MIPS Scores Deadline Looming Normally I don’t begin the Monday Message with critical dates to remember. That said, I’m breaking from tradition since October is both important and historic. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released 2017 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) performance scores and payment adjustment information for the …

Physician Burnout and the EHR Discussion Burnout continues to be a top priority for us. Recent reports show that technology impacts surgeons and their time with patients and how physician fatigue is at historic highs for physicians.The fact that electronic health records distract primary care physicians and clinicians from making eye contact with …

Last week I shared with membership about the push for Medicare Advantage (MA) arrangements to count towards requirements for Advanced Alternative Payment Models or APMs. In fact, 24 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have written CMS asking the agency to do just that. LACMA member Dr. Fredrick Russo …

Shana Tova – Wishing everyone health and happiness for the New Year this Rosh Hashanah! As LACMA enters the Fall season and our final quarter, we, as well, are poised for a successful 2018 close. Membership Growth We are making progress with such institutions as Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center where …

Is it me or are there more distractions, more noise, more crisis around medicine and society as a whole than at any period in our lifetimes?  Or, is it simply we read more, listen more, are easily distracted and share more? One thing is certain: Despite local, national, and professional …

Organizational Updates I wanted to share the latest in the organization’s transformation. Most of you have had to adjust your practices, your technology, staffing models and reimbursement models to keep pace with the massive changes in healthcare. That said, LACMA is in exciting negotiations with Medical Practice Purchasing Group (MPPG) …

A Physician’s Nightmare Each week I share what’s new for members. This week, I begin with some sobering news: how physicians manage online reputations, the power and influence of social media and what options there are to regain what has been lost due to false claims and erroneous reviews, statements …

The Value of Your Membership I get asked all the time, “What is the value of today’s LACMA membership?” We have over 25 corporate partners to help physicians in private practice and our medical group and hospital-based relationships with the problems they face each day. Let me share what one …

Health Information Exchange for Southern California I had the privilege of attending a meeting with my colleagues from Orange County, Riverside and more than 20 healthcare leaders on the topic of a Southern California Health Information Exchange (HIE). The purpose was to discuss how providers, health plans, electronic health records, …

Statewide Soda Tax Measure for 2020 Last week, the CMA and the California Dental Association filed a ballot measure to protect public health through a state soda tax for the 2020 ballot. This announcement came four days after the multibillion-dollar soda industry held the state of California hostage with a dangerous ballot …