June 16, 2014
Court decision will help physicians defend malpractice cases

The Colorado Supreme Court today issued an important case decision that will help physicians in the defense of malpractice cases. The Colorado Medical Society submitted an Amicus, or friend of the court, brief on behalf of two defendant physicians and helped persuade the Colorado Supreme Court to rule in their favor and clarify Colorado hearsay rules in favor of physicians defending malpractice cases. A radiologist and internal medicine specialist were the two physician defendants in the case.

CMS recognized the importance of the issue to all physicians and recruited additional organizations - the American Medical Association, who provided substantial financial resources; the Colorado Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians; the Colorado Radiological Society; and the Colorado Society of Anesthesiologists - to join in the brief on behalf of the defendant physicians.

The decision will assist physicians in defending malpractice claims as it broadens the scope of admissible evidence that may be useful in proving alternative theories of causation. Click here for more information.

Logging in to CMS.org is your key to exclusive member benefits

The Colorado Medical Society's website, CMS.org, now includes a robust member portal for profile management. Logging in to the site allows you to pay your dues, instantly update your contact information so patients can find you through the Physician Locator, access exclusive members-only content, and comment on news features and resources.

Most important, component society delegates will need to log in to comment on proposed Annual Meeting resolutions and access protected documents.

Click here to log in with your username and password. Forgot your credentials? Choose the "Forgot your password?" link on that page. First-time logging in? Use the "activate your account" link on that page. Questions? Contact Tim Yanetta, CMS membership coordinator, at [email protected] or (720) 858-6306.

Join the AMA for Innovation HealthJam,
a free online conference

The American Medical Association is co-hosting an online event called the Innovation HealthJam that will be live from Tuesday, June 17 until Thursday, June 19.

The HealthJam brings together people from all aspects of the health care ecosystem and will give participants the opportunity to collaborate for the greater good with key health care opinion leaders to brainstorm ideas and transform health care.

The topics covered in AMA's forum, Your Physician of the Future, include:

  • Shaping the physician of the future presented by Susan Skochelak, MD, Group Vice President, Medical Education
  • Innovating the care experience presented by Michael Tutty, PhD, Vice President, Physician Practice Sustainability
  • Forging clinical-community linkages to prevent chronic disease presented by Karen Kmetik, PhD, Group Vice President, Health Outcomes

The moderator for the AMA forum is Modena Wilson, MD, MPH, AMA's chief health and science officer.

Additional topics that will be explored by other co-sponsors such as Intel, Panasonic and HIMSS include: telehealth, remote patient monitoring, personalized care, and wearable sensors.

Anyone can join this free, online discussion, and can participate at any time during the three-day event. Join the conversation; register at www.innovationhealthjam.com.

David Price, MD, named director of the Multi-Specialty Portfolio Approval Program

The American Board of Medical Specialties has named David Price, MD, FAAFP, FACEHP, of Denver, the director of the Multi-Specialty Portfolio Approval Program.

In this position, Price will lead the development of the strategic direction and plan for the Portfolio Program, which offers a pathway for health care organizations to support physician involvement in quality improvement initiatives and provide physicians from multiple specialties the opportunity to receive credit in their programs for Maintenance of Certification (MOC). He also will direct the program's evaluation and research efforts and provide support for portfolio sponsors as well as identify and evaluate key areas for program growth.

Click here to read more on CMS.org.

Colorado Opioid Epidemic Symposium to be held July 19

Make plans to attend the Colorado Opioid Epidemic Symposium, Saturday, July 19, 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. at the Embassy Suites in Loveland. Colorado is experiencing an opioid abuse/misuse crisis and the Colorado Medical Society is dedicated to working with the state's Consortium on Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention to address the issue.

At this event, you'll learn how to become conversant in best practices for opioid prescribing, develop skills to manage high-risk populations on chronic narcotics, facilitate interagency collaboration to reduce prescription drug abuse in your community, and coordinate with behavioral health professionals to identify and treat mental health diagnoses and addiction. The registration fee for physicians is $125.

Register for the program at www.regonline.com/COES or call (303) 696-6655. Click here to download the event flyer.

Save the date for the 2014 CMS Annual Meeting - Sept. 19-21

Save the date for the Colorado Medical Society's 144th Annual Meeting. It will be held Sept. 19-21 at the Vail Cascade in Vail.

Just like last year, the format of the annual meeting has changed to allow more time for deliberation of strategic issues. Please note that all resolutions must be submitted 40 days prior to the meeting of the House of Delegates. This year that date is Aug. 11, 2014.

Each component society will nominate one member to serve on the reference committee and the reference committee will hold two meetings in person or by phone to review resolutions in advance of the meeting. The reference committee report will be posted on the CMS website for member review and will also be distributed to delegates upon arrival Friday evening or Saturday morning. CMS will open the HOD on Saturday morning, Sept. 20, 2014.

More information will be posted on the annual meeting page of CMS.org - www.cms.org/events/annual-meeting - as it is available.

Sponsors

Get covered with COPIC

COPIC Insurance Company is Colorado's leading medical liability insurance provider. Three out of four physicians choose COPIC for this critically important coverage. CMS members receive a 10 percent premium discount from COPIC.

For more information, call (720) 858-6000 or visit www.callcopic.com.

Colorado's eConsult Survey

The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing needs your help designing an electronic consultation (eConsult) system to improve access to and utilization of specialty care medical services. The department plans to provide financial incentives to providers for participating in the eConsult program.

Click here to fill out this brief survey to tell us your preferences for the new eConsult system.

Safe Disposal leaflet available for distribution

The Safe Disposal leaflet is a new resource for safe disposal of prescription drugs in the state. It was developed by the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and the Colorado Medical Society encourages members to distribute it widely. Click here to download the leaflet.

Professional Development
Upcoming events

Clinical Challenges in Opioid Prescribing: Balancing Safety and Efficacy
Friday, July 11
8:30 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.
The Cable Center, Denver


Colorado Chronic Opioid Symposium
Saturday, July 19
8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Embassy Suites, Loveland 


Correctional Mental Health Care Conference
Sunday, July 20 -
Monday, July 21
Omni Interlocken, Broomfield


2014 Colorado Workers' Compensation Educational Conference
Thursday, July 24 - Friday, July 25, 2014
DoubleTree by Hilton Colorado Springs Hotel, Colorado Springs


CMS Annual Meeting
Friday, Sept. 19 -
Sunday, Sept. 21
Vail Cascade, Vail

To comment on something you read in ASAP or to update your contact information, send an e-mail to [email protected]. Visit us online at www.cms.org.
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