The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will present a three-part Virtual Office Hours series regarding 2016 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) quality measures including sessions covering topics related to PQRS measures, such as explaining what a quality measure is, measures-related resources, and next steps for participation in 2016 PQRS.
The first session, titled “2016 PQRS Reporting: Introduction to Quality Measures Reporting (session 1 of 3)”, will take place on Tuesday, March 29, 2016 from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. Topics to be discussed in this session include How to Get Started with PQRS and what are claims/qualified registry clinical quality measures.  To register to participate in this session, click here to access the registration page.

NCTracks training opportunities for April include:
Friday, April 1 – 1 to 2:30 p.m. – Managed Care Referrals and Overrides shows authorized users how to submit Managed Care Referrals and inquire about Managed Care Referrals and Overrides. This course will be offered at the CSC facility in Raleigh. It involves hands-on training and will be limited to 45 participants.
 Tuesday, April 5 – 1 to 4 p.m. – Provider Web Portal Applications (WebEx) 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.
Friday, April 8 – 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, April 15 – 9 a.m. to noon – ES User Role_Abbreviated MCR_Upload Documents (WebEx) will guide providers through the enhancements to the provider enrollment application processes.
Friday, April 22 – 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.
Wednesday, April 27 – 1 to 4 p.m. – Provider Web Portal Application will guide providers through the process of submitting all types of provider applications found on 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.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will host a call Tuesday, April 5 from 1:30 to 3 pm ET, “Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO: Preparing to Apply for 2017” Visit MLN Connects Event Registration to register. Space may be limited, register early. During this call, CMS subject matter experts provide information on what you can do to prepare for the Medicare Shared Savings Program (Shared Savings Program) application process for the January 1, 2017, program start date. A question and answer session will follow the presentation.

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.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will host a call on Tuesday, April 12 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Open Payments 2016: Prepare to Review Reported Data Call. To register: visit MLN Connects Event Registration. Space may be limited, register early. The industry is currently submitting data to the Open Payments System on payments or transfers of value made to physicians and teaching hospitals during 2015. When data submission ends, physicians and teaching hospitals are given 45 days to review and dispute records attributed to them. In order to review the data, physicians and teaching hospitals need to register in the Open Payments system.  The system is available for physician and teaching hospital registration. The review and dispute period will begin in April 2016 and last for 45 days. CMS will publish the 2015 payment data and updates to the 2013 and 2014 data on June 30, 2016.

The Western Carolina Medical Society is offering the “Heart of the Healer” Retreat to equip physicians with practical and field-tested tools to reduce and prevent burnout on Saturday, April 16th 2016 at Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, NC. Earn up to 4.5 hours of CME; spouses/significant others invited; childcare available (ages 3+). Event details and registration is available at www.mywcms.org/burnout2016 or call us at 828-274-2267 ext. 1313 to see if there is still space available.

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.

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.

2016 Addiction Medicine Conference, April 22-23 in Asheville, will once again provide up-to-date substance abuse related education, applicable across general medical as well as addiction specialty practices. New this year is a Pre-Conference day on April 21 including two longer, skill-based workshops: Motivational Interviewing: A Foundation for Helping Patients with Substance Use Problems and The ABCs of Pain Management: Skills for the Specialist and Non-specialist Alike. Register Today! For more information contact Shaquita Basemore at 919-256-7416.

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 at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill. CLICK HERE to Register. The FREE Safe Opioid Prescribing Course is immediately preceding the DUKE Pain meeting and satisfies CE requirements in NC and SC.
Save the date for the PSOC Annual Meeting, Sept. 25, at The Omni Grove Park Inn, Asheville NC.

Greensboro AHEC is offering a day long course titled “What Do I Say? A Course in Talking About Death and Dying on April 22 OR Nov. 4, at The John A. Lusk, III, MD Caregiving Education Center – the Lusk Center 2501 Summit Avenue, Greensboro, NC. More information and register here.

The NC MGMA will hold its Annual Conference, May 11-13, in Charleston, SC. This year’s conference, “Making Connections,” will tie together the various aspects of what health care administrators are challenges with every day featuring content on finance, customer service, legal, social media and human resources. The Practice of the Year Award also will be presented at this gathering (see article in this edition of the Bulletin). Learn more and register.