NCMS Morning Rounds 4-22-21

It's Thursday and time for your NCMS Morning Rounds.

April 22, 2021

Dr. Crockett speaks at Tuesday's press conference at the NC General Assembly.

NCMS, NC ObGyn Society Support Dignity for Incarcerated Women Proposal

On Tuesday the NCMS and NC Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (NCOGS) issued a joint media statement in support of NC House Bill 608 -- Dignity for Women Who Are Incarcerated. This legislative proposal, introduced on Tuesday, addresses the health needs of incarcerated women and their babies by codifying standards of care for women’s health and perinatal care.

Rep. Kristen Baker, MD (R-Cabarrus), the only physician in the NC General Assembly, is one of the bill’s co-sponsors. At a press conference held at the General Assembly just after the bill was filed, Rep. Baker and the co-sponsors were joined by Kerianne Crockett, MD, a Greenville Obstetrician-Gynecologist and NCOGS board member, who spoke emotionally about one of her patients.

“Nearly two years ago I took care of a patient who was in detention at an area jail during her pregnancy. She was restrained with ankle and wrist cuffs during her labor, delivery, part of her post-partum time. She also suffered the devastating loss of her infant,” she said. “In the months that followed, I grappled with my own grief over her loss and thought nonstop about how her difficult and heartbreaking experience was turned into a traumatic one by the shackles she was forced to wear.”

The proposed legislation would protect the health and safety of mother and baby by prohibiting shackling of pregnant women in the second and third trimesters, during labor and delivery and allowing only limited restraint for six weeks post-partum. Also, the bill insists mothers receive adequate nutrition to support their baby’s health and welfare.

Read the NCMS’ and NCOGS’ media statement here.

Improved Communication Access Pilot Project

The NC Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DSDHH) has partnered with the NC Division of Health Benefits to establish a pilot initiative to improve access to communication services for deaf, blind and hard of hearing patients – and their companions – who have Medicaid and Health Choice.

One reason many medical practices are resistant to providing communication accommodations is the cost related to these services. Through this initiative, practices can register to be reimbursed for communication access services such as American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART). Register here.

Examples of visits covered are medical appointments, eye exams, in-home health care, mental health counseling sessions and more.

Learn more about this initiative here.

For more information about this pilot service, please reach out to the Medicaid Communication Access Coordinator at [email protected] or (984) 884-1093.

More Telehealth Funding Available

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently announced that applications for Round 2 of funding for the COVID-19 Telehealth Program will be accepted beginning on April 29 and ending on May 6. The $249.95 million federal initiative builds on the $200 million program established as part of the CARES Act.

You can learn more about this funding opportunity in a webinar this Friday, April 23 at 1 p.m. Access the webinar at this Zoom link.

Community Health Centers are encouraged to consider applying.

  • The application will be fairly simple. Applicants must provide some basic data, but no extensive narratives are required.
    • Given the scoring system that the FCC has established, community health centers are well-positioned to be approved for funding – particularly those who applied in Round One (last spring/ summer) but were not funded.
    • Applicants can receive up to $1 million to support 100 percent of the cost of services and supplies needed to expand telehealth.

Learn more about this opportunity here.

In the News

New Coronavirus Variant Found In Texas, Becker’s Hospital Review, 4-20-21

Learning Opportunity

Priorities on the Health Horizon: Informing PCORI's Strategic Plan Webinar, April 27 | 11 am – 2 pm
The meeting will be anchored by two compelling, forward-looking questions:
-What will it take to create a patient-centered learning health system (with respect to infrastructure, technologies, and engagement)?
-How can PCORI use its research strategies, unique role, and activities to improve patient experience, outcomes, and value in health and health care?

Learn more and register here.

If you have policies you'd like your NCMS Board of Directors to consider, please complete the Board input form here. Thanks for reading!


NCMS Political Pulse for April 16, 2021

Even though the NC General Assembly was on their spring break last week, many bills were filed especially in the Senate to meet the filing deadline. Watch as NCMS Director of Legislative Relations Sue Ann Forrest, MPA describes some of the proposals introduced including a bill giving pharmacists authority to prescribe certain medications, several bills concerning medical liability, proposed legislation that would extend the mandatory deadline to connect to the state's Health Information Exchange (HIE) and a slew of public health focused proposals. For a comprehensive list of all the many bills we're tracking, please visit our Legislative blog here.

And please use our Action Alert, if you haven't already, and encourage your colleagues to use it to let legislators know about our opposition to SB249/HB277 -- the SAVE Act. Here is the link to that alert.

Watch the video.


NCMS Morning Rounds 4-16-21

Friday and your NCMS Morning Rounds have arrived!

April 16, 2021

Navigating COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) held an emergency meeting Wednesday to look more closely at the thromboembolic events associated with the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine. Review the presentations and updates from that meeting here.

The committee did not make a recommendation, indicating they will continue to assess the data and risks and will reconvene in a week to 10 days. In the meantime, the CDC’s and Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recommended pause in the administration of the J&J vaccine will continue. North Carolina officials suspended use of the J&J vaccine earlier this week.

American Medical Association President, Susan R. Bailey, MD, recently hosted a webinar with Peter Marks, MD, PhD, Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the FDA. The conversation focused on the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine. View the webinar at this link.

In North Carolina, health care practices continue to combat vaccine hesitancy, strive for equity in vaccine administration and address the logistics of ensuring everyone in the community is vaccinated against COVID-19.

On Tuesday, April 27 at 6 p.m. NC AHEC is bringing together physicians who are in the thick of this effort to share their experiences in getting their patients vaccinated.

Speakers include Garett Franklin, MD, Cary Medical Group/Raleigh Medical Group, Greg Adams, MD, Blue Ridge Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine in Watauga County and Rasheeda Monroe, MD.

Click here to Join the Zoom meeting room on your computer, or dial-in at (646) 558-8656 using webinar ID 131 899 801.

Kanof Institute for Physician Leadership Now Accepting Applications

The NCMS Foundation’s Kanof Institute for Physician Leadership is now accepting applications for its 2022 classes of scholars for its Leadership College and Health Care Leadership and Management programs. The application deadline is June 30.

If you would like to learn more about these programs, please submit an interest form (see below) or email Aubrey Cuthbertson at [email protected].

Submit a Leadership College interest form here.

Submit a Health Care Leadership and Management interest form here.

Learn more about the Kanof Institute for Physician Leadership and all its programs.

Project OBOT Supporters Receive Glaser Award

Blake Fagan, MD, and Eric Morse, MD were both recently awarded the Frederick B. Glaser Award at the Addiction Medicine 2021 conference. The biennial award, given by the Governor’s Institute and the NC Chapter of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), honors addiction medicine physicians for achievement and meritorious service in the domains of substance use disorder treatment, education, research and leadership.

Dr. Fagan, a family physician at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) in Asheville and a professor in the Department of Family Medicine at UNC-Chapel Hill, has served as the co-director of the Office-Based Opioid Treatment (OBOT) services provided at MAHEC’s Family Health Center since its inception in 2015. He is part of the NCMS’ Opioid Task Force and supportive of the NCMS Foundation’s Project OBOT. Dr. Morse, an addiction and sports psychiatrist, is the medical director for two Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) and a program physician at five Morse Clinics across the Triangle.

Both physicians have been pivotal in increasing access to medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorder in NC through extensive training, mentoring and technical assistance to other physicians and advanced practice providers.

Congratulations Drs. Fagan and Morse!

In the News

The US Paused Use of J&J's Vaccine. What Happens Next? Health Care Dive, 4-14-21

Learning Opportunity

Navigating Ahead on Vaccinating Your Patients with COVID Vax, Tuesday, April 27 | 6–7 PM
Now that the vaccine-eligible population has grown to include nearly all adults, and a childhood vaccine is on the horizon, it is likely that more and more medical practices will be administering vaccines, either in partnership with community partners or in their own offices.

Come hear from your colleagues who are thinking through the “nuts and bolts” of patient vaccinations.

Join meeting here. Or dial in at (646) 558-8656 using webinar ID 131 899 801.

If you have policies you'd like your NCMS Board of Directors to consider, please complete the Board input form here. Thanks for reading!

 


NCMS Morning Rounds 4-14-21

Enjoy your mid-week NCMS Morning Rounds.

April 14, 2021

CDC and FDA Recommend Pause in Administration of J & J COVID-19 Vaccine

On Tuesday, the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) announced it will follow the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to suspend administration of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine.

The CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving six reported US cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine. The type of blood clot, a cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, was seen in combination with low levels of blood platelets. The six cases occurred in women between ages 18 and 48 with symptoms occurring six to 13 days after vaccination.

Treatment of this specific type of blood clot is different from the treatment that might typically be administered. Usually, an anticoagulant drug called heparin is used to treat blood clots. In this setting, administration of heparin may be dangerous, and alternative treatments need to be given, according to the CDC and FDA. It is important for the health care provider community to be aware of the potential for these adverse events and can plan for proper recognition and management due to the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot.

Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare. People who have received the J&J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider. Health care providers are asked to report adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System here.

Today the CDC will convene a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to further review these cases and assess their potential significance. FDA will review that analysis as it also investigates these cases. Until that process is complete, these federal agencies are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution.

You can watch a videotaped media briefing with officials from the CDC and FDA as they brief reporters and answer questions about their recommendation here.

As of Monday, more than 6.8 million people in the US have received the J&J vaccine, while about 98 million people have received the Pfizer vaccine and 85 million the Moderna vaccine. According to the CDC, about 9 million J&J shots have been distributed, but are now on hold due to the CDC’s and FDA’s recommendation.

NCMS Foundation’s Our Community Health Initiative Has New Partner

The NCMS Foundation’s Our Community Health Initiative (OCHI) has announced a new partnership with IndividuALLytics to provide remote patient monitoring and behavioral health integration for comprehensive chronic care management, leveraging the company’s precision medicine model.

"We are pleased that IndividuALLytics is joining our team, which will enhance the scope and scale of services provided by OCHI," said NCMS Vice President for Rural Health Systems Innovation Franklin Walker, MBA. OCHI offers medical practices a way to seamlessly collaborate with and connect patients to community based organizations providing services that improve health. For instance, OCHI offers a referral platform in which physicians and PAs can easily refer patients to evidence-based diabetes prevention programs and others offered through the YMCA in communities throughout the state.

“OCHI has done a great job making it easier for organizations like the YMCA to manage Diabetes Prevention Programs,” Walker said. “Our success with OCHI has allowed us to engage the assistance of the American Medical Association to expand and share this simple to use platform nationally.”

“IndividuALLytics offers our community-based organizations and health provider customers additional expertise in deploying and managing state of the art data collection processes, including physical, biometric and disease specific, which increases the physician’s ability to manage care,” according to Reynold Yordy, founder and Chief Technology Officer for IndividuALLytics.

Michigan-based IndividuALLytics, Inc. employs patent-pending individualized N-of-1 treatment protocols for precision management of chronic illness and employs a comprehensive solution for remote patient monitoring along with a mobile application for patient engagement and multidisciplinary virtual care teams to determine and administer these individualized treatment protocols.

OCHI, part of the NCMS Foundation, uses a software platform that provides custom EHR functionality to community-based organizations allowing them to participate in a collaborative and integrated approach to health. The program enables individual and group interactions, whether face-to-face or virtual, to assist in managing individual care plans. OCHI enables physicians and PAs and community-based organizations to collect and digitally exchange relevant data with the expectation of demonstrating positive health outcomes. Learn more about OCHI.

Resources to Encourage NC Medicaid Enrollment

The NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) has launched a public messaging campaign to encourage Medicaid beneficiaries to enroll in NC Medicaid Managed Care. The “Choose Your Path to Better Health” campaign includes a variety of television and radio spots that are airing in English and Spanish as well as internet and social media messages.

NC Medicaid community partners, advocates, health care providers and other stakeholders may use these materials to help share the word about NC Medicaid Managed Care and the open enrollment period, which runs through May 14. This toolkit includes the advertising listed above plus digital images and flyers that can be printed and posted.

In addition to the Choose Your Path campaign, NC Medicaid is promoting the enrollment period using social media posts, community webinars and events, as well as a prior press release and a Medicaid bulletin.

In the News

Fully Vaccinated But COVID-19 Positive? 4 Notes On Breakthrough Case Prevalence, Becker’s Hospital Review, 4-12-21

Learning Opportunity

Diabetes Prevention & Best Practices Learning Collaborative (LC)
This Learning Collaborative (LC) will consist of four virtual sessions, focused on the current and future landscape of diabetes among migrant and seasonal agricultural workers (MSAW), as well as recommendations for how to best support this community. This LC is designed for Health Centers, community health workers (CHWs), and other enabling service staff who interact with the MSAW community.
Session 2 – April 20, 2:30 – 4 pm
Session 3 – April 27, 2:30 – 4 pm
Session 4 – May 4, 2:30 – 4 pm

Register here.

If you have policies you'd like your NCMS Board of Directors to consider, please complete the Board input form here. Thanks for reading!

 


NCMS Morning Rounds 4-13-21

Happy Tuesday! Enjoy your NCMS Morning Rounds.

April 13, 2021

TODAY: Learn More About Reimbursement for Treating COVID-19 Uninsured

Today, Tuesday, April 13 at 2 p.m. the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) is offering a webinar for you to learn more about the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program. Participating providers are reimbursed at Medicare rates for testing, treating and administering COVID-19 vaccines to uninsured individuals.

If you have conducted COVID-19 testing to uninsured individuals, provided treatment for uninsured individuals with a COVID-19 diagnosis on or after February 4, 2020, or administered COVID-19 vaccines to uninsured individuals you can begin the process to file claims for reimbursement.

Familiarize yourself with this process here, and learn more and file claims here. You can also view Frequently Asked Questions about the program.

And join HRSA officials today at 2 p.m. to learn more. Register here for the webinar.

CDC Declares Racism Serious Public Health Threat

Last week the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Rochelle P. Walensky MD, MPH, declared racism a serious public health threat. Read her public statement here.

In her remarks she also highlighted the CDC’s new website, ‘Racism and Health,’ which will serve as the hub for the agency’s efforts to combat this public health threat and serve as a catalyst for greater education and dialogue around this critical issue. The webpage contains information on structural racism, social determinants of health and their impact on health outcomes in communities of color. Access the website here.

NC Academy of Family Physicians Podcast Focuses on Diabetes Prevention

The latest episode of NCFM Today, the NC Academy of Family Physicians podcast hosted by NCAFP Executive Vice President Greg Griggs, MPA, CAE, features NCMS Board member and DiabetesFreeNC physician champion Karen Smith, MD, and NCMS Vice President for Rural Health Systems Innovation Franklin Walker, MBA.

Dr. Smith, a family physician in Raeford, NC, describes how she screens patients and refers them to one of our state's Diabetes Prevention Programs. Walker talks about how physicians can get involved in the Diabetes Free NC initiative, part of a wide-ranging coalition of organizations including the NCMS Foundation and the AMA. Learn more here.

Listen to the 18-minute podcast here.

In the News

Scientists Work Toward An Elusive Dream: A Simple Pill To Treat Covid-19, STAT News, 4-9-21

Learning Opportunity

Enhancing Knowledge and Skills in Adult Mental Health, April 29, 2021 9:15 AM - April 30, 2021 4:45 PM
Part of this conference will focus on the impact of COVID-19 on the behavioral health system and on individuals of color. It will reflect on the grief and loss we have all experienced and continue to experience since the pandemic began. Our keynote speaker, Dr. Sy Saeed, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at East Carolina University, will outline the impact of COVID on our mind and body, the magnitude of our current behavioral health workforce shortage, and the benefit of telepsychiatry in addressing these issues. We will also offer sessions that focus on whole person care, psychopharmacology, cultural diversity focusing on Latinx and African American clients, mental health literacy and the stigma of mental illness, PTSD, and use of cannabis in treating mental illness. Nursing credit offered - target audience is psychiatric, substance use, and advanced practice nurses and nurse practitioners.

Learn more and register here.

If you have policies you'd like your NCMS Board of Directors to consider, please complete the Board input form here. Thanks for reading!


NCMS Morning Rounds 4-12-21

Welcome to a new week of NCMS Morning Rounds.

April 11, 2021

Key Differences Between PA Team-Based Practice and SAVE Act Proposals

To help clarify the differences between the two proposals currently being considered by the NC General Assembly around PAs and advance practice nurses, the NCMS has developed a side-by-side comparison chart to clearly distinguish the content of SB345 – Physician Assistant Team-based Practice and SB249/HB277—The SAVE Act. We also are in the process of developing a comprehensive FAQ document to address your questions and concerns about these proposals, the current statutes as well as the NCMS’ policies on scope of practice and team-based settings.

Stated broadly, the most important differences between these bills are:
SB345 – Physician Assistant Team-based Practice, which the NCMS supports, has
1) a career entry requirement of 4,000 hours of supervised practice;
2) an additional 1,000 hours of supervised practice if there is a medical specialty change;
3) a focus on the promotion of team-based settings and enhanced supervisory arrangements.

SB249/HB277—The SAVE Act, which the NCMS opposes, completely removes required supervision in all circumstances regardless of practice setting and/or clinical experience.

For a more detailed comparison access the comparison chart here.

PPE AND COVID-19 Tests Available through the NCMS

Just a reminder that the NCMS is still offering personal protective equipment (PPE) for purchase through our ActionPPE supplier. You can shop conveniently online at this link on the NCMS website. PPE available includes gowns, face shields, gloves and a variety of masks.

In addition, the NCMS is partnering with ActionPPE, which has negotiated a special group buy on FDA approved Covid Rapid Antigen Tests. These test, which can be done in a provider’s office in just 10 minutes, are being offered at below market prices.

This is a one-time group purchase of 100k American-made COVID Antigen Test Kits for medical professionals only. Reserve your Covid test kits today as stock will be allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis. Remember to use your NCMS discount code: NCMS-SAVE5. Order now.

Getting Ready for Medicaid Transformation

With the warmer weather the series of webinars on the state’s move to Medicaid managed care are now being called ‘Back Porch’ chats rather than ‘fireside’ chats. The next in the series, which is presented by the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) in partnership with NCAHEC, will happen this Thursday, April 15 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and will address a variety of hot topics around the launch of Medicaid managed care, which will happen on July 1.

Learn more and register here.

To generally stay up to date on this massive shift, be sure to read the most recent NC Medicaid Bulletins at the Bulletin webpage here. Some of the latest issues cover:

• New and Amended Clinical Coverage Policies – March 2021
• Last Month to Submit Program Year 2020 Attestations
• Quality Strategy Update Draft Posted for Public Comment
• Quality Report and Quality Measurement Technical Specifications Manual Posted
• Primary Care Provider Practice Reassignment for Some Beneficiaries
• Community Alternatives Program for Children Waiver Renewal Stakeholder Engagement

In the News

Younger Healthcare Workers Especially Stressed By COVID-19, Poll Finds, Becker’s Hospital Review, 4-6-21

Learning Opportunity

Join us for the next free Lunch and Learn Webinar: "Diabetes Prevention Program", Tuesday, April 20 | noon to 1:00 pm
This presentation will address the growing epidemic of type 2 diabetes in primary care and will discuss actions that physicians and care teams can take immediately to identify and manage their patients with prediabetes, including referral to an evidence-based lifestyle change program.

Learn more and register here.

If you have policies you'd like your NCMS Board of Directors to consider, please complete the Board input form here. Thanks for reading!

 


NCMS Morning Rounds 4-8-21

Enjoy Thursday's NCMS Morning Rounds.  April 8, 2021

Don’t forget tomorrow’s (Friday, April 9) Power Hour beginning at noon. Our guests will focus on black maternal health.

Health inequity in the US has become more apparent during the pandemic, with COVID-19 disproportionately ravaging populations of color. Statistics confirm similar health outcomes for this population in other areas like maternal health. The US has the worst maternal mortality rates overall compared to other developed countries, with black mothers at least three times more likely to die in childbirth than white mothers. Black babies have a mortality rate almost four times the rate of their non-Hispanic white counterparts.
Join us as we hear what some of our community members are seeing in this area and what actions are being taken to address and improve the health outcomes for black mothers.

Register here.

COVID-19 Testing Pilot Program Underway

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), in partnership with Labcorp, is piloting a program to provide 35,000 no-cost, home test collection kits to North Carolinians receiving Food and Nutrition Services and/or are disabled and experiencing barriers to getting tested.

Eligible North Carolina residents can request a Pixel by Labcorp™ COVID-19 PCR Test Home Collection Kit be shipped overnight directly to their homes. The test kit includes test supplies (nasal swab, sample container, etc.), detailed instructions and prepaid specimen return shipping materials to make mailing samples back to Labcorp for testing easy and convenient. Results are typically reported back to the individual within 24 to 48 hours from the time the specimen is received at the lab. Once processed by Labcorp, test results are accessed by the customer via the Pixel by Labcorp website.

The program’s initial pilot is designed to provide testing resources to individuals with symptoms of COVID-19 or who may have been exposed and are members of the following eligible populations:
• Beneficiaries of North Carolina Food and Nutrition Services (formerly called the Food Stamp Program), who may have difficulty accessing existing state-funded testing sites and resources
• Persons with disabilities such as cognitive/intellectual, physical and sensory, substance abuse, mental health and other disabilities that impact their ability to access COVID-19 testing sites

Learn about eligibility, see frequently asked questions and request and receive a test kit through the pilot program here.

It’s Not Too Late -- Join the NCMS Book Club and Meet With Matt Haig!

The NCMS Book Club is currently reading the international best-seller The Midnight Library. We would love to have you join us for our current reading period culminating in a live, exclusive Q&A session with in-demand author Matt Haig!

There is no cost to participate in this club -- you just need a copy of the book to enjoy. Book club members connect through a private online forum where participants discuss the book and learn from one another. Our book club will spend about 10 weeks on each book, so you'll have plenty of time to read. Sign up here.

If you are not yet a book club member, sign up now so you can participate in what is sure to be an interesting conversation about what led Haig to write The Midnight Library and to ask him your burning questions. If you’re already a club member, you should have received the registration link to this exclusive event in your email.

Curi Acquires Health Care Data Analytics Company

Curi, which provides professional liability and other lines of insurance, wealth management and advisory services to physicians, announced that it has acquired the health care data analytics and advisory company, Arrowlytics. Building on an existing five-year relationship between the two organizations, the acquisition will strengthen Curi’s suite of advisory services for physicians and their practices by adding a data-driven solution to help their businesses thrive.

Arrowlytics’ Aspire platform pulls critical data from disparate sources into one system, allowing practices to monitor and improve results across a variety of performance categories—from online reputation management, to practice growth and optimization. Coupled with consultative support from a team of seasoned health care industry experts from both Arrowlytics and Curi, the solution will allow practice leaders to make more informed decisions to assess, adjust and ultimately grow their business.

“Running a medical practice gets more challenging every year, and we have been proud to help our member physicians and their practices navigate these challenges for more than four decades,” said incoming Curi CEO and NCMS Foundation Trustee Jason Sandner. “At Curi, we are always looking for new ways to support our members, and bringing the team and solutions from Arrowlytics into the Curi family will allow us to offer new data-centered solutions and services to the healthcare leaders that we serve.”

The Arrowlytics Aspire platform will support the advisory products and services that Curi has been actively developing with input from its member community for years—from enhancements to risk management, to health policy guidance, to practice retirement plan solutions, to well-being offerings, and more. The offering will be especially valuable in light of the numerous financial and operational challenges that practices are facing during this period of transition in service delivery models.

Learn more here.

In the News

Will Vaccines Roll Out In Time To Stop Emerging Variants? Here's What Experts Say, Advisory Board, 4-6-21

Learning Opportunity

2021 Virtual Primary Care Conference, April 7 @ 8 am - April 9 @ 5 pm
Conference tracks will cover areas including: billing and coding, clinical, executive leadership development, and care management, with sessions dedicated to COVID, social determinants of health, and diabetes care.

Learn more and register here.

 

If you have policies you'd like your NCMS Board of Directors to consider, please complete the Board input form here. Thanks for reading!


NCMS Morning Rounds 4-5-21

Happy Monday! Enjoy your NCMS Morning Rounds.

April 5, 2021

NCMS Legislative Update

This week is ‘spring break’ for legislators, who last week were hurrying to file bills before heading out of town.

While legislators were focused on two education bills being pushed by House and Senate leadership on summer school and reading for the state’s children, other bills of note for physicians and PAs deserve special mention.

As mentioned previously, SB345 – PA Team-based Practice is a proposal that modernizes how physicians supervise PAs, recognizing training and education and focusing on team-based care. The NCMS supports this legislation, which is a product of the NCMS’ Medical Team Task Force’s work over two years. The NCMS joined the NC Academy of Physician Assistants in issuing a media statement when this bill was introduced. Read that statement here.

NCMS staff also is developing an FAQ document outlining the Task Force’s formation and charge as well to answer your questions about the legislative proposal. Watch your NCMS Morning Rounds for this document. In the meantime, please email any questions you have to [email protected] so we can respond to you and include the answers in our FAQ document, which will be updated frequently.

HB61 – Local Communicable Disease Programs/Funds, which provides additional state funding to health departments to fight COVID-19 as well as other infectious diseases. This bill has moved on to the House Appropriations committee for consideration.

The first proposal dealing with surprise billing was filed last week. SB415—Greater Transparency in Health Care Billing was introduced and we will be monitoring it closely.

SB486 – Reform Courts and Jails is an extremely lengthy bill, but included in it is a provision of particular interest to obstetricians and gynecologists on shackling pregnant women who are incarcerated.

SB255 – 2021 AOC Legislative Changes includes provisions that could impact medical liability. We are closely watching this proposal.

Please visit our NCMS legislative blog for daily updates on action at the NC General Assembly. This will be a quiet week as legislators enjoy their break, but get ready for busy weeks ahead as bill filing deadlines approach and the budget negotiations begin.

Tax Season is Here –NCMS Dues Deductibility Statement

Federal law requires the NCMS to notify members that a percentage of dues paid by members is not deductible in accordance with IRC section 6033 regarding professional dues. Dues to the NCMS and component societies are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes but a portion may be claimed as a business expense.

For tax year 2020 it is estimated that 14 percent of NCMS dues is non-deductible. Component societies deductibility amounts for 2020 are as follows:
• NC Dermatology Association: 100 percent non-deductible
• NC OBGYN Society: 28 percent non-deductible
• NC Orthopaedic Association: 48 percent non-deductible
• NC Society of Eye Physicians & Surgeons: 69 percent non-deductible

For 2021 it is estimated that 12 percent of the 2021 NCMS dues amount paid by members is not deductible with IRC section 6033 regarding professional dues.

If you made charitable contributions to the NCMS Foundation (thank you!), you can review your giving history on your NCMS profile page. If you have already created a profile, simply go to the membership tab at the top of our homepage (www.ncmedsoc.org) and click on ‘My Homepage’ where you’ll find a link to ‘View My Giving History.’

If you do not have an NCMS profile, we encourage you to create one – it’s simple, quick and will help you manage your NCMS account. Just go to ‘login’ in the black bar at the top of our homepage or click on this link: https://www2.ncmedsoc.org/login. Follow the prompts to create your profile and access information about your NCMS membership and giving anytime.

Friday’s Power Hour Focuses on Black Maternal Health

Please join us this Friday, April 9 at noon when our NCMS Foundation Kanof Institute for Physician Leadership virtual Power Hour will focus on black maternal health.

Health inequity in the US has become more apparent during the pandemic, with COVID-19 disproportionately ravaging populations of color. Statistics confirm similar health outcomes for this population in other areas like maternal health. The US has the worst maternal mortality rates overall compared to other developed countries, with black mothers at least three times more likely to die in childbirth than white mothers. Black babies have a mortality rate almost four times the rate of their non-Hispanic white counterparts.

Earlier this year, democratic Sens. Alma Adams (NC), Michael Bennet (CO) and Corey Booker (NJ) introduced the Black Maternal Momnibus Act of 2021, which includes 12 provisions addressing racial and ethnic disparities aimed at better outcomes for – and saving the lives of -- black mothers and their children. Join us as we hear what some of our community members are seeing in this area and what actions are being taken to address and improve the health outcomes for black mothers.

Register here.

In the News

'More confidence about the results': FDA authorizes two rapid coronavirus tests for home screening, USA Today, 4-1-21

Learning Opportunity

Xavier University of Louisiana's Virtual Health Disparities Conference, April 7 - 8
Look forward to:
• Award-Based Student Poster Competition (Abstracts)
• An Engaging and Interactive Town Hall Meeting
• 6th Annual John Ruffin Lecture
• Valuable networking opportunities

Learn more and register here.


NCMS Political Pulse for April 2, 2021

With legislators looking forward to their 'spring break' next week, there were a flurry of bills filed this week. Watch as NCMS Director of Legislative Relations Sue Ann Forrest, MPA, highlights several that are of particular interest to physicians and PAs, including SB345-PA Team-based Practice; the first bill focused on surprise billing and several that could impact medical liability. For a daily update and summaries of all the legislation filed that we are monitoring, please visit our NCMS legislative blog.

 

Watch the video.


NCMS Morning Rounds 3-31-21

Welcome to Wednesday's NCMS Morning Rounds.

March 31, 2021

Doctors’ Day Special Recognition

Leading up to yesterday’s Doctors’ Day celebration of all you do, the NCMS Foundation offered a chance to extend special recognition to individual physicians by donating $10 to the Foundation in their honor. Thank you to the generous donors who felt moved to publicly pay tribute to the following individuals. And thank you once again for all you do for your patients each and every day!

Adeel Siddiqui, MD
Terry Grant, MD
Gary O. Bean, MD
Bill Ferrell, MD
Rachel Keever, MD
Katie Lowry, MD
Lyndon Jordan, MD
Connette McMahon, MD
Josiah Duke, MD
Christopher Hasty, MD
Philip Perdue, MD
Christopher Barsanti, MD
Michelle Jones, MD
Jennie Byrne, MD, PhD
Darlene Menscer, MD
Tracy Eskra, MD
Karen Smith, MD
Dana Chambers, MD
Eileen Raynor, MD
Rachel Keever, MD
Holly Biola, MD
Danielle Mahaffey, MD
Joseph Pinkerton, MD

NCMS Leadership Development Programs Recruiting Now

The NCMS Foundation’s Kanof Institute for Physician Leadership currently is recruiting fr two of its programs – Leadership College and Health Care Leadership and Management. Both programs are project-based and focus on developing authentic leadership. That means alumni of the programs have looked inward to examine their own strengths and weaknesses as leaders to understand how to be most effective in driving positive change as part of the larger health care team as well as in the broader community.

The Institute’s foundational Leadership College delves into an individual’s leadership development. Each participant works on a year-long project involving a real-world issue where they can demonstrate their newly acquired leadership insights. At the culmination of the program each scholar summarizes their research findings in a TEDTalk-style presentation we call MEDTalks. You can watch the wide variety of previous years’ presentations here.

Learn more about and apply for Leadership College here.

The Health Care Leadership and Management track has a finance and management component as well as leadership development focus. This year-long course places special emphasis on deeper leadership development and skills that include strategic planning, negotiation and financial literacy and application.

Learn more about and apply for Health Care Leadership and Management here.

Both programs boast small class sizes with lots of personal attention and interaction with faculty and colleagues. The courses went virtual during the pandemic but are now moving toward a hybrid of virtual and in-person sessions.

Interested in hearing from alumni about their Kanof Institute experiences? The Summer 2020 issue of the NCMS Bulletin online magazine features a variety of Kanof Institute alumni recounting their ‘leadership journeys,’ and how the programs helped them each define what leadership means to them and how they currently are using the skills they gained. Read these profiles here.

If you have any questions about the programs, please contact Aubrey Cuthbertson [email protected].

Please Help Us Track COVID-19 Trends

Since the beginning of the pandemic last March, the NCMS, NC Medical Group Management Association and Curi have regularly surveyed our membership on issues they are experiencing due to the pandemic. Over time this information has helped inform our advocacy and resource development on your behalf.

Please take a moment to help us to continue to assess the impact on your practice of the COVID-19 pandemic by taking this week’s survey.

TAKE THE SURVEY

Read a summary of the key takeaways from 2020 here.

In the News

Senate Reaches Deal To Extend Medicare Pay Bump For Health Care Providers Through 2021, STAT News, 3-23-21

Learning Opportunity

Eliminate Tobacco Use Summit 2021, Wed and Thurs, April 14-15
The Eliminate Tobacco Use Initiative convenes an annual summit addressing the key areas of policy, prevention/education and cessation.

Learn more and register here.

If you have policies you'd like your NCMS Board of Directors to consider, please complete the Board input form here. Thanks for reading!