The official e-newsletter of the Maricopa County Medical Society

Volume 10 | Issue 3 | February 1, 2016

In This Issue

Don't Let Your MCMS Membership Lapse

Educational Opportunity

Meaningful Use Hardship Exemption

Volunteer Opportunity for MCMS Members

Court Decides: Is Patient Safety Information Protected?

MCMS Event Calendar

2016 is starting off with a bang! We're excited to host the "Beers with Peers" event on February 4th, and we have a fun year of educational and social events planned for our membership.

We plan on holding several Happy Hours at restaurants or pubs throughout the valley. Come unwind after a long and busy day with a few hors d'œuvres and cocktails. Catch up with your colleagues and bring along a non-MCMS member so they too can experience the many benefits the Society offers.

Due to popular demand, we're going to host a Philanthropy in Medicine event again this year and plan on holding a few new ones such as a Business Vendor Fair and Policy Forum. And of course, our ever-so-popular Annual Event will be held in October.

We'll be communicating the who, what, where and when for these gatherings through InforMED, Round-up, our website, and social media platforms so please make sure we have a current email and mailing address on file. And the next time you are on Twitter or Facebook, be sure to "like" or "follow" us so you can stay on top of all things MCMS!

Business of Medicine Workshop Saturday, February 6, 2016
8 am to 12 pm

MCMS Members attend for free!
Use promo code "MCMS."

Attend the MACRA Workshop
Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015

Midwestern University
19555 N. 59th Avenue
Glendale, Arizona 85308

Learn from nationally recognized experts about best practices and strategies to become successful in a bundled-payment reimbursement model.

Information and registration >>

ESTABLISHED PRACTICE SEEKING PEDIATRICIAN FOR FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT

Robust benefits package includes:

$160k/year
1 week of CME
14 days of vacation plus major holidays
Malpractice insurance paid

J1 Visa candiates will be considered for the position.

For questions and/or to submit resume, contact Edward

Patterson, MD, Panda Pediatrics and Adolescent Care at

ep1psmg@netscape.net or
(602) 283-3165

Walgreens to Stop Using Theranos Lab Targeted by Federal Action

Walgreens told Theranos on January 28th that it will no longer send laboratory tests to the startup's lab in Newark, California, where regulators say they found a situation that threatened patients' safety.

The chain said it will send blood samples taken at 40 Theranos Wellness Centers located at stores in Arizona only to Theranos' certified lab in the Phoenix area or to an accredited third-party lab for analysis. Read more >>

The MCMS Preferred Partner Program - We've Got You Covered!

The next time you need personal or professional services look no further than the MCMS Preferred Partner Program! The following vendors are fully vetted, trusted partners of MCMS. We trust them so you can too!

DON'T MISS OUT ON INFORMED, ROUND-UP, AND OUR SOCIAL & EDUCATIONAL EVENTS IN 2016! Please Remit Your 2016 Dues
Please take the time to renew your Maricopa County Medical Society membership. You may do so by calling the MCMS membership office at 602-252-2015 and select option zero ("0") or by clicking here >>

MCMS is in the News! The Society is Weighing in on Topics Affecting Our Physician Members! Executive Director, Jay Conyers, PhD, quoted in two separate January 26, 2016 Articles
Phoenix Business Journal: Should advanced practice nurses have their scope of practice expanded? Read the article >> AZCentral.com: Bill proposes merging of state health licensing agencies within ADHS. Read the article >>

Southwest Behavioral & Health Services Expands Doctoral Internship Program in 2016 - 2017; One of the Largest APA-Approved Programs in U.S.

As Lynette Small, PsyD, pours through more than 180 applications received for Southwest Behavioral & Health Services' Doctoral Internship Program, the thing that has become most evident to her is that this program is no longer one of Arizona's best-kept secrets.

Southwest Behavioral & Health Services' Training Institute just concluded its prescreening of applicants for the 2016 - 2017 training year, and the number of applicants quadrupled over the previous year. With 17 available positions, in January candidates will start flying in from around the country to interview for one of the highly sought-after internships that begin next September.

The program is now one of the largest American Psychological Association (APA) approved doctoral internship program in the United States. (The largest program is in Boston with 25 doctoral-level psychology internships.) Read more >>

Introduction to Cancer Diagnostics and Treatment for Primary Care Physicians

Saturday, February 6, 2016
8 am - 2:30 pm, MST

Cancer Treatment Centers of America
14200 Celebrate Life Way
Goodyear, Arizona 85338

Program Chair: David Boyd, MD

Course Chair: Maurie Markman, MD

This conference is geared toward primary healthcare providers involved in the care of patients with cancer, including primary care physicians, resident trainees, physician assistants and nurse practitioners.

Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Western Regional Medical Center designates this educational activity for a maximum of 5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

More information >>

Meaningful Use Hardship Exemption

Prior to adjourning for the holidays, Congress passed the Patient Access and Medicare Protection Act (PAMPA), which directed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to make AMA-supported changes to the Medicare EHR Incentive Program hardship exception process that allows physicians to avoid a Meaningful Use (MU) penalty in 2017.

The AMA is encouraging ALL physicians subject to the 2015 Medicare MU program to apply for the hardship. CMS has stated that it will broadly accept hardship exemptions because of the delayed publication of the program regulations. Applying for the hardship will not prevent a physician from earning an incentive. It simply protects a physician from receiving an MU penalty. Therefore, physicians who believe that they met the MU requirements for the 2015 reporting period should still apply for the hardship protection. Note that the program operates on a two-year look-back period, meaning that physicians who are granted an exception for the 2015 program will avoid a financial penalty for 2017.

Download step-by-step instructions for completing the hardship exception application.

Volunteer Opportunity for MCMS Members

The Neighborhood Christian Clinic is seeking volunteers to support its mission to provide healthcare to uninsured individuals in the Phoenix area. It was founded by individuals from local Christian churches who recognized the need for access to care for the working poor, with the goal to provide holistic care primarily through volunteers with the assistance of a small staff.

The clinic seeks both primary care providers and specialists that can see patients on site at its facility near the state capitol or in their own offices. Dental providers are encouraged to join as well. The clinic began seeing patients in 1999, and currently provides nearly 10,000 patient visits per year. The clinic is funded primarily through donations, but also receives grants and collects a small fee from the patients which covers their visit as well as medications and on-site procedures.

Interested providers are encouraged to contact our volunteer recruiter, Gary Derbyshire by email at GDerbyshire@tncclinic.org or by phone at 480-297-6844.

Court Decides: Is Patient Safety Information Protected?

A Florida district court of appeal recently considered whether patient safety information is protected from disclosure under a federal act in a medical liability case against a hospital and its physicians.

In Southern Baptist Hospital of Florida, Inc. v. Charles, a trial court had ordered the hospital to produce medical documents that were being used for patient safety and quality improvement efforts.

The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 (PSQIA) offers physicians and hospitals a way to share medical information used for quality improvement through a patient safety organization (PSO). Under the PSQIA, the confidentiality of data within these systems is protected if that data is not requested by a state administrative agency.

As the Litigation Center of the AMA and State Medical Societies noted in an amicus brief filed in support of the hospital's appeal of the trial court's ruling, the purpose of the PSQIA and PSOs is to "improve patient care and reduce risk through collective action."

A few weeks ago, a Florida district court of appeal overturned the trial court's decision and upheld the protection of medical information being used for patient safety efforts. It held that the PSQIA preempted a provision in the Florida constitution, which might otherwise have required the recovery of the information.

Source: AMA Wire

www.mcmsonline.com

Phone: 602-252-2015 | FREE Physician Referral Line: 602-252-2844
Preferred Partner Program Inquiry Line: 602-251-2374

InforMed Society is published by the Maricopa County Medical Society

Questions or Comments, please e-mail us at: InforMed@mcmsonline.com