May issue of Illinois Family Physician is online! 

Nominate a deserving FP of the Year- Nominations are due June 1 and must have a support letter included.  Link to the form here with more details. 

Baseball season is here!  Think baseball and the annual IAFP Foundation White Sox Game on Friday, August 15 - the order form is now available and orders are due July 11!  There are two options for tickets and each ticket you purchase is a $10 donation directly to the Family Health Foundation of Illinois.

Thank you to all of our Sox game sponsors who are Home Run Hitters in our book!  Click on the names below to visit their web sites.

• Cerner Corporation
• Cigna-HealthSpring
• Healthcare Associates Credit Union
• Healthy Interactions
• Molina Healthcare
• ProAssurance Professional Liability Group       

Family medicine collaborative event - Family Medicine Midwest 2014 - October 10-12 in Minneapolis!

 How can you contribute to the success of the event?  

Attend the event and share in the Joy of Midwest Family Medicine.  Networking and learning opportunities are everywhere, from the pre-conferences to the closing research presentation!  Information, the schedule and online registration are all available on the conference web site at www.iafp.com/fmm

Donate to the scholarship fund:

Nominate a colleague, resident or student for an award!  

Statehouse Update

With a scheduled adjournment later today, the Illinois General Assembly is focused on passing appropriations bills and a budget.  Here is a brief recap from the flurry of activity that included several bills on the IAFP's radar.  You can link to the full Government Relations article for more explanation or to the End of Session Rapid Report as well.

Epi-pens HB 5892 passed both chambers.  IAFP offered comments to the Attorney General's office toward the final language of the bill that addressed provider concerns.  IAFP is neutral on the bill. The bill provides that a school district, public school, or nonpublic school may authorize the provision of a student-specific or undesignated epinephrine auto-injector to a student or authorized personnel.

Poison control center SB 741 House Amendment #1 includes a dedicated funding mechanism that will provide $2 million in annual funding to the IPC.  IAFP is in support of this initiative.

Community Health Workers HB 5412 passed both chambers. It creates the Community Health Worker Advisory Board Act, and sets forth the membership of the Board, which shall consider the core competencies of a community health worker, including skills and areas of knowledge that are essential to bringing about expanded health and wellness in diverse communities and reducing health disparities.

RxP - SB 2187 allowing psychologists to prescribe.  This bill has been amended and passed both chambers.  New provisions and patient protections demanded by the physician community were added, allowing physicians to drop their opposition and move to no position the bill.  

POLST SB 3076 This bill is expected to pass both chambers as amended. Provides that the execution of a Department of Public Health Uniform POLST (Provider Order for Life Sustaining Treatment) form or DNR Advance Directive is voluntary. IAFP supported this bill. Learn more at www.polstil.org

Smoke Free Campus Act SB 2202 There is a trailer bill to exempt parking lots HB3961 - senate amendment 1.  Both are expected to pass and receive concurrence.  

Budget Update: Due to parliamentary requirements, it's expected the Senate will pass the budget on May 30^th, prior to the General Assembly's scheduled adjournment on May 31st. By then, the Medicaid bill (SB 741 House Amendment #1) should also pass both chambers.  Some key provisions (that still may change) include:

• Funding for the poison control center
• Hospital assessment tax
• Elimination of the four prescription drug prior authorization limit for antipsychotics
• Network adequacy for MCOs
• Restoration of coverage for adult dental services

Federal Update

Comment on FDA proposed rules for e-cigarettes

The FDA has proposed a rule that deems electronic cigarettes as a nicotine delivery system that the agency has the authority to regulate.  Advocates are disappointed that the proposed rule did not address "some of the most egregious practices of e-cigarette manufacturers," citing a report  released last month that found companies marketed them in flavors that appeal to youth. AAFP is currently drafting comments to the FDA's proposed e-cigarette regulations. Submit your comments by July 9 using this link. 

Click here for full information on each of the positions listed below:

CEO - Ferrell Hospital (serves Southern IL)

Advocate Lutheran General Family Medicine Residency

Multiple positions available with teaching opportunities

Rush-Copley Family Medicine Residency

Opening for faculty physician at this program in Aurora

PCC Wellness Center

PCC has openings for physicians at their clinics on the Near West Side and in Oak Park

Site Medical Director-Waukegan

Opening July 2014 - Apply at www.eriefamilyhealth.org. 

Access all our FREE self-study CME that meets your needs! Log on at with www.iafp.com/education 

Link to complete information on all the items listed below

Understanding Hep B Webinar

Provided by EverThrive, IAFP and Asian Health Coalition

By the conclusion of this activity, participants will be able to: 

* Describe Hepatitis B prevalence and disease burden
* Recognize Hepatitis B and prenatal transmission
* Identify national strategies to eliminate Hepatitis B

Register online

REGISTER TODAY!   Legal Issues Conference

IAFP Board Chair Carrie Nelson, MD is a presenter at this conference.

Online Registration  

Credits: Up to 15 CME credits

Contact Elvia Medrano, Education Department, at (312) 670-2550 x 338 or email at: emedrano@cmsdocs.org

June Lunch and Learn Webinar - Primary Palliative Care: What's In It for My Patient?

Presented by: Timothy McCurry, MD, FAAFP, Rainbow Hospice and Palliative Care

Thursday, June 26, 2014 12:00-1:00pm CST   

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the aspects of patient and family centered care in serious illness.

2. Describe the primary physician's role in advocating for and coordinating care in serious illness. 

3. Describe steps in providing medical care transparency, fair options and honoring patient choice. 

4. Describe steps in assessing symptom burden and basic management of common symptoms seen in serious illness.

Register Online

California AFP Webinar on Opioid Prescribing

California Academy of Family Physicians CO*RE ER/LA Opioid REMS:  Achieving Safe Use While Improving Patient Care live Webinar (given at six different times, beginning June 23):

You can visit the series landing page here to find registration links to all the webinars. 

Direct Primary Care Summit

June 20 - 21 at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel in Arlington, Virginia.

Learn more and register here

IAFP Seeks FP's to serve as speakers for upcoming DOT medical examiners training programs 

If you have already completed a DOT training course and/ or are part of the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners and are interested in teaching please contact Kate Valentine at kvalentine@iafp.com.

Medicaid Coordinated Care Rollout Link to an important notice from HFS to providers on Care Coordination Enrollment for Children, Families, and ACA Adults

Join ICAAP FOR a Q&A on the Medicaid Transition Plan and the ACA Rollout

IAFP Members are also invited! Dr. Alvia Siddiqi, the Medical Director from Illinois Health Connect Primary Care Case Management Program and IAFP Second Vice President, will be there to answer your questions about MCOs, ACEs, and more.

Events will be held:

-June 19 from 9-10am at Rush Copley Heart Institute (2088 Ogden Ave., Aurora, IL, 2nd Floor)

-June 25 from 9-10am at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital (1775 Dempster St., Park Ridge, IL, Room 1064)

-July 8 from 9-10am at Mount Sinai Hospital (1500 S. Fairfield Ave., Chicago, IL, Glasser C)

You can RSVP for the meetings here. Please note that due to space limitations, preference will be given to ICAAP members. Contact Jennie Pinkwater at jpinkwater@illinoisaap.com.

Making Sense of MMAI - live events in Chicago area

Need help understanding the Medicare Medicaid Alignment Initiative (MMAI) being implemented in the Chicago area and Central Illinois? MMAI presentations hosted by Aetna Better Health will be in Des Plaines (June 10), Chicago (June 18), and Naperville (June 25).  If you wish to attend one of these informational sessions, please RSVP by calling 847-533-3281.

Illinois Health Connect Providers - Update your website Bookmarks

Starting on Sunday June 1, 2014, the URLs will be changing for MEDI and IEC. If you are using a bookmark short cut you will need to update the login by using the new URL, which can be found on the main page http://illinoishealthconnect.com/provider/importantwebsites.aspx

June 9-15 is Men's Health Week in Illinois 

Despite advances in medical technology and research, men continue to live an average of five years less than women, with African-American men having the lowest life expectancy. Pat Quinn, Governor of the State of Illinois, proclaimed June 9-15, 2014 as MEN'S HEALTH WEEK in Illinois, and encourage all citizens to pursue preventative health practices and early detection efforts. 

Get the New Alzheimer's Disease Pocketcard App Designed Specifically for Health Care Professionals  Find the app directly on Google Play and the App Store, search for "Alzheimer's disease pocketcard."  Links to the app are also available on alz.org/hcps.   Note: This app is intended for clinical use. For More Information: Contact Melanie Chavin

Medicaid Meaningful Use

Questions? Call the Illinois Medicaid EHR Incentive Help Desk

If you are a Medicaid provider, call 1-855-MU-HELP-1 (1-855-684-3571) or email hfs.ehrincentive@illinois.govwith questions about Meaningful Use, registration, payment status and attestation.

If you have a news item to share, email it to Ginnie Flynn at gflynn@iafp.com.

Javette Orgain, MD, AAFP Vice Speaker, authors a reminder to physicians in her AAFP Leader Voices blog post from last week about another critical issue to address with patients - alcohol use

Ask the Question: Screening for Alcohol Misuse Can Save Lives : AAFP Leader Voices

Sathyavani Ramanujam, MD, who specializes in wound management, and is a Certified Wound Specialist, has been named Medical Director of Loyola University Health System's Wound Healing Center according to today's TribLocal La Grange.

Our Tar Wars poster contest winner, Jarrett Robertson of Moweaqua, was featured in the May 20 Shelbyville Union.

Tony Miksanek, MD appeared live on WSIL-TV on May 27 promoting Kids Fun and Fitness Day coming up this Sunday in Carbondale

Also on May 27, IAFP was mentioned among the organizations strongly supporting the HEAL Act bill which would increase the tax on sugar sweetened beverages in an Alton Telegraph article.  The bill failed in the House this year.  But advocates expect a multi-year campaign will be necessary to pass the tax increase.