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CMS TO HOST NATIONAL CALL ON ICD-10 IMPLEMENTATION
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will host a national conference call for providers on the transition to ICD-10. “ICD-10 Implementation Strategies for Physicians” will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2011 from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. EST. During the call, experts will discuss ways that physician offices can prepare for the October 2013 ICD-10 transition for medical diagnosis and inpatient procedure coding. Providers must register for the call by August 2. For more information and to register, click here.
FAIR CONTRACTING LEGISLATION INTRODUCED
Rep. Nick Miccarelli (R-Delaware) has introduced legislation that will establish the Fair Health Care Provider Contracting Act, enacting fair contracting standards for physicians when contracting with the Pennsylvania Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans and their affiliates. House Bill 1763 was introduced in cooperation with the PAFP, the Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED), the Pennsylvania Orthopedic Society (POS) and other physician organizations. The language mirrors the key policies in several legal settlement agreements – commonly known as the Blues Class Action Settlement or “Love decision” – between Pennsylvania physicians and each of the four Blues plans in the Commonwealth.
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2011 REGIONAL CME LECTURE SERIES
Improving Diabetes Care Using the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH)
Lecture Series events are scheduled for two hours: one hour for the presentation and then plenty of time for questions and discussion.
• Wednesday, Sept. 7, Harrisburg: Wildwood Conference Center at HACC, 7 a.m. - 9 a.m. (breakfast)
• Wednesday, Sept. 21, Philadelphia: College of Physicians of Philadelphia, 7 a.m. - 9 a.m. (breakfast)
• Thursday, Sept. 22, Scranton: Hilton Scranton Conference Center, 6 a.m. - 8 p.m. (dinner)
• Wednesday, Oct. 5, Erie: Manufacturers and Business Conference Center, 7 a.m. - 9 a.m. (breakfast)
• Thursday, Oct. 6, Pittsburgh: Penn State Allegheny, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. (dinner)
• Wednesday, Oct. 12, Altoona: Blair County Convention Center, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. (dinner)
Free registration for PAFP and PA-ACP members and one office staff member. Click here to register.
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"IT'S NOT THAT HARD TO QUIT TOBACCO"
The CEO of Phillip Morris International actually said the above quote during a shareholder meeting earlier this year. The quote was reported at the National Tar Wars Conference by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids in a presentation about how the tobacco industry targets kids. In the audience were poster contest winners and their families from across the country, including Skylar Miller from Berks County. She earned an honorable mention in the national poster contest and then visited with staff for her U.S. representative and U.S. senator. Part of her message is that we need to control secondhand smoke because she has asthma. Click here for other tobacco news.
STDS IN CHILDREN
The PAFP Foundation’s summer CME conference included a lecture on STDs in abused children, as part of a campaign with the PA Coalition Against Rape. Practice pearls:
• STDs appear in about 5 percent of kids who have been abused, and Chlamydia is the most common STD. It’s diagnostic of abuse in kids older than 3.
• Use a NAATS test – one specimen but two tests (it will stand up in court).
Coming soon: a CME webcast from this lecture and a CME article on recognizing and reporting child sexual abuse. Watch for the announcements in your email!
UPCOMING LIVE FREE CME WEBCASTS:
Working With Suicidal Youth and Their Families in Primary Care
Wednesday, Aug. 10, noon until 1 p.m. • Register today!
Early Detection and Treatment of PAD in Primary Care
Tuesday, Sept. 20, noon until 1 p.m. • Register today!
Click here for public health information and CME in Keystone Physician.
Click here for plenty of other CME on the PAFP website, most of which qualifies as patient safety.
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PAFP’S FIRST PRACTICE TO ATTEST, CERTIFY MEANINGFUL USE
Congratulations to Family Practice Center, P.C., a PA REACH participating practice which has been working with PAFP’s Team REACH. On July 21, 2011, Family Practice Center, P.C. was successful in attesting and certifying Meaningful Use in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program for 16 of its providers.
Check out more practices that have attested on sites for PA REACH EAST and WEST, and email Tracy and Deb for more information!
PCMH COLLABORATIVES GARNER NATIONAL ATTENTION
Pennsylvania’s PCMH collaboratives garner national attention for improving care for diabetes spurred by a piece by Penn State Hershey Medical Center’s own Robert Gabbay, MD, PhD, in The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety.
“This is one of the largest multi-payer PCMH programs in the country and can serve as a model for how to revitalize primary care and improve the health of patients across the country." PennState Live, July 13.
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MEDICAL STUDENTS HEAD TO AAFP NATIONAL CONFERENCE
The largest crowd of Pennsylvania medical students in history will descend upon the AAFP National Conference in Kansas City next Thursday, July 28 through 30. Fifty-three medical students representing every Pennsylvania medical school are attending to learn more about opportunities in family medicine. PAFP student leaders are working in leadership roles at the conference: Andy Lutzkanin, PSU MS 4, National Conference Student Chair; Diana Tucci, Pitt MS 3, FMIG Regional Coordinator; Kevin Bernstein, MD, 2011 AAFP Board of Directors Student Representative; and Chris Baumert, MD, AAFP’s Member Services Commission Student Representative.
REPRESENTATIVES FROM RESIDENCY PROGRAMS ATTEND NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Representatives from 20 Pennsylvania family medicine residency programs will be out in force in the National Conference exhibit hall promoting their hard work implementing PCMH in residency practices through the PA IPIP Residency Program Collaborative, the largest collaborative of its kind in the nation.
CONGRATS TO STUDENT CONTRIBUTOR
Congratulations to the newest medical student contributor to the Future of Family Medicine blog, Hayley Ryan, a PAFP student member from PCOM. Read her post on the subtleties of choosing a specialty.
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LOWER YOUR VACCINE COSTS WITH ATLANTIC HEALTH PARTNERS
Join the nation’s leading vaccine-buying group now to get the lowest prices before the back-to-school peak vaccine season! Additional benefits include:
• The lowest prices and most favorable payment terms for Sanofi Pasteur and Merck vaccines
• Reimbursement support • Medical supply discounts • Office supply discounts • Discounts for patient recall program
COMPLIMENTARY INSURANCE REVIEW
As a valued PAFP member, you are entitled to a complimentary Life, Long Term Care and Disability Insurance Review. Make sure that your coverage has kept pace with the changes in your life and is consistent with future goals. A review will ensure that your policies are current with beneficiary designations, competitively priced and up-to-date with marketplace innovations. For more details, contact an expert adviser at Asset MarketPlace, your PAFP-approved insurance provider, at (866) 482-2175, or send an email.
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
PAFP Member, Director of Wyoming Valley FMR and TCMC Associate Dean of Regional Campus Development - Wilkes-Barre, Richard English, MD, cloaked TCMC rising third-years in a white coat ceremony to mark their entry into the clinical years. Congratulations to our friends at TCMC! Click here for more.
"DIABETES PATIENTS DO BETTER WITH MEDICAL HOME"
Click here to read the article written by Dr. Robert Gabbay, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, MSHMC Endocrinology.
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