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March 12, 2014 | Issue 83 |
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Government Affairs
PAFP Names Sen. Schwank, Rep. Baker 'Legislators of the Year' |
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Sen. Judy Schwank and Rep. Matt Baker worked with the PAFP in 2013 to develop legislation to establish a "PCMH Advisory Council" and create a statewide plan within Pennsylvania's Medicaid program administered by the Dept. of Public Welfare. Senate Bill 1083 and House Bill 1655 have both received widespread support from many health care sectors, with HB 1655 unanimously passing the House on January 14, 2014. Both bills are in the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee. Click here to advocate for their passage. |
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Practice Advocacy
Volunteers Sought for ICD-10 End-to-End Testing |
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To help facilitate a successful transition to ICD-10, the Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) and Common Electronic Data Interchange (CEDI) will be conducting end-to-end testing in July 2014. A volunteer form can be found on your MAC's website for completion if you wish to be considered to participate; it is due by March 24, 2014. Each MAC and CEDI will select 32 submitters for participation. Selected volunteers will be notified and provided with needed information for submitting claims. For more information, see MLN Matters # MM8602 CR # 8602.
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Education
Our Next CME Opportunity is Set to Sail! |
Don't miss our next live CME conference on the PAFP Cruise to Bermuda June 20-27! Aboard Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas ship, you can receive 20 valuable CME hours, sun, fun, and dazzling entertainment for the whole family. Click here to check the conference agenda and to register!
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Public Health
How Can Staff Help Patients Quit Tobacco? |
Practices at the Residency Program and Community Health Center Collaborative's spring learning session in Hershey learned that all staff can help patients quit tobacco. Missed it? Visit www.pafp.com/smoke. Meanwhile, here are some tips: (1) Keep counseling nonsmokers! Patients will likely live tobacco-free if they're still not using at 26. (2) Help deescalate media-generated worry about varenicline; it works for a lot of people. (3) Cheer patients who have started the cessation process. "Good job! Keep it up!" They need to talk about it.
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Quality Improvement
Use 'Obese' in Patient Records ... But Not in Communications with Patients |
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Practices at the Residency Program and Community Health Center Collaborative's spring learning session in Hershey shared that talking with patients about being overweight makes them very uncomfortable. Patient-provider communication is a barrier to weight management that’s documented in research but can be addressed through specific strategies and carefully chosen words. Patients find the word "obese" offensive. Use words such as "unhealthy weight," "overweight," or "high BMI" instead. Watch for the learning session wrap-up newsletter for more tips!
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Residents & Students
Congrats to Award Winners; Join Student Assembly |
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Congratulations to our 2014 Research Day winners!
Student Members: Looking to get involved with the PAFP through leadership opportunities? Mark your calendar for the Student Assembly web and conference call scheduled for Tuesday, April 8 at 8:00 p.m. Find the list of offices and commission representative positions available and identify which best suits your talents and interests. Have questions? Contact PAFP Director of Resident and Student Initiatives Molly Talley for answers. You must RSVP to register for Student Assembly and receive dial-in instructions.
Residents: Stay tuned for Resident Assembly to be scheduled soon!
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