WCMS with tagline
  Community Pulse - January 2016

QUICK LINKS
  
 

 

In This Issue:
Parsec - Sponsor Message (Left)
Mission Hospital may end contract with AllCare
Southeastern Fitness and Rehabilitation to Manage Pardee Rehabilitation at Two Locations.
WCMS Meets with Rep. Brian Turner
Alert from Buncombe Co. Department of Health: Zika Virus
Dale Fell Health Center Opening on February 8th
Study Finds Rural Hospitals Hurting in Medicaid Non-Expansion States
2016 Will Bring Flurry of New Rules and Regulations Affecting Healthcare
Innovations in Medicine: Synergy Health Solutions
Wake Forest University School of Law "The Future of Medicaid Expansion in North Carolina"
WCMS Job Board
Attention Doctors:

Do you enjoy your monthly Community Pulse? Did you know that if you become a member you can get even more critical, time-sensitive information sent to you weekly right to your inbox? Information such as our calendar of educational and networking events,  how to take action to address reimbursement cuts, important new bills introduced into the NCGA, public health alerts, advice on how to get paid in your practice, new ACO developments, how to address burnout, updates on philanthropic and innovative physician programs in WNC, and how to improve quality in your practice? 

Sign up today to become a member. Don't miss out on critical information that will help drive your professional decisions.

LOCAL NEWS

Mission Hospital may end contract with AllCare
Asheville Citizen-Times 
"I appreciate and respect AllCare's decision to be acquired. They have every right to do with their organization what they choose to do," Dr. Ron Paulus, president and CEO, Mission Health, said. "But for Mission, it comes down to a very simple choice. Our obligation is to make sure that care is available for all patients in Western North Carolina whether they can pay for the services or not. And with the new information that AllCare no longer exists and Surgery Partners is the entity that controls all of the anesthesiologists and associated staff, that created very significant concerns for Mission."
Click here to continue reading.
Southeastern Fitness and Rehabilitation to Manage Pardee Rehabilitation at Two Locations
From a press release:
Pardee Hospital announced today that Southeastern Fitness and Rehabilitation will manage two Pardee Rehabilitation locations, effective Jan. 1, 2016. Southeastern Fitness and Rehabilitation will manage operations at Pardee Rehabilitation's new Turtle Creek location in South Asheville as well as its existing location at the Mission Pardee Health Campus in Arden.
Click here to continue reading. 
WCMS Meets with Rep. Brian Turner
On 1/19/16, WCMS CEO Miriam Schwarz, board members Drs. Gus Vickery and Scott Donaldson, and WCMS Lead Member Coordinator Megan Hare met with Rep. Brian Turner (Buncombe, 116). Topics discussed included what to expect in the upcoming short session, Medicaid Reform, Medicaid expansion, mental health, CON, and the upcoming election in 2016. WCMS plans on holding additional local meetings with WNC legislators and candidates in the coming months before the session begins. If you are interested in participating in these discussions, please let Megan know at
Alert from Buncombe Co. Department of Health: Zika Virus
The CDC has released interim guidelines for health care providers in the US caring for patients, including pregnant women and their infants, who may be affected by Zika virus. Links to this guidance are below as are some key points.
Click here to continue reading.
Dale Fell Health Center Opening on February 8th
A WCMS Health Access Counselor will be co-located at the Dale Fell Health Center; additional WCMS HACs will be collocated at other Appalachian Health sites in the future. In addition to screening and enrolling patients in either the Health Insurance Marketplace (HIM for patients >= 100% FPL) or Project Access (PA for patients < 100% FPL) as eligible, the HAC is trained in SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR), and is currently helping homeless persons who are likely to be eligible for Social Security or Social Security Disability complete their applications.
Click here to continue reading. 
STATE NEWS

Study Finds Rural Hospitals Hurting in Medicaid Non-Expansion States
A team of UNC-Chapel Hill researchers compared rural hospitals in states that have expanded Medicaid with those in states that haven't, and found that those in states that haven't will carry a heavier financial burden.
Click here to continue reading. 
NATIONAL NEWS

2016 Will Bring Flurry of New Rules and Regulations Affecting Healthcare
By Modern Healthcare | January 2, 2016
Last year ushered in a bevy of new rules and regulations that are already affecting the healthcare industry: a fix to the sustainable growth-rate pay formula for physicians; a mandatory bundled-payment program that would affect 67 markets across the country; tweaks to the CMS' value-based payment program; clarifications of waivers that aim to give states more flexibility in molding their Medicaid programs; and a down-to-the-wire budget deal that delayed taxes on Cadillac plans, medical devices and health insurance. But 2016 is expected to be just as eventful, with more rules and regulations expected.
Click here to continue reading.
ITEMS OF INTEREST

Innovations in Medicine: Synergy Health Solutions
Interview with WCMS Board Member Dr. Gus Vickery

Local physician, Dr. Gus Vickery, has implemented an innovative way to connect with patients by offering direct primary care.  He founded Synergy Health Solutions which works outside the traditional payer model to focus healthcare on the patient.  Additionally, direct primary care is more affordable and accessible for patients, and reduces paperwork for his staff.  Dr. Vickery has seen improved health with this model, notably among those who previously found difficulty in accessing primary care. 
Click here to read the interview. 
Wake Forest University School of Law "The Future of Medicaid Expansion in North Carolina" Webcast is now Available
Click here to view video of the panel and slides

The following issue brief was released at the "town hall" forum on Medicaid expansion: 
 
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