The third annual CME cruise will sail the South Pacific in July.

Charles R. Tourtellotte, MD, was born in Worcester, Mass., on May 13, 1927. He died Sept. 18 of prostate cancer in Riverside.

On Nov. 5, at the American Medical Association Interim Meeting in Dallas, Dolores L. Green, executive director of the Riverside County Medical Association, received the Medical Executive Meritorious Achievement Award.

Awards are presented to Rebecca J. Patchin, MD, Robert L. Duncanson, MD, and Mark T. Williams

Riverside County educators want the medical community to know about resources available to young patients. Individuals listed in this article may be contacted for questions concerning children with special education needs. Parents may be referred to these people or to the school study team at the appropriate school.

The Riverside County Medical Association Board of Councilors reviewed the membership report, discussed the medical marijuana program and learned about the Inland Empire Palliative Care Coalition.

In January, the Riverside County Medical Association hosted Duane Cady, MD, chairman of the board of trustees of the American Medical Association, for a two-day visit.

The 18th Annual Western States Regional Conference on Physicians' Well-Being will be held Wednesday, May 18, 2006, at the UC Riverside Extension Center. Presented by the Riverside/San Bernardino Joint Physicians' Well-Being Committee, the event will feature many leading speakers, including attorneys and counselors.

In recognition of Give Kids a Smile Day and National Children's Dental Health Month, Project K.I.N.D. coordinated free dental care for 181 school children in February. Ten dentists donated services worth more than $69,000.

The Riverside County Medical Association is soliciting nominations to recognize and honor deserving individuals for the 2006 Annual Outstanding Contribution Awards. Nominations will be screened by the Awards Committee, with final selection determined by the Board of Councilors. The awards will be presented at the General Membership Meeting in October. The deadline for nominations is Aug. 1, 2006.

Remembering the lives and accomplishments of two leading Riverside physicians--Herman H. Stone, MD, and Joseph Gropen, MD.

On April 25 and 26, the Riverside County Medical Association, the California Medical Association and the American Medical Association presented three forums for members and nonmembers in the Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage and Indio areas.

More than 175 attendees from hospitals and programs in California, Washington and Arizona learned how to deal with impaired physicians at the 18th Annual Western States Regional Conference on Physicians' Well-Being.

The Riverside County Medical Association, in conjunction with JP Morgan Chase Bank and Merchant Services, is pleased to offer a new member benefit that offers you significant savings on credit card processing fees.

In June, the Riverside County Physicians Memorial Foundation awarded scholarship grants to two deserving medical students. The recipients of the $1,500 scholarships are Rebecca Meeh and Victoria Vo. Both are enrolled in the UC Riverside/UCLA Thomas Haider Program in Biomedical Sciences.

The Riverside County Physicians Memorial Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Its primary purpose is to engage in activities of a charitable and benevolent nature. The foundation currently operates two programs, including the medical student scholarship program and Project K.I.N.D. (Kids in Need of Doctors). To make a contribution to the Riverside County Physicians Memorial Foundation for either program, contact Jeanne Vale at 951/686-3342.

Two physicians share their experience with health savings accounts (HSAs) and high-deductible health plans (HDHPs).

The impact of the Riverside County Medical Association's Physician Information and Referral Service on new patient business is tangible. Almost 400 new patients were introduced to RCMA members through the service.

National Provider Identifiers are coming. These 10-digit identifiers came about through HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, and will be required for electronic transactions beginning May 23, 2007. Most every physician should get an NPI.

The Riverside County Medical Association Fall Association Meeting and Annual Awards Presentation is Wednesday, Oct. 25, at the Mission Inn, Riverside. The guest speaker is Linda Hawes Clever, MD, MACP, president of RENEW.

This past July, 30 members and guest of the Riverside County Medical Association cruised the Tahitian Islands. Plan now to be in on the fun during the next trip, which is to Alaska in 2007.

The Riverside County Medical Association-sponsored charitable group arranges free vision care for Beaumont children. Project K.I.N.D. also receives a community service award itself.

The RCMA announces the 2007 Cruisin' Thru CME itinerary.

RCMA's Finest Receive Honors For Outstanding Contributions
On Oct. 25, 2006, the Riverside County Medical Association recognized three of its members and one longtime staffer for their contributions and achievements. More information about each honoree is below. Congratulations!

The Riverside County Medical Association is pleased to inform you that the EMSA (Emergency Medical Services Allocation) funds that were being held by the state for the fiscal years 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 have now been successfully recovered. The allocation for this three-year time period is approximately $1.9 million, or about $650,000 a year.

At the Oct. 26 meeting of the Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce, the Riverside County Medical Association presented a $25,000 check to the Inland Empire Coalition UCR Medical School Fund to support efforts to bring a four-year medical school to UC Riverside.

Organized medicine devotee Rebecca Patchin, MD, was lauded at the recent California Medical Association House of Delegates. She received the Gary Krieger Speakers' Recognition Award, which honors the outstanding contributions of a present or former member of the House of Delegates.

The Inland Empire Palliative Care Coalition will present its second annual educational conference, "Concepts and Cases in Palliative Care," on Sunday, April 29. The event will be held at the Mission Inn in Riverside, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

There's still time to enjoy an Alaskan adventure and earn CME.

On Dec. 5, 2006, Project K.I.N.D. invited its founders, volunteer providers and school nurses to a holiday luncheon, in part to honor several people for outstanding contributions to the organization's charitable mission.

After five years of planning, the Riverside Medical Clinic's new 130,000-square-foot building opened on Jan. 18, 2007. American Medical Association President William Plested III, MD, was on hand to help with the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The Riverside County Medical Association held its 114th Annual Installation of Officers Event on Jan. 19, 2007, at the Desert Willow Golf Resort in Palm Desert. S. Ava Mahapatra, MD, was installed as president for 2007.

Physicians can now order flu vaccine for the 2007-08 flu season. You are encouraged to place your orders early to guarantee that you will receive your supply in time to vaccinate your high-risk patients in the fall. Place your orders directly with manufacturers or through your regular pharmaceutical distributor.

ATHENA of the Inland Valleys has named Judy Carpenter the ATHENA Award recipient for 2007. According to the organization, Carpenter received the award for her demonstrated excellence in her profession, community service and mentoring.

On March 7, Riverside County Medical Association President S. Ava Mahapatra, MD, had the privilege of speaking at the Palm Springs Adult School Medical Assistant Back Office Graduation.

The Riverside County Medical Association will honor several individuals with awards at its October Annual Association Meeting and Awards Presentation. These awards are significant honors that reflect the respect, recognition and appreciation of our membership.

More than 130 attendees from hospitals and programs in California, Washington and Arizona spent May 23 learning how to recognize and deal with impaired physicians. The instruction was part of the 19th Annual Western States Regional Conference on Physicians' Well-Being, held at the UC Riverside Extension Center.

The California Medical Association House of Delegates wants your resolutions! The deadline to submit them is Aug. 28, 2007. E-mail resolutions to jvale@rcmanet.org. A reply will be sent to you confirming receipt.

An anesthesiologist and pain management specialist from Riverside, Rebecca J. Patchin, MD, has been re-elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees. Dr. Patchin's re-election was confirmed at the June AMA Annual Meeting in Chicago.

The Riverside County Foundation for Medical Care, in cooperation with the Riverside County Medical Association and the County of Riverside, is the administrator of the Maddy/Emergency Medical Services Fund (EMSF) program. This fund reimburses physicians for unpaid emergency room claims.

Watch the mail for your invitation to the Riverside County Medical Association Fall Association Meeting and Annual Awards Presentation. The guest speaker is Joe Dunn, CEO and executive vice president of the California Medical Association.

Purnima Sharma, MD, of Hemet, an internist and chief of the Department of Medicine at Menifee Valley Medical Center, died June 27 of injuries suffered the same day in a head-on crash outside Jaipur, a northern India city of about 2.7 million.

Effective immediately, the Riverside County Department of Public Health will no longer require tuberculosis skin testing of students for entry into K-12 schools.

From July 30-Aug. 6, 28 physicians and allied practitioners from as far away as New Jersey and Texas came together on a Princess Cruise to Alaska to participate in a continuing medical education program.

On Oct. 24, the Riverside County Medical Association Annual Fall Association Meeting celebrated the achievements of two doctors. The 2007 Outstanding Contribution to Organized Medicine Award was given to Cecilia A. Smith, MD, and the 2007 Outstanding Contribution to the Community Award was presented to David B. Kaminsky, MD.

Here is resource information for doctors who need to contact school districts about Individual Education Plan Assessments.

The Riverside County Medical Association Medical Student Scholarship Fund provides yearly scholarships to Riverside County residents who are enrolled in or have been accepted to an accredited medical school and show financial need.

A special training session on Jan. 20 is designed to assist physician members in meeting the OSHA mandate requiring annual training by October of each year for all office employees.

OSHA Required Annual Staff Training, will be held Wednesday, January 30, 2008, and Become a Certified Medical Coder In Five Days, will be held March 5, 12 and 26, April 2 and 9, 2008.

Drs. Prabhu and Prabha Dhalla hosted a party welcoming UC Riverside Acting Chancellor Robert Grey in early November. The RCMA has been a strong supporter of expanding the current biomedical sciences program at UCR to a full-fledged medical school. The association donated $25,000 to support this effort.

In November, Project K.I.N.D. received a $10,000 grant from the Bank of America Foundation. The funds provide ongoing support for children who come from families that do not qualify for state or federally funded healthcare, but cannot afford private insurance.

Become a Certified Medical Coder, Learn More About Impaired Physicians

On Friday, January 25, 2008 the Riverside County Medical Association met to install its 114th President, Del Henninger, MD, the first RCMA president from Murietta. In turning the gavel over to Dr. Henninger, outgoing president S. Ava Mahapatra, MD presented him with proclamations from elected officials from the surrounding area congratulating him on his election as RCMA President.

The 20th Annual Western States Regional Conference on Physicians' Well-Being will be held on Wednesday, May 21 from 8 am to 5 pm at the University of California Riverside Extension Center.

CMA has a long-standing benefit for physicians and their family members or colleagues who may be having problems related to alcoholism, chemical dependency, mental illness or behavior.

On Wednesday, February 27, Attorney Gregory Abrams addressed over 30 medical staff leaders, physicians and administrators from hospitals in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

The rational basis for all insurance is to spread the cost of services as widely as possible. This is especially true in healthcare, where the service needed is often not one which the individual can delay or do without. Thus, as a social obligation, everyone needs to be part of the system and share in the cost.

We appreciate receiving your suggestions for recipients for each of the awards listed. Nomination forms can also be downloaded from the RCMA website at www.rcmanet.org.

The number of respondents has increased each year since the survey's inception.

Every year, the American Medical Association Foundation recognizes physicians showing altruism, compassion, leadership and dedication to patient care with their Excellence in Medicine Awards.

On Tuesday, Apr. 15, more than 350 physicians from throughout California marched on the Capitol to protest 10-percent cuts to the state's Medi-Cal program.

On Sunday, May 18, the Riverside County Medical Association hosted a fundraiser to benefit the re-election of Riverside County Board Supervisor Robert Buster, District I incumbent.

This very successful event was attended by physicians and others from throughout Riverside County. In his remarks, Supervisor Buster expressed appreciation for the support of the RCMA and the local healthcare community, expressing his willingness to work with the leadership of the RCMA in addressing healthcare needs and issues within the county through a quarterly healthcare advisory council.

Despite our best intentions, even mildly sleepy physicians and nurses make mistakes and our patients may be suffering more than we recognize.