This CPPPH newsletter aims to keep readers abreast of current developements and relevant information about physician health and wellbeing in California.
All past issues are available from the CPPPH website: www.CPPPH.org.
Definitions
Wellness activities address quality of life and professional satisfaction for all physicians. Wellbeing activities focus on an individual physician and provide resources for identifying, evaluating, referring, treating, and monitoring for physicians when addiction, mental health, behavioral issues, and the effects of aging are a concern.
Confidential Assistance Over the Phone
The Physicans’ and Dentists’ Confidential Assistance Line is a 24-hour phone service providing completely confidential doctor-to-doctor assistance for physicians experiencing substance use or mental health issues. Call:
Send Us Your Comments
We want to hear from you. Send comments to gjara@cppph.org.
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Research about PHPs and Health Professionals
In a meeting with William Prasifka, Executive Director of the Medical Board of California, and Kerrie Webb, Staff Counsel to the Board, CPPPH and CSAM got this status report on where things stand with the Physician Health and Wellness Program that was authorized by the legislation (SB1177) that passed in 2016.
The legislation required two sets of regulations to be developed to govern the program. Webb said she expects the draft of the first set to be sent to the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) for review before the May 13-14, 2021 Board meeting. Once approved by DCA and the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency, the proposed regulations will be submitted to the Office of Administrative Law and will be noticed for a 45-day comment period.
When that first set of regulations is approved and in place, the Board will invite interested vendors to submit a bid for how to administer the program. The Board will then propose the second set of regulations that will govern the amount of the fee that the chosen vendor will be allowed to charge the physicians in the new program.
Considering the steps still to be completed, Webb predicted, “Probably up and running in a year or two from now.”
MBC Stakeholder Meeting – April 21
As we know, state agencies like the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Medical Board of California are created for the express purpose of protecting the public. In addition to such state agencies, there are private organizations whose mission is to protect the public, and those organizations want a voice in the deliberations of the Medical Board. All interested parties are afforded a place on the agenda of the Board meetings to present their views and advocacy. Time during the meetings is available but limited by the press of all other business.
Now, to expand the opportunities for the Board to hear from public interest advocates, the MBC announced new quarterly Public Stakeholder Meetings. To see the Board’s full description and invitation to the April 21st meeting, down load a copy by clicking HERE. Download a copy of the agenda of the first meeting by clicking HERE.
The meetings will be streamed online; to see/hear the meeting, follow the instructions HERE.
CPPPH/CSAM Videoconference May 20
The next CPPPH/CSAM videoconference will be a 90-minute session on Thursday, May 20 — Late Career Physicians and Wellbeing Committees: What to Do About It — with Lauren Drag, PhD from the Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. The session will focus on approaching physicians when the concern is about cognitive difficulties. The presentation will include case examples with the results from the specific neuropsychological tests that were used and a discussion of how a Wellbeing Committee might respond to such findings.
There will be 1.5 hours of CME credit from AAFP and 1.5 hours from NAMSS. The fee will be $50 per person or $75 for two or three persons registering together from the same hospital or organization. For more information, click HERE.
If you are on the email list for CPPPH/CSAM videoconferences, you will receive the announcement and registration link by May 1. If you think you are not already on that mailing list, click HERE to add your contact information.
Available from CPPPH
You can read all the past issues of CPPPH eNews HERE.
Five CPPPH guideline documents are available HERE.
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