Volunteers Needed for the 21st Annual ACT Health Fair

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. Read More... 

HIPAA 5010 & D.0 Implementation Calendar and Important Reminders for July and August 2011

Each month during the transition to HIPAA Versions 5010/ D.0, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) e-mail updated messages to remind the healthcare community of important items and dates that may be of specific interest to the Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) providers/suppliers.  

Click here for important reminders and a calendar of current, upcoming, and past events that have occurred during this implementation process.  

MedPage Today Action Points

• Note that this retrospective study found that electronic prescriptions were subject to errors at a rate similar to that reported for handwritten prescriptions.
• Note that the most common e-prescribing error was omission of data. 

Review

More than 10% of electronic prescriptions contain an error, according to a new study that determined that prescriptions sent electronically are just as likely to contain mistakes as handwritten ones.

E-prescribing has been heralded by health reform experts and policymakers as a way to reduce medication errors, and the federal government is devoting billions to foster it. Read More... 

Help Us Drive Patients to Your Office

OFFICE SPACES FOR RENT

Medical office space available in the Chandler, Mesa, and Phoenix areas one to three days a week. Please call Sharon at (480) 421-5122.  

DERMATOLOGIST WANTED

Thunderbird Internal Medicine is a private, 14 physician IM practice located at 5620 W. Thunderbird & 9150 W. Indian School. We provide high quality care in a paperless office. Customer service is very important to us.We have found we are able to increase compliance and availability of dermatology appts. for our patients by offering dermatology services in our office. We currently have a dermatologist employed for our patients and are actively looking for an additional dermatologist to expand our dermatology services. To learn more this opportunity, contact Alanna Stelzer at 602-564-6210 or astelzer@thunderbirdim.com

Now Available - Video Slideshow Presentation, Podcasts and Written Transcripts of CMS' ICD-10 Conversion Activities

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released four podcasts and a video slideshow presentation of the May 18, 2011 national provider call on "CMS ICD-10 Conversion Activities, Including a Lab Case Study."

Did you miss the May 18 ICD-10 national provider call? The entire presentation is now available on the CMS YouTube Channel as a video slideshow that includes the call audio and captioning. Read More...

OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE

Thunderbird Internal Medicine's new 5620 W. Thunderbird G2 office. It includes 3 exam rooms, a doctors consult room and an assistant desk, plus use of the lobby and reception area. Contact Alanna at astelzer@thunderbirdim.com or 602-564-6210 for more information

Valley Fever Cases in Maricopa County Predicted to Triple in Coming Months

The powerful dust storm that swept across Maricopa County last week likely will produce a large increase in new Valley Fever infections over the next two to three months, an expert at the University of Arizona predicts.

John Galgiani, MD, Director of the Valley Fever Center for Excellence at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, said such an increase in cases occurred following a similar huge blow in California's Central Valley. Read More...

The Donald K. Buffmire Visiting Lectureship in Medicine Presents Dr. Howard Spiro - "Can the Humanities Heal Medical Practice?"

Howard M. Spiro, MD, a widely-published gastroenterologist at Yale-New Haven Hospital and Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine, will be guest lecturer at The Donald K. Buffmire Visiting Lectureship in Medicine on Tuesday, September 13, 2011, at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix campus in the Virginia G. Piper Auditorium. The evening is sponsored by a grant from the Flinn Foundation and begins with a reception at 5 pm, with Dr. Spiro's lecture entitled, "Can the Humanities Heal Medical Practice?" beginning at 5:30 pm. Read More... 

Cardiac Group Wins $11.5 Million in Arbitration with Healthcare Company

A healthcare corporation that closed the former Mesa General Hospital three years ago has been ordered to pay more than $11.5 million in damages to a Southeast Valley physicians group that reopened the medical center under a new name with the blessings of city and state officials.

An attorney for the physicians said this week that interest accrued on the judgment by an arbitration panel brings the total amount of damages, costs and attorney fees close to $15 million. Read More... 

Learn about critical new benefits for Medicare patients, including a free annual wellness visit, by participating in a national call hosted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from 1:30 to 3 pm Eastern time July 21.

The call, "The ABCs of the Initial Preventive Physical Examination and Annual Wellness Visit," will feature subject matter experts discussing basic information about each benefit, when to perform these services, and coding and billing requirements. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentations.

Registration is required to participate in the call. Registration will close at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time July 20 or when space has been filled.

  Visit the CMS Web site to register and to view more details.