Members of the American Geriatrics Society and the California Geriatrics Society Meet With Senator Barbara Boxer
Left to Right: Cathy Alessi, M.D., Freddi Segal-Gidan,P.A.,PhD, Cheryl Phillips, M.D., Martin A. Schwartz, M.D.,
Senator Boxer, Margaret Griffin, M.D., Moira Fordyce, M.D., Jeremy Berger (from the American Medical Students Association),
M. Habib Raginwala, M.D., and San San Wong, M.D.
Meeting with Senator Boxer
On Wednesday April 30, 2008 a multidisciplinary group of health professionals from California participated in a Townhall Meeting with Senator Barbara Boxer. All but one were practitioners involved in the care of older adults in some way, and the one is a medical student who is deeply involved in the American Medical Student Association Geriatric Special Interest Group. In addition, AGS and CAGS members met with staff members from Senator Feinstein's office 2 days later, on May 2nd.
The group was able to thank Senator Boxer for championing SB 2708, which if passed, would give loan assistance to health professionals with formal training in geriatrics/gerontology, who commit to practicing for 2 years in these specialties. The bill now has bipartisan support from Senator Susan Collins (R - Maine). This increases the chances of success.
The California Association of Long Term Care Medicine Presents Its Annual Meeting
The California Association of Long Term Care presents its annual meeting Friday to Sunday, July 18th to 20th, 2008 at the Omni, Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza. The major theme of this year's meeting is "Evidence-based care: quality in motion". Full information and a copy of the brochure are available at http://www.caltcm.org/CALTCM08AM_Brochure.pdf
California's Elder Women Take The Lead
The Women's Foundation of California is partnering with the California Endowment, the California Commission on the Status of Women, the UCSF Institute for Health and Aging the INSIGHT Center for Community Economic Development and New American Media to launch the new Elder Women's Initiative. They will be hosting "speak-outs" in three cities, Fresno, Oakland, and Los Angeles, starting in September. They hope to bring together policy makers with elder women and their allies to talk about the issues they face, and the assets they and their communities have to offer. For more detailed information, contact Karla Rodriquez, Special Projects Program Officer at 415 837 1113 x 311 or email her at karlar@womensfoundca.org. Their website is www.womensfoundca.org.
New Medicare Administrative Contractor
F.Y.I. - there will be a new Medicare administrative contractor handling Medicare Part A and Part B claims starting August 18, 2008 for Part A and September 2, 2008 for Part B. The new administrative contractor (MAC) is Palmetto GBA, replacing NHIC. This information is from Elaine Wong Eakin of California Health Advocates. She indicated in an email to Dr. Fordyce of the CAGS board that there should be an article concerning this on their website, cahealthadvocates.org, starting this week.
The California Geriatrics Society Newsletter 