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Editor's Note:

There will be no MMA News Now on July 3. It will return on July 10. Thank you and have a safe Fourth of July holiday.

St. Cloud Group Meets to Tackle Opioids Crisis

Nearly 50 physicians, pharmacists, nurses and community volunteers gathered on June 24 to discuss the prescription opioid crisis in the St. Cloud area at a Stearns Benton Medical Society event called "Bringing Our Community Together - Solutions to the Opioid Crisis." Read more here.

New Speaker Added to Annual Conference

Lynne Fiscus M.D., MPH, FAAP, interim executive regional medical director for Fairview Medical Group, will conduct two workshops at the MMA's Annual Conference, Sept. 19-20, at Madden's on Gull Lake in Brainerd: "Minding the Leadership Gap: What I Needed to Learn to Effectively Lead a Clinical Team" and "Communication Skills for Physicians to Effectively Lead Teams-Case Based Learnings." Registration for the Annual Conference is scheduled to open the week of June 30.

Members Appointed to APCD Work Group

MMA members Roger Kathol, M.D., and John Chandler, M.D., have been appointed to a work group that will explore new uses for the state's all-payer claims database (APCD). Read more here.

Meaningful Use Exemption Due July 1

Physicians have until July 1 to apply for a hardship exemption to avoid financial penalties for not meeting electronic health record (EHR) meaningful use requirements in 2015. The AMA offers a tip sheet that will guide physicians on how to avoid next year's penalty. The AMA recommends that even physicians who don't fit neatly into one of the hardship categories file in the vendor category (the one the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services refers to as "lack of control over the availability of Certified EHR Technology") because it can be interpreted broadly. The AMA also suggests that "physicians who are attempting to attest and are concerned they won't be successful are also urged to file for a hardship exemption under the vendor software category."

Deadline Extended: Choosing Wisely Video Entries Due July 15

The deadline for submitting a brief video (five minutes or shorter) promoting the Choosing Wisely campaign has been extended to July 15. Prize money is $400. Read more here.

MMA and MMA Foundation Award Nominations Due Monday

The MMA and the MMA Foundation are looking for nominees for its annual awards, which honor physicians and medical students in the state who have made outstanding contributions to their profession, their practice or the world around them. The deadline for nominations is next Monday (June 30). Read more here.

MMA Launches Medical Cannabis Page

Now that medical cannabis has been approved for use in Minnesota, MMA members have a lot of questions on what's next. The MMA has developed a new webpage with a series of Frequently Asked Questions. Members are also encouraged to send in questions regarding the new law and how it might affect how medicine is practiced in Minnesota.

Digital Rounds - The MMA Blog

Nowadays, physicians are often encouraged to work toward standardized care. But, personalized medicine relies on the relationship between the physician and the patient to really understand what treatment makes the most sense. Read more here.

The MMA Podcast

Now that the use of medical cannabis has been signed into law, Minnesota physicians need to get prepared for what happens next. MMA's Policy Counsel Teresa Knoedler, J.D., discusses the topic and what physician can expect. Listen here.

Minnesota Medicine