Western Carolina Medical Society: The Physicians' Voice for a Health Community
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July 23, 2014

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WCMS Circle of Friends: Van Winkle Law Firm & Johnson Prics Sprinkle, PA
In This Issue:
MAHEC Job Fair
WCMS Stands Against the Senate's Medicaid Reform Bill
WCMS Primary Care Affinity Group Launched
NCMS Leadership College Taking Applications
Courts Issue Conflicting Rulings on Health Care Law
Take Action Now! Change Board Re-certification
WCMS' DocbookMD One-Stop Mobile Platform Connects Physicians to Any Health Network
Ribbon-Cutting for Asheville's Cutting-Edge Pain Management Clinic
Dr. Todd Wallenius Wins Community Health Award
Job Board & Classified Ads
UPCOMING EVENTS 
 
MAHEC Job Fair (9/17) 
MAHEC invites you to reserve a table at their upcoming job fair for residents and fellows.  Information below:

Click here to download the registration form.   
LOCAL NEWS 
WCMS Stands Against the Senate's Medicaid Reform Bill
The NC Senate's new Medicaid proposal would pit fledgling physician-led ACOs against large, well-financed, for-profit managed care organizations. The latter would dominate and drive the former out of business.

Read WCMS's full statement about the Senate's Medicaid Reform bill.

You can also read WCMS' op-ed piece which was published in the Asheville Citizen-Times.
WCMS Primary Care Affinity Group Launched
WCMS held its first ever Primary Care Affinity Group meeting on June 26th in Henderson County.  Carolyn Coward of Van Winkle Law Firm gave an excellent talk on Accountable Care Organizations and Clinically Integrated Networks.  This is just the first of many future meetings to be held in various counties throughout Western North Carolina.  If you are interested in participating in this new group please contact Kristina Isenhour at Kristina@mywcms.org.

STATE NEWS  
 
NCMS Leadership College Taking Applications
Click here for details.
NATIONAL NEWS  
 
Courts Issue Conflicting Rulings on Health Care Law 
"Two federal appeals court panels issued conflicting rulings Tuesday on whether the government could subsidize health insurance premiums for millions of Americans, raising yet more questions about the future of the health care law four years after it was signed by President Obama."

Click here to continue reading.
Take Action Now!  Change Board Re-certification 
"Doctors Slam Recertification Rules"

A physician member brought this to WCMS' attention. She says, "The system, in my opinion (and lots of other people's too) is overly complicated and expensive, for what is already an expensive, stressful, and high stakes exam. You can only take the exam twice, if you fail the second time you are not allowed to "sit" for it again. I will say anecdotally, this hits home for myself and my colleagues, who find the MOC process a pretty substantial commitment, financially and time-wise.  There is fairly broad-based sentiment that the process is not effective at achieving its goals."

This physician specializes in internal medicine and has shared with WCMS a website and petition for internal medicine physicians that has been widely circulated.  For Internal Medicine physicians, you can take action here:
www.changeboardrecert.com/anti-moc.html
http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/recallmoc

If you have similar resources from other specialties, please share with WCMS and we will circulate.
ITEMS OF INTEREST 
 
WCMS' DocbookMD One-Stop Mobile Platform Connects Physicians to Any Health Network
DocbookMD, built by physicians for physicians, is a rapidly growing HIPAA-secure messaging application for smartphones, tablets and PC/Macs with over 24,000 physician users across 41 states. By putting doctors in control of the technology and transcending practice settings and other medical technology solutions, DocbookMD enables the kind of immediate, secure communication that can change the face of healthcare.  Read article.

WCMS offers DocBookMD to members. For more info, click here.
Member Announcement: Ribbon-Cutting for Asheville's Cutting-Edge Pain Management Clinic 
Blue Ridge Pain Management is proud to announce the grand opening of its new office at 3 Walden Ridge Drive, Suite 100, just off Hendersonville Road. The Asheville Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon cutting at the South Asheville clinic on July 31, 2014 at 4:00 pm.

Drinks, including beer and wine, food and music will accompany an open house following the ribbon cutting from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. This is for all doctors, mid-levels and their managing staff only. 

The open house includes a look at the two new fluoroscopy suites in the office. The in-house imaging equipment allows the doctor and his dedicated staff to get images in real time, which helps them diagnose and treat the root cause of the pain.

Please RSVP to Luann Street at (828) 350-9310, ext. 201, or  LStreet@BlueRidgePainManagement.com. 
Member Announcement: Dr. Todd Wallenius Wins Community Health Award 
Congratulations to Todd Wallenius, MD for being named the "Provider of the Year" for 2014. Dr. Wallenius received this award at the NC Community Health Center Association annual meeting in Raleigh in June.  Dr. Wallenius is the medial director at WNCCHS and has been practicing in the safety net at WNCCHS for the past 16 years. Dr. Wallenius is also a WCMS Foundation Board member.  
Job Board & Classified Ads
Job Board:
Physician Assistant  (FastMed Urgent Care)
Certified Medical Assistant  (North Buncombe Family Medicine)
Certified Application Counselor  (WCMS)

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

WCMS is a thriving 700-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,

Photo: Miriam Schwarz, WCMS CEO
Miriam Schwarz

 

Miriam Schwarz signature




 

Miriam Schwarz, MPA

WCMS CEO/Executive Director