SMCMA Physician

News in Brief

On Tuesday, September 18th, the SMCMA Board of Directors held a meeting with community members to discuss the status of Seton Medical Center and the plans for its future. Representatives from Seton Medical Center including Mark Fratzke, CEO, Dr. Charles Antonini, CMO, and Dr. Robert Perez, President of the Medical Staff as well as Supervisor Don Horsley, representatives from Supervisor David Canepa’s and Congresswoman Jackie Speier’s offices, Daly City Mayor Juslyn Manalo, Daly City Vice Mayor Raymond Buenaventura, San Mateo County Health Officer Dr. Scott Morrow, and San Mateo County Chief Deputy Counsel Mr. John Nibbelin, discussed quality of care at Seton Hospital and the adverse effect on the community if Seton were to close. Out of that conversation, a task force to develop alternatives for keeping Seton open was recommended to the County Board of Supervisors.

SMCMA Board Secretary/Treasurer, Uli Chettipally, MD was among the seven physicians honored by The Permanente Medical Group for their innovative research. Members of the Kaiser Permanente Clinical Research in Emergency Services & Treatments (CREST) Network were presented with the 2018 Morris F. Collen Research Award at the Permanente Medical Group monthly board meeting on September 28 in Monterey. KP CREST is a multi-center collaborative network in Kaiser Permanente that encourages, enables, and executes research in emergency medicine.

Earlier this year, the California Medical Association (CMA) and SoFi launched a new member benefit that will help physicians save thousands on their student loans. Sofi offers CMA members student loan refinancing options that include low-variable and fixed rates with terms ranging from five to 20 years. For a limited time, SoFi is offering CMA members a special double rate discount. If you have questions about SoFi student loan refinancing, please visit SoFi.com/CMA or contact SoFi directly at ask@sofi.com or (855) 456-7634.

The California Medical Association (CMA) installed Los Angeles ophthalmologist David Aizuss, MD, as its 151st President during the organization’s annual House of Delegates (HOD) meeting in Sacramento.
At the same meeting, Urologist and kidney transplant surgeon Peter N. Bretan, Jr., MD, was elected by the California Medical Association (CMA) House of Delegates as the association’s new President-Elect.

The CMA recently announced that the new members-only mobile app is now available. Free and available for Android and iOS, the CMAdocs app will keep you up-to-date and informed on issues critical to the practice of medicine in California.

SMCMA member and former President, Vincent Mason, MD, was named to the Advisory Council for the newly formed Physicians for a Healthy California (PHC), formerly the CMA Foundation.

In response to the Camp, Woolsey, and Hill wildfires, which destroyed thousands of homes, the CMA and Physicians for a Healthy California (PHC) launched a donation page to help impacted physicians and their families. One hundred percent of donations will directly support relief efforts. Additionally, the CMA published guides for both patients and physicians affected by the wildfires. More information and a donation link can be found on the CMA website at cmadocs.org.

The SMCMA Board of Directors recently approved a three-year strategic plan and committee structure reorganization. The plan affirms four goals the Board set forth in July - Engaged Membership, Influential Physician Voice, Promoting Health, and Organizational Strength. The new committee sructure and call for volunteers will be announced early in 2019.