Already time for your Wednesday NCMS Morning Rounds!
Feb. 10, 2021
NCMS Leaders Testify Before NC House Health Committee
Yesterday, NCMS President Philip M. Brown, Jr., MD and NCMS Executive Vice President and CEO Chip Baggett, JD, testified before the NC House Health Committee to share with legislators physician and PA experiences around the state’s COVID-19 vaccine efforts.
Dr. Brown stressed that many lessons have been learned as the state works to allocate the current scarce supply of the vaccine in the face of urgent demand. He reported that health systems, health departments and other providers are working with faith-based organizations and community leaders to help ensure eligible individuals in marginalized communities have equitable access to the vaccine. Great strides have been made in this area, thanks to collaboration between the state, health systems and many others, he said.
He urged legislators to not ‘rest on our laurels’ at this point and to allow physician practices and others vaccine allocations in order to begin to work out the logistics of vaccinating large numbers of people when supply of the vaccine increases.
“We need to figure out how to broaden the effort and include every willing provider to vaccinate people,” he said. “We stand ready as physicians of this state. We want to be part of the solution.”
Watch the NCMS’ virtual testimony and committee members’ questions and answers here.
Representatives from AARP, the NC Healthcare Association and the NC Retail Merchants Association (NCRMA), which was representing pharmacists, also addressed the committee. Each shared their constituents’ experiences and concerns about the vaccine distribution. Review their presentation slides here.
Psychiatric Consults a Phone Call Away
The NC Psychiatric Access Line (NC-PAL) is a free telephone consultation program to help primary are practices address the behavioral health needs of their patients. The service is a collaboration between Duke University’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS).
Consultants respond to questions about behavioral health issues, offer local resources and can connect practices to one of their on-call psychiatrists to assist with diagnostic clarification and medication management questions.
The hotline is available Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm. You can be reached at 919-681-2902. Learn more here.
TODAY: Discussion Focused on Your Well-being and Resilience
Today at noon, the Office of Clinician Engagement (OCE) at the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Nurses Association (ANA) will hold a discussion on ‘Health Care Professional Well-being & Resilience.’
Panelists include Dr. Barry Marx, Director, Office of Clinician Engagement, Center for Clinical Standards and Quality (CMS) and Dr. Susan Bailey, AMA President and Holly Carpenter, BSN, RN, Senior Policy Advisor, Innovation Nursing Practice & Work Environment for the ANA.
In the News
The Age Groups Driving New Coronavirus Infections, Charted, Advisory Board, 2-8-21
Learning Opportunity
Healthcare Equality Index: A roadmap for LGBTQ inclusion, March 24, from 1 to 2 p.m.
March 22-26, 2021 is National LGBTQ Health Awareness Week, a time to bring attention to the devastating cycle of discrimination and health disparities that affect LGBTQ people.
Join representatives from The Human Rights Campaign Foundation and the Chief Nursing Executive at UCSF Health to learn more about how organizations can advance LGBTQ equity and inclusion in health care through participation in the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI).
If you have policies you’d like your NCMS Board of Directors to consider, please complete the Board input form here. Thanks for reading!