Want to save some money?
|
Refer a colleague and save 50%
Have them apply online!
|
Renew your membership
| Pay here
|
Thought of the Week
| "The way to gain a good reputation, is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear."
Socrates
|
Connect with us!
|  
|
|
|
From the President....
| | Susan M. Whitely, M.D.
"Don't be Quiet!"
Happy late Fourth of July! Happy early Veteran's Day! I write this letter sandwiched between two lovely holidays honoring our country and its freedom fighters. Throughout the years I have been honored to care for countless veterans and their families. I am always amazed at these families' sacrifices to preserve my way of life. I feel personally thankful and proud. My first memory of a veteran was my Dad-a Navy veteran. He was just a "deck swabber" as he used to say and he served before he met and married my Mom. My Dad wouldn't talk a lot about his experiences, so I know there was hardship in those years. As I went through medical school and residency, I was able to do some rotations at the VA Hospital and Clinics. I heard amazing stories and saw so many wounded veterans waiting for hours to be seen and never complaining. These mostly older men shared their stories and experienced camaraderie in their meetings. I try not to generalize, but the older vets seemed so appreciative of the medical staff's efforts, while the younger vets seemed more demanding and dissatisfied. Complete Article... |
Join us September 25th, 2010!!!
| | 
The annual ACT Kids Health Fair serves at-risk children who are eligible for metropolitan Phoenix Head Start programs, but lack appropriate medical clearances. This all-volunteer event addresses the full spectrum of health requirements: transportation to and from the children's neighborhoods, all appropriate medical screenings and immunizations, establishing and updating medical records, and arranging emergency or continuing care as needed. Over 20,000 children have been screened to date. The Maricopa County Medical Society is in its 20th year assisting the health fair (since its inception!). We would really love to have this be a fantastic year for this wonderful community event; will YOU help? The Society is in need of VOLUNTEERS for this event! Physicians, nurses, medical students, residents, friends, spouses....the more the merrier! Please join the MCMS in this great cause; you won't forget the experience! Physician Volunteer Sign-upMedical Personnel Sign-upGeneral Volunteer Sign-upSaturday, September 25th University Public School Phoenix 735 E. Fillmore Street, Phoenix, AZ 85006 SHIFTS AVAILABLE - 7:00 to 12:00pm; 11:45 to 3:30pm; All Day |
AzHeC: Final Rule for Meaningful Use of EHR released
|
On July 13, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the Meaningful Use Final Rule for electronic health records (EHRs). The final rule defines the criteria that healthcare providers must meet to reach Meaningful Use and outlines payment methodologies for the Medicare and Medicaid incentive programs. The Arizona Regional Extension Center, led by Arizona Health-e Connection (AzHeC) in collaboration with key partners (ASU's Department of Biomedical Informatics, Health Services Advisory Group and the Purchasing & Assistance Collaborative for Electronic Health Records) is part of a $634 million ARRA/HITECH initiative to establish HIT Regional Extension Centers nationwide to assist primary care providers in adopting and becoming Meaningful Users of EHR systems.
Arizona's Regional Extension Center recognizes there are many challenges Arizona providers face and is committed to addressing those challenges when it opens its doors to begin assisting providers in early fall 2010. In the coming weeks, the Regional Extension Center program will offer a series of statewide regional Meaningful Use meetings to provide in-depth information on the new rule. Meetings will be held in Flagstaff, Phoenix, Tucson and Yuma and are specifically geared toward healthcare providers and other healthcare professionals that will be impacted by Meaningful Use, although anyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. Please look for details soon! The final rule, along with a number of summary resources on the final rule, are posted on AzHeC's website.
Learn More- Read "Arizona's Regional Extension Center: An Opportunity to Make Healthcare Higher in quality and Lower in Costs through Adoption of Electronic Health Records," an AzHeC Issue Paper.
- Sign-up to receive regular Regional Extension Center updates-please email ehr@azhec.org (subject line: Sign-up for REC updates).
- Attend one of the Regional Meaningful Use meetings taking place in Flagstaff, Phoenix, Tucson and Yuma-details coming soon!
|
| HHS announces availability of $51 million in resources for states to build new competitive health insurance marketplace | HHS Also Soliciting Public Input in Developing Standards for Insurance Exchanges The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced two key steps in the process of partnering with states and other stakeholders to begin establishing health insurance Exchanges. HHS announced the availability of up to $1 million in grants per state to help states begin work to establish Exchanges and published a request for comment calling for public input as HHS develops standards for the Exchanges. Starting in 2014, health insurance Exchanges - new, competitive, consumer-centered health insurance marketplaces - will put greater control and greater choice in the hands of individuals and small businesses. The Exchanges will make purchasing health insurance easier by providing eligible consumers and businesses with "one-stop-shopping" where they can compare and purchase health insurance coverage. The Affordable Care Act authorized grants to the states to help them design and establish Exchanges in time for millions of Americans to choose their coverage for 2014. Entire press release here. |
| ACP releases position paper on solutions to healthcare disparities | | |
Sit face to face with patients. Hire an interpreter. Erase inequities in education, housing, job security, and environmental health.
These are just a few of the cures - ranging from the obvious to the idealistic, with shades of President Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" from the 1960s - for the ongoing problem of racial and ethnic minorities receiving subpar healthcare, according to the American College of Physicians (ACP). In a position paper released today, the ACP notes that since it explored the issue in a similar paper in 2003, the nation has made some progress toward eliminating healthcare disparities, but much remains to be done.
"Closing the disparity gap is not only morally and professional imperative, it remains a glaring civil rights injustice that must be addressed," the ACP states.
Continue...
|
| Lack of rest does not affect residents' surgery outcomes | | |
Surgeries performed at night by unrested residents have outcomes comparable to those performed at the beginning of a shift, during the day, according to a new study.
Arezou Yaghoubian, MD, from the Department of Surgery, Harbor-University of California-Los Angeles Medical Center, Torrance, and colleagues reported the findings online July 26 in the Journal of Surgical Research.
According to background information in the article, the 80-hour workweek was adopted by all US surgical training programs in 2003. However "no data are available regarding outcomes of operations performed by surgical trainees working without rest beyond 16 h in the current 80-h workweek era," the authors note.
In addition to existing restrictions, the Institute of Medicine and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education have recommended further limiting the hours worked by medical residents by requiring a 5-hour rest period after a 16-hour shift, which may ultimately limit the amount of critical training that surgeons receive.
Continue...
|
| F.D.A. clears way for embryonic stem cell trial using patients | | |
The trial will test cells developed by Geron Corporation and the University of California, Irvine in patients with new spinal cord injuries.
The F.D.A. had initially cleared the clinical trial in January, 2009, in what was viewed at the time as a research milestone.
But before the study could begin, the agency then put a so-called hold on the trial after cysts were discovered in some mice injected with the cells. Geron had to do another mouse study and develop better ways to check the purity of its cells.
Today, the company announced in a press release that the F.D.A. had lifted the hold. Geron shares rose in morning trading.
Embryonic stem cells can turn into any type of cell in the body. Scientists envision one day making replacements for injured or diseased tissues to treat a wide variety of illnesses.
Continue...
|
Featured Business
| | MedaBytes is a
part of the Maricopa County Medical Society's family of businesses
operating under the Medical Society Business Services. We were
established to assist the medical community with its computer and
networking needs. Like the other family members, MedaBytes strives to
offer a valuable service at a fair price.
For more information, visit:
www.medabytes.com
602.253.2983 |
|
|
P - 602.252.2015
F - 602.256.2749
Serving medicine, serving the community since 1892...
InforMed Society is published by the
Maricopa County Medical Society.
Copyright © 2010
Questions or Comments, please email us at: InforMed@mcmsonline.com |
|
|
