Office of the CMO

The medical directors at Partnership Health Plan of California (PHC) are responsible for rendering clinical judgment in the areas of medical necessity for utilization management, grievances and appeals, quality incentive programs, potential quality issues, and health plan policies and procedures. They are experienced primary care physicians, board certified in either pediatrics, internal medicine or family medicine. 


From the Desk of the CMO

Access newsletters and meeting information developed by Dr. Robert Moore and his team.  

Newsletters

PHC Primary Care Blog

Meetings


2023

Spring Regional Medical Directors Forum

New programs · Major PHC and state policy · COVID-19 and vaccinations policy · Medi-Cal Rx · Mental health and substance use disorder treatment · Data review (opioid use, vaccination, readmission, and equity) · PCP-QIP changes · Future quality measures

3/30 Fairfield: 

Detailed notes Leaders | Clinicians & PowerPoint

4/7 Redding: 

Detailed notes Leaders | Clinicians & PowerPoint

4/14 Ukiah: 

Detailed notes Leaders | Clinicians & PowerPoint

4/21 Eureka: 

Detailed notes Leaders | Clinicians & PowerPoint


County Profiles


Events and Webinars

Stay up to date on the latest events and webinars offered by PHC.

Fentanyl: An old drug creating new problems Understanding the pharmacology, debunking the myths, and considering the treatment options – Enduring

Illicit fentanyl and other high potency synthetic opioids (F/HPSO) are a growing public health concern, and are largely responsible for an increasing number of overdose and poisoning deaths in the United States. While F/HPSO are not new, our understanding of F/HPSO is incomplete, and clinical experience has outpaced research.

CME/CE Available! ***Note*** Credit will not be issued to participants that received credit for attending the live webinar on 3/30/2023. 

This self-study recorded webinar is offering 1.00 CME/CEU** credit available until 4/3/2024. Watch the one-hour recording and complete the online evaluation before or on 4/3/2024 to receive credit. Credit will be issued for only ONE completed evaluation. Certificates will be by emailed at the end of the month. 

Credit determination

CME – American Academy of Family Physicians' (AAFP)

The AAFP has reviewed Fentanyl: An old drug creating new problems Understanding the pharmacology, debunking the myths, and considering the treatment options and deemed it acceptable for up to 1.00 Live AAFP Prescribed credits. Term of Approval is from 04/03/2023 to 04/03/2024. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

CE – Board of Registered Nursing

Partnership HealthPlan of California (PHC) approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing. PHC Number CEP16728, for 1.00 contact hour(s).


Contingency Management for Treating Stimulate Use Disorder: Theories, Principles, and Practice

The information contained in the accompanying link represents the medical knowledge and research of Thomas E. Freese, Ph.D, Director, UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs/Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. The appearance of Contingency Management for Treating Stimulate Use Disorder: Theories, Principles, and Practice Vimeo video on Partnership’s website does not constitute an endorsement by UCLA or its affiliates, the Opioid Response Network, and Pacific Southwest ATTC. No continuing education credit will be offered for viewing this video.


Optimizing the Configuration of the Electronic Health Record for Quality: 2022 Update

For many measures of quality, performance may be improved through the structure and configuration of the electronic health record system. This August, Partnership HealthPlan of California (PHC) will be releasing the fourth edition of “Best Practices for EMR Configuration: Meeting New Quality Requirements,” with several changes from the 2022 edition.


CDC Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Pain – 2016 vs. 2022

A review of the CDC proposed guidelines on opioid prescriptions – how these guidelines have changed from the prior version, how the guidelines may be used in practice in the treatment of acute and chronic pain, and how they might be utilized in light of Medi-Cal Rx authorization practices.


Starting and Continuing Naltrexone for Alcohol Use Disorder in the PCP Setting

This will be a practical webinar on best practices in alcohol use disorder treatment. Discussion will include key steps to patient assessment and treatment, including Naltrexone and other evidence-based treatments, and an approach to alcohol withdrawal.



Medical Directors

The PHC medical directors are proud of their role in promoting access to high-quality health care for the Medi-Cal population in PHC's 24 counties. The medical directors are responsive to inquiries from our clinician network, pro-active in addressing quality and systems issues they encounter, and logical and rational in their approach to complex medical scenarios. 


Chief Medical Officer: 

Robert Moore, MD MPH MBA, Family Medicine


Regional Medical Directors: 

Northern Region (Del Norte, Humboldt, Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, and Trinity): Jeff Ribordy, MD MPH, Pediatrics

Southeast Region (Napa, Solano, and Yolo): Colleen Townsend, MD, Family Medicine

Southwest Region (Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Sonoma): Marshall Kubota, MD, Family Medicine

Eastern Region (Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sierra, Sutter, Tehama, and Yuba):  R. Douglas Matthews, MD, Gastroenterology


Associate Medical Director for Quality: 

Mark Netherda, MD, Family Medicine


Associate Medical Directors:

Aaron Thornton, MD, MBA, Internal Medicine

Bettina Spiller, MD, Family Medicine

Bradley Cox, DO, Family Medicine

David Katz, MD, Family Medicine 

James Cotter, MD MPH, Family Medicine 

Mark Glickstein, MD, Internal Medicine 

Teresa Frankovich, MD MPH, Pediatrics 

Resources

Access resources PHC medical directors find valuable for providers.