News – CSAM

CSAM Announces Executive Director Appointment and New Management Team

Thu, May 30, 2024

Dear CSAM Members,

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Cheryl Marcell as the new Executive Director of CSAM, effective June 15, 2024. Cheryl joins us through a contract with McDonald Association Management in Sacramento, CA, bringing over two decades of distinguished experience and a diverse skill set acquired through her leadership roles with nonprofit organizations in Sacramento and Canada.

Cheryl’s impressive background includes expertise in advocacy at both state and federal levels, membership services, cultivating strategic relationships, revenue generation, and managing conferences and events. She is a seasoned communicator, adept at representing organizations to the public, government, and the media. Cheryl’s most recent role involved serving a large nonprofit that provides crucial services to victims of human trafficking and domestic violence.

McDonald Association Management boasts a skilled team with a proven track record of over two decades in association management. Their expertise spans project management, member services, financial management, event planning, grant development, and government affairs.

The recommendation of McDonald was the culmination of an extensive search process that commenced in February. The search committee, led by Chair Dr. Dana Harris and comprising committee members Dr. Jean Marsters, Dr. Karen Miotto, Dr. Mario San Bartolome, Dr. Mason Turner, Dr. Neal Mehra, and myself, carried out the search process. Kerry Parker, CSAM’s Executive Director 2000-2020, served as our management search consultant.

As part of this new partnership with McDonald, CSAM’s new office and mailing address will be 1540 River Park Drive, Suite 211, Sacramento, CA, 95815-4608, while the primary email address (csam@csam-asam.org) will remain unchanged.

In addition to partnering with McDonald, CSAM has also engaged ConferenceDirect, a reputable nationwide conference management company, to provide support for the 2024 annual conference. Joanna Ward, serving as the conference manager, is collaborating closely with the conference planning committee on the State of the Art Addiction Medicine Conference coming up August 21-24 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco.

I am eagerly anticipating the conference and the opportunity to introduce our members to Cheryl and our new management team. I look forward to the pleasure of seeing many of you there.

Warm regards,

Sharone Abramowitz, MD, DFASAM
President, California Society of Addiction Medicine

CSAM is now accepting nomination submissions for the Vernelle Fox & Community Service Awards!

Thu, May 09, 2024

CSAM Vernelle Fox Award
Honoring an Inquiring Mind, Courage, and Enthusiasm

Inquiring Mind – Contributions to the understanding of the field
Courage – Resolution and tenacity
Enthusiasm – Energy for the positive

CSAM recognizes physicians who have made noteworthy and lasting contributions in line with the mission of the Society: contributions which improve the quality of health care services, increase communication and education among providers of care and add to the research on which the understanding of the field is based and on which the health care services are built.

This award will be presented to the selected candidate during the CSAM 2023 Addiction Medicine Review Course and Board Exam Preparation Track.

If you have someone in mind you feel is worthy of the Vernelle Fox Award, please CLICK HERE to submit a nomination on their behalf.

Please submit your nomination by June 14, 2024!

CSAM Community Service Award
Recognizing non-physicians who make outstanding contributions to the community

The Community Service award recognizes a non-physician who made outstanding contributions to the community. This CSAM award is presented based on merit and since 1985, it has been awarded to a wide variety of legislators, activists, community leaders, etc., all with one thing in common: they have improved the lives of those suffering from the disease of addiction, and by doing so have contributed a valuable service to the community.

This award will be presented to the selected candidate during the CSAM 2023 Addiction Medicine Review Course and Board Exam Preparation Track.

If you have someone in mind you feel is worthy of the Community Service Award, please CLICK HERE to submit a nomination on their behalf.

Please submit your nomination by June 14, 2024!

CSAM Legislative “Walk the Halls” Day

Thu, Apr 11, 2024

CSAM members “walked the halls” of the State Capitol in Sacramento on April 9, 2024 where they met with California legislators and their staff to discuss crucial bills making their way through the legislative process. CSAM Members Soraya Azari, MD, Delani Gunawardena, MD, Randy Holmes, MD, Raheel Khan, MD, Dymon Morgan, MD, (UCSF Fellow), Manu Saini, MD, and CSAM Legislative Advocate Robert Harris all took part in educating our elected officials. The group was able to meet with eight legislators and staff that include:

Senator Richard Roth (D-Riverside) – met with staff
Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno)
Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) – met with staff
Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland) – met with staff
Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) – met with staff
Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber (D-San Diego) – met with staff
Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and – met with staff
Assemblymember Dr. Jasmine Bains (D-Delano).

There were three main bills that were discussed, all of which CSAM supports:

AB 2651 (Bains) Support

AB 2651 would create, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the Licensed Alcohol Drug Counselor Board within the Department of Consumer Affairs. The bill would require the board to establish regulations and standards for the licensure of alcohol drug counselors, as specified. The bill would authorize the board to collaborate with the Department of Health Care Access and Information regarding behavioral health professions, review sunrise review applications for emerging behavioral health license and certification programs and refer complaints regarding behavioral health workers to appropriate agencies, as specified.

AB 2115 (Haney) Support

Under current law, specified clinics, including surgical clinics, may purchase drugs at wholesale for administration or dispensing to the clinic’s patients. Current law requires these clinics to maintain certain records and to obtain a license from the board. Current law prohibits specified substances from being dispensed by a nonprofit or free clinic, as defined. AB 2115 would authorize a nonprofit or free clinic to dispense a narcotic drug for the purpose of relieving acute withdrawal symptoms while arrangements are being made for referral for treatment, as described, and would require the clinic dispensing the narcotic to be subject to specified labeling and recordkeeping requirements. Because the bill would specify additional requirements under the Pharmacy Law, a violation of which would be a crime, it would impose a state-mandated local program.

AB 1842 (Reyes) Support

Current law authorizes health care service plans and health insurers that cover prescription drugs to utilize reasonable medical management practices, including prior authorization and step therapy, consistent with applicable law. AB 1842 would prohibit a medical service plan and a health insurer from subjecting a naloxone product or another opioid antagonist approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, or a buprenorphine product or long-acting injectable naltrexone for detoxification or maintenance treatment of a substance use disorder, to prior authorization or step therapy. Because a willful violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

All in all, it was a successful day of advocating for our profession and patients. As we all know, addiction medicine is a complex and challenging field that requires a deep understanding. That is why it is vital to have a Legislative Day where we can meet face to face with key legislators that shape the policies and regulations in the field of medicine. Thank you to all of the CSAM members that attended, and we hope to see you again next year!

Randy Holmes, MD, FAAFP, DFASAM
Chair, Committee on Government Affairs

CSAM Legislative Day – Sacramento – April 9

Fri, Mar 15, 2024

Join us for CSAM’s annual Legislative Day on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at the State Capitol in Sacramento. Dr. Randy Holmes, Chair of CSAM’s Government Affairs Committee, and legislative advocate Robert Harris invite you to participate in individual meetings California legislators and their staff. This is a unique opportunity to collaborate with colleagues and educate California’s elected officials on crucial topics related to prevention, treatment, and access for our patients. There is no registration fee, and we need strong voices to join us for this important annual event. To RSVP or for inquiries, contact csam@csam-asam.org

CSAM Change in Management Announcement

Wed, Mar 06, 2024

For the past four years, CSAM’s Executive Director, Kim Andosca, and our staff have provided their services through the Advocacy & Management Group (AMG). We extend our gratitude to Kim and the team for their hard work and dedication to CSAM. However, in light of future considerations and after careful deliberation on CSAM’s evolving needs, the Board has decided to transition to new management. This means that Kim and her team will be concluding their service to CSAM in June 2024.

During this transition period, we are pleased to announce that we will be collaborating with Kerry Parker, CSAM’s former Executive Director, to facilitate a seamless transition and to begin the search for new management. Our primary objectives during this search process include exploring various management structures to ensure the fulfillment of CSAM’s mission and to secure our financial sustainability for the long term. We are committed to keeping you informed throughout this process, prioritizing transparency and inclusivity. Your active engagement and input are highly encouraged during this period of change. The following links provide downloadable PDFs of the Request for Proposals (RFPs) for Association Management Services, Conference Management, and the Executive Director position description. If you have any recommendations for qualified executive directors or management companies with a passion for addiction medicine, please reach out to us via email at ca.addictionmedicine@gmail.com.

During these changes, CSAM remains steadfast in its dedication to education and public policy advocacy. The Board and Conference Planning Committee are fully committed to delivering an exceptional CSAM State of the Art Conference, a tradition we are immensely proud of, scheduled for August 21-24 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco. Having recently marked 50 years of service to the addiction medicine community and those they serve, we are excited to chart the course for the next 50 years of CSAM’s future alongside you.

Sincerely,
Sharone Abramowitz, MD, DFASAM
President, California Society of Addiction Medicine

CSAM Member – Race/Ethnicity Report

Wed, Nov 29, 2023

By: Jean Marsters, MD, Committee on Membership & Communications Co-Chair,

The Membership Committee decided to look at the race and ethnic identification of our membership at the end of 2022. We evaluated a Dec 22, 2022, data pull of the race/ethnic identification as entered in ASAM’s membership database by members when they first joined. The option of identifying as multi-racial was not offered as a choice at that time, so at least some of those people may be in the “other” category. We wanted to see if active members in the organization mirrored the race/ethnic composition of all members. As a proxy for active members, we used all members listed on the CSAM website’s committee list that same day. Members on committees were only counted once (people on 2 committees were only counted once). Committees not listed on the website were not included such as Nominations Committee. Activities not appearing on the website such as work groups, task forces and the History Project were not included. Below is the result:

We compared our member numbers with the California Health Care Foundation’s CA Health Care Almanac: A Quick Reference Guide March 20211¹ which has various breakouts of the racial/ethnic identification of active patient care physicians, California Med School graduates and total population in California in 2019 and 2020 (below):

Some of the numbers that break out:

23% of CSAM members “preferred not to answer” or gave no answer to their racial/cultural affiliation. This was a bit less than the 26% of ASAM physicians who answered the same in 2021.

Comparing all CSAM members with those listed on committees:
       White: 44% vs 52%, Asian 12% vs 11%, Hisp/Latino 8% vs 7%, AA 6% vs 2%,
       Other 6% vs 3%, AmInd/Alask Nat 1% vs 0%, Nat Hawaii/Other Pac Isl ~ 0.5% vs 0%,
       Prefer not to Answer 4% vs 7%

6% of Californians and members are African American, but 2% of committee members listed are.

39% of Californians are Latinx, 8% of members are and 7% of committee members listed are

32% of CA physicians active in-patient care are AA/PI, 12% of members are Asian and 11% of committee members listed are.

33% of CA physicians active in-patient care are White, 44% of members are White and 52% of committee members listed are.

Towards these ends and on behalf of the Membership Committee, I presented this data to the CSAM Board yearly kick-off meeting February 11, 2023, along with the recommendation that the Board reviews this and other data on culture/ ethnicity and develop a longitudinal action plan on diversity.

Since that time, there have been various developments:

The Inclusiveness and Social Justice Advisory Group has been created by our current President, Sharone Abramowitz, MD. This group has links to the Membership Committee through shared members.

Last Winter, MERF and the CSAM Membership Committee teamed up to submit a proof-of-concept paper to the California Health Care Foundation seeking funding to develop training for clinicians from race/ethnic groups underrepresented in medicine. Our request was not funded.

Last Spring, MERF and the CSAM Membership Committee teamed up to submit an application for a MAT Access Points grant to the Sierra Foundation (CA DPH SOR-3 funds) designed to promote addiction prevention and treatment for opioids and stimulants to communities of color in California. We offered to develop an 11-month training spanning 2023-24 for 16 California clinicians who either a) identified as an underrepresented medical minority or b) who work in the Tribal Health or Urban Native Indian Health Care systems in California. Our request was not funded.

From my seat on the ASAM Membership Counsel, I have been advocating for improvements in our ability to measure diversity among our membership. Since CSAM and ASAM require joint membership and membership/demographics are in ASAM’s platforms, by improving our ability to measure, we can improve tracking the diversity and identify gaps which need to be addressed. The next horizon for this is to look at sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGI) numbers among membership which ASAM/CSAM has never tracked.

Government Affairs Update

Tue, Nov 28, 2023

By: Randolph P Holmes MD, FAAFP, DFASAM, Government Affairs Committee Chair

The legislative session has now concluded here in California and Governor Newsom has either signed or vetoed all bills presented before him. CSAM’s Government Affairs Committee worked diligently to vet and review all the bills relevant to Substance Use Disorders/Addictions care. Two bills CSAM supported were signed into law:

SB 326 & AB 351, both authorize a bond initiative to fund improvement of the mental health and SUD treatment system
SB 872 authorizes mobile pharmacies to dispense medication for SUD’s

There were several fentanyl bills that were signed (and many that were not). One bill we supported and was signed was:

AB 33 will create a fentanyl task force that has a representative of CSAM serving; another bill will create an overdose reporting system.

There were five (5) naloxone bills but only one was signed:

SB 234 which requires Stadiums, concert venues and Amusement Parks to provide naloxone was signed.
SB 461 was amended to require Community colleges and CSUs to provide fentanyl test strips.

There were a number of bills that CSAM opposed that were vetoed:

SB 58 was one of these bills which would have legalized hallucinogens.

CSAM also supported a number of bills that were vetoed:

AB 1288 and AB 1060, bills to drop Prior Authorization requirement by private insurers for medication to treat SUD’s and emergency mental health/SUD care but these were vetoed;
CSAM supported AB 1207 which would have prohibited cannabis products from being produce in ways to attract children, but it was vetoed

CSAM was neutral of SB 43, which redefines the meaning of gravely disabled, and this bill was signed into law.

Lastly, CSAM continues to be involved in our efforts to re-start a Physician Wellness Program for physicians who experience issues with SUD’s or mental health problems. We are preparing comments on the state’s new proposed rules and regulations.

CSAM’s GA Committee welcomes any CSAM members who are interested in California policy issues to attend our monthly Zoom meeting as a guest. Getting involved with advocacy is a great way to advance treatment opportunities in our communities. We do not yet have our list of bills for the 2024 legislative session, but we expect more movement on fentanyl, naloxone, licensing of outpatient treatment programs, and building capacity for mental health/SUD treatment.

Message from the Conference Committee Chair

Tue, Nov 28, 2023

By: Farah Zaidi, MD, 2024 State of the Art Conference Committee Chair

On behalf of the California Society of Addiction Medicine (CSAM), I am excited to share some of the early planning highlights of the 2024 CSAM State of the Arts (SOA) Conference in August 2024, taking place in the beautiful city of San Francisco at the spectacular venue Hyatt Regency San Francisco.

I would like to begin by honoring and acknowledging the original people of this vibrant city: We are on the ancestral homeland of Ramaytush Ohlone peoples who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. We wish to pay our respect to the Ancestors, Elders and Relatives of the Ramaytush Community as the first people of this land. We recognize that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland.

San Francisco Bay Area is the hub of innovation, technology, education, research, science, arts, cultural diversity and so much more. The Bay Area is also home to many prestigious Universities, as well as top notch Residency and Fellowship training programs of almost all specialties.

The theme of the 2024 SOA Conference is “Social and Commercial Determinants of Health (SDoH & CDoH)”. While there is increased awareness of SDoH, the understanding about the CDoH appears to be in its infancy and is evolving. The 2023 Lancet series on CDoH, defines CDoH as “the systems, practices, and pathways through which commercial actors drive health and equity.” Tobacco, alcohol, processed/ultra-processed foods and drinks, gaming and gambling are some of the well-known examples of CDoH with significant harmful impacts on public health.

Our expert faculty will highlight the trends, advances, and innovations in the treatment of addictions, as well as the intersectionality of social and commercial determinants with addictions, focusing on the impact of vulnerable and already marginalized communities at disproportionally high rates.

In addition to covering the State of the Art in treatment and research of the most prevalent of substance use disorders, we plan to explore the relationships of climate change and substance use disorders, the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in addictions treatment, the link between spirituality in trauma care and recovery, and specific treatment considerations in special populations including the Maternal-Fetal dyad, LGBTQ, Children & Adolescent and Geriatrics.

Our popular Board Exam Preparation Track will be offered again to those who are preparing for the American Board of Preventive Medicine, Addiction Medicine Subspecialty Board Exam in 2024. Our other Wednesday Pre-conference workshops will focus on psychedelics, the state of the art in opioid use disorder treatment, addressing our child and adolescent populations, while MERF (Medical Education Research Foundation) will offer its popular MI (Motivational Interviewing) workshop on Wednesday as well.

And last but not the least, MERF scholars and conference attendees will have an opportunity to share their research and other projects through multiple Poster Sessions over the course of conference.

In short, whether you are a late, mid or early career physician, a physician in training, a medical student, an associate member (i.e., advanced practice provider, therapist, medical assistant), a returning or a novice CSAM conference attendee, the CSAM 2024 SOA Conference promises to offer you a perfect blend of learning, networking, relaxing and sightseeing in San Francisco, one of the top tourist destinations of the United States.

Happy Holidays,

-Farah Zaidi, MD

Join Team DHCS!

Wed, Nov 08, 2023

DHCS is seeking a mission-driven MD/DO to guide DHCS’ ambitious agenda to ensure high-quality and accessible mental health and substance use disorder services in Medi-Cal and other public programs.

The Medical Consultant II position will provide clinical expertise and strategic advice to DHCS Behavioral Health leadership on the development and implementation of policy and initiatives designed to strengthen behavioral health care access, quality, and service delivery, and achieve equitable health care outcomes for 15 million Medi-Cal members and Californians served through other programs. The position, located within the Medi-Cal Behavioral Health Policy Division, will provide cross-cutting support to all DHCS Behavioral Health teams, and will collaborate across the Department and externally. The Medical Consultant II will shape the implementation of an unprecedented array of behavioral health funding investments, policy changes, and innovative initiatives that DHCS is leading to better meet the needs of the communities we serve. This is an incredible opportunity to support the change management process for a once-in-a-generation moment of behavioral health reform in California.

Full-time telework permitted. Board certifications in psychiatry and addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry preferred. For more information, please visit the Cal Careers website.

Please share with your networks. Thank you!

For any questions, please contact the DHCS Hiring Manager for this position, Jamie Shigetoshi, at Jamie.Shigetoshi@dhcs.ca.gov. Please feel free to cc Ivan Bhardwaj at Ivan.Bhardwaj@dhcs.ca.gov.