Happy Tuesday! Enjoy your NCMS Morning Rounds.

Nov. 17, 2020

NCMS Statement on a Safe Thanksgiving

NCMS President Philip Brown, Jr., MD, FACS, issued a statement yesterday encouraging the public to practice the public health measures promoted by the NC Department of Health and Human Services and others to keep themselves, their loved ones, friends and their larger community safe during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

The following message was sent to the media statewide and we encourage you to share it on your social media networks.

Let’s protect our neighbors, their jobs and our community. During the Thanksgiving holiday, please wear a mask, wash your hands frequently and keep your distance. We’ve all grown weary of the pandemic and what it’s done to our lives. These simple steps make a big difference, and your community needs help. The doctors and PAs of this state thank you sincerely for following these safety measures during the holidays.

Free PPE Will Be Delivered

The Nov. 15 application deadline to receive free PPE through the legislative appropriation to the NCMS has now passed. If you are still in need, PPE group purchasing options are still available through the NCMS’ partnership with ActionPPE. Learn more and order here.

Rest assured if your practice applied by the Nov. 15 deadline, you will receive your products, which are being shipped daily. We anticipate practices will receiving all items by Dec. 15. If you are unsure if your practice signed up before the deadline or if you would like an update on your order’s status, please contact Jennifer Crowley or Kathy Scott.

Please be sure to thank your local elected official for working with the NCMS to provide you needed PPE. Hearing directly from you helps them understand the true impact of their decisions. The NCMS is grateful to play a small role in keeping you safe and your doors open to your patients.

Be Part of the Equity-Oriented Primary Care Initiative

The Equity-Oriented Primary Care (EOPC) initiative is an 18-month shared innovation initiative for primary care organizations deeply committed to addressing racial equity in their practice and in their community and looking to further expand their efforts and impact. The non-profit innovation hub, Health Leads, aims to select three primary care sites from different regions of the US to collaborate with the patients they serve and other community partners on redesigning care for a subpopulation or specific health related issue identified by the practice and its community.

Set to begin in early 2021, Health Leads is beginning to recruit primary care sites for the program from now until December 4th. If you know a practice/organization that is interested in applying, contact Program Manager Olamide Kolawole, [email protected]. The initiative is offering stipends up to $180K to help with implementation.

Learn more about the initiative and criteria to participate here. Get a fuller understanding of the EOHC in the EOHC project summary.

In the News

Housing Instability Exacerbates the Pandemic for the Most Vulnerable, North Carolina Health News, 11-12-20

Learning Opportunity

The latest Medicaid Managed Care webinar series begins next month and will focus on the Advanced Medical Home (AMH) program. These webinars will provide Medicaid primary care practice staff and clinicians with more information on North Carolina’s AMH model and how to function at the highest AMH Tier possible when Medicaid Managed Care goes live in July 2021.

Hosted by Shannon Dowler, MD, Chief Medical Officer of the NC Division of Health Benefits, and Hugh Tilson, Director of the NC AHEC Program, this series will begin Thursday, Dec. 10 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and will continue the second Thursday of each month through May 2021. 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!