Progress Notes :: Dec. 17, 2010

Progress Notes :: Dec. 17, 2010 :: Issue 8



INCLUDED IN THIS ISSUE: --PATIENT SAFETY CREDITS AVAILABLE FOR LAST-MINUTE SHOPPERS! --ENHANCEMENTS MADE TO LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM --MEDICARE HOME HEALTH SERVICES LAW EFFECTIVE IN 2011 --ADOLESCENT SUICIDE PREVENTION IN PRIMARY CARE PILOT IN NE PA --CDC ANNOUNCES HIGH INCIDENT RATE OF STAGE 3 COLORECTAL CANCER --CALL FOR RESEARCH DAY ABSTRACTS

JUDGE RULES HEALTHCARE REFORM INSURANCE MANDATE UNCONSTITUTIONAL The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s insurance mandate was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge earlier this week. The mandate requires everyone to purchase health insurance either individually, through their employer or obtain it from the government. The mandate would not be implemented until 2014. Several other pieces of the federal healthcare reform law are already being implemented. The judge denied requests to strike down the entire law or cease its implementation. Two federal courts have ruled the healthcare reform law constitutional and 12 others have dismissed similar lawsuits. CONGRESS DELAYS MEDICARE PAYMENT CUT The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives passed legislation last week that will delay the 24.9 percent cut in Medicare payments to physicians for one year. The cut was originally scheduled to take effect January 1, 2011. The extension will allow policymakers more time to find a permanent solution to the Medicare physician payment fix. President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law shortly. MEDICARE HOME HEALTH SERVICES LAW EFFECTIVE IN 2011 A new Medicare home health law, which requires physicians who order home health care to examine the patient in person, will take effect January 1, 2011. The law mandates that the physician, or a non-physician practitioner (NPP) working in collaboration with the physician, must see the patient when certifying that patient eligible to receive Medicare home health services. The examination must occur within 90 days prior to the start of home health care or within 30 after services begin. For more information, visit the CMS website at http://www.cms.gov/center/hha.asp. MCOS TERMINATE CONTRACTS Effective January 15, 2011, two Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) will terminate contracts with local hospitals. In Cumberland County, Unison will end their hospital agreement with Holy Spirit Hospital; in the Philadelphia region AmeriChoice will terminate their contracts with Tenet Health Systems (for the facility only). All other MCOs in the Lehigh/Capital zone and the Southeast zone still participate with Holy Spirit and Tenet Health System respectively. If a member wishes to change to a different MCO they can contact the PA Enrollment Hotline at 1-800-440-3989. (Back to top of newsletter)

NEED PATIENT SAFETY CREDITS? Still need Patient Safety CME by the end of the year? It’s only a click away at PAFP Foundation Online CME. How many patient safety or risk management credits do you need? Twelve credit hours in the areas of patient safety or risk management are (either Category 1 or Category 2) are required to renew licensure. What CME qualifies as patient safety or risk management? The following list of topics will satisfy the patient safety/risk management requirement: Improving medical records and record keeping; Reducing medical errors; Professional conduct and ethics; Improving communication among physicians and with other healthcare personnel; Communication between physicians and patients; Preventive medicine education; Healthcare quality improvement. As long as the CME activity falls within these topics, you can count it toward the patient safety/risk management requirement. The course does not have to state, and very likely may not, that it is a patient safety or risk management course. You will need documentation of attendance if you are audited by the state. And as always we offer 12 – 15 patient safety or risk management sessions at every live conference Click here to see all of our Live CME Programs. CME WEBCAST ON CARDIO CARE (presented by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) The webcast of last week's "Advancing Cardiac Patient Care in the 21st Century: Recent Developments" is now available online for 28 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (good to 12/9/2011). To access go to www.CardioCareLive.com (Back to top of newsletter)

ADOLESCENT SUICIDE PREVENTION IN PRIMARY CARE The PA Dept. of Public Welfare wants to provide primary care practices with tools to help lower incidence of suicide in Pennsylvania. Tools include training in behavioral health risk assessment, implementing a web-based psychosocial screening tool, and improving the integration of MH services with primary care offices. A pilot program in Luzerne, Schuylkill, and Lackawanna counties identified 70 children at risk for suicide who might have otherwise gone unnoticed. The project may go statewide in 2011. Please follow this link - https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JQK7VKG- to let the project leaders know if you are interested in joining. Related CME: “Using MI to Help Adolescents with Mental Health Disorders,” free CME webcast at www.pafp.com/onlineCME. HEALTHCARE WORKER IMMUNIZATION POLICY "HONOR ROLL" Many Pennsylvania healthcare institutions have instituted mandatory influenza immunization for their employees; the best of such policies are listed on the Immunization Action Coalition’s Honor Roll for Patient Safety. Would your practice’s policy make the honor roll? Visit http://www.immunize.org/honor-roll/ MARK YOUR CALENDAR: FREE CME WEBCAST Live, Noon-1pm, Wednesday, March 2, 2011 --ACIP Update --Healthcare worker immunization best practices PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATION AND CME IN KEYSTONE PHYSICIAN Adult immunization tip sheet: Summer 2010 Child abuse (FAQs for mandated reporters): Fall 2010 Clinical Scenario Series on Immunization (CME!): Summer/Fall 2010 Colorectal cancer screening tip sheets: Summer 2010 Health care worker immunization: Summer 2010 Safe medication disposal: Spring 2010 Snus and dissolvable tobacco: Summer/Fall 2010 Using PDSA cycles to implement better care (CME!): Summer 2010 Coming in Winter 2010: tip sheets on adolescent immunization and child sexual abuse PUBLIC HEALTH CME WEBCASTS Lots of free CME at www.pafp.com/onlineCME, most of which qualifies as patient safety. Topics such as rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and colorectal cancer. (Back to top of newsletter)

CDC ANNOUNCES HIGH INCIDENCE OF STAGE 3 COLORECTAL CANCER The CDC announces an increase in the number of patients with stage 3 Colorectal Cancer. For numbers and more information go to http://cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2010/r101124.html. By screening patients early we can find these cancers while they are still treatable and improve survival rates in patients. We can help you increase your screening rates through patient management and the use of PDSA cycles to test systematic outreach efforts to your patients. Go to the online form to sign up for the CRC Screening Collaborative. MAINTENANCE OF CERTIFICATION (MOC) PART IV CREDIT AVAILABLE Looking for a MOC Part IV activity? The PAFP Colorectal Cancer Screening (CRCS) Collaborative is an activity that qualifies as part of the performance improvement module for MOC Part IV. It’s a way to learn how to do performance measurement in a fully supported program that will not only improve your CRCS rates but also teach you skills to make improvements in other clinical areas (diabetes, for example). To get started or to receive more information, please visit www.pafp.com/IPIP and click the CRC Screening Collaborative icon, or email Michelle Seitz at mseitz@pafp.com. PA REACH TURNING "MEANINGFUL USE" INTO "MEANINGFUL" FINANCIAL GAINS Physicians who adopt or upgrade their existing EHRs to a CCHIT-certified product/version can earn up to $44,000 per provider from Medicare over a 5-year span or up to $63,000 from Medicaid over a 6-year span. To get the maximum incentive payment, Medicare eligible professionals must begin participation by 2012. Do NOT miss out on this opportunity! Sign up now for the PA REACH Project! Contact PAFP REACH coordindator Tracy Koval at tkoval@pafp.com or call 717-635-7589. ONLINE WEBCAST AND FREE CME Click here to watch CME webcasts on Colorectal Cancer Screening (CRCS). Learn about the Guidelines for Care, Using Systems Change to Improve your Rates and Using the ACS toolkit on Increasing CRC screenings. These CME webcasts qualify for patient-safety credits. (Back to top of newsletter)

RESEARCH DAY CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: SUBMISSION DEADLINE FEB. 11, 2011 Submit your original research via the online registration form at http://www.pafp.com/pafpcom.aspx?id=58 Compete for cash prizes in each category: best student research, best resident research, best faculty/fellow/physician research, best overall research. For more info, past winners, past topics, go to http://www.pafp.com/pafpcom.aspx?id=15 POSTER CALL FOR AAFP NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2011 Submit your project for the AAFP's annual poster session at the 2011 National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students July 28-30 in Kansas City. Application deadline April 15, 2011. One student and one resident will win a trip to the 2011 Scientific Assembly in Orlando, Florida. http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/cme/aafpcourses/conferences/nc/posters.html STATEWIDE PA PRIMARY CARE CAREER FAIR COMING SOON TO CENTRAL PA Friday & Saturday educational sessions, networking with prospective employers, loan repayment opportunities, learn more about practice options in underserved areas and with underserved communities. Watch for date announcement in future PN. NHSC ANNOUNCES MAJOR ENHANCEMENTS TO LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM For more information go to http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loanrepayment/ . Highlights include: Increased to $60K for 2 years service; Up to $170K for 5 years of service; TOTAL DEBT repaid for 6 or more years of service; Full- & part-time options available ($30K for 2 years part-time service). KEEP YOUR EYE OUT FOR NEXT ISSUE OF KEYSTONE PHYSICIAN The cover story by resident leader Adam Abdulally, MD (Pittsburgh) details the adventure of his recent Honduras mission trip. (Back to top of newsletter)

KEYSTONE PHYSICIAN IS DUE OUT JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS Just like the holiday season the Fall/Winter 2010 issue of KP is coming soon. The issue highlights several advocacy and practice advocacy issues, clinical topics and even a look back to the future provided by one of our former presidents. Look for the email announcement some time next week. Have a wonderful holiday season! The next issue of Progress Notes will be distributed on Jan. 7, 2011.