Upcoming Events
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The Cancer Project's Food for Life Series
The Cancer Project HQ
5100 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Suite 300
11:00am to 1:00pm
Fueling Up on Low-Fat, High-Fiber Foods
Wed., February 17
Discovering Dairy and Meat Alternatives
Wed., February 24
Cancer-Fighting Compounds and Healthy Weight Control
Wed., March 3
***NEW EVENT***
Student/Resident
"Lobby Day" with the AMA and AACAP
Ross Hall, GWU
2300 Eye
Street, NW
2:00pm - 5:00pm
"Health Policy School"
Refreshments provided
CME Program - Update on Alzheimer's Disease & Related Disorders
Friday, February 26
7:30am to 5:00pm
Intercultural Center Auditorium; Georgetown University
37th and O St., NW
Washington, DC
Click Here for more info
ProAssurance Loss Prevention Seminars**
April 20
American College of Cardiology
2400 N. St. NW
Washington, DC
May 20
American College of Cardiology
2400 N. St. NW
Washington, DC
June 16
American College of Cardiology
2400 N. St. NW
Washington, DC
July 14
Hilton Arlington
950 N. Stafford St.
Arlington, VA
**All programs begin registration at 5:30pm, and have the program from 6pm - 8pm.
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2009-2010 Board of Directors
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Stuart F. Seides, MD
At-Large; Chair of the Board
Peter E. Lavine, MD
President; AMA Alternate Delegate
Frederick C. Finelli, MD
President-Elect
Joseph Gutierrez, MD
Treasurer; AMA Delegation Chair
Robert W. Keisling, MD
At-Large; Secretary
Carlos A. Silva, MD
AMA Delegate
Laura L. Tosi, MD
At-Large; AMA Alternate Delegate
James C. Cobey, MD
At-Large
Julian R. Craig, MD
At-Large
John W. Larsen, MD
At-Large
Joan B. Loveland, MD
At-Large
Reginald Robinson,MD
At-Large
K. Edward Shanbacker
Executive Vice President
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Contact the MSDC Office
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1115 30th Street, NW
Suite 100
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 466-1800 (phone)
(202) 452-1542 (fax)
info@msdc.org
www.msdc.org
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Forward Me!
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Update from Highmark Medicare Services: Contractor Teleconference February 18th
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Ask-The-Contractor Teleconference This Thursday
Join Highmark Medicare Services on Thursday, February 18, 2010, at 9:30 am EST, for their next Ask-the-Contractor Teleconference (ACT). During this teleconference we
will discuss the most current Medicare changes and allow you to interact
directly with representatives from various departments within Highmark Medicare
Services.
https://www.highmarkmedicareservices.com/calendar/partb/teleconferences.html
Duplicate Remittance Advice offered through the
Interactive Voice Response System (IVR)
You can now order copies of your remittance advice notices
through the Interactive Voice Response System (IVR)! Give it a try and ask questions if you need help.
Effective
March 8, 2010, all requests for copies of a remittance advice will be handled
through the IVR. Refer to Appendix
C of our A/B Reference Manual for our full IVR guide.
Here are the steps to order a duplicate
remittance:
1. If you can identify one
of the checks that was on your remittance, you can use Option 3 -
Checks, Earnings-To-Date and Order a Duplicate Remittance from the main
menu. Enter your NPI, PTAN and TIN. Now you will receive another list of
options.
a. Select Option 3
- "Duplicate Remittance" if you know the check number of the remittance and
enter your check number.
b. Select Option 1 -
"Checks" if you do not know the 9 digit check number, but could identify the
check or date of the remittance. Either search for the check/remittance by
status or range of dates. Once you identify the check, you will be offered the
option of ordering a remittance after hearing the check information.
2. If you cannot identify
the remittance through the check options, but you know a claim that was on the
remittance, you can use Option 2 - Claim Status from the main menu. Enter
your NPI, PTAN, TIN, Patient's Health Identification Number (HIC), Name and Date
of Service (DOS). The check number is voiced within the claim level details.
Write down the check number and go back to the main menu. Select the Remittance
Option 3, then Option 1 to place your order.
https://www.highmarkmedicareservices.com/refman/appendix-c.html
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Providence Hospital Names New President/CEO, Amy Freeman
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 Amy Freeman, M.S.has been named President and CEO of Providence Hospital. She will officially assume the post on March 22, 2010. Amy received her Master of Science degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC. She also studied at Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg, MD. Ms. Freeman is also active in the community, volunteering her time to many organizations. She has served on the executive board and supported fundraising for The Women's Housing Coalition. She also serves on the board at Mount St. Agnes Theological Center for Women, the Institute of Notre Dame Girls HIgh School in Baltimore and The Villa Retirement Community, serving the Sisters of Mercy. While serving as President/CEO at Providence Hospital, she will also oversee Carroll Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Perry Family Health Center in Washington, DC and Ft. Lincoln Family Medicine Center in Colmar Manor, MD. Also, she will manage the Center for Life prenatal/obstetrical care program, Seton House Behavioral Health and the Congress Heights and Model Cities Senior Wellness Centers. Congratulations, Ms. Freeman! We all look forward to continued success at Providence Hospital and all your affiliated medical facilities. |
21% Payment Cut by Medicare's Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) Continues to be Addressed
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On February 4th, Senate Finance Committee chair Max Baucus (D-MT) and
ranking member Charles Grassley (R-IA) released the draft of a jobs-creating
bill, known as the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act. This draft bill extends a number of health care provisions that
expired at the end of 2009, such as the geographic adjustments to
physician work under the Medicare fee schedule.The draft bill also calls for extending current Medicare
physician payment rates for seven more months, through September 30, 2010, once
again postponing the 21.2 percent cut that was scheduled to take effect on
January 1.
This 7-month reprieve allows the Senate to continue addressing the need for physician payment reform within the current health care reform debate. Nationally, the American Medical Association and it's federation members, of which MSDC is a member, continues to advocate for a permanent repeal of the flawed SGR formula for Medicare payments.
Since the introduction of the Baucus-Grassley bill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has decided to shrink the bill's cost from $85 million to $15 million by removing several provisions, including the Medicare reprieve. This was an unexpected change by Sen. Reid, and leaves the door open on a permanent repeal of the Medicare payment formula. Physicians are encouraged to continue pressuring Congress through the AMA and MSDC to find a permanent fix for this Medicare problem.
 
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| Protect Your Patients, Your Associates and Yourself from Norovirus This Season | During the winter season, close quarters and frequent contact with others indoors can provide the ideal environment to transmit Norovirus, a stomach flu, from person to person. Over the past few weeks, there have been outbreaks of the Norovirus in physicians' offices and hospitals around the city. Transmission is easily preventable, however, if you continue to follow and focus on a few key practices to improve office hygiene and cleanliness.
Hand-Washing
-Hand-washing is your first line of defense and should beoften throughout the day.
-Be sure to have all associates who make contact with patients wash their hands before and after.
-Frequently wash your hands while handling patient equipment and any other object or materials that are handled by a patient.
Ill at Work
-If you or an office associate begins feeling ill with Norovirus-like symptoms, it is advisable to ask them to stay home.
-If the symptoms begin while at work, you should leave the office or ask your associate to leave the office and go home to prevent any further risk of transmission.
This winter season has seen record-setting snowfalls and business closures. Many people stayed in very close quarters during these blizzards. With a little precaution and continued dedication to environmental cleanliness and personal hygiene in the office, many new cases of the norovirus will be prevented as we dig out of our snow-covered homes.
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MSDC Continues to Provide Discount Programs to Save Our Members Money
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MSDC has developed several programs aimed at reducing costs associated with care and treatment of our members patients. Our current programs take a two angle approach - reducing costs associated with vaccines for our physicians, and reducing costs associated with pharmacy purchases by our physicians' patients. The following includes information on both programs:
Atlantic Health Partners
 Atlantic Health Partners (AHP), a vaccine purchasing organization, provides Society
members a discount on Sanofi Pasteur and Merck vaccines. AHP offers pediatric, adolescent, adult flu and travel
vaccines through their program, and can also assist you with pre-booking
Sanofi's Fluzone influenza vaccine.
Jeff Winokur and Cindy Berenson are
the primary contact persons at Atlantic Health Partners, and can be reached at
(800) 741-2044 or at info@atlantichealthpartners.com. For more information and
details about Atlantic Health Partners, please click here.
DCRx Card
 As a physician of Washington, DC, you and your
patients have access to a FREE Prescription Drug Card program. The
Medical Society is pleased to offer the DC Rx CARD. Your patients can save up
to 75% on prescriptions, selected eye-wear, vitamins and other products. The
card is accepted in pharmacies in the District, Maryland and
Virginia.
The Medical Society of DC has received a shipment of these
cards and have 250 cards available to each Society member who requests them.
Please e-mail Chris Lee at lee@msdc.org and ask for
the cards for your patients.
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ProAssurance: The Coumadin Dilemma
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The
benefits of anticoagulation therapy, specifically Coumadin, are well
documented; however, along with the benefits come risks. Physiologic risks
range from slight ecchymosis to those associated with bleeding so severe as to
cause death. These risks give rise to medical professional liability claims and
have come to be known as the "Coumadin dilemma."
Coumadin
is a highly effective prophylactic medication used to prevent venous
thromboembolism and fatal pulmonary embolism. Despite the great benefits at
staving off these potentially life threatening conditions, the use of Coumadin
is also accompanied by extreme risks as described previously. Judicious
prescribing, educating and monitoring of patients can assist in preventing adverse
outcomes and avoiding liability.
Potential
liability associated with Coumadin therapy begins when a patient is prescribed
the anticoagulant. We encourage physicians to follow established guidelines for
administration and monitoring of Coumadin therapy. Evidence-based guidelines
are often used by trial lawyers in an attempt to prove substandard care. As
such, physicians should be familiar with accepted guidelines and be able to
articulate their rationale when choosing not to follow such guidelines.
Case Study
One
of the more common allegations involved in Coumadin claims is failure to
monitor or supervise the patient's care. For example, an elderly male was
admitted to the intensive care unit by his family physician with a diagnosis of
congestive heart failure, pulmonary edema, and atrial fibrillation with rapid
ventricular response. A cardiologist was consulted and ordered Coumadin. Once
the patient was stabilized, the cardiologist signed-off on the case,
instructing the patient to follow-up at his office in one month.
The
patient was discharged two days later with vague instructions on how to take
his Coumadin and the need for monitoring his bloodwork-specifically the PT
(prothrombin time) and INR (International Normalized Ratio).
Several
blood levels were taken over a two-month period by a lab associated with the
cardiology practice, and the PT and INR values were significantly outside the
normal range. Apparently, the patient's family physician's office made several
changes in the Coumadin dosage, but there was no documentation of the patient's
PTs/INRs in the chart. It was later determined that a nurse, employed by the
family physician's office, made adjustments in the patient's dosage without
following any established protocols.
Two
months post-hospitalization, the patient fell in his driveway and suffered a
massive intracranial hemorrhage. Upon arrival at the emergency department, his
PT was 35.7, and his INR was 6.3.
This
patient's poor outcome, marked by hemiplegia, seizures, and aphasia, resulted
from both the cardiologist's and family physician's failure to monitor the
Coumadin therapy.
To continue reading this case study, please click here.
Author:
Marta Garret, BSN, JD, Risk Management Consultant. Copyright © 2010 ProAssurance Corporation.
This article is not intended to provide legal
advice, and no attempt is made to suggest more or less appropriate medical
conduct.
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The Health Legacy Partnership Announces the 2nd Annual Joseph H. Kanter Prize
|  The Health Legacy Partnership, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Joseph H. Kanter Family Foundation are proud to announce the 2nd annual Joseph H. Kanter Prize of $100,000 awarded to an MD or DO practicing in the United States whose efforts best serve to 'minimize disparities' in health care delivery in their communities and nationally. Disparities include any inequality in health care delivery due to ethnicity, socioeconomic status, beliefs, language, bias, geographic constraints, etc.
If you wish to pursue a nomination, please contact K. Edward Shanbacker at shanbacker@msdc.org. All nominations must be completed through the Medical Society of DC, in accordance with the nominating procedure established by The Health Legacy Partnership.
For more information, please access The Health Legacy Partnership's introductory letter and nomination forms here. Before you are eligible to submit any materials to HELP, remember, you must first send them to K. Edward Shanbacker, EVP of the Medical Society of DC.
All submissions are due to HELP by Friday, April 30, 2010, so please submit your materials to MSDC for review by Tuesday, March 30, 2010.
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