As a physician you know all too well how patients are adversely affected when the delivery of care doesn't go as well as it could. You also know firsthand the state of flux that the health care system and the medical profession are currently in as everyone grapples with change. You can have an impact by participating in the Advanced Physician Leadership Program, a yearlong training program that gives physicians the tools to lead effectively and help transform systems of care.

Click here to read more on CMS.org, including reviews from the APLP Class of 2012. Act quickly; applications for the 2014 class are due March 14.

One of the biggest concerns that has been raised by practice administrators is how to get physicians engaged in the ICD-10 transition. CMS recognizes that physicians have many other demands on their time over and above caring for their patients that it can be difficult to focus on coding.

That's why CMS has been a lead stakeholder in the Colorado ICD-10 training coalition - to bring physicians and practice staff numerous resources on ICD-10, including a monthly webinar series. All resources and on-demand webinars are available on the coalition's website, www.cms.org/icd-10.

We encourage all physicians to learn more about ICD-10. Click here to register for the next webinar on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 12 - 1 p.m. MT, when participants will hear from two practicing physicians to gain a better understanding of the physician perspective on the transition, gaining suggestions on how to best communicate within a practice and what staff can do to help physicians be prepared.

The Colorado Medical Society presents the 2014 CMS Spring Conference, "Narrative as persuasion: The proven effectiveness of storytelling to win hearts and minds." The conference will be held May 16-18, 2014 at the Sonnenalp Hotel in Vail.

Attendees will enjoy interactive sessions on liability and patient safety, physician satisfaction and practice sustainability based on the RAND Corporation's recent findings, the statewide effort to reduce prescription drug abuse, and access to care in the context of the most comprehensive study on the topic in the history of Colorado.

Additionally, physicians will - through hands-on interactions on substantive, ongoing health care policy debates - learn how to incorporate the art and science of storytelling into conversations to enlighten, inform and persuade patients, colleagues, public officials, the media and others. Storytelling as a communications method is proven effective in any industry at conveying a lasting message.

Registration and hotel reservations are now available through our PDF registration form; online registration will be available soon. Click here to go to the spring conference page of CMS.org.

CMS President-elect Tamaan Osbourne-Roberts, MD, and COMPAC Chair Dave Ross, MD, testified against a bill that would have required a physician to report a patient to the state for any conditions that compromise their ability to drive a vehicle - "loss, interruption or lapse of consciousness or motor function" - imposing both criminal and civil penalties for failure to report. HB14-1068 by Rep. Don Coram (R-Montrose) also would have removed physician immunity for reporting to the DMV thereby exposing physicians to liability by third parties.

Click here to read more on CMS.org and to read Osbourne-Roberts' testimony.

Another bill has been introduced in Congress that would repeal Medicare's sustainable growth rate formula in advance of the March 31 deadline to prevent a 24.1 percent Medicare cut. Rep. Michael Burgess, MD (R-Texas), introduced the "SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act of 2014" (H.R. 4015/S.2000). It addresses the policy provisions related to eliminating the SGR but does not include financial offsets or any extender policies.

AMA President Ardis Dee Hoven, MD, said in a statement that it is time to take action and to stop the cycle of short-term patches that merely address the immediate crisis posed by whatever cut is pending.

Click here to read more about what's in the bill and why Congress must pass a fix - not another temporary patch - on CMS.org. And don't forget to contact your congressional representatives to keep up the momentum.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is alerting physicians, treatment providers and the general public of an increase in deaths reportedly linked to the use of heroin contaminated with the drug fentanyl.

SAMHSA requests treatment providers alert their patients to be on alert to the increased risk of fatal overdose. SAMHSA released an Opioid Overdose Toolkit late last year that contains information on recognizing and responding appropriately to overdose in a manner suitable to a variety of stakeholders.

Click here to read more on CMS.org and to access the toolkit.

Make plans to join your Colorado Medical Society colleagues for an evening of basketball and camaraderie as the Denver Nuggets host the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, March 7 at 7 p.m.

CMS invites all members and their families and friends to this social event. Twenty-five kids (ages 5-18) from the CMS group will be selected to participate in the "High-Five" fan tunnel, slapping hands with the Nuggets players as they enter the court.

Tickets are available in three sections for discounted prices starting at $40. Click here for more information. Purchase your tickets online today at www.nuggetstix.com/CoMedicalSociety0307.