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  Community Pulse- December 2014

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In This Issue:
Quest Diagnostics- Sponsor Message (Left)
Happy Holidays from WCMS!
New Members to WCMS
President's Message - "Vision of What It Means to be a Physician"
The WCMS Physician Directory (Blue Book)
Physicians Meet with Representatives-Elect John Ager and Brian Turner
Physicians' Voice in the News
Maternity Care Landscape Evolves
WCMS Partners with Haywood Regional Medical Center on Free Health Carnival
WCMS Endowment Fund Contributes $7260 To Medication Assistance Program in Clay County
NCGA Committee Action Threatens Medicaid Reforms
Op-Ed: "What do People Really Want?
Job Board & Classified Ads

 

 

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.

 

Thank you for your support of, and interest in, the Western Carolina Medical Society!    
Happy Holidays from WCMS!  
   
LOCAL NEWS

New Members to WCMS   
President's Message - "Vision of What It Means to be a Physician" 
Below are excerpts from Dr. Gus Vickery's last president's message

"I don't think most of us were focused on our economic value when we received our acceptance to medical school. Most of us probably had some individualized vision of what it meant to be a physician. I would imagine most of us were excited about the potential to make a difference in peoples' lives, to improve the health of our communities and to collaborate with other professionals who possess a passion for medical science and its ability to do good. What happened to that passion, that vision?

We have allowed insurance companies, healthcare systems and others to define who we are. We have been divided and pitted against one another. We have allowed those around us to wear us down.

I believe our challenge is to make sure that we are empowered to be advocates for our patients, that we are clear about our moral compass, and that we have the freedom to direct patient care. We can't do that alone; it must be done collectively as a profession. It is time for us in a powerful and unified manner to communicate to each other and to our communities who we are and what our vision is for our profession."

Gus Vickery, MD 

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].
WCMS  Physicians Meet with Representatives-Elect John Ager and Brian Turner 
On Thursday evening Dec. 4th, Drs. Craig Martin, Bob Henderson, Gus Vickery, Frank Sutton, Britt Peterson, and medical student Brittany Papworth, CEO Miriam Schwarz and Membership Coordinator Kristina Isenhour met with Rep. Turner.

Then on Thursday Dec. 11th, CEO Miriam Schwarz, Member Services Coordinator Kristina Isenhour and medical student Rivers Woodwards met with Rep. Ager at his Fairview farm.

We covered the big ticket items important to WCMS: Mental Health, Medicaid reform, Medicaid expansion, scope of practice, and tort reform.

We look forward to more legislative visits as the 2015 Session in Raleigh draws near! 
Physicians' Voice in the News      
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
Maternity Care Landscape Evolves: Additional OB Practices Increases Choices, Competition  
"A shake-up in the medical world of maternity care and childbirth means more choices for pregnant women in Jackson, Swain and Macon counties, but also heightened competition for the profitable labor and delivery line."

Read article
WCMS Partners with Haywood Regional Medical Center on Free Health Carnival      
WCMS is partnering with Haywood Regional Medical Center for a health insurance marketplace counseling event. This event will feature information and assistance in signing up for health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

Click here for more information. 
WCMS Endowment Fund Contributes $7260 To Medication Assistance Program in Clay County     
The Clay Comprehensive Health Services Chatuge Family Practice received $20,000 from the People in Need grant program of the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. The WCMS Foundation Endowment Fund is proud to have contributed $7260 toward this grant.  www.mywcms.org/philanthropy/endowment/

The funding will be used to continue the Medical Access Offset Program in Clay County.  It will help decrease indigent and uninsured patient co-pays, ensure that people have access to quality health care, and offset the costs associated with lab work and other tests not covered by state and federal health programs. 
STATE NEWS

NCGA Committee Action Threatens Medicaid Reforms 
"Disagreement between House and Senate remains; DHHS wants more time.

As a result of the committee's actions, the two chambers of the General Assembly are likely to spend the long session rehashing earlier debates over the direction of Medicaid provision. Meantime, Secretary of Health and Human Services Aldona Wos says the Medicaid's fiscal health is improving, suggesting that sweeping reforms her department once supported may not be necessary."

Read article.
ITEMS OF INTEREST

Op-Ed: "What do People Really Want? - Dr. Graeme Potter  
"When hospitals succumb to the corporation, the corporation becomes the focus, not the patient. Sadly, this has become more about corporate competition, more about corporate money than providing quality care. Within several years, the less effective providers will be called on the carpet when they cannot pull the impossible numbers that will be expected of them. Then there will be provider upheaval all over again."

Read op-ed piece.
Job Board  

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.

Learn more about the Western Carolina Medical Society on this page. We would love to hear from you. Please contact us with any questions, comments or concerns you may have.   

 

Sincerely,

Miriam Schwarz

 

Miriam Schwarz signature




 

Miriam Schwarz, MPA

WCMS CEO/Executive Director 
(828) 274-2267 ext. 312