September 17, 2010

MAFP E-BULLETIN, September, 2010, VOL.4, NO.9

In this issue:

MAFP Co-Sponsors “Talking Diabetes With Your Patients,” November 13, 2010

Medicare Action Tool Kit Available From AAFP

Prevention Wednesday: Baltimore City Health Department

Position Announcement: Randallstown, Maryland

MAFP Winter Regional Conference, “Case-Based Presentations and Travel Medicine,” February 12, 2011

Environmental Scan and News You Can Use

MAFP Co-Sponsors “Talking Diabetes With Your Patients,” November 13, 2010

Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions and incidence will likely continue to increase. Unfortunately, many diabetes patients remain reluctant to adopt self-management behaviors and healthcare providers are seldom equipped to identify and address these barriers during brief office visits. Healthcare providers must develop effective communication skills to better understand the barriers impacting patient adherence. By understanding and addressing these barriers, providers will be able to promote effective self-management behaviors for patients to better meet their treatment goals.

The Maryland Academy of Family Physicians is collaborating with University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Office of CME to bring a national series of dynamic, interactive, evidence-based diabetes workshops to MAFP members. Diabetes Workshops are designed to enhance knowledge, skills and competencies in order to better overcome barriers to treatment adherence in patients with Type 2 diabetes. These workshops will help participants and their practices improve communication with patients and better manage complex disease issues.

The live workshop consists of evidence-based presentations followed by several small-group breakout sessions. During each session, participants will have an opportunity to work directly with professional standardized patients who will depict various clinical case scenarios, including adolescent, culturally diverse and depressed patients.

Please join us for this important educational activity: Saturday, November 13, 2010; Sheraton Baltimore City Center Hotel; Baltimore, Maryland; Registration and Breakfast: 7:30 – 8:00 AM; Educational Program: 8:00 AM – 12:30 PM.

Discounted parking will be provided. This conference is approved for up to 8 CME credits (4 AAFP/AMA Category I and 4 EB-CME). Credits from this educational activity may be applied to the MAFP CME requirement for Active/Supporting members. The entire healthcare team including physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, and residents are encouraged to attend. Please visit www.talkingdiabetescme.com for more information and to register. Also, see details at www.mdafp.org.  

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Medicare Action Tool Kit Available From AAFP

As you know, Congress last Summer acted to temporarily rescind the 21 percent Medicare physician pay cut and to add a 2.2 percent increase to what Medicare pays you for your services. However, on Nov. 30, the current temporary "fix" to Medicare physician payment will end. That means on Dec. 1, this year's scheduled 21 percent reduction as well as the 2.2 percent increase that was part of the current Medicare patch, will end.

We have a few months to make a difference, and our success depends in great part on AAFP members. Our U.S. Senators and Representative need to hear from members during the next several weeks. They need to hear that we want an extension of the current "doc fix" beyond Nov. 30. They also need to know that we want a permanent solution to this annual (and sometimes month-by-month) problem.

Your AAFP has developed the Medicare Action Tool Kit to help members help ourselves and Family Medicine.

The tool kit includes:

• a fact sheet on the Medicare physician payment issue, which includes

  • talking points that will be useful in conversations with patients and with U.S. Senators and Representative

  • tips for making our voice heard in Congress;

• a sample letter members can give to their patients, enlisting their help in contacting Congress to urge an extension of the temporary patch and a permanent solution that will preserve their access to your services;

• a sample letter patients can send to their U.S. Senators and Representative, urging them to act on Medicare physician payment; and

• a sample opinion piece on the issue that a prominent Chapter board member or leader can submit to local and regional news papers.

Please use these tools as we gear up for a full-court press on the Medicare physician payment issue this fall.

Every voice - that of our members and their patients - must be heard. Together we can make a difference. At this critical time, as we plan our lobbying efforts for a 13 month SGR pay cut freeze, and as we work for a totally new Medicare Payment Model with a Primary Care Differential, please dig deep and make an investment in your political insurance. The AAFP’s FamMedPac is the only PAC the works exclusively for family doctors. Join Club George now for only a dollar a day and wear you pin proudly at the upcoming AAFP Annual Assembly, if you can make it to Denver.

Click here for complete details on FamMedPac.
 

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Prevention Wednesday: Baltimore City Health Department

The Baltimore City Health Department has partnered with local businesses, community and faith-based organizations, government agencies and local schools to promote “Prevention Wednesday.” Prevention Wednesday is an educational health promotion program designed and developed by the Baltimore City Health Department to deliver prevention health tips and information on a broad variety of health topics with goals to increase the public’s awareness of prevention strategies and educate the community about local health related resources. Please share the attached “Prevention Wednesday” health topic with families, neighbors, employees, colleagues, businesses and community partners. If you are interested in becoming a Prevention Partner, please contact Brian Schleter at brian.schleter@baltimorecity.gov. Thank you for your support.
 

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Position Announcement: Randallstown, Maryland

Chase Brexton Health Services, Inc, which was founded in 1978, is the fastest growing federally qualified health center in Maryland. This year we will serve over 14,000 patients across the state providing primary medical, dental, pharmacy and behavioral health services. We were nationally recognized three times in the last fifteen years by the Department of Health and Human Services with a special projects of national significance award for innovative clinical services. We are also accredited by the Joint Commission for ambulatory medical care and behavioral health services, and we are committed to providing quality healthcare services to all regardless of their ability to pay.

Currently we are seeking a full-time board-certified family physician as Site Medical Director at our expanding office in Randallstown, Maryland. We provide comprehensive primary care and HIV care for a wide spectrum of patients regardless of income, insurance, race, or sexual preference. Our doctors are part of an interdisciplinary team that includes primary care physicians, infectious disease physicians, social workers, mental health providers, nurses, pharmacists, NPs, and PAs.

We work hard in the outpatient setting, but do no inpatient care. Our call responsibilities consist of telephone coordination of care for patient admissions and patient discharges as well as back up to RNs who take first call from our patients. Experience with pediatrics is preferable; however, we do not provide OB care.

We offer generous paid administrative time, and our malpractice coverage is unsurpassable as we are insured by the federal government through the Federal Tort Claims Act. The salary is competitive and the fringe benefits, which include generous leave and generous CME expense reimbursement, are excellent. Federal and state loan repayment may be available as well.
 

If you are interested in joining our team of dynamic and compassionate physicians and meeting the medical, mental health & psychosocial needs of our patients, please send your c.v./cover letter to Human Resources, Chase Brexton Health Services, Inc., 1001 Cathedral St., Baltimore, MD 21201, fax 443-573-5001, hr@chasebrexton.org. For more information on Chase Brexton please visit our website www.chasebrexton.org.  
 

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MAFP Winter Regional Conference, “Case-Based Presentations and Travel Medicine,” February 12, 2011

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend MAFP’s 2011 Winter Regional Conference in Baltimore: Case-Based Presentations and Travel Medicine for Primary Care, Saturday, February 12, 2011; Baltimore Sheraton City Center Hotel. Also Offering: ABFM SAM Study Hall; Module: Childhood Illness; Friday, February 11, 2011; Baltimore Sheraton City Center Hotel. Program Schedule and Conference Registration at www.mdafp.org and/or call the MAFP office at 410-747-1980. Program brochure and SAM registration will be posted soon. More details to come!  
 

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Environmental Scan and News You Can Use

• September is National Pain Awareness Month: Following is a link to the American Pain Foundation's new position statement on access to pain care. http://www.painfoundation.org/newsroom/position-statements/access-to-pain-care-august2010.html

• EMR courtship: Hospitals wooing doctors to stay afloat
  American Medical News, August 23, 2010
  “More hospitals are helping physicians establish electronic medical record systems and achieve meaningful use criteria for federal incentives. Hospitals see the affiliation as a competitive edge to help ensure physicians keep sending patients to them in tough financial times.”

• Do retail health clinics complement or compete with primary care providers?
  Fierce Healthcare, August 20, 2010
  “Although retail health clinics are cheap, convenient, and associated with high levels of patient satisfaction, there's still some confusion about their role in the healthcare system. Do those clinics within a larger retail store complement or compete with primary-care physicians?”

• Social media do's and don'ts for doctors
  Fierce Practice Management
  “Despite all of the benefits and pitfalls surrounding the use of social media by physicians, formal rules for medical professionals to follow online are still in the making. But even as The American Medical Association Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs, The American College of Physicians' Center for Ethics and Professionalism and other organizations continue to work on new policies, social media pioneers have identified some general do's and don'ts for practicing physicians.”

• AMA Seeking Nominations for AMA Seat on The Joint Commission Board of Commissioners - Deadline October 8, 2010 The American Medical Association (AMA) is seeking nominations for one of its open seats as an AMA non-Trustee Commissioner on The Joint Commission’s Board of Commissioners. Given the AMA’s advocacy efforts for the practicing physician, nominees from all specialties and areas of practice experience will be considered. Nominee(s) must be active members of the AMA and be willing to serve a minimum of one three-year term beginning January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2013. The AMA non-Trustee Commissioner will be limited to serve three terms for a maximum tenure of nine years. The AMA Board of Trustees will review the nominations and appoint one AMA non-Trustee Commissioner during its November Board meeting. To ensure consideration, nominations must be received by Friday, October 8, 2010. All nomination materials must be submitted via email (not via fax) including the completed nomination form, CV (no longer than three pages), letters of endorsement/support, and other relevant information. For more details and instructions, please review the announcement from Michael D. Maves, MD, AMA Executive Vice President. The nomination form is posted online. Please direct questions or comments to Ms. Joe Ann Jackson, AMA Corporate Liaison at joe.ann.jackson@ama-assn.org.

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MAFP or MAFP Foundation
5710 Executive Drive, Suite 104
Baltimore, MD 21228
Phone: (410) 747-1980 - Fax: (410) 744-6059
E-Mail: info@mdafp.org