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The March issue of Illinois Family Physician is online!
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White Sox game is July 24
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IAFP members and their friends and family can purchase LOWER BOX seats for $35 each (which is less than face value) and $15 of each ticket goes directly to support the Foundation. Link to the order form
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IAFP is a member of the Safe Homes Coalition. Use this public education poster that you can download and print (11x17") for your waiting room and/or exam rooms.
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April 19, 2013
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|  The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it. -George C Scott Those words reflect the spirit of our nation and our communities in the face of tragedy in Boston, Texas and the flooding in Illinois. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone touched by these events and the many health care and safety personnel who are providing comfort, care and security during these times. |
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Academy in Action - Springing into Action
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 | | IAFP members are ready for the Statehouse on April 17 |
IAFP members from all stages of medicine traveled to Springfield to talk health care with their legislators during three days of the IAFP Spring into Action lobby days April 16, 17, and 18. Each day brought a cross-section of family medicine expertise, from medical students to past presidents and everyone in-between. Find more great photos on our Facebook page
Here are some facts and figures for the three days:
- 59 total attendees, including practicing family physicians, board members, residents and medical students
- Visited with 29 legislators over three days
- Met with House Republican Leader Tom Cross and Asst. Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie
 | | Rep. Kenneth Dunkin high-fives Dr. Kortnee Roberson |
Because many bills were on third reading or had already cleared their chamber of origin, family medicine had plenty of active issues to discuss with senators and representatives. After a morning briefing on the current issues, members sloshed through the rain to the capitol building for direct conversations with their legislators.
On the family medicine advocacy agenda:
- Supporting science-based sexual health education standards in public schools for grades 6-12,
- Opposing prescribing authority for psychologists,
- Urging the House to pass Senate Bill 26 for the Medicaid eligibility expansion,
- Supporting legislation Prohibiting tanning bed use for minors,
- Opposing waivers to allow schools to exempt physical education requirements for students who participate in show choir and
- Supporting a Senate bill requiring that all college campuses become 100 percent smoke-free.
A complete recap will be in the May-June issue of Illinois Family Physician. You can check out photos on our Facebook Page
Tuesday's photos and then Wednesday and Thursday photos on Facebook
Special thanks to our lobbying firm of Cook-Witter, Inc. and their intern Tyler Scherer for facilitating the legislative visits and briefing our participants on the legislative process and to AARP Illinois for allowing us to use their conference room. We also were joined by Amber Melaney, AAFP's Strategist in State Government Relations who offered a national perspective on states' legislative trends and provided much appreciated on-site support!
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| Call for First Vice President Nominations | |
The Leadership Development Task Force is seeking nominations for filling the unexpired term of First Vice President 2012-13. If you are interested, please notify Vince Keenan (vkeenan@iafp.com) by Mon., May 6, at noon. Please send a cover email indicating willingness to serve, a resume and answers to the following questions:
1. Identify areas where you have skills, experience or interest (such as finance, public relations, health information technology, CME, GME, and/or government relations).
2. Describe how you can help IAFP and why you wish to be an officer that may succeed the IAFP President-elect.
The successful candidate will serve as IAFP first vice president from May 14 through November 9, 2013and must be able to participate in the following 2013 events:
- IAFP board webinar/teleconference, Tues., Aug. 27, 8-9 pm CT
- Attend AAFP Congress of Delegates, San Diego, Sun., Sept. 22 through Weds., Sept. 25 (IAFP provides travel reimbursement)
- Preside over IAFP All Member Assembly, Sat., Nov 9 at the Hyatt Lisle.
The Leadership Development Task Force will review candidates and provide recommendations to the board of directors at the May 13th meeting. Questions? Contact David Hagan, MD, chair of the Leadership Development Task Force at djhmd80@yahoo.com or IAFP Executive Vice President Vince Keenan vkeenan@iafp.com.
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| Government Relations | |
Medicaid Meaningful Use of EHR 2012 Attestation - New deadline April 30
New guides have been established to aide providers in completing the attestation.
2012 AIU Attestation Guide (pdf)
2012 Meaningful Use Attestation Guide (pdf)
The application is available for providers to attest for Program Year (PY) 2012 only. If you want to submit a PY 2012 attestation, you must successfully complete the online attestation application by April 30, 2013. The attestation application for PY 2013 will be available during the 2nd quarter of this calendar year.
Please direct questions and concerns to the EHR Payment Incentive Program support email, hfs.ehrincentive@illinois.gov. For additional information regarding the EHR Incentive Program, please review the links below:
Application Website The Provider User Manual is available on the website to provide guidance on how to complete your attestation.
Timeline Tool to help determine which year you will demonstrate Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3 of meaningful use.
Two Regional Extension Centers (RECs) have been designated to provide technical assistance to Illinois providers.
IL-HITREC http://www.ilhitrec.org
Phone: 815-753-1136 Fax: 815-753-2460
Email: info@ILHITREC.org
CHITREC http:/chitrec.org/
Phone: 312.503.2986
Fax: 312.503.6743
Email: info@chitrec.org
Medicaid-Medicare Parity payment attestation update
As of Jan. 1 Illinois Medicaid payment rates must equal Medicare for primary care services. Make sure you get this new payment rate for your services retroactive to Jan. 1. The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services has a Web based Certification and Attestation for Primary Care Rate Increase. This feature allows providers to submit their attestations directly to the department electronically. Once eligibility for this program has been approved, physicians will receive a new Provider Information Sheet from the department identifying a new specialty code has been added to the provider database. Physicians who do not receive a new provider information sheet within thirty (30) days may contact the Provider Participation Unit (PPU) by telephone at 217-782-0538 or by sending an e-mail to HFS.PPU@illinois.gov. More information is at http://hfs.illinois.gov/pcpattest/ |
| CME - www.iafp.com/education | |
Save the Date: April Lunch and Learn with IAFP
Thursday, April 25, 2013, 12:00pm - 1:00pm CST.
PQRS: How to Participate & Qualify for the Incentive Dollars (and Avoid the Penalty)
Presented by: Lucy Zielinski, Health Directions & Linda Brewer, Telligen
Register here
Based on 2013 reporting, physicians who DO NOT participate in Medicare's Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) will be subject to a 1.5% reduction in Medicare Part B payments in 2015. This webinar will provide information on how providers can move along the path of using Health IT to assist with patient care management and align with Meaningful Use requirements.
Objectives:
- Explain the PQRS initiative and the available reporting options to avoid payment reductions
- Describe how providers can create an effective quality improvement team within their organizations
- Illustrate how PQRS can align with meaningful use goals
IAFP's Immunization Webinar Series
Join the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians, the Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Chicago Area Immunization Campaign for free CME in 2013! IAFP's immunization webinars kick off on April 24 at noon with Adolescent Immunization - Where We Are and Where We Need to Go presented by Rachel Caskey, MD, MaPP, Program Director, Meds-Peds, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Illinois at Chicago and continue on May 16 with Adult Immunization - Communicating Risk Benefit. Don't miss these two great opportunities to learn from the experts and obtain free CME. Registration is limited, so secure your spot today!
Deadline Approaching! Submit your abstract for Family Medicine Midwest 2013
There are many opportunities to present seminars, panels and research in tracks dedicated to faculty, residents, students and all of the family medicine community. Read the instructions and then submit your abstract by May 10!
Develop or Present CME with IAFP!
IAFP is looking for subject matter experts and speakers to assist with curriculum development and to present at our Annual Meeting, webinars, or other conferences. Please fill out our online form to indicate your preferred topics and content format.We are looking for clinical presentations or hands on workshops for the 2013 Annual Meeting. If you are interested in presenting, don't hesitate, fill out the form today! The deadline for Annual Meeting submissions is June 1, 2013.
ICAAP's Immunization Best Practices Webinar Series
Register today and join the Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP) for our upcoming webinars as part of the 2013 Immunization Best Practices Webinar Series. Click here for a listing of future immunization webinars.
April 30, 2013, 12:00-1:00pm-2013 Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Update presented Julie Morita, MD, Medical Director, Immunization Program, Chicago Department of Public Health
Past/Recorded ICAAP Immunization Webinars
Click here to access all of ICAAP's recorded immunization webinars from 2012 and 2013.
Register for the ICAAP Annual Conference Today
Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18, 2013
DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel & Conference Center Downers Grove-Chicago
2111 Butterfield Road in Downers Grove. For more information and the full agenda, please visit the ICAAP website and download the conference brochure. To register online, visit the conference registration page.
Early Bird registration ends on April 30, 2013!
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| News You Can Use |
Pertussis Update release from the Chicago Dept. of Public Health
CDPH released this report on Thursday, April 18 that emphasizes the dramatic increase in cases identified nationally and in Chicago and the impact of pertussis on young infants.
National Infant Immunization Week is a national observance that highlights the importance of protecting infants from vaccine preventable diseases, which is being celebrated from April 20th through April 27th. CDPH is holding local activities to celebrate National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW), including vaccination clinics (click here for Spanish) at Chicago Public Schools on April 20th and 27th
PARTNER MESSAGE: Looking for ways to reduce health insurance costs?
Your IAFP membership lets you take the first step toward lowering your costs. Members can receive a FREE, no obligation quote through our partner, Mass Marketing Insurance Consultants, Inc. (MMIC), which specializes in providing individual and group health insurance to association members. Learn more here or click here to request at quote.
Reminders Worth Repeating
Illinois Health Connect Provider Survey
Illinois Health Connect encourages all in-network Medical Homes to fill out a PCP survey, so they can gauge successes and failures, and make the necessary changes for continued program refinement. Please fill it out by June 1. Link to the survey
New School Requirement for Tdap Vaccination
Illinois Department of Public Health recently amended the Child Health Examination Code Part 6651 to require students in the sixth through twelfth grades to show proof of recent pertussis vaccination. The revised rule requires that all students entering, advancing, or transferring into 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grades show proof of receiving one dose of Tdap vaccine (defined as tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis) regardless of the interval since the last DTaP, DT or Td dose.
Illinois Department of Public Health issued a Letter to Health Care Providers outlining the new rule and acceptable documentation.
An updated Provider Checklist for the 6th - 8th grade requirement has been developed by the IAFP, ICAAP & the Chicago Area Immunization Council (CAIC). A letter explaining the new requirement and accepted documentation for parents is now available in English and Spanish.
Sign up for ILHIE Direct by June 30 for HIPPA-compliant communication
Did you know that exchanging protected health information via email and fax may not be HIPAA compliant? That's why thousands of healthcare professionals in Illinois are exchanging electronically with ILHIE Direct. They are also improving patient care coordination, saving administrative time and reducing their costs. The Illinois Health Information Exchange (ILHIE) is now offering ILHIE Direct at no cost through June 30, 2013. More information is available here.
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| Members in the News | |
If you would like a copy of any of the items below, or have a news item to share, email it to Ginnie Flynn at gflynn@iafp.com.
IAFP President Carrie Nelson, MD authored an Op-Ed for Crain's Chicago Business that appeared online April 18 and will be in Monday's print edition. You can view it online here. Nelson calls attention to our family medicine workforce pipeline problems in Illinois and urges more support for primary care to ensure access for all newly insured Illinoisans coming into the system starting in 2014.
Jocelyn Hirschmann, MD, a Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine graduate from Bolingbrook, was working at the finish line of the Boston Marathon when the bombs went off. She told her story to the Chicago Sun-Times who ran a story on April 18.
Eric Trautmann, MD was on WREX TV.com April 9th explaining how healthier doctors could better convince patients to adopt healthier lifestyles.
On April 10, Yasmeen Ansari, MD of Wood Dale and Arvind Goyal, MD (who is the current Medicaid Director for the IL Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services) are quoted in a Crain's Chicago Business story about the need to keep Medicaid payments equal to Medicare in order for doctors to continue or increase Medicaid participation. That article helped lead to the IAFP Op-Ed column on April 18.
Dawn Brunner, MD was back live on WCIA-TV in Champaign on April 9 for "Ask your Family Physician."
Goutham Rao, MD is featured in the April 10 Evanston Roundtable where he spoke about the need to cut the sweet drinks as a tool to fight obesity.
On March 19, Tony Miksanek, MD of Benton was interviewed on WSIU Radio (91.9 FM) about children's health and exercise. On March 6, Dr. Miksanek appeared on WQRL Radio (106.3) and discussed the health of the southern Illinois region.
John Hickner, MD, head, department of family medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, and Margaret Kirkegaard, MD, chair of the IAFP Government Relations Committee, attended the April 8th kick-off meeting for the new Illinois state project, Provider/Plan/Payer Alliance for Health, which has an aggressive schedule to develop a multi-payer (Medicare, Medicaid and commercial) pilot project by September 30, 2013. The project is a Model Design grant from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation for the development of a state health care innovation plan.
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