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WCMS Women In Medicine Section (6/20)
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Join us at the next WCMS Women in Medicine event on Thursday, June 20th at 5:30pm at the home of Donna Burkett, MD. The topic of discussion will be Advocating for Women's Health. Bring your women in medicine friends and colleagues!!
RSVP now!
The WCMS's Women In Medicine section offers an opportunity for women physicians to meet, network, and share experiences common to their profession. The WIM socials are held bi-monthly.
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2013 WCMS Foundation Annual Campaign
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"Helping Our Community Navigate Healthcare Change"
Thanks to the almost 50 individual physicians who have donated to the Annual Campaign. And now we even have practices donating together. Thanks to Mountain Kidney & Hypertension Associates for their recent $5,000 donation towards WCMS' charitable programs!
The Campaign goal is $50,000, so please consider joining Mountain Kidney and the 49 individual physicians who have already given and donate today!
Click here to view the current PIPs.
Learn more: www.mywcms.org/wecare
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Pardee, Blue Ridge evaluating partnership options
| Blue Ridge Community Health Services and Pardee Hospital are evaluating opportunities for partnership and/or formal affiliation, the parties announced this week. Keep reading at BlueRidgeNow.com.
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Local Docs Advocate on behalf of WCMS in Raleigh!
| Drs. Frank Moretz, President of WCMS (Asheville Anesthesiology) and Frank Sutton (Asheville Anesthesiology), representing WCMS, travelled to Raleigh on May 29 where they met with available legislators (Moffit, Nesbitt, Queen, Ramsey, Hise, Apodaca) to talk about Medicaid expansion, health care related bills and the budget. They left calling cards with Reps. Whitmire, McGrady, Fisher, and Presnell. The two also met with Carol Steckel, Medicaid Director, to discuss WCMS' stance on the proposed "Medicaid Reform" plan being touted by the Governor and Dr. Wos, Secretary of DHHS. Director Steckel was quite interested in learning more about the innovative programs in WNC and will be visiting WNC on June 6-7 at the invitation of WNC Health Network's CEO, Janice Lato.
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Project Access focuses on improving medication assistance services for PA patients
| After collaborating with the WCMS Foundation Prescription Committee (a committee of the Foundation Board), CCWNC and Project Access' PBM (Catamaran), Project Access has gained the Foundation Board's approval to implement improvements in its pharmacy plan design including:
- The implementation of a preferred prescription list common to all 8 discount pharmacy plans in Buncombe County to be sent to donating A physicians, pharmacists and PA patients.
- The improvement of the PA to Mission MAP referral and information-sharing process.
- The offering of CCWNC/Project Lazarus Chronic Pain Management consultation services to donating PA physicians.
Questions? Contact Sharon Lewis, Director of Foundation Programs, for answers at sharon@mywcms.org. |
Effects of Non-Participation in Medicaid Expansion
| More than a dozen states that have declined to expand their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act collectively could lose about $8.4 billion in federal funding in a single year, pay far more for health coverage for their residents and cover fewer people, according to a study published yesterday in the journal Health Affairs. For the study, researchers at RAND examined data on the 14 states that already have rejected the expansion or are the least likely to support it. According to the study, a total of 3.6 million uninsured residents in those states likely would remain uninsured, which would translate to an additional $1 billion in state-funded uncompensated care in 2016. (Sources: Bloomberg, 6/3; The Hill's "Healthwatch," 6/3; Modern Healthcare, 6/3; Reuters, 6/3)
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Letter: The session - Rep Joe Sam Queen
| Opinion - Sun Journal
In my district of Haywood, Jackson and Swain Counties, we will lose approximately 400 jobs in healthcare by the action of this Legislature denying Medicaid Expansion. Also, over 15,000 of my constituents with the greatest need will not receive health care coverage. Continue reading.
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Check out Physician's Accountable Care Toolkit!
| WCMS continues to participate in the statewide "Toward Accountable Care Consortium," for the purpose of providing the medical community with knowledge and tools needed to understand, participate in, navigate, lead and succeed in a value-driven health care system. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), which is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, has posted as a resource on its website the TAC Physician's Accountable Care Toolkit. Here is the link: http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov/content.aspx?id=3913. AHRQ's mission is to improve the quality, safety, efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare for Americans. The TAC Consortium now has 37 county, regional, state and specialty Association members, including WCMS.
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Member Announcements
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Asheville Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center relocates
Asheville Urological Associates welcomes Dr. James Brien
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! Contact Nancy Caine, Member Services Coordinator at Nancy@mywcms.org.
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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 |
Miriam Schwarz, MPA
WCMS CEO/Executive Director
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