Fascinating, fun and feel-good stuff from life in medicine.

One physician sets the record straight on the Ventura County medical staff self-governance case and another industry expert shares thoughts about leasing costs.

Eli Capouya, MD, * Lance Lee, MD * Howard Murad, MD * Conrad Salinas, MD * Maria Minon, MD

The California Medical Association is buoyed by the survey results that show the public does not support the doctor "tax."

The nation's shaky trauma care and emergency services systems are getting attention in Washington, D.C., with the passage and introduction of several bills.

Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura Counties are among the 10 California counties that have received federal funding to provide healthcare services to the uninsured. A total of $540 million has been awarded to county healthcare programs throughout the state; Los Angeles received $54 million, Orange County received $16.9 million and Ventura County received $10 million.

Orange County pediatricians help children through enhanced learning opportunity.

Human resources, operations, finance, customer service, business planning-the challenges of practice management are many and diverse. Who better to advise you than successful peers and consulting experts? Try these dos and don'ts to boost the performance of your practice.

You don't have to spend a fortune on technology to realize some efficiencies and economies. Try these tips and tools to better automate your practice.

Addressing language access issues and boosting cultural proficiency are critical parts of delivering high-quality medical care. Yet those challenges can seem especially daunting in Southern California. Read on for practical tools and useful resources to bridge communications gaps between doctors and patients.

Try these seven ideas to ensure the CME courses you choose meet your needs.

After serving as president of the Imperial County Medical Society for four years, Prabhdeep Singh, MD, turned over the top leadership post to Travis Calvin, MD.
 One goal of his presidency is to increase physician membership in the CMA and our local society.

The fourth watershed event to change the direction of healthcare delivery was government cost-cutting and rationing legislation that produced diagnosis-related groups in 1985.

The Los Angeles County Medical Association and the California Medical Association will host two workshops in mid-July for physician members and office staffers who want guidance in dealing with third-party payer contracts and in improving billing and collections procedures.

With an eye toward bolstering physicians' influence in state healthcare policy, the Los Angeles County Medical Association's Public Policy Education Fund hosted an April 11 legislative workshop to prepare county medical students for this year's Legislative Leadership Day. Approximately 27 students were expected to attend the event in Sacramento, at which they will lobby California legislators on hot issues, such as healthcare access and scope of practice.

I would like to thank all those physicians who contributed ideas to the Orange County Healthcare Reform Committee. In addition, thank you to Drs. Richard Pitts, Michael Hurwitz, James Strebig, Jerry Jew and Mark Langdorf, and Orange County Medical Association President-Elect Satinder Swaroop, MD. They served on the committee soliciting, discussing and finally collating the suggestions that came from the physician community at large.

Thank you for the many good wishes and warm welcome back to the Orange County Medical Association. Can you believe it has been five years since I left as your government affairs representative?

On March 19, Jay Zubrin, MD, past president of the Orange County Medical Association, reinvigorated the association's Organized Medical Staff Committee. Greg Abrams, Esq., from the California Medical Association Legal Department, spoke to 30 medical staff leaders about medical staff self-governance, a timely topic for Orange County. Within the past four years, six hospitals changed ownership resulting in angst among medical staff members.

While hiring new employees usually indicates your practice is growing, the process often brings with it a certain anxiety. And for good reason. In today's litigious society, office managers and physicians alike are understandably nervous about saying the wrong thing in interviews.

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.

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.

Two years ago, I had a fall off a stepladder, which resulted in an emergency orthopedic procedure. After I was discharged and at home for two days, I was quite winded taking only 16 steps with the walker.
My wife asked a colleague friend to check on me. Upon listening to my lungs and watching me breathe, he said to her, "Get him to the hospital right now!"

For registration information about five upcoming programs, call the San Bernardino County Medical Society at 951/787-7700 or 909/825-6526, except where noted.

San Bernardino County Medical Society President Clifford Walters, MD, presented a memorial resolution to Mrs. Elena Smith from the SBCMS board of directors honoring her late husband, Roger Smith, MD, during a celebration of his life at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center on March 11, 2007. The resolution cited Dr. Smith's service to the medical society and his contributions to medicine as a neurosurgeon. The gathering was hosted by Arrowhead Regional, St. Bernardine Medical Center and SBCMS. Dr. Smith passed away Feb. 19, 2007, in San Bernardino.

Doctors coping with the difficult practice environment of rising costs, onerous paperwork and decreasing reimbursement now have a new worry--trickier insurance companies. We have found many insurance companies engaging in silent PPO tactics to lower physician reimbursement. The newest culprit: Medicare.

Think association meetings aren't funny? Well, try this one. To get the crowd going, Joel Weintraub, MEd, BS, will present "Humor for the Health of It!" on Tuesday, May 24, at the Ventura County Medical Association General Membership and SCPIE Town Hall Dinner Meeting.

Between private urology practice, surgical innovation, research and advocacy, Alexander Gershman, MD, stays busy and likes it.