Welcome to a new week of NCMS Morning Rounds.November 30, 2020Financial Recovery Program Deadline DetailsThe NCMS Foundation administered Financial Recovery Program (FRP) portal will close to new registrants at midnight tonight, Monday, Nov. 30. All applicants will have until 5 p.m. this Friday, Dec. 4, to upload their documented expenses. Applicants will have the ability to challenge denials and update requests with insufficient details until 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 11. Independent practices throughout North Carolina are eligible for state funds through the FRP with a maximum payout of $160,000 for tier 1 practices and $120,000 for tier 2 practices. These state funds must be spent by the end of the year, so please act TODAY before the midnight deadline. And please spread the word to colleagues who may qualify. The NCMS lobbying team worked closely with the NC Academy of Family Physicians, the NC Pediatric Society, the NC College of Emergency Physicians, the NC Association of Physician Assistants, the NC Obstetrics and Gynecology Society and the NC Dermatology Association in order to secure the state appropriation that funds the FRP. Community Health Grants Available to Safety Net OrganizationsThe North Carolina General Assembly has Community Health Grant funds available through the state’s Office of Rural Health to help assure access to primary and preventive care for the state’s most vulnerable populations. If you are part of a primary care safety net organization caring for underserved and medically indigent patients, you are eligible to apply for this funding to pay for patient care through encounter-based reimbursement or through reimbursement for eligible expenses. You may request up to $150,000 per year. New Power Hour Time – Please Join Us!Our ongoing Power Hour sessions are moving to a new time – Friday from noon to 1 p.m. We hope you can join us this Friday, Dec. 4 when we will continue our crucial conversation around health equity and racism. This week, as we continue to learn and explore this topic, our guests will focus on the need to actively engage as individuals, organizations and as a society to address health equity and racism in NC. Moderated by NCMS Vice President for Rural Health Initiatives Franklin Walker, MBA, guests include Chief Executive Officer of Wake Forest Baptist Health, Dean of Wake Forest School of Medicine, and Chief Academic Office of Atrium Health EnterpriseMD Julie Freischlag, MD, FACS, FRCSEd (Hon), DFSVS; and Vice President and Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer, Wake Forest Baptist Health David McIntosh, Ph.D. Other participants include NCMS President Philip Brown, MD, FACS and NCMS Board member Karen Smith, MD, FAAFP as they provide their thoughts and perspectives around the topic and share specific actions to drive positive change. The KIPL Power Hour aims to provide a forum for ongoing conversation, collaboration and community. Tune in to Power Hour weekly to hear from different experts, decision makers and influencers on a variety of topics. The format is informal and conversational, and sessions are easy to access through Zoom. Power Hours will be recorded and made available to you through your NCMS Morning Rounds and on the KIPL webpage. In the NewsA Revamped Strategic National Stockpile Still Can’t Match the Pandemic’s Latest Surge, NPR, 11-23-20 Learning OpportunityThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering a conference call to review updates to the Physician Self-Referral Law, commonly called the Stark Law on Wednesday, Dec. 2 from 2 to 3 p.m. Topics to be discussed include the new exceptions that facilitate the transition to value-based care delivery and payment arrangements. To join the call, dial 1-888-455-1397 and enter the passcode ID 2037400. A transcript and audio recording of this called will be posted to CMS’ Podcast and Transcripts website here for downloading and later listening. Plus… The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Thurston Arthritis Research Center has published a CME monograph titled “Pneumococcal Vaccination in Patients with Immunocompromising Conditions.” Patients with immunocompromising conditions are at an increased risk for infections. Immunizations are often underutilized in these patients. The objective of this activity is to promote awareness of the importance and outline best practices for pneumococcal vaccinations in these patient populations. Access this CME activity 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!
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