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Medicare SGR Repealed, Finally
In action that was thought to be highly improbable only a few short weeks ago, the United States Senate last week joined the House in supporting legislation permanently repealing the notorious Sustainable Growth Rate Formula governing physician payments under Medicare. Passage of the bill then signed by the President averted at the last minute another proposed cut of nearly 23% in Maine and also avoided the need for what would have been the 18th "patch."
Late on the
evening of April 14, 2015, the United States Senate voted 92-8 to pass The
Medicare Access and CHIP Re-authorization Act (H.R. 2) thus repealing the flawed Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) Medicare payment formula. The House had passed the bill on March 26th on
a vote of 392 to 87. President Obama
promptly signed the bill, completing the legislative process and freeing
physicians and other Medicare providers from a flawed payment formula that had
resulted in Medicare payments increasing only 4% since 2001 while the cost of
caring for patients increased by 26% during the same period. MMA is pleased to note that all four of
Maine’s Congressional delegation members voted for the bill. Please take the time to thank our two
Senators and two Representatives for this historic vote.
The new law
gives physicians the option to stay in Medicare’s traditional fee-for-service
system while incentives are offered to move to alternative payment models. In addition to repealing the SGR formula, the
bill:
- Provides all physicians with annual positive 0.5 percent updates for 4 and ½ years (July 1,
2015 through the end of 2019).
- Replaces Medicare’s multiple quality reporting programs with a new single Merit-Based
Incentive Payment System (MIPS) that provides positive or negative payment
adjustments based on a composite score/performance for providers remaining in
the fee-for-service model. While the
MIPS program has similar features of Medicare’s current quality programs, it is
intended to be more flexible with new opportunities to earn bonuses.
- Under
MIPS, physicians can earn bonuses and face lower penalties. Maximum MIPS bonuses and penalties would be 4
percent in 2019; 5 percent in 2020, 7 percent in 2021, and 9 percent in 2022
and beyond. Additional bonuses of up to
10 percent would go for exceptional performance, with $500 million of Medicare
funds set aside each year for that purpose.
- Existing
programs PQRS, MU, and VBM would officially end in 2019. The last reporting period would be for
2018. Physicians would be judged by what
is relevant to their practice, and get credit for improvements as well as
hitting performance targets. They would
know those targets at the start of each reporting period and receive more
timely individual feedback.
- Preserves the 10-day and 90-day global surgical bundled payments by reversing a recently
adopted rule by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that would
have unbundled these services.
- Sets
a goal of achieving interoperability of EHR systems by December 31, 2018. If not achieved, the Secretary can recommend
adjusting MU penalties and/or decertifying EHRs. A study is required to assist physicians in
comparing and selecting among certified EHR products.
- Practices
with 15 or fewer professionals would qualify for technical-assistance funding
to help improve their performance or transition to alternative payment
models. Priority would be given to
practices with low scores and those in rural and underserved areas.
- Liability
protections are included if provider standards are followed.
The Maine
Medical Association, the American Medical Association, and more than 750 other
national and state medical societies and specialty organizations supported the
bill. While certainly not perfect, it
does put behind us the flawed formula and gives medicine an opportunity to expand
its advocacy agenda which for several years has been negatively impacted by the
annual effort to patch the formula.
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Let MMA Train Your Staff at Annual HIPAA Update, May 1st
MMA's next First Friday educational presentation is the Annual HIPAA Update which will be presented Friday morning, May 1st from 8:30 am to noon at the MMA offices in Manchester. The program is also available online through Webex. An exceptional faculty has been recruited to present at this year's program including attorneys Michael Duddy, Kenneth Lehman, Jennifer Riggle, and Elizabeth Olivier. MMA attorneys Andrew MacLean and Peter Michaud will also participate. This once a year program is always the most popular First Friday program of the year. Register now and learn what is new in the HIPAA privacy world and how to ensure that your practice is in compliance with both state and federal privacy laws.
Register now online at www.mainemed.com or call Ashley Bernier at MMA at 622-3374, ext. 213 to reserve a slot. [return to top]
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MMA Nominations Committee Seeking Member Engagement
The Maine Medical Association Nominations Committee will be meeting throughout the Spring and Summer to complete the slate of officers and committee membership for the Association in advance of the Annual Meeting in Bar Harbor from September 11-13, 2015. The Committee is chaired by Kenneth Christian, M.D. of Holden. If you are interested in engaging with the Association in any of the following activities, or know of a colleague who is interested, please communicate with Dr. Christian via e-mail to christianken@yahoo.com or to MMA's Executive Vice President Gordon Smith at gsmith@mainemed.com. Gordon can also be reached on his cell phone at 207-215-7461.
- Board of Directors
- Physician Quality Committee
- Public Health Committee
- Legislative Committee
- Committee on CME and Accreditation
- Bylaws Committee
- Audit Committee
- Finance Committee
- Maine Medical Education Trust (3 at large members elected annually)
The Committee will also nominate members for the officer positions of President-elect and Secretary-Treasurer.
A voluntary membership association is only as strong as its membership and the engagement of its members. Committee membership does not normally require a great deal of time or travel and most, if not all, meetings have a telephone call-in option.
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More Stolen Identities for Tax Filing Purposes; Please Let MMA Know if You are a Victim of this Scam
As the tax filing deadline nears, MMA has heard from some members recently that they have been the victim of the stolen identity scam that involves filing a tax return in the name of a physician using stolen social security numbers and other information. Many times, the physician does not become aware of the scam until he or she files the tax return, only to receive a message from the IRS that a return had already been filed in the name of the physician. While the physician (and spouse if a joint return) are ultimately held harmless from the point of view of the tax return, there is considerable inconvenience in dealing with the stolen identity.
During the 2014 tax season, MMA heard from nearly 100 physicians and a handful of other health professionals that they had been impacted by this scam. Many other state medical societies received similar reports, particularly New Hampshire. The state medical societies collected information to share with the IRS and FBI and connected with the officers leading the investigation. To our knowledge no arrests have been made despite indications last year that progress was being made in the investigation.
If you or a colleague have been impacted this year, please take a moment to contact MMA EVP Gordon Smith, Esq. know so that MMA can continue to monitor this illegal and most unpleasant activity. Gordon can be reached by calling his cell at 207-215-7461 or via e-mail to gsmith@mainemed.com.
The following is information MMA published in this newsletter during the last tax filing season.
MMA encourages all Maine physicians to be alert to
this problem during this tax-filing season.
You’ll find more information about the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS’)
recommendations to address this threat here: http://www.irs.gov/uac/Taxpayer-Guide-to-Identity-Theft.
We will be continuing to gather information and making suggestions as
the investigations continue. The consumer protection division of the
Maine Attorney General's Office will be weighing in on the matter this
week. That division is responsible for crimes involving identity theft.
Physicians who are concerned that they have been or may be targeted by this scam are encouraged to visit www.experian.com/fraud
and place themselves on a 90-day credit fraud alert. This could
potentially slow or halt further attempted identity theft activities.
This is recommended as a precaution - at this time we have no reason to
believe that every physician is at risk. We understand that Experian
will feed this information and fraud alert to the other two major credit
reporting agencies. If you remain concerned, investigators suggest
that you go back to the Experian fraud page after 89 days and initiate a
subsequent 90-day credit fraud alert.
NEXT STEPS FOR AFFECTED PHYSICIANS
We realize that many physicians affected have already taken some or
all of the following steps but for those physicians who may be new to
this issue but affected, the following are some recommendations based on
our conversations with investigators and theft identity experts.
1. Contact the IRS. If you are impacted, be sure to follow up
directly with the IRS in order to verify your identity and avoid
penalties for the fraudulent filing. Call the IRS Identity Protection
Specialized Unit at 1-800-908-4490 .
You will need to file a paper copy of your tax return, along with
completed IRS Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit, which should be
faxed to the IRS at 1-855-807-5720 . Ask your accountant if you need an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN) for the paper return.
The U.S. Secret Service recommends accessing some of the information available on the IRS identity protection information page. Tax-related identity theft information is also available on the Federal Trade Commission website.
2. Contact the Social Security Administration. Call the Social Security Administration's fraud hotline at 800-772-1213 to report fraudulent use of your Social Security number.
3. File a report with local police. Bring all documentation
available, including state and federal complaints you filed. This will
likely be necessary if there is financial account fraud as a result of
the identity theft. However, if the only fraud is tax fraud, the police
report would only be necessary if requested by the IRS. There is some
risk that once your social security number has been stolen with perhaps
other elements of your identity, that criminals will attempt to open up
credit card accounts or other accounts in your name.
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Rural Medical Access Fund Applications Due on May 1st
For more than twenty years, the state's Rural Medical Access Program has made funds available to eligible physicians who practice obstetrics in federally designated Medically Underserved Areas/Populations and Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas. To be considered eligible, physicians must be practicing in Maine, have performed deliveries and/or provided prenatal care, and have malpractice for prenatal care and/or obstetrical services for at least the period of July 1, 2014 through Dec. 31, 2014.
Priority is given to those physicians who practice at least 50% of the time in underserved areas, and whose practice includes at least 10% MaineCare patient visits. To find out if your practice site may qualify, you can refer to the maps on the state's Maine CDC web site.
Applications are available from the Maine Rural Health and Primary Care Program which jointly operates the program with the Bureau of Insurance. Applications must be completed and returned to the program by Friday, May 1, 2015. Late applications cannot be accepted.
For questions or applications, contact the Program staff at 287-5524.
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Is Your Texting HIPAA-secure? Download DocBookMD Today!
Texting clinical information risks HIPAA violations, but the Maine Medical Association has a solution. MMA members have free access to DocBookMD, a "physician-centric" smart phone app that enables you and other users to exchange patient information through a HIPAA-secure network. With DocBookMD, using your desktop or your iPhone, iPad, and Android devices, you can: send messages that meet HIPAA requirements for encryption and security; share patient information at the point-of-care, and build a "Care Team" in order to communicate with non-physicians at your practice, and at your discretion. MMA members can download and register now at www.docbookmd.com, or click on the above link from your mobile device and it will take you to the App store or Google play.
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EHR Program Modifications a Mixed Bag for Physicians
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on March 20th released the Stage 3 proposed rule for meaningful use of electronic health records (EHR). The same day, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) released a proposed rule for the next version of certified EHRs (Version 2015).
The rules represent a mixed bag for physicians, and comments are due for both rules by May 29. Following is an overview of the rules.
CMS' meaningful use Stage 3 rule:
The AMA continues to harbor a number of concerns with the overarching framework of the meaningful use program, including:
- The general pass/fail construct
- Increased thresholds or other added criteria that do not reflect the existing barriers—making it very challenging to meet certain measures
- The requirement to move to a full-year reporting period
ONC's certified EHR rule:
The ONC was responsive to a number of the concerns the AMA has pressed for repeatedly. These include proposals for:
- Creating greater transparency of certified EHRs
- Giving further clarity on vendor requirements to address privacy and security concerns
- Providing post-market surveillance to address how certified products are performing
- Improving data exchange, including provider directories, patient matching and the API concept to access common clinical data
While a number of the changes proposed by the ONC are promising, the AMA believes further emphasis needs to be placed on testing products during and after the certification process.
CMS' meaningful use years 2015-2017 rule:
In addition, CMS on April 10 released a separate proposed rule to address years 2015-2017 of the meaningful use program. The AMA is still in the process of reviewing this rule but will provide a summary and ask the Federation for additional feedback in the near future.
EHRs talk to one another without understanding
Physicians' electronic health record (EHR) systems may be able to send and receive information to other EHRs, but the ability for information to be exchanged, incorporated and presented in a contextual manner still is lacking, physicians told the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) earlier this month.
In a letter to National Coordinator Health Information Technology Karen B. DeSalvo, MD, the AMA outlined key facets of achieving true interoperability between EHRs based on the ONC's interoperability roadmap:
- Prioritize cornerstone issues to lay a strong foundation
- Don't use a punitive approach
- Address cost and usability barriers
- Acknowledge the meaningful use program's impact
Read more about these recommendations at AMA Wire®.
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Open Payments Review and Dispute Period Now Underway
Under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is required to publicly report on an annual basis items of value that are given to physicians and teaching hospitals.
Preceding the public data release, physicians are given a brief window of time to review their data and dispute errors. CMS announced April 6th that physicians could begin registering in the Open Payments System and reviewing their 2014 data.
Disputes that are initiated by May 20th will be flagged in the public data release scheduled to take place June 30th. Visit the AMA website for step-by-step instructions on how to register and review the Open Payments data.
Physicians can share their registration experience with the AMA by sending an email to OpenPayments@ama-assn.org. Responses will be used in the AMA's ongoing advocacy efforts. [return to top]
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POLITICAL PULSE: Proposal on Independent Prescriptive Authority for CRNAs has Lengthy Hearing before LCRED Committee
MMA AND OTHER PHYSICIAN ORGANIZATIONS OPPOSE LD 970 ON INDEPENDENT PRESCRIPTIVE AUTHORITY FOR CRNAs IN HEARING BEFORE LABOR, COMMERCE, RESEARCH & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Last Tuesday afternoon, the LCRED Committee held a public hearing that neared four hours in length on L.D. 970, An Act Regarding Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Requirements. Katherine Pope, M.D., former MMA Legislative Committee Chair and Board member, former nurse, and current Spectrum Medical Group anesthesiologist presented the MMA's testimony in opposition to the bill. Organized medicine stood strongly united in opposition to this legislation with physicians and other representatives of the MMA, Maine Osteopathic Association, Maine Academy of Family Physicians, Maine Society of Anesthesiologists, and Spectrum Medical Group testifying against the bill. The physician organization testimony identified important issues and raised key questions to which the proponent nursing interests could not respond. A work session on the bill has not yet been scheduled. An important threshold question is whether the Department of Professional & Financial Regulation (DPFR) will be asked to conduct a so-called "sunrise review," a statutory requirement prior to expansion of the scope of practice of any DPFR licensee.
LCRED COMMITTEE ALSO ADDRESSING BILLS ON PA LICENSURE, USE OF THE "M.D." DEGREE AS A TITLE, AND TREATMENT OF LYME DISEASE
The LCRED Committee has been busy with some difficult pieces of medical legislation. Last week, the Committee held an initial work session on two bills drafted by MMA staff. One bill (LD 830) addresses the issues with physician assistants having to "serve two masters" by being licensed and regulated by both the Board of Licensure in Medicine and the Board of Osteopathic Licensure if they are supervised by allopathic and osteopathic physicians in different work settings. The BOLIM has raised a number of technical issues with resolving this problem. The Committee has asked DPFR Commissioner Ann Head to convene a meeting of stakeholders to discuss potential approaches to regulatory relief and to report back in a week. The Committee voted 12-1 in favor of an amended version of MMA's bill (LD 834) that would clarify the right of a physician who does not hold a current valid physician license to use the designation, "M.D." after his or her name to recognize the earning of that degree. The problem is that the current statute states that use of the designation, "M.D." is prima facie evidence that one is holding him or herself out to the public as practicing medicine. Under the amended version of the bill, a licensee who had his or her license permanently revoked still would not be able to use the designation.
Finally, last Thursday, the Committee held its second work session on the bill (LD 422) to protect practitioners who prescribe long-term antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease from disciplinary action by licensing authorities. Most of the first two work sessions involved lengthy committee caucuses outside of public view as members discuss the nature of the problem and various approaches to amending the bill. The Committee has struggled to achieve consensus. Bea Szantyr, M.D. has been very much engaged in the work on this bill and Robert Pinsky, M.D. participated in last week's work session on behalf of the infectious disease community. The bill is scheduled for yet another work session this Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m. While the outcome is far from clear, it appears that the best chance of consensus among the various points of view on the Committee may be a "Resolve" that might give some peace of mind to those practitioners who believe that long-term antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease without making any permanent changes to the licensing boards' disciplinary authority.
HEALTH COMMITTEE CONTINUES MARATHON PUBLIC HEARING AND WORK SESSION SCHEDULES
The MMA and/or physician specialty organizations such as the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MAAP) and the Maine Association of Psychiatric Physicians (MAPP) have been involved in a number of the many bills being heard or worked by the Health & Human Services Committee during the past two weeks since that Committee completed its work on the biennial budget. A number of them have not been finally resolved. These bills deal with issues as varied as tobacco specialty stores (LD 821), blood lead exposure levels (LD 1115), prescription drug marketing to physicians (LD 928), access to naloxone (LDs 140 and 812), state funding for rural health centers (LD 969), testing for Krabbe disease (LD 84), and specific requirements for prescribing the drug, Zohydro (LD 989).
MMA JOINS MHA AND MAINEHEALTH IN OPPOSING BILL SUGGESTING SUBSTANTIAL FINES FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH PRICE TRANSPARENCY LAWS BEFORE INSURANCE COMMITTEE
Last Thursday afternoon, the Insurance & Financial Services Committee held a public hearing on LD 813, An Act To Ensure That Hospitals Comply with the Laws Governing Transparency of Medical Billing, a bill that would provide for a patient's private right of action and substantial penalties for a hospital, ambulatory surgical facility, or potentially a medical practice that fails to comply with price transparency legislation enacted by the previous legislature. Proponents of the bill were a nursing professor and student from Husson University. Opponents were the MHA, MMA, and MaineHealth. A work session is scheduled for this week.
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE DEVELOPS "PAIRING" OR "BUDDY" SYSTEM FOR NEXT PHASE OF BIENNIAL BUDGET WORK
As the Appropriations Committee has completed accepting reports back from policy committees, it now enters a phase of work sessions that will take up much of the rest of the session. In a new approach, the Committee apparently has broken the budget into sections and assigned a pair of legislators, one Democrat and one Republican, to consider that section of the budget and make recommendations to the whole Committee. You can find all budget documents, including the HHS Committee report, on the Office of Fiscal & Program Review web site here. The biennial budget negotiations likely will occupy much of the rest of the session, some time in June. The MMA continues its advocacy on behalf of Maine physicians and patients on various aspects of the budget proposal.
You can find the documents on the Governor's proposed biennial budget on the Bureau of the Budget web site.
The following are high points from the “Medical Care - Payments to Providers” or “MAP” account, the primary account dealing with physician & hospital reimbursement:
- Provider-base reimbursement, p. A-336. Total cut in each year is $7.3 M state & federal. Description says, “Reduces funding by eliminating the separate facility fee payments that are billed on a UB-04 claim form and paid to hospitals for the services of hospital-compensated physicians, and provides funding to equalize reimbursement rates of hospital-compensated physicians and non-hospital-compensated physicians and eliminates the cost settlement component of hospital-compensated physician reimbursement. This would eliminate the two separate fee schedules of reimbursement and ensure all physicians billing under Section 90 of the MaineCare Benefits Manual would be reimbursed on the non-facility fee schedule.” There is no separate language in Part C, the language section of the budget.
- Health Homes, p. A-336. Replaces lost federal funding, so GF amount is $5.6 M/$7.8 M in the first & second years of biennium respectively. Description says, “Provides funding for Health Homes for adults with serious and persistent mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbance (Stage B) and Health Homes for individuals with one or more chronic conditions (Stage A) due to the elimination of the enhanced federal match of 90/10 under the ACA.”
- Primary care fee increase, p. A-336. The amount is $7.4 M GF, $12.5 state & federal funds in each year of biennium. Description says, “Provides funding for the reimbursement of primary care physicians at an enhanced rate which replaces expiring funds provided through the ACA.”
- Community-based behavioral health services provided by hospital-affiliated entities, p. A-337. Reduces funding by $1.3 M in each year of biennium. Description says, “Reduces funding by requiring all community-based behavioral health services, including those that are operating as part of a hospital or in an administrative unit of a hospitality to bill and receive rates of reimbursement under Section 65 of the MaineCare Benefits Manual.”
- Critical Access Hospital (CAH) reimbursement, p. A-337. Saves $4.2 M in each year of biennium by reducing reimbursement from 109% to 101% of costs.
- Methadone treatment coverage eliminated, p. A-339. Savings is $1.2 M/$1.5 M state & federal.
- ER rates, p. A-339. Savings is $1.9 M/$2.6 M state & federal. Description says, “Reduces by changing reimbursement on non-emergent use of emergency services to be paid at an office visit rate.”
- Medicare Shared Savings Program cuts, p. A-339. Savings is $29 M/$34 M state & federal. Description says, “Reduces funding by reducing the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) in the Medicare Savings Program (MSP) to the federal minimum.”
- Section 65 BH services 10% reimbursement cut, p. A-337. Savings in this line is $10.4 M in each year of biennium state & federal. There's also at least one line on this cut in the BDS part of the DHHS budget. FYI, despite the merger in the Baldacci years, the BOB still breaks the DHHS budget down into 2 parts, “DHHS, formerly BDS” (behavioral & developmental services) & “DHHS, formerly DHS” (human services).
LCRED COMMITTEE HEARS BILLS DRAFTED BY MMA REGARDING PA LICENSURE AND USE OF THE DEGREE DESIGNATION, "M.D."
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MMA Legislative Committee Weekly Conference Call, Tuesday, April 21st at 8 p.m.
The next MMA Legislative Committee weekly conference call for the First Regular Session of the 127th Maine Legislature will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, April 21st at 8:00 p.m.
Legislative Committee members and specialty society legislative liaisons are strongly encouraged to participate. Any physician, practice manager, or other staff member who is interested in the MMA's legislative advocacy also is welcome to participate. It is not necessary to RSVP for the calls.
Please use the following conference call number and passcode. These will remain the same for every weekly call during the session.
Conference call number: 1-619-326-2772
Passcode: 729-7185
The purpose of the weekly conference calls is to review and finalize the MMA's position on bills printed the previous week, to hear the views of specialty societies on the new bills or their concerns about any current health policy issues, and to discuss the highlights of legislative action of the week. The calls rarely last longer than an hour. The MMA staff lists a suggested position for each bill and any medical specialty particularly affected by the bill.
If you have an opinion about any of these bills, but cannot participate in the call, please contact Andrew MacLean, Deputy EVP & General Counsel at amaclean@mainemed.com or 622-3374, ext. 214.
The following are bills of interest to the physician community printed last week. We will discuss the priority bills marked with an asterisk (*) first.
LD 1316, An Act Regarding the Employment of Certified Nursing Assistants and Direct Care Workers
(monitor; geriatricians)
LD 1337, An Act To Fully Fund the Family Caregiver Respite Program
(monitor; psychiatrists)
LD 1340, An Act To Enact the Preservation of Religious Freedom Act
(oppose; sponsor has said he will not pursue this bill)*
LD 1344, An Act To Protect Maine Consumers in the Individual Health Insurance Market and Support Maine's Economy
(support)*
LD 1349, An Act To Establish the Office of the Inspector General in the Department of Health and Human Services (monitor)
We also will revisit LD 1305, An Act To Encourage Health Insurance Consumers To Comparison Shop for Health Care Procedures and Treatment
(oppose)
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New Online CME: Preparing Patients for Cancer Genetic Testing
The Jackson Laboratory is
pleased to announce a new web based CME series on cancer genetic testing. The
first module, now available, focuses on preparing patients for cancer genetic
testing.
For patients at high risk for having a hereditary cancer
syndrome, genetic testing may be appropriate. This online CME focuses on the
benefits and limitations of testing and provides the opportunity to practice deciding
whether testing is the best choice for a specific patient.
Highlights of the program include:
- Practice
identifying the risks, benefits and limitations of genetic testing by working
through cases.
- Watch
a real patient and provider discuss important issues to consider in shared
decision-making around genetic testing.
- Learn
through 15-minute interactive Web cases and downloadable point-of-care tools
that can be used in the clinic.
- Free
CME.
Visit Pre-Test
Decisions & Considerations to explore the program and access point-of-care tools to use in your
clinic!
The University of
Connecticut School of Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum
of .25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™.
Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their
participation in the activity.
For more information, contact Emily Edelman: emily.edelman@jax.org [return to top]
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Upcoming Events
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Maine Concussion Management Initiative Training Programs – Level 1 and Level
2
General Information for 2015
When and where
held:
May 1, 2015 in Machias at DownEast
Community Hospital
June 12, 2015 in Waterville at Colby
College
October 20, 2015 in Portland
in conjunction with the Maine Brain Injury Conference
(Registration and fees will be through the
Maine Brain Injury Conference for October 20)
Training Program: Training
programs in 2015 will be updated.
Level 1 - An Introduction to
Concussions and Concussion Management
Level 2 – Interpreting Neurocognitive
Testing (Level 1 is a prerequisite for taking Level 2)
8:00am
– 8:15 Registration and Continental
Breakfast (Level
1 and Level 2 are run simultaneously)
8:15am-12:00pm Level
1 – An Introduction to Concussions and Concussion Management
- The Diagnostic and Return to Play
Dilemma
- Sport Related Concussion: Short and
Long Term Sequelae
- Concussion Sideline Assessment
- Concussion Risk Factors, Treatment
and Return to Function
- Tools in Concussion Management
- Concussion Case Studies
- Review and Wrap-up
8:15am-12:00pm Level
2 – Interpreting Neurocognitive Testing
- Using ImPACT Testing in Concussion
Management
- Interpreting ImPACT Test Results
- Case Reviews
- Review and Wrap-up
Registration Fee:
$100
for Health Care Professionals (MD, DO, NP, PA, Neuropsychologist, ATC, RN, PT,
OT, SLP)
$40
for school personnel and all other attendees
(School
nurses, coaches, school athletic directors, administrators, parents, etc.)
$20
for students – currently enrolled in a college program
Registration Fee
Includes:
- Handouts
- Continental Breakfast and mid-morning break
- CEU/CME credits for Health Care Professionals
Registration
Confirmation will be sent by email and will include:
- Directions to training location.
- Training agenda.
For more
information contact:
Jan
Salis, PT, ATC
MCMI -
Membership Committee Chair
jsalis@aol.com
(207)
577-2018
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On the Path of Well-Being: Adversity, Poverty and Resilience
MAAP Annual Conference – May 1-3, 2015
MaineHealth – Free Street Location
Have you pondered any of the following questions: What adverse events do Maine children face and how can we collaborate to provide solutions for children facing adversity or living in poverty? How do poverty and abuse impact a child's growth, potential, and resiliency? How can we support the providers who care for our children?
This conference features two national leaders on children's issues: Andrew Garner, MD, PhD, FAAP, pediatrician with University Hospitals Medical Practices in Westlake, OH, President of the Ohio AAP and national expert on adversity and resilience and Robert Sege, MD, PhD, FAAP, practicing pediatrician, Chief of the Division of Family and Child Advocacy and Professor of Pediatrics at Boston University and national expert on child abuse and neglect. We also feature nationally renowned economist Dr. Jeffrey Sachs speaking on Poverty Issues and how they affect children.
Additional plenary talk on physician wellness by Joe Dreher, MD, frequent speaker on mindfulness and physician resilience and the founder & co-chair of the Medical Staff Provider Health and Resiliency Committee at Maine Medical Center, and by social worker and author Amy Morin, LCSW, who wrote the bestseller 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do.
Breakouts topics include ACES and Resilience, Primary Care Payment Reform, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration and Clinical Roundtable topics include Pediatric Urology, Adolescent Vaccinations/HPV/Gardasil 9, Care Coordination for Autism & Developmental Disabilities and New Treatment Recommendations for Bronchiolitis.
To view the full agenda, read speaker bios, and access registration information, go tohttp://www.cvent.com/d/rrqllh
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OPHTHALMOLOGISTS TAKE
NOTICE
Maine Society of Eye Physicians and
Surgeons Spring Meeting
FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2015
Harraseeket Inn, Freeport, ME
CODEquest: The
Ultimate Course for Combating Ophthalmic Coding Challenges
7:00am – 12:00pm
7:00 – 8:00 – Registration
& Breakfast for CODEquest Program
8:00 – 9:30 – CODEquest
Course
9:30 – 9:45 – Break
9:45 – 12:00 – CODEquest
Course
REGISTER FOR CODEquest: http://www.aao.org/codequest-maine.cfm
After the morning CODEquest
program, we will begin the afternoon program (Staff are welcome to join us
for the 12:15pm – 2:15pm portion of the afternoon, but MUST contact
Shirley Goggin by 4/22 to indicate plans as we need accurate headcounts for the
Harraseeket. Please be sure to communicate this to your staff.)
The afternoon program will be as follows:
MSEPS Educational Program & Business
Meeting
12:00pm – 4:30pm
12:00 – 1:15 – Lunch/Visit Exhibitors (Please
Note: We ask that everyone please take time to visit with the exhibitors
during this time as they are showing their support of our Society and this will be the only time they get with you.)
1:15
– 2:15 – Electronic Health Records:
The Promise and the Pitfalls (Presented By Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance
Company) – Presenter: Mark Lavoie, Esq., Norman Hanson & DeTroy
NOTE: 10% discount on OMIC premium for current Maine Society Members who attend
this risk management talk. 5% discount for non-Maine Society
Members. One discount per year applied upon renewal with OMIC.
2:15 – 4:30 – MSEPS Business Meeting
A finalized agenda and form regarding your attendance
plans for the OMIC Presentation and Business Meeting will be sent out next
week. Make sure you plan accordingly.
OVERNIGHT ROOMS ARE AVAILABLE – The Harraskeet Inn has set aside a block
of rooms for our group at a rate of $150 for
Thursday evening, 4/30/15 based on the early start time and travel distance for
some. In order to reserve one of these rooms, please call the Harraseeket
Inn at 207-865-9377 and tell them you are with the CODEquest or MSEPS Meeting
taking place on May 1st. If you run into any issues, contact
Shirley at 207-445-2260 or sgoggin@mainemed.com. I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU MAKE YOUR
RESERVATIONS EARLY!
***
Beyond the Basics in Suicide
Prevention 2015
Pathway To Prevention: Working Toward Zero Suicide in Maine
Thursday, May 7 – 8:30am –
Abromson Center, USM, Portland
Keynote Speaker: Michael F. Hogan, PhD, Health and Behavioral
Health Consultant,
past Commissioner of Mental Health, State of New York
The Beyond the Basics conference serves as a “best
practice” conference offering participants in-depth and progressive information
and the latest research in the field of suicide and suicide prevention. The
conference is designed for an adult audience that has attained basic training
and knowledge in suicide and suicide prevention, and wishes to expand their
knowledge and ability to engage in suicide prevention in Maine. The 2015 theme,
“Beyond the Basics in Suicide Prevention: Pathway to Prevention — Working
Toward Zero Suicide in Maine” guides a program of the most up-to-date research
on suicidology and evidence-based tools, and provides participants with
information to use in everyday practical applications. This year’s conference
features national leading experts on suicide assessment and prevention, a
learning experience not to be missed.
Please click here to see the agenda
and to register.
MEDICAL GROUP MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION NEW ENGLAND REGIONAL CONFERENCE
The Tides of Change in Health Care
Don't miss the boat to ride the tide!!!
Registration is now open for our New England
Regional Conference being held at the beautiful Samoset Resort in Rockport
Maine, May 13-15, 2015.
The 2015 New England MGMA Regional Conference
features a wide range of speakers who will provide you with the insight and
tools you need to help your practice thrive.
In addition to our great keynote and breakout
speakers, we have pre-conference activities including ACMPE, Fellowship and
Excel workshops and we are also holding a pre-conference golf tournament!
Won't it be nice to walk on grass instead of snow?
This is a great event for you
and your colleagues to meet and network with members of Maine, Vermont, New
Hampshire and Massachusetts/Rhode Island MGMA and our vendor sponsors. On
Wednesday evening we will be providing a gift card so you can have an
opportunity to visit the local restaurants.
Please go to the following link to begin your
registration and review the conference agenda: http://www.newenglandmgma.com/registration-information/.
We accept all Visa,
Master Card, Discover and American Express. If paying by check, please
make check out to NERC/NHMGMA.
If you have any questions please contact Pam Beaule
at PBeaule@StMarysMaine.com.
We hope you will join us and help make this
conference a success!
Denise Andrade, FACMPE, Marketing Chairperson
***
The 3rd Annual Maine
Harm Reduction Conference!
The conference will be
held on Thursday, May 14th at the Portland Public Library in Portland.
We've got a lot of exciting presenters and
workshops lined up for you this year, including a workshops on the Cutting
Edge of Harm Reduction, Housing in Harm Reduction and Recovery, Law
Enforcement Assisted Diversion, and Updates in Treatment and Recovery.This year's keynote
will be delivered by Mark Kinzly, Harm Reduction Coalition Board Member,
Evaluation Specialist with Street Works and former Site Coordinator for NIDA
Funded Research with Yale School of Medicine
To view the program
and/or register follow the link below!
https://www.mainehealthequity.org/events/mehra-sec/
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Job Openings
Gastroenterologist
Job in Central Maine
Challenging, Lucrative,
Gastroenterologist job in central Maine - honoring and serving Veterans. An experienced Gastroenterologist is needed
in Augusta. Develop your skills of diagnosing,
treating, and managing patients, while living in an all-season recreational
getaway!
Must-haves:
Fellowship-trained and B/C specializing in Gastroenterology, fellowship-trained
in Transplant Hepatology, and fellowship-trained in Advanced Endoscopy;
experience in Upper Endoscopy (including EGD, Barrett's Esophagus diagnosis and
treatment, vatical bleeding, bleeding ulcers, dilation, stent placement for
esophageal strictures, and treating food impactions); experience in Colonoscopy (diagnostic and therapeutic),
ERCP, EUS with FNA (for both solid and cystic lesions), Push enteroscopy, Deep
small bowel enteroscopy, Capsule endoscopy, and Combined Interventional and
Endoscopic interventions (Rendezvous procedures); experience in hepatology and
liver diseases; lastly, an unrestricted medical license and current BLS
certification.
This is the opportunity
for you to receive a competitive salary, a generous leave package, excellent
health & life insurance benefits, and retirement benefits. You'd be
eligible to participate in a pension program as well as a matching Thrift
Savings Plan which is similar to a 401K. If you are a veteran, you may be able
to combine accrued military retirement credit with VA pension benefits.
Salary will be
commensurate experience, using VA’s market-based physician pay system. By law,
U.S. Citizens will be given 1st preference but non-citizens will be considered
in the absence of qualified citizens. A signing bonus may be available. Relocation expenses are not authorized. Equal Opportunity Employer. Disabled persons and/or veterans are
encouraged to apply.
4/20/15
Family Practice Physician
The Bucksport Regional Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center, has a unique opportunity for an experienced Family Practice Physician to work at a small, independent, community-based primary care facility that offers great quality indicators, a team atmosphere, and excellent working conditions. Responsibilities will include the diagnosis, treatment, coordination of care, preventive care and provision of health maintenance services to patients of all life cycles.
Candidates must have graduated from an accredited medical school and completed a residency in Family Practice or Med/Peds, have a current State of Maine Medical License and D.E.A Certificate, and at least five years of experience in the practice of family or internal medicine. The successful candidate will be offered a generous compensation package, including a competitive salary and excellent benefits.
The Bucksport Regional Health Center has been offering easy access to quality, affordable care for persons of all ages since 1974. Interested applicants should apply with a resume and cover letter to Carol Carew, Executive Director, 110 Broadway, Bucksport, Me 04416 or via email at ccarew@brhc.info (or call 207-469-7371).
04/20/15
Family Medicine and Outpatient Internal
Medicine Physicians
Katahdin Valley Health Center is recruiting dedicated Family Medicine and Outpatient Internal Medicine Physicians that are committed to providing quality health care services to the people in Central/Northern Maine. Join our practice in one of the newly expanded facilities. We are seeking physicians for our Millinocket and Brownville outpatient only practices. KVHC is a fully electronic medical record site and offers a Four day work week with a competitive salary ($170,000 to $190,000 annual) and benefit package which includes: a 10% of first year salary sign on bonus, generous amounts of paid time off and $2500 annually toward CME. The call schedule is 1 in 9 with additional coverage from the Open Access Clinic. Physicians who join KVHC are eligible to apply for NHSC Loan Repayment. HPSA scores at the KVHC sites increased in 2015.
To learn more about KVHC and Practitioner Opportunities, please contact Michelle LeFay at mlefay@kvhc.org or visit our website at www.kvhc.org. KVHC is an equal opportunity employer.
06/01/15
Family Practice Opportunity: Lincoln, ME Lakes Region·
- Prenatal
skills preferred, but not required
- BE/BC
in Family Medicine
- Flexible
schedule/4-day work week, if desired
- Typically
36 clinical hours/4 administrative
- Average
18-22 patients per day; Light phone call of 1:8
- Potential
for leadership growth
- Join
8 well-established physicians and a podiatrist with superb support from
multi-disciplinary team including LCSWs, NPs and Pas in Federally
Qualified Community Health Center with 6 locations
- Practice at busy main FQHC site in Lincoln - modern facilities,
up-to-date technology, on-site radiology/lab and integrated EMR
- Help build and lead vital primary care services for under-served populations
supporting 19 small, rural towns in North Central Maine; Service area
population +/- 24,000
- Work collaboratively with two local Critical Access Hospitals
- Excellent salary and benefit package
- Generous paid time off and CME benefits, recruitment bonus, paid moving
expenses, as well as medical school loan repayment through the National Health
Service Corps, and/or other student loan repayment programs
- J1 visa candidates welcome
Lincoln, Maine: Home of 13
Lakes. 45 minutes from
the Bangor Metro area with
international airport. Maine’s border with Canada is only a little more than 1
hr away, and Quebec City is just a 5-hour drive. 2 hours to the Coast!
Contact Jamie Grant at Health Search New England at JGrant@nehs.net or 207-745-7059. www.HealthSearchNewEngland.com
5/4/15 Department of Psychiatry Faculty Position
The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Department of
Psychiatry, in a productive collaboration with the State of Maine, is
seeking psychiatrists to join our faculty for inpatient responsibilities
at the Riverview Psychiatric Center.
Riverview Psychiatric
Center is a 92-bed acute psychiatric facility located in Augusta, ME and is the flagship
inpatient treatment center for Maine’s public mental health system. Psychiatrists with expertise in general inpatient psychiatry or
forensic psychiatry are encouraged to apply.
Academic duties can include
teaching and supervision of medical students and residents. Research
opportunities available and encouraged.
Candidates should be board certified or eligible in Psychiatry.
This position will include a faculty appointment at The Geisel School of
Medicine at Dartmouth at a rank and salary commensurate with experience.
Curriculum vitae and three letters of reference, addressed to Dr. William
Torrey, Search Chair, should be e-mailed to psychiatry.jobs@dartmouth.edu. Please reference search number PS0314D.
Dartmouth
College/Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinic/Geisel School of Medicine is
an equal opportunity/ affirmative action employer with a strong commitment to
diversity. In that spirit, we are particularly interested in receiving
applications from a broad spectrum of people, including women, persons of
color, persons with disabilities, veterans or any other legally protected
group.
6/01/15
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