• 09/11 - Silicon Valley Round Table
• 09/12 - San Francisco / Bay Area Round Table
• 09/13 - East Bay / Bay Area Round Table
• 09/20 - Sacramento Round Table
• 09/21 - Los Angeles Round Table
• 10/03 - Orange County Round Table

• Verity Health System of California Files for Bankruptcy
• Hospital Consolidation in California Linked to Higher Healthcare Prices
• Why Americans Spend So Much on Healthcare - in 12 Charts
• GM Aligns with Henry Ford Health System to Cut Costs, Improve Quality
• San Diego's Heart Attack Rate is 20% Lower Than Rest of the State
• New Lab Allows Surgical & Non-Surg Procedures to be Performed in Same Room

• California Healthcare Bills Would Blunt Trump's Actions
• Safe Injection Site Supporters Urge Gov. Brown to Sign Bill
• Medicare ACOs Saved CMS $314 Million in 2017
• Healthcare Marketplace Premiums Will Stabilize in 2019: Analysts
• CMS Finalizes Changes to Empower Patients and Reduce Administrative Burden

In his recent blog, Should I buy cyber insurance?, Alvaka Networks' Oli Thordarson presents some detailed information for small- to mid-size enterprises to consider in weighing this decision. In summary, they must consider their risk profile and appetite to carry risk vs. unloading part of that burden. And remember the insurance does not completely absolve them of their responsibility to mitigate risk themselves; it's advisable to do a risk assessment. Oli notes that his analysis is based upon his anecdotal experiences of hacks and losses at dozens of other firms over the years, as well as his own cyber insurance decision. (Oli Thordarson, Orange County)

Choice in Aging has shared that, in Solano and Napa counties, the Area Agency on Aging closed their doors in June, and as a result, a number of volunteers and nonprofits have stepped in, including Choice in Aging, which has taken on the Multipurpose Senior Services Program, serving low-income frail elders, with a new home in Fairfield. Choice in Aging will also be providing the Prevention and Early Access Program for Seniors in Solano County starting in October. Meanwhile, on September 13, in Antioch, Debbie Toth is organizing a coordinated senior advocacy event among East County leaders and older adults, on behalf of the East County Senior Coalition. And, on September 15, The Bedford Block Party will take place, a new fundraiser to benefit Choice in Aging's Bedford Center. The event will include small bites, an open bar stocked with beer and wine, silent auction, and a raffle. (Debbie Toth, Bay Area)

Cigna Corporation announced that Cigna shareholders have voted, at a recent special meeting of shareholders, to approve the adoption of the previously announced merger agreement with Express Scripts Holding Company, one of the nation's leading pharmacy services companies. Cigna anticipates that the merger will close by year-end 2018, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals. (Chris De Rosa, Orange County)

The Joint Commission has awarded El Camino Hospital its Gold Seal of Approval for the management of sepsis, a symbol of quality that reflects an organization's commitment to providing safe and effective patient care. Sepsis is the third leading cause of death in the U.S., after heart disease and cancer, killing 270,000+ people each year. El Camino underwent a rigorous on-site review in July 2018, in which Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with national disease-specific care standards, clinical practice guidelines, and performance measures. (Cecile Currier & Jeff Gruer, Silicon Valley)

On September 11, in San Rafael, ElderConsult Geriatric Medicine will present an ElderConsult Dementia Conference: Protecting Your Loved Ones and Their Finances, suitable for elder care professionals and families. Also, on the evening of September 13, in Santa Clara, Elizabeth Landsverk MD will present Ask Me Anything! Questions For a Geriatrician, as well as Dementia and the Challenging Discharge: Challenges of Early-Onset Dementia, in Foster City, on the evening of October 4. (Elizabeth Landsverk MD, Bay Area)

GeBBS Healthcare Solutions has been named to the Inc. 5000's 2018 List of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in the country, for the tenth consecutive year. As an Inc. 5000 honoree, GeBBS shares a pedigree with Microsoft, Dell, Domino's Pizza, Pandora, Timberland, LinkedIn, Yelp, Zillow, and other notable alumni. The 2018 list is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2014 to 2017. (Nitin Thakor, Los Angeles)

Recent blogs from Gorman Health Group's Dave Sayen include: > The Doctor Will Call You Now, where Dave enthuses, "We are on the cusp of experiencing major digital disruptive innovation in healthcare with the rapid expansion of telehealth as the regulatory barriers to expansion are falling." > Robust MA Enrollment Numbers Signal Opportunity, in which Dave shares that the U.S. has reached 21.44 million Medicare Advantage members - 35% of the entire Medicare pie, and is on a trajectory to reach 50% by 2025. Year-over-year enrollment grew a robust 7.8%. > New CMS Proposal Overhauls ACO Program, where Dave discusses updates to the Medicare Shared Savings Program and other ACO demonstration models. (Dave Sayen, Bay Area)

On the evening of September 24, the Friends of Hospice Rossmoor and Creekside Grill will present the annual Art & Wine Benefit, a fundraiser for Hospice East Bay's Rossmoor Respite Fund. The event will feature local artwork, fine California wines, delicious appetizers, and a silent auction. (Nitin Thakor, Los Angeles)

Brad Schmidt, CEO of Inglewood Imaging Center, LLC (IIC), recently shared some "real practical examples of how IIC is transforming healthcare locally, just in 2018 alone, with the goal to connect the fragmented 'dots' in care with the goal to provide a hospital-quality radiology access point for Southern California." IIC has: > Aligned with Torrance Memorial Medical Center with a strategic cancer imaging collaboration. > Interfaced Providence Health's (Epic Software) to improve managed care. > Bridged Independent Physicians to a "virtual health system radiology hub" that mimics IT workflows found only at large health systems (like Kaiser). > Introduced radiology consumerism to LA County for cash price transparency. > Eclipsed 2,800 referring offices referral locations - and supported 400+ MDs for cancer imaging care. > Pioneered advanced artificial intelligence to support clinical interpretations. > Partnered with KJLH Radio & Susan G. Komen to support breast cancer population health. (Brad Schmidt, Los Angeles)

The latest study of hospital care performance by U.S. News & World Report gave 16 Kaiser Permanente (KP) Northern California hospitals a "high performing" ranking, and named KP Santa Clara Medical Center one of the top 50 hospitals in the country for treating kidney disease. Meanwhile, KP members in Northern California are 52% less likely to die from colorectal cancer since the healthcare system launched a comprehensive, organized screening program, according to a new study in the specialty's top journal, Gastroenterology. And, KP Chairman and CEO Bernard J. Tyson was recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the "100 Most Influential People in Healthcare" in 2018. Tyson is ranked No. 2, along with 11 other leaders, as "disrupters" shaping the future of healthcare. (Walt Meyers, Bay Area)

Kindred Healthcare, LLC and the University of California, Davis have signed a definitive agreement to create a joint venture to construct and operate a 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital, to be located on the UC Davis Sacramento campus. The hospital will treat patients recovering from conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury. Kindred will manage the day-to-day operations of the hospital, and patients will enjoy leading-edge care provided by UC Davis physicians and clinical staff, along with all private rooms. Subject to several regulatory and other approvals, the partners expect the inpatient rehab hospital to open by the third quarter of 2020. (Adam Darvish, Los Angeles)

Best Lawyers in America has once again selected over 100 King & Spalding (K&S) lawyers from 50+ practice areas for inclusion in its 2019 list recognizing leading practitioners from across the country. Meanwhile, the latest issue of K&S Health Headlines is available, and upcoming webinars include: Insurance Coverage for Government Investigations and Lawsuits: The Devil in the Details, on September 18, at 10 a.m. Pacific, which will discuss issues relating to insurance coverage in the healthcare space; and New Strategies to Combat Prescription Drug Diversion from Foreign Markets, on Sept. 25, at 9 a.m. Pacific, which will explore strategies to combat diversion of products from foreign markets into the U.S. Also, on October 30, K&S will hold its annual Women In Compliance Summit, in San Francisco, an interactive event focused on exchanging ideas and benchmarking best practices with women in leadership roles across the compliance and investigations spectrum. (Marcia Augsburger, Sacramento & Travis Jackson, Los Angeles)

CMS has selected Maxim Healthcare Services as a Care Transformation Organization (CTO) for the Maryland Primary Care Program (MDPCP) beginning in January 2019. Under the program, Maxim and other CTOs will provide care coordination resources and infrastructure to participating primary care practices with the goal of improving health outcomes for Medicare patients while reducing costs. Maxim will draw upon its experience using community health workers and other community-based care management resources to help patients address non-medical factors that often contribute to poor health outcomes - such as insufficient housing or lack of transportation - and connect patients with existing community resources. Maxim implemented a similar program in partnership with the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center beginning in 2015, which reduced hospital readmissions by 66% in the first two years. (Matt Diaz, Sacramento)

Mazzetti Inc. and St. Louis-based William Tao & Associates (WTA), multi-disciplinary engineers serving nationwide clients, have merged. The merged company will retain the Mazzetti Inc. name. "As our clients nationalize, they need expertise in close proximity to their many locations. WTA brings us expertise in the Midwest to better serve clients in this geographical location," said Walt Vernon, Mazzetti CEO. The combined firm will have a staff of 206 and 11 locations: Irvine, Sacramento and San Francisco, CA; Denver, CO; Atlanta, GA; St. Louis, MO; Portland, OR; Nashville, TN; Dallas, TX; Seattle, WA; and Bengaluru, India. (Walt Vernon, Bay Area)

On the evening of September 29, in Foster City, Mission Hospice will put on its 2018 Fall Gala, Diamonds & Denim - Dancing to Pride & Joy. The gala will include dinner, wine, dancing, and live and silent auctions. Sponsorships are available. Funds raised support Mission's Hospice House Campaign. (Dwight Wilson, Bay Area)

Nelson Hardiman (NH) has joined forces with Behavioral Health Association of Providers (BHAP) and Epstein Becker Green to present programming and thought leadership that will address topics highlighting the accelerating legal and policy issues for the behavioral health industry. The team will kick off their collaboration with a fall webinar series. Meanwhile, sparked by the law firm's rapid growth in recent years, NH has relocated its offices to 1100 Glendon in the Westwood area of Los Angeles, where it's leasing two floors and 40,000+ square feet. The move supports the firm's growth strategy by providing multiple larger presentation spaces for NH's frequent calendar of educational and networking events for the healthcare and life sciences communities. (Harry Nelson, Los Angeles)

NorthBay Healthcare continued its collaboration with Mayo Clinic at an active clip during the first six months of 2018, during which time 20 NorthBay physicians across 14 specialties submitted 74 eConsult requests to Mayo Clinic. These electronic requests allow NorthBay and Mayo Clinic clinicians to connect and consult on complex medical cases. Meanwhile, NorthBay's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit was recently honored by the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative with the "Follow Up Award" for the care the NICU team gives its babies even after they've gone home - seeing to that high-risk infants are seen in outpatient care during the next three years, through the California Children's Services' High Risk Infant Follow-up Program. (Elnora Cameron, Bay Area)

On October 30, in Pomona, OneLegacy will host its annual Donation & Transplantation Symposium, with attendance expected to exceed 1,200, making it the largest gathering of its kind in the country. Physicians, nurses, transplant center staff, pastoral care professionals, palliative care professionals, and social workers are among those expected to attend and share messages designed to positively impact donation activity at their hospitals and within their communities. Topics to be discussed include caring for donor families, referral and family support, palliative care, the dynamics of death by neurological criteria, and best practices for aligning donors and recipients. (Tom Mone, Los Angeles)

Alphabet Inc. is putting $375 million into health insurance start-up Oscar Health, the latest healthcare investment from Google's parent company. Oscar, which has been selling health plans under the Affordable Care Act since 2013, plans to use the funds to help fuel its entrance into the market for privately administered health insurance plans for seniors, known as Medicare Advantage, in 2020. Also, Salar Kamangar, the former CEO of YouTube, will join Oscar's board. (Los Angeles Times, 8/14/18) (John Puente, Sacramento)

Pathways Home Health recently achieved Level 4 stars from the We Honor Veterans organization, denoting its dedication to providing outstanding service to veterans, and enabling VA staff and vets to easily identify Pathways hospice as one who has made a commitment to offer veteran-specific care and services provided by a competent and highly skilled workforce. Meanwhile, on October 25, Pathways will present its annual fundraiser, One From the Heart Awards Breakfast, in Palo Alto. This year's featured speaker is Maxine Hong Kingston, celebrated author and memoirist, and this year's awardees are Gunilla and Tom Follett of Los Altos, who will be honored for their many years of service to Pathways and the cause of hospice. (Barbara Burgess, Silicon Valley)

Prelude Corporation (PreludeDx) announced that Clinical Cancer Research has published results from a large cross validation study of DCISionRT in patients with DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), also referred to as stage 0 breast cancer. The multi-site study demonstrated that DCISionRT - The DCIS Test - was a strong predictor of radiation benefit and was able to identify patients with significantly elevated recurrence risk who would be considered low risk by traditional clinical assessment. (Dan Forche, Orange County)

Recent blog posts from SAVI Group include How to Run Your Medical Practice Like a Successful Business, which discusses creating a solid business plan, front and back office success, staying in touch with your community, and building your reputation; and Outsource Medical Billing is Changing the Future of Healthcare, which covers revenue cycle management solutions and expected continuous industry innovations. (Sumit Mahendru, Orange County)

Southern California University of Health Sciences has announced the award of two National Institutes of Health grants for work to be undertaken in collaboration with Dartmouth College. The first pursues research into the effectiveness of spinal manipulation services as compared to prescription drug therapy for the long-term treatment of chronic low back pain in Medicare patients. And the second will assess the risk of cervical artery tears in patients receiving cervical spine manipulation. Current recommendations from The American Heart and American Stroke Associations on this risk are based on flawed methods that the present research seeks to correct. (John Scaringe, Orange County)

On Friday evening, October 5, Share Our Selves will present its annual Celebrity Chef Dinner, in Huntington Beach, a fundraising event to benefit SOS and the many services it provides to meet the basic needs of homeless and low-income individuals and families living in Orange County. The evening will include hors d'oeuvres, beer and wine tastings, a three-course gourmet dinner, live music, silent and live auctions, and stunning ocean views. (Karen McGlinn, Orange County)

Tulare Regional Medical Center is on track to reopen in mid-October under new management after the board and a bankruptcy judge recently provided several key approvals, the Visalia Times-Delta reports. Becker's Hospital Review has published "6 things to know," including: Adventist Health will manage the facility once it opens through January 1, on behalf of the board. Officials will conduct a study to determine how much Adventist Health will pay Tulare Regional's board to lease the hospital. Adventist will also lend Tulare Regional $10 million to be used toward hiring and paying staff, financing projects, supply-related costs, and consulting and legal bills. For the plan to go into effect, Tulare residents must approve the terms of Adventist's contract, which will be placed on the region's November ballot. (Larry Blitz, Silicon Valley)

National accounting and consulting firm WIPFLi LLP has earned the number 19 spot on the "2018 Top 100 Firms" list recently published by INSIDE Public Accounting, the second consecutive year the firm has ranked in this top 20 position. The IPA list is based on U.S. net revenue and the submissions of more than 550 firms across the country. WIPFLi, which experienced a 6.3% increase in revenue year over year, has been intentional in its growth through new service-line offerings and firm combinations across the U.S. Also, WIPFLi has placed within the top 15 on two separate top 100 value-added resellers rankings for 2018 from Accounting Today and Bob Scott's Insights report. (Rich Gianello & Jeff Johnson, Bay Area; Tony Taddey, Los Angeles; & Larry Blitz, Silicon Valley)

PCIHIPAA and DMA Tech Solutions have partnered to protect DMA healthcare provider clients from the onslaught of ransomware attacks, HIPAA violations, and data breaches impacting medical and dental practices throughout the U.S. The collaboration comes on the heels of a recent announcement surrounding HIPAA compliance regulation in which the Director of the U.S. HHS Office for Civil Rights said, "Just because you are a small medical or dental practice doesn't mean we're not looking and that you are safe if you are violating the law. You won't be." Meanwhile, protected health information continues to be under attack as hackers strive to monetize stolen data on the dark web. DMA determined that PCIHIPAA's OfficeSafe Compliance Program is the right solution for its clients. (Jeff Broudy, West Los Angeles Technology)

On the evening of September 19, John Tanner, Ph.D., CEO of Tanner Research, will present a Nutrition Science workshop, where he will share his story about how he suffered a near-fatal cardiac arrest in 2009. Since then, he has studied intensely the causes of heart disease, and found that it can be completely avoided through a proper diet - while cancer, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, and about 30 other diseases can be reduced, avoided, or reversed by this same diet. John will field questions and participants will continue nutrition discussions in small groups. The free workshop, to be held at Tanner Research in Monrovia, includes a meal and your choice of one of the top books on nutrition science. (John Tanner, Ph.D., Downtown Los Angeles Technology)