The Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) for Georgia and North Carolina is collaborating with partners in your area to recruit primary care practitioners (PCP) to improve identification of Depression and Alcohol use. On Friday, Feb. 12, from 12:30-1 p.m. they will host a webinar titled ‘Engaging Primary Care Providers in Older Adult Mental Health.’ Learn more about this initiative and join the webinar from your computer, tablet or smartphone by logging on at https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/848449957. You can also dial in using your phone. United States: +1 (646) 749-3122 Access Code: 848-449-957

MACRA Update Webinar featuring Jennifer Gasperini, North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) Director of Health Policy, Tuesday, Feb. 16, from noon to 1 p.m. The NCMS Foundation, in cooperation with the North Carolina Medical Group Managers, invites you to join a discussion of the latest updates on the Medicare Access and Chip Reauthorization Act (MACRA). The webinar will review key elements of MACRA, including how the current Medicare quality reporting programs will be affected. Attendees will learn more about CMS’ plans for Medicare reform and key timelines to consider in the implementation process.  This webinar is free, but you must be registered to attend. Space is limited so register early! Register here.

The Philadelphia Regional Office of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be hosting a webinar entitled “The Medicare Quality Reporting Programs: What Eligible Providers Need to Know in 2016” on Wednesday, Feb. 17, from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. The webinar will be delivered via WebEx, and instructions on how to join the calls will be given upon registration.  Register here.

NCTracks will offer the following training courses in February. Register for these courses in SkillPort, the NCTracks Learning Management System. Refer to the Provider Training page of the public Provider Portal for specific instructions on how to use SkillPort.

  • Wednesday, Feb. 17 – 1 to 4 p.m. (WebEx) – Provider Web Portal Applications Webinar will guide providers through the process of submitting all types of provider applications found on the NCTracks Provider Portal.  This course is taught via WebEx and can be attended remotely from any location with a telephone, computer and internet connection.  The WebEx will be limited to 115 participants.
  • Tuesday, Feb. 23 – 9:30 a.m. to noon – Prior Approval – Medical (Professional) will cover submitting Prior Approval (PA) Requests to help ensure compliance with Medicaid clinical coverage policy and medical necessity. It will also cover Prior Approval inquiry to check on the status of the PA Request.  The course is being offered in-person at the CSC facility in Raleigh. It includes hands-on training and will be limited to 45 participants.
  • Tuesday, Feb. 23 – 1 to 4 p.m.  – Submitting a Professional Claim will focus on how to submit a Professional Claim via the NCTracks Provider Portal.  The course is being offered in-person at the CSC facility in Raleigh. It includes hands-on training and will be limited to 45 participants.
  • Friday, Feb. 26 – 1 to 3 p.m. – Recipient Eligibility Verification will cover how to use the Eligibility Verification System (EVS), which provides information regarding a recipient’s eligibility for services in real time. This course will be taught at the CSC facility in Raleigh. The course includes hands-on training and will be limited to 45 participants.

Mark your calendar now for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) hosted series of one-hour webinars to discuss recent updates and the future of Physician Compare, including a publicly reported benchmark. The webinar will be conducted via WebEx at the following times. (All sessions will present the same information.):

  • Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016 at noon ET
  • Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016 at 4 pm ET
  • Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016 at 11 am ET

Registration details will be posted at a later date.

Coastal Carolinas Health Alliance, working with their Health Information Exchange will hold their Annual Meeting on March, 11 at Country Club of Landfall (800 Sun Runner Place Wilmington, NC 28405).  They will be offering 2 CMEs opportunities. Dr. Randall Williams of the NC Department of Health and Human Services, and Dr. Charles Kennedy of Healthagen, will speak on Regional Interoperability and Value Based Care. Email Bobby Deignan to register.

NCHICA offers workshop on Navigating the Transition to Value, March 16, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Research Triangle Foundation in Research Triangle Park. The purpose of this workshop is help health care providers (delivery systems, hospitals, physicians, etc.) explore strategic considerations—technical, financial, and operational—of moving to a value-based system. As providers move away from a fee-for-service system to an outcomes-based system, what changes are necessary in technology, analytics, etc.? What strategies are needed for incremental change? Where does one start on the path to transition? Learn more and register.

The Carolinas Center and the Virginia Association for Hospices and Palliative Care are offering the 2016 Palliative Care Symposium, Support for a Lifetime: Palliative Care Across the Continuum, April 7 at the William and Ida Friday Center, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.  More information here. The early registration deadline is March 17.

The Medical Society of Virginia Foundation (MSVF) in collaboration with the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and Johnston Memorial Hospital in Abingdon, VA, is offering two opioid pain management educational programs in Abingdon, Virginia on Friday, March 18, 2016. Read more about them and register.

USF Health and i3 Health are hosting the 2nd Annual Hematologic Malignancies Symposium in Asheville on April 16 at the Asheville Renaissance Hotel. This live 1-day CME/CE-certified meeting is targeted towards medical oncologists, hematologists, oncology advanced practitioners, oncology nurses and other health care professionals involved in the treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies. Participants will receive expert insights from leading investigators in treatment selection and supportive care best practices for patients with hematologic malignancies. More information and register here. Early bird discount available until March 1.

USF Health and i3 health are hosting the 1st Annual Gastrointestinal Malignancies Symposium in Asheville on April 16 at the Asheville Renaissance Hotel. This live 1-day CME/CE-certified meeting is targeted toward medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, oncology advanced practitioners, oncology nurses and other health care professionals involved in the treatment of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. More information and register here.

The Pain Society of the Carolinas (PSOC) urges you to save the dates for several other courses on pain management.

  • DUKE Pain Meeting, on April 29-May 1, covering cancer pain, palliative care and end-of-life. To be held in Chapel Hill. Registration CLICK HERE to Register. Register early for discounted rates!
  • Save the date for the PSOC Annual Meeting, Sept. 25, at The Omni Grove Park Inn, Asheville NC