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The Community Pulse e-Newsletter is designed for community members and non-member physicians. We choose selected important news and information items to share with you, so you are able to stay in-the-know on topics of interest to you.
If you are a physician but not yet a member, click here to view benefits of joining WCMS, and click here to complete an application.
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2013-2014 Physician Directory "Blue Book"
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 The 2013-2014 "Blue Book" is ready for ordering! This is a comprehensive directory of physicians, produced by WCMS that:
- Includes physicians and practices from all 16 WNC counties
- Is pocket size for easy access
- Has a discounted price for practices with 100% members of WCMS!
To place an order, go to www.mywcms.org/BlueBook and pay online or download an order form. Have questions or need to know if you're part of a 100% member practice? Email us at membership@mywcms.org)
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What is WCMS Planning for 2014?
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The strategic planning process began in August of this year. WCMS staff identified key partners in our community on whom our future depends, including independent and employed physicians, health system leadership, funders and donors, community leaders, practice managers, patients and, of course, our employees. We interviewed a total of 70 men and women from those key partner groups about their personal, professional and organizational aspirations, how well WCMS is currently fulfilling those, and how we might address them moving forward.
As we continue to evolve from the Buncombe County Medical Society into the Western Carolina Medical Society, we deliberately interviewed partners from outside of Buncombe County. For example, in addition to Mission, we interviewed hospital and physician leaders from Park Ridge, Pardee, Cherokee, and MedWest.
On October 28th, 47 of our key partners gathered at MAHEC to see and discuss the thematic results that emerged from our analysis of all those interviews. After the presentation participants broke out into their key partner groups facilitated by WCMS leaders with the assignment of writing two or three strategies by which WCMS could better fulfill their group's aspirations.
After the town hall meeting, we identified strategies that emerged across many groups, assessed our resources and partnerships to ensure that we could successfully engage in those strategies, reviewed them with our Board of Directors, and prepared a 2014 Strategic Plan. WCMS has committed to providing quarterly updates to our key partners throughout 2014, and we look forward to engaging them in this aspiration-driven strategic planning process again next fall.
Review our 2014 Strategic Plan!
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WCMS Certified Application Counselor Enrolls First Patient in Marketplace!
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WCMS' new CAC, Katherine Hensley, who started with WCMS Foundation just a few weeks ago, has already passed her national certification test and met with her first client last week who was eligible to obtain subsidies via the ACA marketplace. The client works part-time for a local non-profit and therefore does not receive employer-based insurance. In only 35 minutes the client had completed her application and qualified for subsidies. She successfully enrolled in the marketplace with a $500 deductible and a monthly payment of $41!
In the coming weeks, Katherine will begin working with marketplace-eligible Project Access patients, with the goal moving as many patients as possible off the Project Access roles to fully insured health care services. WCMS is grateful to Mission Community Enhancement for providing one year of funding for the CAC position.
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Prevent Spreading and Getting the Flu
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Download posters to spread the message about preventing flu spread.
Click here.
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Physicians' Voice in the News
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WCMS is proud to announce another high quality addition to the series of "The Physicians' Voice" media presentations aimed to showcase to the general public our physicians' world-class medical expertise and focus on patient/community health.
Here is the latest release:
You can read all about The Physicians' Voice on our website.
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WNC Health Network Discontinues WNC Data Link
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Healthcare systems in western North Carolina will connect with other hospitals in the region along with ambulatory and physician practices using their existing system technology provider in 2014. Healthcare providers have the additional option to connect to the state Health Information Exchange. As a result, WNC Health Network has made the decision to discontinue WNC Data Link, the region's health information exchange, on March 31, 2014.
Read more.
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Mission Health's New Health Information Exchange Streamlines Patient Record Access for Medical Providers
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"As medical records become increasingly available by electronic means, Mission Health has proactively addressed the need for a safe, secure and robust electronic health information exchange (HIE) platform to serve Western North Carolina."
Continue reading.
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Join the Mobile Revolution with DocBookMD, a WCMS Benefit
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Seventy of your colleagues have already signed up for this free benefit. They are using the DocBookMD app to send one another HIPAA-compliant text messages and photos. Message content can include diagnosis, test results, or medical history. Physicians can also add a high-resolution image of an EKG, an X-ray, lab report, or anything that can be photographed with a smartphone.
They are also able to search the Western Carolina Medical Society directory. Physicians can look up other physicians in WNC by first or last name or by specialty. Physicians can then contact other physicians by messaging, office phone, cell phone, or email.
Want to sign up? First, you have to be a member. If you are not, sign up now.
Here's how to sign up for DocBookMD: http://www.mywcms.org/Membership/DocBookMD/#SignUp
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November was the last issue of WCMS' e-Magazine, The Bulletin. However, we are pulling forward the most popular sections and publishing them in Vital Signs (e-Newsletter for members only) and here in Community Pulse. One of those sections is the new members of the Western Carolina Medical Society.
Click here to view the newest physicians to join WCMS!
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McCrory: Medicaid Reform will be 'Crucial' in 2014
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"Owen Covingtons speaks with Governor Pat McCrory, who says state Medicaid reform will be crucial in 2014 and that input from doctors and medical practices and hospitals will aid in the process."
Read article from the Triangle Business Journal
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New Online End-of-Life Planning Tool Now Available to NC Citizens and Health Care Providers
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Job Board
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Click here to see the latest jobs posted on our website.
To find out how you can post a Job or Classified Ad Click here.
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Miriam Schwarz, MPA
WCMS CEO/Executive Director
(828) 274-2267 ext. 312
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