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Physician Alert: Contact Your Legislator about Prior Authorization

This could be our last chance to fix prior authorization (PA) at the Legislature this session. A group of 10 legislators (five from each chamber) are part of a conference committee that is working on a joint Health and Human Services budget bill. PA reform language is included in the Senate's version, but was omitted from the House's. Your legislators need to hear from you how important it is to keep the PA language in the final bill. Send an Action Alert today.  

St. Cloud Member Receives National Award   

Patrick Zook, MD, received a CDC Childhood Immunization Champion award on May 7 in a ceremony hosted by the Minnesota Department of Health. CDC Childhood Immunization Champions are selected from a pool of health care professionals, community advocates and other immunization leaders. One winner is selected in each of 30 participating states plus the District of Columbia. Above, the CDC's Nathan Crawford (left) presents the award to Zook.  

Governor Signs "Right to Try" Legislation

On May 5, Gov. Mark Dayton signed into law a bill that allows terminal patients access to pharmaceuticals, biological products and devices that have not completed FDA trials. The bill passed the House 120 to 0, and the Senate 60 to 4. Read more here.

MMA Health Disparities Work Group Seeks Members

The MMA is seeking physicians and clinic managers to  participate in a task force that will tackle the issue of health disparities among Minnesotans. The group will meet this summer and early this fall. Read more here.

New CME Videos on Pain, Opioids and Addiction Available

The MMA has made available five more videos in its Pain, Opioids and Addiction Lecture Series. CME is available for each. Read more here.

Guthrie Training on How to Improve Patient Communications Set for St. Cloud

The MMA is teaming up with the Guthrie Theater to offer an in-person workshop on improving patient communications in St. Cloud on May 28 from 5 to 8:30 pm. CME is available. Read more here.

Report Shows Pioneer ACO Model is Working

The Department of Health and Human Services has released an independent report that shows the Pioneer ACO Model created by the ACA has saved Medicare more than $384 million over two years while continuing to deliver high-quality care. In Minnesota, Allina, Fairview and Park Nicollet are among the systems that are part of the Pioneer model. To view the report, click here.

Annual Conference Announces Additional Speaker

Laurie Drill-Mellum, MD, MPH, will address MMA Annual Conference attendees on Sept. 26 at the DoubleTree Park Place in St. Louis Park. Drill-Mellum will present "Who Heals the Healer - Resiliency-building tips for those who care for others." Participants will learn to recognize the incidence of clinical burnout, understand how it affects patient safety, identify practices and techniques that can reduce the effects of stress, and discuss physician wellness programs that promote healthy habits, resiliency and positive interactions. Annual Conference registration will open mid-July. To be notified when registration opens, please click here and press send.

Call for Annual Conference Presentations

The MMA is seeking presenters for its 2015 Annual Conference Sept. 25-26 in St. Louis Park on the following topics: physician leadership, technologies that can assist physicians, innovation in medicine and practice, and physician resiliency and wellness. Presenters will receive complimentary conference registration and lodging. Those interested should send a two-paragraph description of their talk and links to previous presentations to Mandy Rubenstein.

New or Returning Members

We are happy to announce 43 new and returning members to the MMA. This week, physicians from St. Paul, Robbinsdale, Rochester, Minneapolis, Maple Grove, Bloomington, Minnetonka, Woodbury and Paynesville have joined our ranks. Each week we are recognizing new and returning members who are helping MMA stand up for physicians on issues that affect their practices and patients. See our new and returning members. If you want to renew your membership, or join MMA, call 612-372-3728 or email us.

Inspiring Physicians

Being a physician is a noble profession. Few would argue with that. But some go above and beyond their regular work of treating patients, researching diseases or educating physicians-in-training. Our latest group of inspiring physicians includes a doctor who integrates new perspectives and insights from East and West, medicine and psychology, and science and spirituality into practice; another who has been providing care to people in Guatemala for the past 10 years; and a third who is helping address the rise of heroin use, emerging infectious diseases, potential pandemics and the threat of chemical warfare.  

Digital Rounds - the MMA Blog

Medication prior authorization is a daily battle for Minnesota physicians. Sometimes it's one that lasts for weeks and weeks. Read more here.  

Members in the News

Member Pankaj Timsina, MD, was featured in the Detroit Lakes online newspaper for his plans to travel to his home country of Nepal to help in relief work following the earthquake that killed more than 6,000 people. Timsina is a family physician with Essentia Health - Detroit Lakes.  

 

Member Dionne Hart, MD, was featured in a Rochester Post-Bulletin article, but it had nothing to do with medicine. The paper highlighted her fashion sense.  

Minnesota Medicine

   

The game changer
Deborah Powell, MD, wants to make the transition between medical school and residency seamless.

 

  
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