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INCLUDED IN THIS ISSUE
ADVOCACY AND PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
> PCMH LEGISLATION ENDORSED BY PAFP NEARS INTRODUCTION
> BILL TO REMOVE COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENTS COMING
> PHARMACIST, NATUROPATHIC SCOPE OF PRACTICE BILLS ADVANCE
> UPDATE: ENHANCED PAYMENTS FOR PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS
> AVOID 2014 eRx PAYMENT ADJUSTMENT
> PRACTICE ADVOCACY NETWORK LEARNING LUNCH
CME
> CME CRUISE IS BACK ON FOR JUNE 2014!
> NEXT CME CONFERENCE: ERIE IN AUTUMN
> DO YOU PERFORM DOT PHYSICALS?
> LOOKING FOR MORE CME?
PUBLIC HEALTH
> LANCASTER DOMINATES TAR WARS POSTER CONTEST
> HEALTHY TEETH, HEALTHY CHILDREN: FREE PROGRAM
> FREE CME: SMOKING CESSATION AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT
QUALITY INITIATIVES
> PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT: WHERE DO YOU START?
> TOP TIPS FROM RPC, CHCC MAY MEETING
> INTRODUCTION TO INTEROPERABILITY: TRAINING COURSES
> CMS eHEALTH: STAY CONNECTED
RESIDENTS AND STUDENTS
> CONGRATULATIONS TO EXEMPLARY TEACHER!
> SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS: SEE YOU IN THE 'PARIS OF THE PLAINS'!
> QUICK HITS: CHALLENGING CONVENTION, LETTER TO MED STUDENTS, PCMH
OTHER NEWS
> THE PAFP NEEDS YOUR HELP!
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PCMH LEGISLATION ENDORSED BY PAFP NEARS INTRODUCTION
State Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) and state Rep. Matt Baker (R-Tioga) have both issued co-sponsorship memos to their colleagues on soon-to-be introduced legislation that would create a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Advisory Council within the Pa. Dept. of Public Welfare. Nationwide, 26 state Medicaid programs have launched Patient-Centered Medical Home initiatives on a state or regional level according to the National Academy for State Health Policy.
BILL TO REMOVE COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENTS COMING
A co-sponsorship memo from state Sen. Pat Vance (R-Cumberland) is being circulated for soon-to-be-introduced legislation to end the collaborative agreements currently mandated between advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and physicians. Please take a moment and go to our Speak Out tool, which helps you craft a message to legislators. The suggested content of the email that will be generated is nearly identical to a joint letter sent to all senators from the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians (PAFP), the American Academy of Pediatrics, Pennsylvania Chapter (PA-AAP), and the American College of Physicians, Pennsylvania Chapter (PA-ACP).
PHARMACIST, NATUROPATHIC SCOPE OF PRACTICE BILLS ADVANCE
On June 5, the House Professional Licensure Committee approved four bills on scope of practice. Opposed by PAFP and other physician associations, House Bill 776 (Rep. Seth Grove, R-York), that would allow pharmacist to provide injections to children over age 7, and House Bill 612 (Rep. Mark Mustio, R-Allegheny), to license naturopathic providers accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education, were passed by the Committee. The PAFP Government Affairs department will continue to oppose these efforts in accordance with motions approved by the PAFP Board of Directors.
UPDATE: ENHANCED PAYMENTS FOR PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS
The Pa. Dept. of Public Welfare (DPW) has issued a Medical Assistance (MA) Bulletin detailing the retroactive mass claim adjustment process for MA program-enrolled physicians. DPW plans to begin reprocessing during the last week of June 2013. Visit the Practice Advocacy page for complete information.
AVOID 2014 eRx PAYMENT ADJUSTMENT
June 30 is fast approaching for individual providers who wish to avoid the 2014 eRx payment adjustment. In order to avoid this payment adjustment, individual providers must successfully report 10 eRx events via claims between January 1, 2013 and June 30, 2013. Click here for the full report.
PRACTICE ADVOCACY NETWORK LEARNING LUNCH
The best way to improve your clinical documentation and the livelihood of your health care organization is through medical record audits. They are necessary to determine areas that require improvements and corrections. The Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians will be hosting a free learning lunch on Thursday, June 20, 2013 from noon until 1 p.m. Melanie Osley, RN, MBA, CPHRM, CPHQ, ARM, DFASHRM, Senior Clinical Risk Management Consultant for Medical Protective, will be presenting on the topic of “Internal Audits/Controls within Your Medical Practice. To secure your invitation, please e-mail Tracy Koval, Director of Medical Practice Advocacy at tkoval@pafp.com.
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CME CRUISE IS BACK ON FOR JUNE 2014!
Despite the mishap aboard Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas that led to the cancellation of our maiden voyage CME cruise scheduled for June 28 through July 5, the PAFP has not “abandoned ship”! This cruise has been rescheduled for June 20 through June 27, 2014. The itinerary will be the same, with the cruise sailing for seven days out of Baltimore and cruising to Kings Wharf, Bermuda. Once again, the PAFP needs to secure 30 CME registrants for this ship to sail, and the deadline to reach this number is November 16! Please watch out for the cruise registration that will be open shortly at www.pafp.com. Contact Janine Owen at jowen@pafp.com or (717) 635-7574 with questions.
NEXT CME CONFERENCE: ERIE IN AUTUMN
Still need CME in 2013? Then head to Erie with the PAFP Foundation Friday, November 8 through Sunday, November 10. The CME conference will include a SAM study group on Friday as well as more than 18 hours of CME sessions, including tons of patient safety. You’ll also have the opportunity to join your fellow members and colleagues for some social events in the evening. For more information and to register, click here.
DO YOU PERFORM DOT PHYSICALS?
The PAFP is trying to determine how many of its members perform U.S. Dept. of Transportation (DOT) physicals for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers, and whether there is a need to offer education preparing membership for medical examiner certification tests. Please click here for more information.
LOOKING FOR MORE CME?
Search our online CME catalog for CME on ADHD, diabetes, colorectal cancer, hypertension, depression, and much more!
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LANCASTER DOMINATES TAR WARS POSTER CONTEST
Students from Centerville Elementary School in Lancaster won the top three slots in the Pennsylvania Tar Wars poster contest. PAFP member Stephen Rittenhouse, MD, presented the Tar Wars lesson to the students’ classrooms – as he does every year. Centerville Elementary, which will held a special ceremony for the winners on June 10, submits posters annually and always makes a strong showing. The first place poster (“Let’s Beat This as a Team”) now goes to the National Tar Wars Poster Contest in July. Click here to see all three winning posters!
HEALTHY TEETH, HEALTHY CHILDREN: FREE PROGRAM
Preventable dental conditions were the primary diagnosis in 830,590 visits to ERs nationwide in 2009. Don’t miss the oral health tips from the Residency Program & Community Health Center Collaboratives’ May 31 meeting (see the Quality Initiatives section for more). And make sure your practice is up on oral health in primary care. Click here to schedule an in-office training program through the American Academy of Pediatrics, Pennsylvania Chapter’s (PA-AAP) Healthy Teeth, Healthy Children program.
FREE CME: SMOKING CESSATION AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT
Don't miss the CME webcast Smoking Cessation: A Critical Component of Chronic Disease Management! Attendees at the live lecture commented how Dr. Frank T. Leone's presentation really changed their approach to cessation. Bonus: Watch the AAR (“Ask, Advise, Refer”) video, then connect with PA cAARds for free technical assistance! Watch today!
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PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT: WHERE DO YOU START?
Don’t want to do performance improvement because you think your patients are challenging? Every practice has those patients. Advice from PAFP member Dr. Bill Warning: “Some patients have barriers you can't overcome; don’t focus on them. Find patients whose barriers you can address – help them first.” Dr. Warning, the faculty chairman for the PAFP Foundation’s Residency Program Collaborative, is featured in a July 2013 Consumer Reports article about patient-centered medical homes, which names performance measurement as a PCMH hallmark.
TOP TIPS FROM RPC, CHCC MEETING
The Residency Program Collaborative (RPC) and Community Health Center Collaborative (CHCC) met May 31 in Harrisburg. Read the entire wrap-up newsletter here. Meanwhile, here are some top tips:
1. Think “avoid weight gain” vs. just “lose weight” for prediabetes Tx.
2. Consider risk when prescribing aspirin for primary or secondary prevention. Does benefit outweigh risk?
3. Point-of-care A1c testing captures a teachable moment with patients not controlling their glucose.
4. Obstructive sleep apnea is a common secondary cause of resistant HTN.
5. 71 percent of water supplies in Pa. are fluoridated. Be thoughtful when Rx supplementation; not always good, risk fluorosis.
INTRODUCTION TO INTEROPERABILITY: TRAINING COURSES
Would you like to know more about Health Information Exchanges (HIE)? The Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) has developed training courses introducing the basics of interoperability and how interoperability relates to transition of care, lab exchange, patient and family engagement. Please click here to view this series of web-based training courses designed to follow at your own pace.
CMS eHEALTH: STAY CONNECTED
CMS eHealth is a great resource for easy access to multiple CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) programs including the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, Quality Measurements (PQRS), eRx Incentive Program, and Administration Simplification (ICD-10). Check out eHealth to stay up-to-date, subscribe to the eHealth Listserv or read CMS.gov’s weekly blog – just click here!
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CONGRATULATIONS TO EXEMPLARY TEACHER!
Congratulations to Exemplary Teaching Award Winner, Gordon Zubrod, MD (York Hospital Family Medicine Residency). Thank you to our friends at the program for hosting the PAFP and past president Dennis Gingrich, MD, to bestow the award on their home turf last week. Best of luck to Dr. Zubrod as he plans his next international adventure, starting a new family medicine residency in Egypt!
SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS: SEE YOU IN THE 'PARIS OF THE PLAINS'!
Congratulations to the 18 PAFP student members who won AAFP scholarships to attend National Conference in Kansas City! PAFP Foundation scholarships will be announced this week – stay tuned! Check out the full schedule and get psyched for an inspiring trip!
QUICK HITS: CHALLENGING CONVENTION, LETTER TO MED STUDENTS, PCMH
1. Another great example of direct primary care challenging conventional practice models.
2. A letter to medical students from new residents: If relationships with patients excites you and you haven’t considered primary care, you should get considering!
3. Consumer Reports’ insider’s view of the patient-centered medical home is a must-read for patients (featuring PAFP’s own Dr. Bill Warning, Crozer-Keystone Family Medicine Residency).
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THE PAFP NEEDS YOUR HELP!
The PAFP and its Member Services Commission needs two minutes of your time. We are currently looking into several new benefit programs to enhance your membership, but we need your feedback on what type of programs most interest you. So please click here - take our one- to two-minute survey to better help us help you! Thank you!
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