The official e-newsletter of the Maricopa County Medical Society  

Volume 9 | Issue 11| June 15, 2015 
In This Issue
AZCOM Class of 2015 Graduates Receive Diplimas, Embark on Residencies
Dr. Thomas Ritchie and Tri-City Cardiology Consultants Received Honor
May Issue of Round-up
Circle the City Needs Volunteers
Volunteers Needed for June 20th Path to Wellness Event
PCH Makes U.S. News & World Report Hospital List
New OIG Fraud Alert Puts Doctors on Notice
AZ Hospitals, Doctors Avoid Five Percent Medicaid Pay Cut
Doctors Sue AZ Over Abortion Law
ICD-10: Preparing for Implentation
BE/BC Gastroenterologist & NP or PA Needed
Estrella Gastroenterology, a rapidly expanding private practice in metro Phoenix, is actively recruiting a BE/BC gastroenterologist as well as an NP or PA.

ERCP, EUS, and hepatology experience are desired. Bilingual is a plus. Practice has multiple locations and affiliations with 5 hospitals and offers flexible schedules and a competitive salary with benefits.

Please send CV to sa@gastroaz.com
The Kind of Partner You Want
The Maricopa County Medical Society has been a valuable partner to the medical community since 1892.

Now we are teaming up with your favorite companies to bring you even more value!

Introducing our all-new Preferred Partner Program bringing physician members: 

  • Superior services
  • Personal recommendations
  • Exclusive discounts
  • Incredible value

Utilize these businesses without worry knowing they are reliable partners with the MCMS.   

 

MEDICAL OFFICE SUITE TEMPE-MESA AREA
For lease in beautiful garden office complex. Includes covered doctor parking. Excellent location with easy access to 101 & 60 freeways & close to Desert Samaritan & Tempe St. Luke's Hospitals.

Contact 602-625-6298.
PROPERTY FOR LEASE 301 S. POWER RD.

Custom design your suite  at 301 S Power Road and Join Southwest Kidney in this first class project.  Directly across from Banner Heart Hospital and Banner Baywood Medical Center. Enjoy Power Road frontage and easy access from Loop 202 and US 60.   

 

Call Marina, Tracy or Autumn at Ensemble Real Estate Solutions, 602-277-8558.

RESIDENTIAL LOT FOR SALE IN PINETOP
Attractive wooded residential lot for sale in Pinetop. On cul-de-sac, easy access main road, near two country clubs. Architect's prelim schematics for 2 car garage, 3-5 bedroom options, 2,495-2,567 sq ft design available. 0.31/ac. $109,500.  

Call Jan Mullins, Spill Realty, 928-369-4300.

2015 Infectious Disease Training - July 21-23   

 

This three-day infectious disease exercise and training will introduce participants to a variety of topics in infectious diseases and have the opportunity to network with a variety of partners including state and local health, infection control practitioners, public and community health nurses, epidemiologists, sanitarians, university faculty and students, and more.

 

Click here for details >> 

Save the Date for the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix 4th Annual Golf Tournament

Proceeds to benefit medical student scholarships.

 

Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 

6:30 am - 3 pm

Troon North Golf Club

 

Click here to register  >>

Questions? Contact Jeanette Gemoll 602-827-2011.
MEDICAL OFFICE SUITE TEMPE/MESA AREA
For lease in beautiful garden office complex. Includes covered doctor parking.

Excellent location with easy access to 101 & 60 freeways and close to Desert Samaritan & Tempe St. Luke's Hospitals.

Contact 602-625-6298.
New Valley Fever Reference Booklet for Physicians
The Valley Fever Center for Excellence has produced a new reference booklet for physicians and healthcare professionals. Valley Fever which is endemic to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico results in an estimated 150,000 infections annually.

The booklet is available through the Maricopa County Medical Society. Please email us
with your full name, practice/facility name, and mailing address and we will mail you a complimentary copy.
Hepatitis C Educational Webcasts Released

The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) just released a 4-part webinar: "An Overview and Intro to Role of Local Health Departments".  

 

The webinar covered the epidemiology of hepatitis C virus (HCV), advances in HCV treatment, the National Viral Hepatitis Action Plan, CDC's testing recommendations for persons born between 1945 and 1965, and an example from the Philadelphia Dept. of Public Health about how they are leveraging partnerships to address HCV.  

 

Click to view >>

Preferred Business Partner of MCMS

Medicare Learning Network Webinar - Medicare Basics for New Providers Part Two: Billing, Reimbursement,
and Appeals

The Medicare Basics Series is designed to assist providers new to the Medicare Program. This webinar is the second offering in the three-part series offered by the Medicare Learning Network® and will provide information regarding Medicare billing, reimbursement, and appeals. This activity is designed for new Medicare providers and healthcare providers interested in becoming Medicare providers.

 

Register for
the webinar >>    

 

This webinar will offer both continuing education units (CEU) and continuing medical education (CME) credit.

AZCOM Class of 2015 Graduates Receive Diplomas, Embark on Residencies
Four years ago, over five thousand hopeful students applied to become members of the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine (AZCOM) Class of 2015 at Midwestern University. On May 28th, the 257 students who made the cut were awarded their Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degrees at a commencement ceremony held at the University's Glendale Campus.

Thirty-nine graduates - the highest percentage in the class - will be moving forward to Arizona-based residencies, helping to address healthcare needs in the state. Over half of the graduating class matched to primary care residencies at a time when primary care physicians are in high demand nationwide.

"We have always had wonderful students who have made a difference in the lives of others," said Kathleen H. Goeppinger, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Midwestern University. "It is my hope that you become physicians who show much grace and caring for your patients. You have blessed us by being part of the life and fabric of Midwestern University."

"In the osteopathic spirit, I hope we remember that our patients are more than just a symptom or diagnosis - they are whole people," remarked Kate Kimes, DO, valedictorian of the Class of 2015. "I hope we aspire to more than just surviving, that we can become the doctors we aspired to be when we first came to school."

Photos courtesy of AZCOM/Midwestern University
Tri-City Cardiology Consultants and Dr. Thomas Ritchie Honored as Top Referrer to AZ Smokers' Helpline
Photo left to right: Ken Frandsen, CEO, Tri-City Cardiology Consultants;
Dr. Thomas Ritchie, Tri-City Cardiology Consultants; Angela Szczublewski, COO, Tri-City Cardiology Consultants; Laurie Thomas, Office Chief, Maricopa County Dept. of Public Health Office Tobacco and Chronic Disease Prevention.
Tri-City Cardiology Consultants has been honored as the top referrer to the Arizona Smokers' Helpline by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. In the past year, the staff at Tri-City referred 276 patients to ASHLine for help to quit tobacco. They have also consistently been among the top referring locations in the state since receiving training from MCDPH last year.

Tri-City Cardiology utilized the data they received from their American College of Cardiology PINNACLE Data Registry on the Smoking Cessation and Intervention clinical quality measure to affect such change. They had been collecting data on patient's smoking status but were not acting in a way that showed in their EHR system nor in any other reportable format.  Thus, the practice identified ASHline as the program to refer all smokers to. They developed a process to document referrals in a reportable format, which moved their score to be well above the National ACC PINNACLE benchmark. 

Dr. Thomas Ritchie, a MCMS member since 1997, was presented with an award on May 19, 2015, by Laurie Thomas, Office Chief of MCDPH Office of Tobacco and Chronic Disease Prevention. Tri-City was recognized, along with the other top referring medical offices, in an ad placed by the Maricopa County Dept. of Public Health Office in the April issue of Phoenix Magazine.

MEDICAL OPHTHALMOLOGIST NEEDED
Medical ophthalmologist urgently needed to join busy, well established comprehensive private practice in Scottsdale, AZ.

Practice currently includes two ophthalmologists (one surgical and one medical) and one optometrist.

Competitive compensation. Full time or at least 24 hours per week commitment. Must be BC/BE.

Can expect to see 25-30 patients per day to start. Practice primarily services north Scottsdale, a resort city known for its climate, golf, outdoor activities and all the cultural amenities of metropolitan Phoenix.

Would consider recently retired ophthalmologist wishing to relocate to the Southwest.

Please call and e-mail CV/resume to 480-947-4493 or
beverly@tozereyecenter.com.
May 2015 Round-up Available in Digital Format
If you prefer reading publications digitally versus in print format, we've got just the thing for you - Round-up Magazine in digital format! The Round-up Magazine digital edition provides every page of information and advertisements found in the printed magazine. In fact, there is absolutely no difference - except you can peruse it on your computer, phone or iPad.

The May issue is available online now. Back issues from 2014 are also available.

Browsing the digital editions of the magazine is easy - just click on the link and the issue will open in your internet browser. You can then use the tools available to read the articles. Do you want to learn more about a particular product or service? Send an author an email? Just click on the hyperlinks in the ad or article and they will take you where you want to go!
 

Interested in advertising in Round-up or InforMED Society e-newsletter? Click here for an editorial calendar and rates, or contact Candice Scheibel by email or call 602-251-2363. 

Circle the City Needs Volunteers

Looking for a way to give back? Circle the City, which provides medical care and social support to people experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County allowing them to rest, heal, and eventually pursue healthy, independent living, is in need of physician volunteers who can commit to once a week or every two weeks to provide healthcare.  

 

Interested candidates should contact Adele O'Sullivan, CSJ, MD, Founder and Chief Medical Officer, at 602-776-9000 for more details and to schedule a tour of the facility.

 

Learn more about Circle the City (pdf)  

 

Circle the City website >>  


Volunteers Needed for June 20th Path to Wellness Event

The next screening is scheduled at Adelante Healthcare in Mesa on Saturday, June 20, 2015.    

 

Volunteer teams are forming now! They are in special need of volunteers who fit the following criteria:
  • Spanish speaking volunteers to work at the blood pressure/BMI station and the urinalysis station.
  • A Spanish speaking instructor for the education review station along with back-up instructors.
  • Physician/advanced practitioners for the clinician consults, including one that speaks Spanish.
  • Volunteers who speak Chinese (Mandarin), Vietnamese, Korean, Burmese and Arabic. A physician/advanced practitioner who speaks one of these languages would be a great help too.
If you are able to help, please email James Ivie, PhD, LCSW, Director of Patient Services, National Kidney Foundation of Arizona.  

 

In addition to the June screening, the fall season event date is confirmed: Saturday, September 19, 2015 at the Indo American Cultural Center in central Phoenix at 28th Ave. and Maryland.

 

June 20, 2015 flyer >>   

 

September 19, 2015 flyer >>

The Path to Wellness event offers free screenings to individuals that have a family member (father, mother, brother, sister) with diabetes, heart disease or kidney disease OR have a personal history of diabetes or high blood pressure. Screenings offered include: health screening, doctor consult, blood and urine tests, health education, and assistance in finding a family doctor.
Phoenix Children's Hospital Makes U.S. News & World Report Hospital List

By Angela Gonzales, Phoenix Business Journal
Originally posted June 8, 2015

For the fifth year, Phoenix Children's Hospital has been named to the U.S. News & World Report Best Children's Hospitals list. While Arizona's only licensed children's hospital didn't make the Honor Roll or rank in the top five in cancer, cardiology/heart surgery or neurology/neurosurgery, PCH did get ranked in nine of 10 specialties. Here's a breakout of PCH's specialty rankings:

  • Cancer: 16

  • Cardiology & heart surgery: 16

  • Diabetes & endocrinology: 37

  • Gastroenterology & GI surgery: 36

  • Nephrology: 17

  • Neurology & neurosurgery: 14

  • Orthopedics: 28

  • Pulmonology: 28

  • Urology: 21

  • Neonatology: not ranked

Boston Children's Hospital topped the Best Children's Hospital Honor Roll, followed by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Texas Children's Hospital in Houston and Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora, Colorado. This honor roll recognizes the small number of hospitals that are unusually competent across three specialties. No hospital ranked first in every specialty.  

 

According to U.S. News & World Report, this ranking should be a starting point when selecting a pediatric hospital. The rankings were based on information provided by 109 pediatric hospitals across the country.

New OIG Fraud Alert Puts Doctors on Notice

By Lisa Schencker, Modern Healthcare

Originally posted June 9, 2015

 

Doctors must be careful to avoid entering into payment agreements that could violate the anti-kickback statute, HHS' Office of Inspector General warned in a fraud alert Tuesday that follows a dozen recent settlements involving physician contracts.

 

The alert could signify that the feds are increasingly pursuing allegations against individual doctors, as opposed to just the hospitals and other organizations that pay them. Or it could be a way to remind physicians that they, too, are accountable for arrangements that skirt the law, experts say.

 

Read the full article >>
Arizona Hospitals, Doctors Avoid Five Percent Medicaid Pay Cut

By Ken Alltucker, The Republic
Originally posted June 10, 2015

Arizona hospitals, doctors and other health providers will get a reprieve after the state's Medicaid program announced it will cancel a planned 5 percent payment cut because of lower-than-expected use among enrollees and a prescription-drug rebate.

 

The combination will provide enough financial relief to keep Medicaid's existing payment rates, according to a spokesman for Gov. Doug Ducey.

 

Ducey signed a budget earlier this year that called for a 5 percent cut beginning July 1, that would save a projected $37 million.

 

But hospitals, doctors and other health interests objected to the cuts, with some providers warning that patients could be turned away. Health providers said that they would lose millions of dollars in federal matching funds if the proposed cuts were enacted.

 

The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the state's Medicaid program known as AHCCCS, posted the decision to cancel the payment cuts on its website last week. AHCCCS noted that it received comments from 145 health providers and said the feedback was critical for its decision.

 

Read the full article >>
Doctors Sue Arizona Over Abortion Law That "Forces Doctors to Lie to Patients"
By Kim Bellware, The Huffington Post
Originally posted June 3, 2015

A new Arizona law would unconstitutionally force doctors to lie to their patients about the reversibility of medical abortions, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court Thursday by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Planned Parenthood and various Arizona health care providers.

The lawsuit challenges the recently passed SB 1318, which adds new restrictions for women seeking abortion. Specifically, the plaintiffs are seeking an injunction to stop the law from taking effect over a provision that requires doctors to tell their patients that it "may be possible" to reverse the effects of a medical abortion.

"This dangerous law forces doctors to lie to their patients," Dr. Ilana Addis, chair of the Arizona Section of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said in a press call Thursday. Addis said there is no credible medical science to support the claim that medical abortions are reversible.

"It's stunning to me that politicians think they're qualified to dispense medical advice," Addis noted.

Read the full article >>
ICD-10: Preparing for Implementation and New ICD-10 PCS Section X -Last Chance to Register!
Thursday, June 18; 1:30 - 3 pm ET

To Register: Visit MLN Connects ® Event Registration.

During this MLN Connects National Provider Call, CMS subject matter experts will present strategies and resources to help you prepare. Also, learn about ICD-10 PCS Section X for new technologies, which will be used by hospitals. A question and answer session will follow the presentations.

Continuing education credit may be awarded for participation in certain MLN Connects Calls. Visit the Continuing Education Credit Information web page to learn more.

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