Western Carolina Medical Society: The Physicians' Voice for a Health Community
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October 22, 2014
WCMS Circle of Friends: Van Winkle Law Firm & Johnson Prics Sprinkle, PA
In This Issue:
The Buyers Agent- Sponsor Message (Left)
Lead Through Change: The Healthcare Issue
The WCMS Physician Directory (Blue Book)
2014 Candidate Forum
Get Your Uninsured Patients Insured via WCMS During Next Open Enrollment Period
Wilmington Health: Health Care Reform "In the Trenches"
A Rural Practice Fights to Stay Solvent
Insurer Ratings Report 2014
Michael F. Evers, DO, Joins AllCare Clinical Associates
Job Board & Classified Ads
UPCOMING EVENTS 
 
Lead Through Change: The Healthcare Issue (11/12)  
This event offers access to high quality leadership experts that will equip those affected by dramatic shifts in the healthcare industry with immediate, proven ideas and techniques designed to help them Lead Through Change.

Live in Asheville, Broadcast across the nation.

Speakers include Dr. John Maxwell, Tom Daschle, Dr. William H. Frist and Dr. Ronald A. Paulus.

Click here for more information.
LOCAL NEWS 
The WCMS Physician Directory (Blue Book)  
The 2014-2015 "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! 
Practice and physician information changes frequently, so this directory has hundreds of updates from when the last book was published. 

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 [email protected].
2014 Candidate Forum 
WCMS wants to help physicians, their staff, families and patients make the most informed decisions on election day.  So we conducted a "virtual" candidate forum.  We sent e-mails to each candidate running for NC State House and NC State Senate with five key questions on important healthcare topics.

Click here to view the 2014 Forum and candidates' responses.

Here are the 5 questions we asked the candidates:
  1. What are your recommendations for reforming Medicaid in North Carolina?  Specifically, do you support private Managed Care Companies, physician-led Accountable Care Organizations or another solution, and why?
  2. What is your stance on expanding Medicaid eligibility to all persons under 138% FPL in the state of NC, and why?
  3. What are your solutions for addressing the mental health crisis facing Western North Carolina?
  4. Do you support mid-level practitioners having privileges to practice medicine without physician supervision?  Why?
  5. What actions would you take to strengthen, maintain or weaken tort reform in NC?

Remember to vote on November 4th!  If you want more information on early voting, absentee ballots and more, go to the Board of Elections website.  

Get Your Uninsured Patients Insured via WCMS During Next Open Enrollment Period (Nov. 15-Feb 15)
WCMS has a cadre of fully trained Health Access Counselors (HAC) ready to enroll as many uninsured people as possible into the marketplace starting on November 15th.

See what this means for our physician members.
 
FYI, In November and December, WCMS will collaborate with OnTrack Financial to provide health literacy classes designed to help the newly insured understand their insurance plans and how to budget for them.

We are proud to be able to offer free, in-person assistance that is objective and unbiased. It is in our best efforts to help patients/consumers understand the full range of their health coverage options, allowing those patients and consumers to make more informed decisions about their health.
STATE NEWS 
 
Wilmington Health: Health Care Reform "In the Trenches"
Governor McCrory and Secretary of the NC Department of Health and Human Services Aldona Wos visited Wilmington Health last summer as part of their statewide tour of accountable care organizations (ACOs). The McCrory administration supports Medicaid reform that incorporates accountable or value-based care, and the visiting officials wanted to learn how this emerging model works on the ground and in the trenches.

Wilmington Health, as well as Cornerstone Health Care in High Point and Triad HealthCare Network in Greensboro, the other ACOs the governor and secretary visited, proved an excellent example. A physician-owned, multispecialty group practice with more than 160 providers, Wilmington Health was able to show and tell the visiting dignitaries just how they have been able to improve quality of care, reduce costs and provide excellent patient experiences.

Read more.
ITEMS OF INTEREST 
 
A Rural Practice Fights to Stay Solvent 
"Despite the challenging environment, and state bureaucratic changes that have nearly bankrupted her practice, Ahoskie Pediatrics' sole doctor says she's been living the dream."

Read article.
Insurer Ratings Report 2014 
Insurers play a huge role in the financial lives of most physicians, and they also create some frustration. More than 6300 physicians across 25 specialties took part in an online survey from July 9 through September 21, 2014, and told MedScape how they feel about the leading insurers.

View the results.
Member Announcement- Michael F. Evers, DO, Joins AllCare Clinical Associates 
Michael F. Evers, DO, has joined AllCare Clinical Associates, PA. A graduate of the University of California, San Diego, Dr. Evers received his Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) degree from the Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine in Pomona, California. Dr. Evers completed his residency training in anesthesiology and a pain management fellowship at Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to joining AllCare Clinical Associates, Dr. Evers was an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology/Pain Management.

Dr. Evers is certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology in Anesthesiology and Pain Management and is a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the Western Carolina Medical Society. He provides pain management services at McDowell Pain Management and Transylvania Pain Management.

AllCare Clinical Associates, www.allcareclinical.com, is one of the largest private physician-owned anesthesia practices serving North Carolina and employs over 200 Anesthesiologists, Anesthetists and business and management professionals. AllCare Clinical Associates provides anesthesia, pain clinic management services and perioperative care for hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers of all sizes. 
Job Board & Classified Ads
Job Board:
Health Access Counselor  (WCMS)
Family Physician  (Family Care of Fairview)
Orthopedic Joint Replacement Surgeon  (Pardee Hospital)
Medical Interpreter  (WCMS)

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

WCMS is a thriving 750 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