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VITAL SIGNS
 The Weekly Electronic News of the Western Carolina Medical Society 

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January 4, 2012

Here's what is happening in and around Western North Carolina:
In This Issue
BMW - Sponsor Message
Vendor/Discount Programs
Save the Date- Annual Meeting
Save the Date- HeartStrings
Charlotte AHEC Obesity Conference
The Physicians' Voice on Asheville Radio Group Stations!
Congress Acts to Extend 2011 Medicare Rates through 2/29/12
We Need a Permanent Fix to SGR
WCMS Car Raffle Update
Job Board & Classifieds

UPCOMING EVENTS  

 

Save the Date- Annual Celebration

Annual Celebration

Save the Date- HeartStrings

10th Annual HeartStrings
Find out more information at our website.

Charlotte AHEC Obesity Conference 

Charlotte AHEC & Carolinas Education Institute present Obesity Conference 2012: Defining Best Practices for Obesity and Comorbidity Management

March 2, 2012.  Find out more.
LOCAL NEWS 

The Physicians' Voice on Asheville Radio Group Stations!  

Listen to our newest WCMS radio spots, featuring Shannon Dowler, MD, Foundation Board Member, and Kali Brewer, Project Access patient.

https://www.mywcms.org/Community-Resources/The-Physicians-Voice/Radio-ads
NATIONAL NEWS 

Congress Acts to Extend 2011 Medicare Rates through 2/29/2012 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended the annual Medicare participation enrollment period through Feb. 14. The previous deadline was Dec. 31.
 
The effective date for any participation status change during the extension, however, remains Jan. 1, and will be enforced for the entire year. According to CMS, contractors will accept and process any participation elections or withdrawals made during the extended enrollment period that are post-marked on or before Feb. 14.  
 
The AMA's Medicare Participation Kit can help physicians evaluate their participation options. 

We Need a Permanent Fix to SGR 

Take Action! 

 
Congress just approved a mere 2 month patch to the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula.  Please take a moment to send another e-mail to your Senators and Congressman to let them know that it is time to stop kicking this can down the road.

 

https://www.mywcms.org/News-and-Events/Announcements/NCMS--We-Need-A-Permanent-Fix

ITEMS OF INTEREST

WCMS Car Raffle Update 

The Ford Mustang car raffle has come to an end.  Click here for full announcement.
Job Board

Testimonial from Mountain Kidney and Hypertension Assoc:

"The WCMS Job Board has proven to be a very successful endeavor for our practice.  The ad was posted on the webside two weeks ago and we have just hired a new employee with experience which is perfectly matched to the job description. Thank you again for taking the search out of our hands and for the positive outcome."

 

Becky Slaughter

Office Manager

Mountain Kidney & Hypertension Assoc., P.A

 

        

Click here for the complete list of job postings on our website.    

 

Classified Ads

         

Click here for the complete list of classified ads on our website.    

Why Join the Western Carolina Medical Society? 

 

WCMS is a thriving 900-plus member professional association of the physicians of western North Carolina and a chartered component medical society of the NC Medical Society and the AMA. The WCMS is an organization run by physicians for physicians.

 

Our Mission

The WCMS is the physicians' voice advocating for the health of the medical profession, the health of the patient, and the health of the community.

 

Our Vision

To be a dynamic physician community dedicated to a healthy, vibrant Western North Carolina.

 

About WCMS   

The purpose of WCMS is:

  • To strengthen the voice of WNC physicians in advocating for the health of the medical profession, the health of the patient, and the health of our region
  • To inform, educate and prepare physicians for rapidly occurring changes in health care at national, state, and local levels  
  • To share legislative and policy information and advocate on behalf of physicians in areas of mutual interest
  • To share available resources in areas of mutual interest
  • To promote physician-to-physician communication and dialogue in an open, honest and safe environment 

Click here for a complete listing of membership benefits.      

 

The Foundation is WCMS' non-profit, charitable arm. The Foundation is well-respected and nationally recognized for its leadership and innovation in addressing issues of access to quality health care, disparities in health, and wellness and prevention for people in WNC. We are committed to involving both community AND physicians in this work.  

 

Our flagship program is Project Access, a comprehensive, volunteer primary and specialty physician network providing access to healthcare at no charge for low-income, uninsured residents. Another key program is the WNC Interpreter Network, which addresses disparities in health due to linguistic barriers.   

 

The archive of WCMS e-newsletters is available from the publications menu on our website at http://www.mywcms.org/News-and-Events/Weekly-E-Newsletter  Thank you for your interest in WCMS. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to contact me or any one of our courteous, professional staff.

 



Sincerely,
Miriam Schwarz signature
Miriam Schwarz, MPA
WCMS CEO/Executive Director