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Posted on 12.21.09 by Susan Hogeland, CAE 

As we approach year's end, I want to thank CAFP members for their support - both dues and moral, CAFP's leadership for all their hard work on behalf of family medicine, and CAFP's staff for not just doing the work, but believing in the cause.  In the event you don't watch or read until the end of this blog, we here at CAFP wish you the happiest of holiday seasons, and a healthy New Year - especially for those who don't yet have health coverage.  Let's hope that situation changes as a result of family medicine's and others' efforts.

You probably know the U.S. Senate is locked in a battle over health care reform - opponents are using filibusters and other procedural delaying tactics to prevent a vote on the reform bill; supporters are still fighting among themselves over the details.  Majority Leader Harry Reid is threatening to hold a vote on Christmas Day if necessary, but at the moment, it looks as if it will be a Christmas Eve.  Senator Reid is claiming to have the 60 votes he needs. 

A stopgap measure to delay the planned 21% cut to Medicare payments on January 1 has been approved by both houses of Congress.  That's EXCELLENT news for family medicine.

I wanted to update you on the excellent meeting we had last week with Paul Grundy, MD, IBM Global Services Director of Healthcare Transformation, and three members of his team about jump starting the Patient Centered Medical Home in California.  Dr. Grundy was incredibly generous with his offers of support for CAFP efforts and we are excited about the several avenues we'll be pursuing to make PCMH a reality in our state.  Tom Riley and Adam Francis have been working diligently to represent family medicine's interests as the State investigates a Medi-Cal 1115 Waiver to require a medical home-like practice for chronically or severely mentally ill Medi-Cal patients, among the highest utilizers of Medi-Cal services.  CAFP wants to ensure solo and small group practices are given an equal shot at becoming PCMHs for these patients, and the resources required to do so. 

Meantime, we are girding ourselves for the Governor's announcement about anticipated budget cuts - in the neighborhood of $21 million, focusing on identifying key contacts for the newly-elected Speaker of the Assembly, John Perez, and making plans for beginning implementation of the Academy's 2010-12 Strategic Plan.  This will include an all-member survey in January about attitudes and readiness for the Patient Centered Medical Home.  We want to establish a baseline to guide our efforts in helping you adopt those features of the PCMH that will make your lives easier and your patients' care even better.  Dr. Grundy noted that even without payment reform recognizing PCMH services, some TransforMED-transformed practices have seen a 12% increase in their bottom lines.  Who wouldn't want that?

CAFP's offices will be closed at 1 pm on December 24, and all day the 25^th.  I'm taking a blog break next week.  Our offices will also be closed at 1 pm on December 31, and all day January 1, 2010.  Happy New Year!