CAL/ACEP - Lifeline

(10-31-2001) Hello and thank you!
Deanna M. Janey, new CAL/ACEP Director of Administrative Services, introduces herself and announces new email address for members. (more...)

(10-31-2001) PRESIDENT�S MESSAGE: Center Stage and Patient Centered . . .
Coalition building. Review of status of SB-117 and SB-254. Serious budget concerns. Emergency medicine as essential public service. Goodbye to Sheila Virgin. (more...)

(10-31-2001) The Legacies of CAL/ACEP
Dr. Ray Williams, new CAL/ACEP Executive Director, introduces himself and describes a night he spent in the ED. (more...)

(10-31-2001) Malpractice or Misfortune: We, the Jury, Find the Emergency Physician�.
Head injury medicolegal case, by Greg Guldner, MD and Amy Leinen, JD (more...)

(10-29-2001) Nov 2001 Lifeline
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(10-28-2001) October 2001 Lifeline
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(09-18-2001) September 2001 issue Lifeline
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(07-26-2001) August Lifeline
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(07-08-2001) Management of Pediatric Fever Without Source
Author, Ramon Johnson, M.D., discusses treating children with fevers with no apparent source. (more...)

(06-30-2001) June/July 2001 Issue Lifeline
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(06-30-2001) June/July issue Lifeline
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(06-29-2001) Mike Callaham Receives CAL/ACEP Education Award...Finally!
Dr. Michael Callaham receives the CAL/ACEP 2000 Education Award - eight months late! (more...)

(06-26-2001) June/July 2001 Issue of Lifelinee
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(06-26-2001) President�s Message: Proud to be an Emergency Physicians
President, Roneet Lev, says her goodbyes, gives her thank yous, and talks about change and accomplishments. (more...)

(06-26-2001) Sheila Virgin Says Goodbye
Sheila Virgin, Executive Director of CAL/ACEP for over 19 years. says goodbye to her friends at CAL/ACEP. (more...)

(06-26-2001) Deborah Larkin's Farewell
Deborah Larkin bids farewell after being the Executive Assistant of CAL/ACEP for the last 15 years. (more...)

(06-26-2001) CAL/ACEP 2000 � 2001 Accomplishments
The CAL/ACEP accomplishments for 2001-2002 are listed and explained. (more...)

(06-26-2001) We Believe the Residents are our Future
President, Roneet Lev, talks about visiting all thirteen California residencies. (more...)

(06-26-2001) Legislative Update
Lobbyist, James Randlett, reports on the progress of CAL/ACEP's legislative agenda (more...)

(06-26-2001) CMA Legislative Day: Healthcare Code Blue
Drs. Roneet Lev and John Bibb recount the day at the capitol with CMA. (more...)

(06-26-2001) Clinical Corner: The Role of Etomidate in the Emergency Department
Author, Erik Laurin, M.D., evaluates the use of Etomidate in two areas: rapid sequence intubation (RSI) and procedural sedation. (more...)

(06-26-2001) Report from the Fairness Task Force
This is the first in a series of emergency medicine practice descriptions, written by Norm Label, M.D., president of EPMG, Emergency Physicians Medical Group, which staffs 28 EDs and employs 185 full time and 90 part time ED physicians. (more...)

(06-26-2001) Emergency Medicine Political Action Committee EM/PAC News
EM/PAC Chair, John Bibb, M.D., reports on the efforts to have a million dollar PAC for CAL/ACEP. (more...)

(06-26-2001) We Need Your Stories!
CAL/ACEP members are asked to submit their stories of safety net problems to CAL/ACEP. (more...)

(06-26-2001) People in the News
Michael Hill, M.D., and Marianne Gausche-Hill, M.D., are featured in this article. (more...)

(06-26-2001) Malpractice or Misfortune: We, the Jury, Find the Emergency Physician�.
Authors, Gregory Guldner, M.D., M.S. and Amy Leinen, JD, analyse a case of a 24 year old man who presents with a headache, is advised he has a mass in his brain, leaves AMA, and ultimately dies. (more...)

(06-26-2001) Career Opportunities
Career opportunities in California are listed. (more...)

(05-09-2001) Career Opportunities
Career opportunities are listed for emergency physicians in California. (more...)

(05-08-2001) May 2001 Issue Lifeline
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(05-08-2001) President�s Message: We have a dream
President Roneet Lev has a dream that any person, with any medical emergency, anywhere within California's borders, will receive the best medical care in the world. (more...)

(05-08-2001) Board Approves Departmental Status Position Statement
Author, Peter Sokolove, M.D., reports on the Academic Development Task Force's goal which is that emergency medicine should be organized as a separate hospital department at all acute care hospitals, and medical schools. The CAL/ACEP position statemnt on Department Status for Emergency Medicine is included. (more...)

(05-08-2001) Free & Fee Courses Offered at Scientific Assembly
Each fee course offered at the 2001 scientific assembly is summarized. (more...)

(05-08-2001) Nurse staffing ratios
Author, Michael Ritter, M.D., reports that California is now mandating nurse staffing ratios in hospitals, per AB 394. (more...)

(05-08-2001) CMA House of Delegates Meeting, February 2001
Author, John Bibb, M.D., reports on the 2001 CMA House of Delegates meeting in Reno and the endorsement of SB 117 (Speier) and SB 254 (Dunn). (more...)

(05-08-2001) We Need Your Stories!
CAL/ACEP is asking for stories from members of overcrowding, diversions, etc., which result to near misses and tragedy for our patients. (more...)

(05-08-2001) An Update on the Development of ABEM's Continuous Certification Program
The American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) has developed a continuous certification program. (more...)

(05-08-2001) Case of the Month: Another Back Pain!?
Author, Greg Hendey, M.D., presents an unusual and exceptional case of back pain. (more...)

(05-08-2001) Legislative Update
Lobbyist, James Randlett, discusses SB 117 (Speier) and SB 254 (Dunn), as well as a third bill which seeks to simplify the eligibility process for Medi-Cal and Healthy Families for ER patients. (more...)

(05-08-2001) CAL/ACEP Legislative Leadership Conference Well Attended
The CAL/ACEP 2001 Legislative Leadership Conference program and events are summarized (more...)

(05-08-2001) The Million-Dollar Political Action Committee
Chair, John Bibb, M.D. outlines the EM/PAC plan to have a million dollar PAC, and thanks those already contributing and those who transferred their money from the Tobacco Settlement Funds Initiative to EM/PAC. (more...)

(05-08-2001) Oops! We got our Dans confused!
Correction to the April issue wherein an incorrect photo of Dan Abbott appearred. (more...)

(05-08-2001) CAL/ACEP Cosponsored Courses
CAL/ACEP and sponsored courses listed from May, 2001 to June 2002. (more...)

(03-29-2001) Career Opportunities
Career oportunities and jobs available in California. (more...)

(03-26-2001) April 2001 Lifeline
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(03-26-2001) President's Message: ER Doc and Motherhood - They are Quite Similar
President, Roneet Lev, M.D., compares taking care of patients to taking care the home and children. (more...)

(03-26-2001) CAL/ACEP Members Should Belong to CMA!
Past President, John Bibb, M.D., talks about the reasons all emergency physicians should belong to CMA, citing the new CMA agenda of emergency medicine's issues as the biggest. (more...)

(03-26-2001) Emergency Physicians Wanted to Attend CMA Legislative Leadership Day
Emergency physicians are encouraged to attend the CMA's legislative conference in Sacramento on April 25. (more...)

(03-26-2001) Everyday Heroes
Senator Joe Dunn applauds Drs. Dan Abbott and J. Brennan Cassidy for their work on the Orange County Tobacco Settlement Funds Initiative and for winning "Man of the Year" award from the Consumer Attorneys of California. (more...)

(03-26-2001) We Need Your Stories!
Members are requested to send in stories of overcrowding, diverstion, and call panel problems to a physician who will be compiling them for the legislature. (more...)

(03-26-2001) An Open Letter to Walter Zelman, Ph.D., President and CEO, California Association of Health Plans
President-Elect, Loren Johnson, M.D., writes an open letter of rebuttal to Walter Zelman, Ph.D., President and CEO, California Association of Health Plans, regarding his Testimony in the Assembly Health Committee Hearing on California's Emergency and Trauma Care System (more...)

(03-26-2001) Physicians for a Violence-free Society Invites California Physicians to Join its California Physicians Network
PVS co-founder, Patricia Salber, M.D., invites California physicians to join its newly formed California Physicians Network. (more...)

(03-26-2001) Legislative Update
Legislative Advocate, Jim Randlett, updates the members on the CAL/ACEP-sponsored SB 254 and SB 117 bills, in addition to the other bills he is following. (more...)

(03-26-2001) Nominations for 2001 Awards
Awards Subcommittee Chair, Gary Tamkin, M.D., asks for nominations for this year's CAL/ACEP awards. (more...)

(03-26-2001) New Perspectives on Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Author, Stephen Bretz, M.D., educates the reader on carbon monoxide poisoning. (more...)

(03-26-2001) Post-Stabilization Case Management Using Kaiser Permanente�s Emergency Prospective Review Program (EPRP) Can Help Emergency Physicians Improve the Quality of Care Provided Kaiser Members in Non-Plan Hospitals
Kaiser physicians, Chip Rath, M.D., and John Shohfi, M.D., explain the new Kaiser EPRP program. (more...)

(03-26-2001) Free Scientific Assembly Course Allows Face-to-Face Meeting with Medicare Medical Director
Scientific Assembly free course with the heads of Medicare carrier is explained. (more...)

(03-06-2001) March 2001 issue Lifeline
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(03-06-2001) President's Message
President, Roneet Lev, M.D., talks about the troubled emergency care system and the collapsing safety net. Also, she discusses the partnership with CMA and the new legislation to correct the problems. (more...)

(03-06-2001) Scientific Assembly Call for Abstracts
Abstracts are being accepted until April 1, 2001, for the 2001 Scientific Assembly. (more...)

(03-06-2001) EM/PAC and the Tobacco Settlement Funds Initiative
EM/PAC chair, John Bibb, M.D., thanks those who donated to the tobacco funds initiative for transferring their money to EM/PAC. (more...)

(03-06-2001) EM/PAC - Emergency Medicine Political Action Committee
EM/PAC chair, John Bibb, M.D., thanks groups for committing to donate $500 to EM/PAC for each full time equivalent emergency physician each year to further the goal of a $1 million PAC. (more...)

(03-06-2001) The Indian Health Service
Author, Michael Burg, M.D., announces that the Indian Health Service is actively recruiting emergency physicians for positions on Indian reservations across the country. (more...)

(03-06-2001) Clinical Corner: Rabies Prevention: Taking a bite out of a rare but fatal disease
Author, Gary Vilke, M.D., discusses the fact that rabies is a viral infection transmitted in the saliva of infected animals, and untreated, the virus will enter the central nervous system of the host and cause encephalitis that is almost always fatal. He talks about treatment for victims. (more...)

(03-06-2001) Legislative Update
Lobbyist, Jim Randlett, talks about the victory in getting $24.8 million from the state for emergency and on-call physicians and new bills: SB 117 (Speier), and SB 254 (Dunn), CAL/ACEP bills, sponsored with CMA. (more...)

(03-06-2001) State Study of the On-Call Problem Convenes in Sacramento
President Elect, Loren Johnson, M.D., discusses a task force to study and seek remedies for the emergency department on-call problem. (more...)

(03-06-2001) New Regulations on Outpatient Settings Expand EMTALA�s Reach
Authors, Shirley J. Paine, PA, JD and R. Gregory Cochran, MD, JD, discuss the latest expansion of the EMTALA. (more...)

(03-06-2001) Case of the month: Acute Altered Mental Status in a Young Female
Authors, Gary M. Vilke, MD, and Nancy Dungan, RN, CEN, present a case of a 30-year old hispanic female who collapsed while mopping a floor and was brought in by the paramedics. (more...)

(03-06-2001) Financial Corner: Some quick tips on saving and investing
Author, Bill Davidson, CPA, discusses reaching goals through saving and investing. (more...)

(03-06-2001) CAL/ACEP Cosponsored Courses
CAL/ACEP Co-sponsorsed courses for 2001 and 2002 are listed. (more...)

(01-23-2001) February 2001 Issue of Lifeline
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(01-23-2001) President's Message: One Special Patient a Shift
President Roneet Lev, M.D., urges to focus on the positive and to pride yourself in delivering quality medical care for patients that are thankful and grateful, or abusive or ungrateful. (more...)

(01-23-2001) CAL/ACEP�s Top 15 Accomplishments for the Year 2000
CAL/ACEP's top 15 accomplishments for the year 2000 are listed. (more...)

(01-23-2001) CAL/ACEP members have been appointed to the ACEP committees
CAL/ACEP members who have been appointed to serve on ACEP committees are listed. (more...)

(01-23-2001) Solving the Medi-Cal Reimbursement Puzzle and Securing the 40% Increase
President-elect Loren Johnson, M.D., describes the extraordinary efforts of the Medi-Cal Subcommittee in ensuring that the 40% Medi-Cal increase finds its way to emergency and on-call physicians. (more...)

(01-23-2001) Legislative Update
Lobbyist Jim Randlett, focuses on the 2001 legislative session, Prop 34, Prop 208, and the legislature power structure. (more...)

(01-23-2001) Legal Corner: Letter regarding Mr. T and Occult Neck Fracture
Dr. Ken Renwick responds to the November 2000 Lifeline article regarding Mr. T and occult neck fracture. (more...)

(01-23-2001) Emergency Medicine Political Action Committee (EM/PAC) News
Dr. Bibb, Chair of EM/PAC, discusses the recent victories of the 40% increase in Medi-Cal, the $24.8 million augmentation of the Maddy EMS Fund, and EM/PAC's goal to become a $1 million PAC. Also listed are the groups that have committed to a yearly donation of EM/PAC of $500 FTE. (more...)

(01-23-2001) Emergency Physicians Transfer Tobacco Initiative Money to EM/PAC
Emergency physicians who have agreed to transfer their donations to the state tobacco settlement funds initiative to EM/PAC are listed and thanked. (more...)

(01-23-2001) Financial Thoughts for 2001
Author Bill Davidson, CPA, has a few ideas for the tax year end. (more...)

(01-23-2001) HOW TO COLLECT YOUR MONEY DESPITE KPC�S BANKRUPTCY
Attorney Andrew Selesnick, discusses unpaid claims of emergency physicians against KPC Medical Management and how to solve the problem. (more...)

(01-23-2001) Clinical Corner: ACLS in the New Millennium
Author, Katie Hurt, M.D., walks through the new ACLS guidelines. (more...)

(01-23-2001) CAL/ACEP Scientific Assembly: Call for Abstracts
Greg Hendey, M.D., Chair of the Research Subcommittee asks for submission of abstracts for the June scientific assembly competition. (more...)

(01-23-2001) Nominations for 2001 Awards
Gary Tamkin, M.D., Chair, CAL/ACEP Nominations Committee, calls for award nominations for 2001. (more...)

(01-22-2001) President�s Message: Systematic Reform for Emergency Medicine
President Roneet Lev, M.D., describes how a JCAHO survey leads to questions of under what state department licensing and certification of emergency departments should be housed. (more...)

(01-22-2001) Orange County Physicians Win Measure �H�, Emergency Physicians Lead A New Charge for Health Care Services
Orange County physicians were successful in getting on the ballot and passing a measure that will insure that a good portion of the tobacco settlement funds goes to health care. (more...)

(01-22-2001) CAL/ACEP Presents Safety Net Problems and Solutions at CMA Council on Legislation
Report on the alliance between CAL/ACEP and CMA in tackling the problem of the emergency care system, and listing the recommendations of the CMA that came out of the November 2000 Council on Legislation workshop. (more...)

(01-22-2001) Clinical Corner: Doctor, My Child Won�t Walk!
This Clinical Corner deals with the diagnostic challenge faced in the emergency department of a child that will not walk. This could be due to multiple reasons, including musculoskeletal lesions, abdominal pain, neurologic lesions, or urologic illness such as urinary tract infection, epididymitis, or testicular torsion. (more...)

(01-22-2001) Emergency Medicine Political Action Committee (EM/PAC) Update
Drs. John Bibb and Roneet Lev ask that each emergency department donated $500 for each FTE per year to EM/PAC to assure a $1 million PAC. (more...)

(01-22-2001) CAL/EMRA Update
CAL/EMRA co-presidents, Drs. Jeannie Tsai and Scott Rudkin, report on CAL/EMRA activies and resident involvement in politics. (more...)

(01-22-2001) Collecting from Plans when IPAs Fail
Attorney, Ian Guthrie, discusses the dilemma that emergency physicians face for getting reimbursed for emergency care when IPAs fail. (more...)

(01-22-2001) Legislative Update
Lobbyist, Jim Randlett, talks about the campaign to make EM/PAC a $1 million PAC and outlines the political reasons for the importance of this goal. (more...)

(01-22-2001) Alcohol Levels and Psychiatric Patients
This article discusses an emergency psychiatric patient who was refused for admission by the psychiatrist because of the blood alcohol level of the patient. (more...)

(01-22-2001) Trauma Specific CME
Some California counties are requiring a disproportionate share of trauma CMEs. CAL/ACEP is working on the issue of informing counties they don't need to follow the ACS standards. (more...)

(01-22-2001) CAL/ACEP & AAEM Offer Reciprocal Reduced Scientific Assembly Fees
AAEM members get discounted tuition to the CAL/ACEP scientific assembly and AAEM will reciprocate for CAL/ACEP members to the AAEM conference. (more...)

(01-22-2001) Emergency Department Nursing Ratios
In 1999, AB 394 was passed which required safe nursing rations for California hospitals. The California Emergency Nurses Association and CAL/ACEP are recommending (more...)

(01-22-2001) Letter to the Editor regarding shoulder dislocation case
Dr. Rajesh Gupta, M.D., added some interesting points to the shoulder dislocation presented by Dr. Hendey in the November 2000 issue of Lifeline. (more...)

(01-22-2001) January 2001 Issue of Lifeline
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(12-11-2000) December 2000 Lifeline
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(12-11-2000) President's Message - "Social Workers in the ED"
President, Roneet Lev, M.D., talks about the responsibility of the emergency physician to also be a social worker in the emergency department. She says, "Identify the social concerns and do what you can to treat the entire clinical situation." She speaks of a great "frequent flyer" program they instituted at her hospital. (more...)

(12-11-2000) Case of the Month - "The Man Who Couldn't Walk"
Authors, Christopher Fee, M.D., and Susan Promes, M.D., discuss a 41-year old Salvadoran man who is brought into the hopsital after awakening eight hours earlier unable to move his legs. He was diagnosed with acute hypokalemic periodic paralysis. Though rare in the U.S., it is likely to be seen with increasing frequency due to increased immigration of peoples from Asia and Latin America. (more...)

(12-11-2000) Tobacco Settlement Initiative and EM/PAC
EM/PAC Chair, John Bibb, M.D., makes a plea for tobacco settlement initiative contributors to transfer their donations to EM/PAC. EM/PAC has set a goal to be a $1 million PAC. (more...)

(12-11-2000) KPC Medical Management Owes Emergency Physicians Millions
Lawyers, Andrew Selesnick and Robert Scapa, announce a solution to the KPC problem. At least seven emergency physician groups have decided to resolve the issue with help from the lawfirm. They welcome participation from other groups. (more...)

(12-11-2000) ACEP Council Meeting
Susan Promes, M.D., Vice President of CAL/ACEP, summarizes events at the ACEP 2000 Council meeting. (more...)

(12-11-2000) Stephen Groth Recipient of ACEP Council Meritorious Service Award
CAL/ACEP Past President, Stephen Groth, M.D., received the 2000 ACEP Council Meritorious Service Award at the 2000 ACEP Scientific Assembly. (more...)

(12-11-2000) Clinical Corner - "Injuries Associated with Less Lethal Weapons"
Authors, Tamara Thomas, M.D., and Jeff Grange, M.D., discuss injuries associated with less lethal projectiles, flexible and nonflexible, such as batons, canines, pepper spray, electric immobilizing devices, bean bag rounds, rubber bullets, doughnut-shaped projectiles, and a net gun that wraps and immobilizes a suspect. (more...)

(12-11-2000) Legal Corner - response from Jerome Hoffman, M.D.
Jerome Hoffman, M.D., responds to a legal corner that discussed the case of an elderly man who fell and suffered blunt head trauma. Cervical spine injury was not appropriately diagnosed in that case. (more...)

(12-11-2000) Career Opportunities
Classified ads for December 2000 issue. (more...)

(12-11-2000) Cosponsored courses
CAL/ACEP Cosponsored courses listed by month into 2001. (more...)

(12-11-2000) November 2000 Issue Lifeline
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(11-14-2000) President's Message: Carving Out Emergency Care
President, Roneet Lev, M.D., describes how emergency medicine care is special and how there should be an emergency medicine "carve out" to protect funding. (more...)

(11-14-2000) Fairness in the ER Workplace
Fairness Task Force Chair, Howard Davis, M.D., updates the reader on the issue of "fairness", it's history, and what CAL/ACEP has done to address fairness in the workplace, including the "Emergency Physicians' Bill of Rights" adopted by the Board of Directors. (more...)

(11-14-2000) Financial Corner: 2000 Year End Tax Planning
Author, Bill Davidson, CPA, talks about year-end tax planning moves. (more...)

(11-14-2000) Legislative Update
Lobbyist Jim Randlett gives the official results of the 2000 legislative session, including bills of interest to emergency physicians. (more...)

(11-14-2000) Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee Update
Brad Zlotnick, M.D., Northern California Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee Liaison, gives an update on reimbursement for hospital observation services. (more...)

(11-14-2000) Case of the Month: Inferior Vena Caval Thrombosis after Prolonged Travel
The case of a 21 year old man who developed inferior vena caval and bilateral iliac vein thrombosis after an 11 hour plane trip and an approximate 10 hour car ride through the desert is presented. (more...)

(11-14-2000) Legal Corner: Case of a 76-year old male who fell down a flight of stairs.
Attorney William Ginsburg presents a case of a 76-year old male who fell down a flight of stairs, his care, and subsequent law suit. (more...)

(11-14-2000) Letter to the Editor (in response to Legal Corner)
Dr. Ken Renwick responds to the August 2000 Legal Corner article regarding Bell's Palsy. (more...)

(11-14-2000) Clinical Corner: Shoulder Dislocation
This clinical corner deals with shoulder dislocation, summarizing the current information. (more...)

(11-14-2000) Are we ED Specialists or ER Specialists?
Bob Derlet, M.D., talks about the (maybe failed) movement to call the emergency room the emergency department (more...)

(09-29-2000) Resuscitating Health Care - The ABCs of Ethics
In Dr. Lev's October President's Message, she expounds on the belief that if health care organizations uphold strong ethical principles, physicians can restore trust and confidence in medical care. (more...)

(09-29-2000) Emergency Care Blueprint to the Future
A new task force has been formed to write an emergency medicine blueprint for the future. (more...)

(09-29-2000) ED physician running for State Senate
John Longwell, M.D., is running for the California state Senate. He tells us why. (more...)

(09-29-2000) Legislative Update
Lobbyist, Jim Randlett, updates members on September legislative activities. (more...)

(09-29-2000) Legal Corner
Bill Ginsberg, J.D., responds to the August issue Legal Corner case. (more...)

(09-29-2000) Clinical Corner - COX-1-Sparing NSAIDS - Much Ado About Not Much?
Author W. Richard Bukata, M.D., discusses whether or not the new COX-1-sparing nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medications are more effective than NSAIDS. (more...)

(09-29-2000) Financial Corner - Risk Management and Insurance
Bill Davidson, CPA, discusses unexpected events, attendant risks and recommended insurances. (more...)

(09-29-2000) Case of the Month
This case involves an 8 year-old female traffic accident victim. (more...)

(09-29-2000) Clinical Conundrums - Emergency Department Pain Patients from a Legal Prospective: Is severe pain an emergency medical condition?
Authors, Shirley J. Paine, PA, JD, and R. Gregory Cochran, MD, JD, hypothetically discuss a 40 year-old man with chronic back pain, intolerant to all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. (more...)

(09-14-2000) October Lifeline
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(08-31-2000) September 2000 Lifeline
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(08-20-2000) CAL/ACEP and Firearms Injury Prevention - An Update
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(08-19-2000) CAL/ACEP Position on The On-call Backup Bill
by Loren Johnson, MD and John Bibb, MD For the past two years, CAL/ACEP has worked hard to find solutions for the on-call backup problem. Frustrated, Assemblyman Gallegos authored AB 2611. This bill would shift the authority for setting on-call rosters from the medical staff to the hospital. AB 2611 is not a CAL/ACEP sponsored bill (more...)

(08-19-2000) CAL/ACEP Awards Presented at the Scientific Assembly
Fred Dennis, M.D: meritorious service to CAL/ACEP. Ramon Johnson, M.D.: CAL/ACEP EMS Award Loren Johnson, M.D.: CAL/ACEP House of Medicine Senator Joe Dunn:Senator Ken Maddy Political Leadership Award NYT Television :CAL/ACEP Media Award Loren Johnson, M.D.: Special Recognition Award Michael Callaham, M.D.: CAL/ACEP Education Award (more...)

(08-19-2000) Understanding cash flow analysis
By Bill Davidson For recent graduates of residency programs as well as seasoned physicians, the importance of financial budgeting (cash flow analysis) cannot be understated. There are some key ideas to consider in designing, as well as implementing, a successful budget. (more...)

(08-19-2000) CAL/ACEP Board Considers Issue of EPMG-CHW Merger
(more...)

(08-19-2000) New Labor Laws
By S. Daniel Higgins, MD When AB 60 was being discussed in the newspapers late in 1999 I had no idea that physicians and midlevel practitioners (PAs and NPs) would be in peril of this law. (more...)

(08-19-2000) Viewpoint of a pain management expert
Steven H. Richeimer, M.D., (more...)

(08-19-2000) Emergency Physicians need to be Politically Active
President�s Message By Roneet Lev, M.D. Emergency Physicians need to be Politically Active EM/PAC�s Goal for $1 million In this president�s message, I hope to convince the emergency physicians of California that contributions to EM/PAC are part of our obligation to our specialty. (more...)

(08-19-2000) Report from 2000 Scientific Assembly
One of the most successful in recent history! By Sheila Virgin, Executive Director Attendance at this year�s scientific assembly in Dana Point, was 333, eight shy of our all time attendance high (more...)

(08-01-2000) President�s Message August 2000
Excerpts from speech including discussion of the Safety Net, uninsured, tobacco initiative, AAEM, SAEM, Kaiser, injury prevention, and gun violence (more...)

(08-01-2000) CAL/ACEP�s Top Accomplishments
A summary of the top legislative and regulatory accomplishments by Loren Johnson, MD including EMS fund, Bergeson Act, Medi-Cal funding, Morrow Bill, and others (more...)

(07-31-2000) AMA HOD 2000 Debates Ultrasound Reimbursement Issues
by Evelyn Cardenas, MD At the recent AMA meeting, ultrasound issues were again debated. The American College of Surgeons and the American Urological Association presented a resolution regarding reimbursement for outpatient ultrasound procedures. National ACEP signed on as co-sponsor. (more...)

(07-31-2000) Low Back Pain in Children
by Jim Keany, MD While low-back pain is a familiar complaint in every emergency department (ED), back pain in children is a different matter all together. The well-prepared emergency physician should be aware of unique etiologies for back pain in children. (more...)

(07-31-2000) Pain Management
Pain management is an important challenge many of us face on a daily basis and sometimes multiple times per shift. While the majority of patients present with legitimate complaints of pain, most of us also deal with drug-abusers. (more...)

(07-31-2000) EM/PAC August 2000 update
By John Bibb, M.D. I want to thank and recognize all of those emergency physicians, emergency physician groups and businesses that contributed to the Governor Gray Davis Committee. (more...)

(07-31-2000) EMTALA / COBRA Fine Updates
Between October 1, 1999 and March 31, 2000, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) collected $643,500 in settlement amounts from 24 hospitals and physicians. (more...)

(07-31-2000) Legal Corner August 2000
A forum where a brief case is presented and the standard of care and other medical-legal issues are discussed (more...)

(07-31-2000) Legislative Update August 2000
ED physicians were granted a 40% increase in Medi-Cal reimbursement for emergency and on-call physicians for emergency services performed on or after August 1, 2000! (Also: SB 1142, Proposition 99) (more...)

(07-31-2000) Deborah Senn for United States Senate
Deborah Senn is the Insurance Commissioner for Washington State and has been a great friend of emergency medicine. She fined insurance companies in Washington State because these companies failed to pay for legitimate emergency department patient visits that met the prudent layperson standard in Washington State. (more...)

(07-25-2000) August Lifeline
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(05-31-2000) June/July Lifeline 2000
EM/PAC and CMA Host Dinner for the Governor, New PCS Rule, Senate Budget Subcommittee Votes To Double Medi-Cal Reimbursement, (more...)

(05-31-2000) ACEP President to Speak at Scientific Assembly
Michael Rapp, M.D., J.D., FACEP, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians will be addressing registrants at the CAL/ACEP 2000 tuition-free Scientific Assembly on Thursday, June 15. The title of Dr. Rapp�s talk is �Current Issues in Emergency Medicine.� (more...)

(05-31-2000) President�s Message June 2000
Daniel Abbott, M.D. At the time this president's message is being written, the Senate Finance Subcommittee has recommended a 100% increase in Medi-Cal payments for emergency and on-call physicians. (Reimbursement, Safety net) (more...)

(05-31-2000) New PCS Rule
New PCS Rule by Loren Johnson, M.D. Co-Chair, Regulatory Compliance Subcommittee In February, Lifeline published an article by Tim Sturgill, M.D., explaining the use of the Physician Certification Statement (PCS). This is the document that ambulance companies need to justify medical necessity for non-emergency transports. (more...)

(05-31-2000) Legislative Update by James E. Randlett, Legislative Advocate
Senate Budget Subcommittee Votes To Double Medi-Cal Reimbursement!This language states that Medi-Cal managed care plans must pay emergency and on-call physicians no less than the Medi-Cal fee-for-service rate. As an additional protection, CAL/ACEP is also seeking budget language to ensure that Medi-Cal managed care plans pay claims fairly and on-time. This objective will be more difficult to accomplish this year, but we are pushing hard nonetheless. (more...)

(05-31-2000) A Big Thank You to the Initiative Contributors!
CAL/ACEP wishes to recognize and publicly thank the following groups and physicians for sending contributions for the Investment of Tobacco Settlement Funds for Health Initiative: (more...)

(05-31-2000) MANY CAL/ACEP MEMBERS SIT ON ACEP COMMITTEES
This is a list of the CAL/ACEP members that sit on various ACEP committees (more...)

(04-30-2000) May Lifeline 2000 President' Message
Sample of Presiden't message copied straight from the Lifeline PDF. (more...)

(01-11-2000) Hal Renollet Elected to Flying Physicians Board
Hal Renollet, M.D. was elected to the executive committee of the Flying Physicians Association. (more...)

(12-31-1999) April News Article
Dan Abbott discusses strategies for reaching goals in lieu of initiative, What every emergency physician should know, Board e-mail addresses, SA Fee courses highlighted, John Bibb asks members to continue sending their contributions, Legislative update, Meet Board member, Sarah Williams, The battle continues for tobacco settlement money, Many thanks to initiative contributors, Sign up for a CAL/ACEP Committee!, Two �Clinical Corner� articles on Heparins and Appendicitis, Cosponsored courses, Ken Kizer featured in People in the News, EM/PAC Since your Board of Directors made the deci-sion last month to try to work through the legislative process to achieve success to bring more resources to mergency Medicine, I have had a number of ED physicians express their concern and dis-appointment that we have �failed and backed down due to the pressure exerted from reality. I and other Board members have been in Sacramento sev-eral times, working with legislators and their representatives to achieve the three goals we have set forth. In brief review, these goals are (the details are in the pre-vious Lifeline and are available on the CAL/ACEP website � calacep.org � or through the CAL/ACEP office): 1. State Budget Act - $105 million total funds for emergency and on-call physicians. Continued on page 2 The Collapsing Health Care Safety Net What Every Emergency Physician Must Know and Preach (more...)

(12-31-1999) May 2000 Lifeline
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(12-31-1999) December Lifeline
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(12-31-1999) August Lifeline
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(12-31-1999) February 2000 Lifeline
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(12-31-1999) January 2000 Lifeline
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(12-31-1999) June 1999 Lifeline
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(12-31-1999) May 2000 Lifeline
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(12-31-1999) April 1999 Lifeline
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(12-31-1999) March 2000 Lifeline
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(12-31-1999) November 1999 Lifeline
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(12-31-1999) October 1999 Lifeline
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(12-31-1999) September Lifeline
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(12-31-1999) May 1999 Lifeline
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(12-31-1999) April 2000 Lifeline
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(12-31-1999) 2b or not 2b: That is the question!
Article by Gregory W. Hendey, MD, FACEP discussing the use of IIb/IIIa inhibitors in Acute Coronary Syndromes (more...)

(12-31-1999) Clinical Corner: THE "I" WORD: HARDER TO SPELL, OR DIAGNOSE??
Case studies and overview of intussusception, by Claudia Gold, M.D. (more...)