 |
| |
|
Sept. 23, 2015 | Issue 122 |
|
|
| |
|
| |
 |
| |
Government Affairs and Practice Advocacy
State Budget Impasse Dominates Legislature's Focus
|
| |
Since Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed the legislature’s budget on July 1, negotiations and legislative maneuvers have keep the executive office and lawmakers preoccupied. In late August, the House attempted a veto override vote for key social and school services, which failed. Last week, the Senate passed a stopgap spending bill to be taken up in the House this week, despite the governor’s pledge to veto the bill. Yet, reportedly behind closed doors, offers and counteroffers are apparently moving along including on liquor sales and pension reform. As we near the fourth month without a state budget, other issues remain sidelined.
|
| |
|
| |
Education
Plan Ahead - Put These CME Events on Your Calendar!
|
|
We have some extraordinary events coming over the next year which are well worth fitting into your busy schedule!
- Allentown CME Conference: Nov. 6-8, 2015, Renaissance Allentown Hotel, Allentown
- Pittsburgh CME Conference and UPMC Refresher Course in Family Medicine (a combined CME event): March 10-13, Marriott City Center, Pittsburgh (details forthcoming)
- CME Cruise: July 2-7, 2016, Grandeur of the Seas, Baltimore to Bermuda (20 hours of CME credit!)
- Pocono CME Conference: Nov. 18-20, 2016, Kalahari Resort and Convention Center, Pocono Manor (details forthcoming)
|
| |
|
Public Health
PAFP Offers Free Fall Prevention CME
|
In Pennsylvania, falls are the leading cause in injury-related hospitalizations and deaths for people 65 and older. An average of six fall-related hospitalizations occurred per hour in 2011. Fear of falling often leads to dependence and increased immobility, followed by functional deficits and a greater risk of falling. Rates of fall-related injuries and deaths have increased in the past decade, and more falls translates into higher rates of morbidity and mortality. Click here for free fall prevention CME from the PAFP.
|
| |
|
Quality Improvement
Can You Identify Patients with Chronic Pain?
|
A lesson learned from the PAFP’s Chronic Pain Management Project is that practices cannot easily identify patients with chronic pain for quality improvement purposes, outside of running reports on patients using opioids. Several participating practices are beginning to use the chronic pain syndrome ICD-10 code G89.4. Suggested activity: (1) Select an ICD-10 code to identify chronic pain patients; (2) Where in your EHR will this code and diagnostic descriptor be entered, how, when, and by whom?; (3) Train providers and staff on your new process.
|
| |
|
Residents and Students
Celebrating National Primary Care Week!
|
Celebrating National Primary Care Week (NCPW), Oct. 5-9, 2015! Advocates are teaming up across the country to explore and highlight the value of primary care to deliver better care and achieve better outcomes at a lower cost. How are you celebrating on campus, in your residency, in your city? Let us know!
|
| |
 |
| |
Are You or a Friend 'Family Physician of the Year' Material?
|
| |
You are a family physician – the person patients trust most when they’re not feeling well, when they have questions about their health, when they need everything from vaccinations to prescriptions. There are thousands of excellent family physicians in Pennsylvania, and we want to hear why you think you or a colleague is the best of all – maybe you’ll be chosen as the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians’ 2016 Family Physician of the Year!
Jan. 15, 2016 is the deadline for entries to the PAFP’s 2016 Family Physician of the Year contest – be sure to read the contest rules on www.pafp.com/topdoc.
|
|
|
| |
 |
