The official e-newsletter of the Maricopa County Medical Society  

Volume 9 | Issue 15| September 2, 2015 
In This Issue
MCMS 2015 Annual Event
Superior Court Judge Upholds Brewer's Medicaid Expansion
From Pain to the Podium
Are You Taking Full Advantage of Your MCMS Membership Benefits?
New Women, Infants and Children Clinic
Special Arizona License Plate to Benefit Student Scholarship
Top 10 Reasons for Life Insurance
How the AMA is Helping America's Physicians Combat Burnout
UA-Phoenix Medical School Gets Warning From Accreditors
Fun at the Coast to Coast for Skin Cancer Fundraising Dinner
Review Shows Feds Misstated Arizona Insurance Co-op Results
Pain by the Numbers
Please Volunteer Your Time at the 2015 ACT Kids Health Fair

Volunteers needed for Path to Wellness screening. 
Two Path to Wellness  screening events are scheduled for the remainder of calendar year 2015:

Saturday, September 19th at the Indo American Cultural Center, Phoenix

Saturday, December 5th at the First Institutional Baptist Church, Phoenix 

Technical and general volunteers are needed. Technical volunteers will draw blood samples and/or operating Point of Care Testing Devices; general volunteers will greet and register participants, answer general questions, and other misc. tasks.    
 
  
The completed form can be faxed to James Ivie at (602) 845-7955 or scanned and returned as an e-mail attachment.
BROADWAY EAST MEDICAL CENTER
MEDICAL SPACE AVAILABLE 
Leasing medical space at Broadway & Sossaman, Mesa, near the 60 & 202.

Anchored by primary care practices. Located between 3 E. Valley hospitals. Incentives & tenant improvements.

Call 602-339-1860.
Pediatric Disaster Response Conference
November 2-4, 2015
Camelback Inn
Scottsdale, AZ

Conference is designed to provide tools, training, resources and information for physicians, nurses, first responders, public health and community planners, hospital administrators, educators and others.

A $100 discount on registration is available through Sept. 30.

For more information, click here >> 
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.
AOMA's 35th Annual Fall Seminar
Mind * Body * Spirit

November 7 & 8, 2015

Hilton Tucson El Conquistador
10000 N. Oracle Road
Tucson, Arizona  85704

An anticipated 12.5 AOA Category 1-A CME credits.

Application will also be filed for AAFP Category 1 prescribed credits.

Save $75 - early registration deadline is October 11, 2015. 
 
View the full agenda and register online >>

Call the AOMA office at (602) 266-6699.
Clinical and Laboratory Update in Thrombosis and Anticoagulation
November 18-20, 2015

FireSky Resort & Spa
4925 N. Scottsdale Rd.
Scottsdale, AZ, 85251

This conference will focus on clinically applicable and cutting-edge methods used in the evaluation and treatment of patients with arterial and venous thrombotic disorders including the increasing integration of novel anticoagulants. 

LOT FOR SALE IN PINETOP, ARIZONA
BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME!

Advances in Medical and Surgical Management of Thyroid Cancer
January 15-16, 2016
Phoenix Marriott Tempe at the Buttes

Hosted by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists

Collaborative Care in Chronic Disease 
March 11-12, 2016

We-Ko-Pa Resprt & Conference Center 
10438 N Fort McDowell Rd 
Scottsdale, AZ 85264

17th Annual Southwest Nephrology Conference & 4th Annual Convention of Cardio Renal Society of America 
Save the Date!

The MCMS 2015 Annual Event is coming up. Mark your calendars, you won't want to miss it!

Friday, October 23, 2015
6-9 pm 
El Chorro Restaurant
5550 E Lincoln Dr 
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
Superior Court Judge Upholds Brewer's Medicaid Expansion
A Maricopa County Superior Court judge upheld former Gov. Jan Brewer's 2013 Medicaid expansion plan, ruling that a hospital assessment that funds the program is not subject to a provision in the Arizona Constitution that requires a two-thirds vote in the Legislature for a tax increase.

Judge Douglas Gerlach ruled that HB2010 did not violate the supermajority provision, which voters approved in 1992 as Proposition 108, because it is not a tax and falls under an exemption to the two-thirds vote requirement.

The case was brought by 36 Republican legislators who voted against Brewer's plan. Goldwater Institute Attorney Christina Sandefur, who represents the lawmakers, said they will appeal the ruling.

Brewer's  plan, which the Legislature passed in 2013, expanded Medicaid coverage to include anyone earning up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level. Under the Affordable Care Act, the federal government pays up to 90 percent of the cost for at least three years to states that expanded their Medicaid programs. The hospital assessment was included to pay for Arizona's share of the cost. The expansion has provided coverage for about 280,000 new childless adults since it went into effect at the beginning of 2014.

From Pain to the Podium: Arizona Cyclist Wins National Trophy 10 Months After Hip Replacement

Karl Baumgart, a 43-year-old Scottsdale resident, is a relative newcomer to the world of competitive cycling, only having his USAC racing license since May of 2013.

In just over two years, Baumgart has logged nearly 100 races, including big stage races such as Valley of the Sun, Arizona State Time Trial Championships, and USA Masters National Time Trial Championships.

His most recent and biggest success yet, however, was becoming a National champion by winning a gold medal, four silver medals, and the "Best All Around Rider" award at the 2015 USA Masters Track National Championship - just 10 months after a major hip replacement due to a chronic overuse injury.

Shocking? Yes. Admirable? An even bigger yes.

Baumgart's inner-drive, combined with an innovative medical procedure performed by Brandon Gough, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon at Phoenix's Hedley Orthopaedic Institute and a member of MCMS since 2012, is what put Baumgart back in the saddle just two short weeks after surgery.

 Read the full article >>
Are You Taking Full Advantage of your MCMS Membership Benefits?

For your professional liability and insurance needs, MCMS is partnered with MICA!

MICA, a MCMS Preferred Business Partner, is a physician-owned and directed mutual insurance company. Founded in 1976 by Arizona physicians, with a loan from the Arizona Medical Association (ArMA), MICA offers stability through the peaks and valleys of the insurance cycle.

Today they provide medical professional liability insurance in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Utah, and have been a market leader for nearly forty years, proving their value to their members with stable pricing, prudent underwriting principles, outstanding risk management programs and an experienced claim staff. MICA truly values the loyalty and trust their members place in them. For more information, visit www.mica-insurance.com.

New Women, Infants and Children Clinic Opens in Far East Valley
Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) has opened a new Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinic in the far East Valley across the street from Banner Baywood Medical Center, offering a larger space to serve more families. The clinic is located at 6641 E. Baywood Ave. Bldg. C1 and C2, Mesa, AZ 85206.

The clinic is on a main bus line on Power Road and replaces the WIC clinic formerly located near Main and Greenfield in a strip mall. The proximity of the new site to Banner Baywood offers an opportunity for MCDPH WIC staff to coordinate services with the hospital's Woman and Infant Services division and serve even more eligible families. Clinic hours are Monday -Thursday 7:30 am-5 pm, Friday 8-noon.

WIC services include nutrition and breastfeeding information, support and resources, healthy foods, and referrals to other community services. State Medicaid (AHCCCS) enrollment and dental visual screenings, including fluoride application, are also available at selected clinics. WIC serves infants, children up to their 5th birthday, pregnant women, breastfeeding women until their infant's first birthday, and women whose pregnancy ended less than 6 months ago who meet the family income guidelines.

Visit maricopawic.com or call (602) 506-9333 for clinic locations and service details.
Midwestern University, ADOT-MVD Partner for Special Arizona License Plate to Benefit Student Scholarships 

Midwestern University faculty, staff, and students, as well as friends and supporters throughout Arizona, have a new way of showing their support thanks to new specialized license plates, which will be available from the Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division (ADOT-MVD). The new plates will be available on August 23rd, online at www.servicearizona.com or at MVD offices and authorized third-party offices Valley-wide.
 

Top 10 Reasons for Life Insurance

By Bruce Weinstein
PremierSouthwest Planning Group, LLC
MCMS Preferred Business Partner
Bruce Weinstein
Managing Member
Planning for the future is always a good idea. Speaking with a life insurance company to discover and understand the different life insurance options available to you will offer tremendous peace of mind should an accident occur and you were no longer able to work to support your family.

Following are the common top 10 reasons to obtain a life insurance policy: 
  1. Long-term financial stability
  2. Low cost
  3. Funeral cost
  4. Diversification
  5. Improved credit
  6. Bankruptcy exemption
  7. Cash value
  8. Retirement
  9. Riders
  10. Peace of mind

How the AMA is Helping America's Physicians Combat Burnout

The problem of burnout and caregiver fatigue among physicians is real and immediate. In fact, research shows that the rates of overall burnout extend to about 40 percent of U.S. physicians, more than 10 percentage points higher than the general population. In response, the American Medical Association (AMA) has created an ambitious program aimed at successfully preventing burnout and promoting well-being for medical professionals.
 
AMA STEPS Forward, the online practice transformation series launched last June, is offering new online modules that help physicians learn their risk factors for burnout and adopt real-life strategies to reignite professional fulfillment and resilience.
 
"Physicians are professionals who at their core are called to self-sacrifice and inclined to always do what's necessary to take care of patients," said AMA President Steven J. Stack, MD. "But modern medicine can take a toll over time, and the AMA wants physicians to know about the risks associated with burnout and the strategies to help combat it."
 

UA-Phoenix Medical School Gets Warning from Accreditors

An accrediting body has warned the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix that without fixes to governing policies it could face more severe restrictions or lose its status as an independent medical school.

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education sent an 11-page letter to University of Arizona President Ann Weaver Hart this summer warning of potential adverse actions such as probation or a loss of accreditation for the university's downtown Phoenix medical school, which anchors the Phoenix Biomedical Campus.

Read the full article >>

Mark Your Calendars and Register for the Arizona Geriatrics Society Annual Summer Geriatric Interprofessional Conference


Friday, August 21, 2015
High Country Conference Center in Flagstaff, AZ

 

The Arizona Geriatrics Society will present its Annual Summer Geriatrics Interprofessional Conference on "CANCER AND OLDER ADULTS" on August 21st in Flagstaff. This conference promises to enlighten and inspire when it comes to one of the most difficult diagnoses in medicine: cancer. Come and hear from some of the best speakers in Arizona on topics as diverse as the complex cancer patient and palliative care, breast cancer, and nurse navigation, as they help to demystify and provide guidance for you and your patients as they face cancer. Targeted cancer therapies and genetic counseling will also be explored and a panel of cancer survivors will share their personal perspectives and insights.  

 

For more information, download the conference brochure visit http://www.arizonageriatrics.org/2015-annual-summer-conference or call the AzGS office at 602-265-0211.  


Fun at the Coast to Coast for Skin Cancer Fundraising Dinner
Dr. Rick Averitte, MCMS Member since 2010, recently hosted a fundraising dinner supporting Stacie Schimke's Coast to Coast for Skin Cancer bike ride. Scimke plans to bicycle cross country from Portland, Oregon to Portland Maine to raise money for the Arizona Skin Cancer Foundation. The trip will encompass 3,700 miles over the course of 40 riding days. MCMS Executive Director Jay Conyers was able to attend the fundraising dinner for this ambitious movement, and enjoyed music, speakers, and a live auction to support the Foundation.  

You can view pictures from the dinner on our facebook page, and further details on how you can get involved on the Arizona Skin Cancer Foundation website.
Review Shows Feds Misstated Arizona Insurance Co-op Results

A federal government analysis that said Arizona's health insurance co-op had gotten just a fraction of its projected enrollment last year missed thousands of signups and incorrectly showed the state nonprofit set up under the Affordable Care Act signed up only 4 percent of the people it expected in 2014.

The report by the inspector general for the U.S. Health and Human Services Department looked at co-ops operating in 23 states in 2014 and found Arizona's was among the worst-performing.

However, a review by The Associated Press showed the inspector general missed one of two annual reports filed by Meritus, Arizona's co-op.

The co-op filed separate reports for its PPO and HMO plans with regulators that were collected by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

The actual results for Arizona's nonprofit insurance company amounted to 15 percent of its 2014 target. Meritus says that figure has since soared and exceeds projections.

Read the full article >>
Pain by the Numbers

In one of the largest population studies on pain to date, researchers with the National Institutes of Health estimate that nearly 40 million Americans experience severe pain and more than 25 million have pain every day.

Those with severe pain were more likely to have worse health status, use more healthcare and suffer from more disability than those with less severe pain.

"There are so many people in the severe pain category that something has to be done," said Richard Nahin, the lead author of the analysis and lead epidemiologist for the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the arm of the NIH that funded the study. "If people are in the most severe category of pain, whatever treatment they are getting may be inadequate."

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