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VITAL SIGNS
 The Weekly e-News of the Western Carolina Medical Society 
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January 30, 2013

In This Issue:
Doctor Directory - Sponsor Message
Meet female colleagues at Women In Medicine (2/20)
Sign up your family today for HeartStrings! (2/23)
Details announced about 11th annual HeartStrings health and fitness event.
URGENT - Project Access Pledge Campaign Reminder!
WCMS puts a new 'spin' on the Annual Celebration!.
Significant worker's comp fee increase for E&M and PT services
HHS issues letter to physicians on disclosing patient info involving health/public safety threats
Curbing Painkiller Misuse
Mending the Nation's 'Broken' Mental Health Care System
WHAT IS THE TOP HEALTH POLICY PRIORITY FOR 2013?
Job Board & Classified Ads

UPCOMING EVENTS  

 
Meet female colleagues at Women In Medicine - February Social (2/20)

SAVE THE DATE! All women in medicine are invited to attend the next Women in Medicine Social on Wednesday, February 20th from 5:30-7:00pm at the residence of Dr. Lorena Wade. More details to follow. 

Sign up your family today for HeartStrings! (2/23)

EXERCISE FOR HEALTH AND GIVE FROM YOUR HEART

Saturday, February 23 1-4 PM

Asheville Racquet Club (downtown location)

   

  • FREE BABYSITTING! YES, FREE BABYSITTING!
  • Spinning and 30 minute family- friendly classes
  • Workout in the state of the art facility and/or swim
  • Family and Practice Teams encouraged (max 5 to a team) 

 

For more details, and to register go to www.mywcms.org/HeartStrings2013 

  

LOCAL NEWS 
Details announced about 11th annual HeartStrings health and fitness event
Read press release in the Mountain Xpress.     
URGENT - Project Access Pledge Campaign Reminder!
Project Access is now receiving physicians' pledges for 2013. It is vital that we receive these pledges so Project Access Navigators can take the guess work out of knowing which physicians are participating and at what levels, then apportion referrals equitably among participating physicians.

Click here for details on the pledge process and to download the form. You can also forward the link to your Practice Manager and they can complete these forms for your practice.

Thank you for your continued volunteerism in helping the low-income, uninsured in our community!
WCMS puts a new 'spin' on the Annual Celebration!
This year we put a new "spin" on our Annual Celebration. Physicians, practice managers, WCMS staff and guests celebrated the 2013 WCMS Annual Celebration this past Saturday at BMW of Asheville. Many thanks to Steve Gordon and BMW of Asheville for hosting and being our Presenting Sponsor for this event. Ananda Vieages, MD, with Glenwood Family Medicine won a BMW hybrid to drive for 4 days, and the grand prize winner was Steve Hulkower, MD, with MAHEC Family Medicine, who won a trip for two to the BMW Performance Center in Grier, SC. 

Attendees enjoyed delicious food catered by Frankie Bones and the soothing sounds of guitarist Chris Rhodes. 

We announced our new 2013 officers for the Association and Foundation and shared our 2012 accomplishments and 2013 strategies

Significant worker's comp fee increase for E&M and PT services  
After nearly 17 years and as the result of intense lobbying efforts on the part of the NC Medical Society and NC Medical Group Managers, the North Carolina Industrial Commission has approved a 30% increase in the current fees for CPT codes 99201-99205 and for 99211-99215 as well as a 5% in physical and occupational medicine codes. The effective date has not as yet been established, but efforts will continue to make these increases effective early in calendar year 2013. Despite efforts to the contrary, no reductions were made to the current allowed amounts for radiology and surgery services.

Click here to view the expected fees for frequently used E&M codes and for further information.
NATIONAL NEWS 
HHS issues letter to physicians on disclosing patient info involving health/public safety threats  
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a letter to physicians and other providers to ensure that they are aware of their ability under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule to take action, consistent with their ethical standards or other legal obligations, to disclose necessary information about a patient to law enforcement, family members of the patient, or other persons, when they believe the patient presents a serious danger to himself or other people. This letter was issued in the wake of the Newtown, Ct., shootings and clearly articulates that HIPAA "does not prevent your ability to disclose necessary information about a patient to law enforcement, family members of the patient, or other persons, when you believe the patient presents a serious danger to himself or other people." 
Curbing Painkiller Misuse 
An FDA advisory panel last week voted 19-10 to recommend that the agency strengthen restrictions on widely used painkillers containing hydrocodone -- such as Vicodin -- in an effort to curb the increasing misuse of prescription painkillers. If FDA accepts the panel's recommendation, drugs containing hydrocodone would be reclassified as Schedule II controlled substances, which would impose stricter limits on how the drug is prescribed and stored. Some lawmakers and medical professionals applauded the proposed change as an effective way to keep highly addictive drugs out of reach to those who might misuse them. However, patient advocates warned that the change could impose barriers for those who need the drugs to manage chronic pain. (Sources: Los Angeles Times, 1/25; AP/Modern Healthcare, 1/25; New York Times, 1/25; Wall Street Journal, 1/25)
Mending the Nation's 'Broken' Mental Health Care System 
Federal mental health experts at a Senate hearing last week called for solutions to address gaps in the nation's mental health system, after a series of mass-casualty shootings - including the shooting in Newton, Conn., last month - ignited a national debate on mental health care. Keep reading
ITEMS OF INTEREST  
WHAT IS THE TOP HEALTH POLICY PRIORITY FOR 2013?
Respondents to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey named the Affordable Care Act's insurance exchanges as their top health policy priority for their states to address in 2013. 
Member Announcements

Are you a WCMS Member who is opening a new practice? Are you a 100% Member Practice who has hired a new physician? Send us your announcements and we will post them for you in our new Member Announcements section of Vital Signs to keep other members informed about what's happening in our WCMS community!    

Job Board & Classified Ads

Asheville Anesthesia Assoc - Billing Specialist/Coder 

 

Asheville Anesthesia Assoc - Resolution Specialist 

 

Canon Family Health, PLLC- Practice Administrator 

 

Internal Medicine Practice: Physician  

 

Orthopedic Surgery Practice: Physician Assistant  

 

Plastic Surgery Center: Medical Biller 

 

WCMS: Project Access Navigator 

 

 

To find out how you can post a Job or Classified Ad Click here.

 

WCMS is a thriving 900-plus member professional association of the physicians of western North Carolina and a chartered component medical society of the NC Medical Society and the AMA. The WCMS is an organization run by physicians for physicians.


Our Mission
The WCMS is the physicians' voice advocating for the health of the medical profession, the health of the patient, and the health of the community.
 

Our Vision
To be a dynamic physician community dedicated to a healthy, vibrant Western North Carolina.


About WCMS
The purpose of WCMS is: 

  • To strengthen the voice of WNC physicians in advocating for the health of the medical profession, the health of the patient, and the health of our region
  • To inform, educate and prepare physicians for rapidly occurring changes in health care at national, state, and local levels
  • To share legislative and policy information and advocate on behalf of physicians in areas of mutual interest
  • To share available resources in areas of mutual interest
  • To promote physician-to-physician communication and dialogue in an open, honest and safe environment

We hope you enjoy our weekly e-newsletter. If you have questions or suggestions please feel free to contact me.
 

Sincerely,Miriam Schwarz, CEO

 

Miriam Schwarz signature




 

Miriam Schwarz, MPA

WCMS CEO/Executive Director