Leverage vaccines to optimize your practice with Atlantic Aug. 31, 2018
Atlantic Health Partners is the PAFP’s preferred vaccine buying group, offering low prices and best terms on a comprehensive portfolio of immunizations. Leverage vaccines to optimize your practice: For the most favorable pricing for Merck, Sanofi, Pfizer and Dynavax vaccines and excellent service and support, contact Atlantic Health Partners today!
Become the leader you're meant to be with PAFP Leadership Institute July 26, 2018
Are you ready to take your leadership abilities to the next level? The PAFP is pleased to announce the creation of the PAFP Leadership Institute: providing members with the skills to be influential community leaders and advocates of family medicine. CME credit will be offered. Click here for more information and to register for one or more Leadership Institute events!
While opioid addiction plateaus, crisis is far from over July 24, 2018
New data suggests that the opioid epidemic in the United States seems to be leveling off - but that's not the whole story, reports Vox. Efforts to curb overprescribing are having the intended affect, but that doesn't mean overdose deaths will drop any time soon: in fact, deaths from drug overdoses reached a new high of more than 60,000 in 2016, most from opioids.
Matching into a residency program is a high-stakes game July 23, 2018
Earlier this month, thousands of doctors began residencies at hospitals across the country. But the start of their medical careers is the end of the line for the high-stakes game of "the match": according to Modern Healthcare, experts say the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) could do more to pair students with residency programs that best fit them.
Safely extract patient data from your EHR with ABFM PRIME July 20, 2018
The ABFM PRIME registry is a practice and population data tool developed by the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) that safely extracts patient data from your electronic health records (EHR) system and turns it into actionable measures. Even better, board-certified PAFP members can enroll for free for the first three years! Please click here for details.
Physicians fear urgent care centers overusing antibiotics July 18, 2018
Doctors are concerned that urgent care centers are improperly prescribing antibiotics for profit. Ars Technica reports a team of researchers has found about 46 percent of patients who visited these walk-in retail health clinics were prescribed antibiotics for conditions that couldn't be treated with them. Researchers concluded interventions for these centers are "urgently needed."
Doctors, patients aren't discussing deadliest subjects July 17, 2018
In the fee-for-service world, the rushed doctor visit has been linked to a number of consequences for both physicians and patients. According to Forbes, one of the consequences is that physicians and patients don't have the time to talk about the deadliest subjects: just 1 in 10 doctors regularly inquires about opioid abuse, and only 20 percent discuss mental health.
Election season to bring changes of consequence to PAFP July 12, 2018
Pennsylvania has one the largest full-time legislature in the nation, and this election season will see plenty of highly competitive races within the Commonwealth enhanced by nearly 30 retirements in the House and Senate. That means this year's election will bring many changes of consequence to the PAFP. Pennsylvanians have until Oct. 9 to register to vote.
Primary care doctors deserve more respect July 11, 2018
That's according to a columnist at Philly.com, who writes in the age of specialty medicine, we often lose sight of the value of the primary care doctor who coordinates care, functions as the "captain of the team," and knows the patient best; it's time to change the reimbursement system to truly value primary care and family physicians for what they do.
Keeping the same doctor can help patients live longer July 10, 2018
It's important for patients to maintain continuity of care, which means cultivating a long-term relationship with a family physician. According to a new study, patients who have been seeing the same physician for years are in luck: Healthline reports researchers have found regular contact with the same doctor resulted in fewer patient deaths in a recent study.
Register today for Procedures and Clinical Dermatology July 9, 2018
Don't delay - register today for the PAFP's second-annual Procedures and Clinical Dermatology event, Sept. 6-7 in State College! The event includes one and a half days of excellent dermatology-based CME with a session at the Mount Nittany Winery, followed by a special (and delicious) tasting event! Space is limited, so don't forget to reserve your spot.
Free MIPS reporting in 2019 through PRIME July 5, 2018
The ABFM invites board-certified family physicians to enroll in its PRIME Registry free for the first three years! By enrolling in PRIME now, you will secure free MIPS reporting in 2019, and you will be able to take advantage of all the features PRIME has to offer; coming this summer, PRIME will add social determinant and community resource data, Click here for more!
PAFP physicians make PAMED's 'Under 40' list July 3, 2018
Five PAFP members have been honored on the Pennsylvania Medical Society's (PAMED) "Top Physicians Under 40" list, which celebrates young physicians and included 19 medical specialties this year. Congratulations to Todd Felix, MD; Andrew Lutzkanin, MD; Klara Roman, MD; Lydia Travnik, DO; and Valerie Vilbert, DO, representing family medicine on this list!
Congratulations to award-winning residents, faculty July 2, 2018
Congratulations to award-winning resident and faculty PAFP members! Residents Nayeli Spahr, MD and Christian Bengtson, MD have received the AAFP's Award for Excellence in Graduate Medical Education; Malina Lim and Jennifer Joyce, MD and Elise Pearson, Sarah Minney, and Dan Lincoln, MD have received FMIG Program of Excellence Awards. Way to go!