Riverside, Richard Olds, to discuss health care workforce and support of primary care issues.  CAFP endorsed establishing a medical school in Riverside under the proviso that it have a primary and community care emphasis.  CAFP thanks Dolores Green, Executive Director of the Riverside County Medical Association for facilitating the meeting with Dr. Olds.

CAFP Immediate Past President Tom Bent has kindly consented to represent CAFP and speak at a California MD-WIC Network meeting panel discussion on July 29, 2010 in Santa Ana, CA.  We are still  searching for an FP who'd be willing to represent CAFP at a similar panel discussion on August 3rd, 9:30 CA WIC Program in Sacramento.  Please contact me if you are experienced in the Women, Infants and Children program.

CAFP submitted comments on proposed changes in NCQA's PCMH recognition requirements, as did AAFP. 

AAFP nominated three individuals proposed by CAFP for service on a two national commissions established by the The Affordable Care Act (PL 111-148).  The new law called on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to appoint 15 individuals to the newly-authorized National Health Care Workforce Commission by September 30 and 19 members to the Board of Governors of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR) Institute. 

The role of the Workforce Commission is to review health care workforce and projected workforce needs and to provide comprehensive information to Congress and the Administration to align resources with national needs.  AAFP has recommended CAFP nominee:

• Kevin Grumbach, MD, FAAFP, chair of the Department of Family & Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine.

Dr. Grumbach is also being recommended to this Commission by the California Health and Human Services Agency and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, to which CAFP also nominated him.

The purpose of the Board of Governors of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute is to help advance the quality and relevance of evidenced based research in helping to treat patients. The Institute will identify research priorities, establish a research project agenda, and assist in carrying out that agenda.  AAFP has recommended CAFP nominees:

• Diane Rittenhouse, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Associate Professor in Residence, Step 1, Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies at UCSF

• Joseph E. Scherger, MD, MPH, Vice President for Primary Care at Eisenhower Medicine Center in Rancho Mirage, California and Clinical Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine

In addition, Theodore G. Ganiats, MD, Interim Chair of the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of San Diego (UCSD) and Executive Director of the UCSD Health Services Research Center was also nominated and recommended, through another source.

CAFP congratulates and thanks all for their willingness to serve and represent family medicine.