Dan Osterweil, MD, FACP, CMD | CALTCM President

As we count down to our annual meeting, I want to take a moment to thank you for the opportunity to serve as the Association’s president. The last three years were marked by exciting opportunities and challenges for everyone in long term care. Despite the looming budget cuts, we have all joined together to find ways to improve how we deliver care. CALTCM has taken a leadership role in pushing a new concept- Performance Improvement Education (PIE) in lieu of the traditional CME. What defines PIE is a desire to improve performance by implementing appropriate care processes and quality improvement methods.

Flora Brahmbhatt, PharmD, CGP

On January 23, 2012, the pharmacist with the CDPH and the CA chapter of ASCP hosted a phone conference for consultant pharmacists. CDPH outlined specific expectations of the consultant pharmacist. Specifically, the role the consultant should take during the survey process. Per CDPH consultant pharmacists should visit the facility, introduce themselves to the surveyors and leave contact information to facilitate an open line of communication.

Karl Steinberg, MD, CMD, Immediate Past President, CALTCM

Almost 100 Californians were registered at the March 7-11 AMDA annual meeting in San Antonio, entitled “A Mission from the Heart,” and our CALTCM members as usual distinguished themselves among the crowd of over 1600 attendees from the U.S., Canada and overseas. Many Californians presented lectures, including our own Rebecca Ferrini (AMDA’s Medical Director of the Year for 2009) and Rob Gibson, both from Edgemoor in Santee. I had the opportunity to address the Saturday general session on behalf of AMDA’s Public Policy Committee, on some of the top LTC policy issues over the past year. I did not wet my pants in front of the huge crowd, thankfully.

Rebecca Ferrini, MD, CMD

Mr. Doe has been in your facility for 3 months, but recently suffered a minor stroke. He is a long-term homeless alcoholic with no known family or friends, and he has also just been diagnosed with diabetes and you need informed consent for treatment. He states that he is fine, doesn't think he has diabetes, and that he wants to go out to get a drink. He says he'll be back before dark.