Western Carolina Medical Society: The Physicians' Voice for a Health Community
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March 23, 2016


In This Issue:
Sponsor Message: Parsec (left)
Action Requested of WCMS Membership: Medicaid Reform Public Hearings
Register Now: Independent Physicians Affinity Group 4/4/2016
Last Chance to Register: Heart of the Healer Retreat 4/16/2016
WCMS Showing Appreciation to WNC Physicians on Doctor's Day
WCMS Hosts Mixer to Meet Physicians in Henderson County
Moretz, Edwards Come Up Big in Local Republican Primaries; Jones Falls Short in Lt. Governor Bid
At Least Two WNC Legislative Races Closely Watched
Physicians' Voice in the News
Bowtie Briefing for March 18, 2016
Check out Project Access' New Webpage
Preventing Burnout: Finding Joy in Medicine
Job Board & Classified Ads
UPCOMING EVENTS 
 
Action Requested of WCMS Membership: Comment on and/or Attend a WNC Medicaid Reform Public Hearing
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on March 1, 2016, unveiled a multi-year draft plan for reforming North Carolina's Medicaid program to "drive better patient outcomes, higher quality patient care and more cost certainty." You are encouraged to learn about and read the NC Medicaid proposals on the NC DHHS website. The comment period for the waiver application is March 7, 2016 through April 18, 2016. 
Click here for the latest information on Medicaid Reform.

Attending a public hearing is one way to share your thoughts on the draft NC Medicaid Reform plan. No registration is necessary. Each session will begin with a brief presentation, followed by the opportunity to give input on the draft Medicaid Reform waiver application (Section 1115 demonstration waiver). To allow time for everyone to speak, comments will be limited to 2 minutes. Written comments may be submitted online, or by U.S. Mail, email or dropped off in person.
Click here to see the schedule of public hearings.
Register Now: Independent Physicians Affinity Group 4/4/2016
WCMS board member Dr. Gus Vickery, will present on his innovative practice, Synergy Health Solutions, at the first Independent Physician Affinity Group of the year on April 4, 2016 at the Asheville Event Center from 6-8 p.m. Dr. Vickery's model offers patients direct primary care outside the traditional payer model, increasing affordability and accessibility for the patient while reducing paperwork for his staff. 
Click here to read our full interview with Dr. Vickery.

(please RSVP for accurate headcount)
Registration Ends 3/23: Heart of the Healer Retreat on 4/16/2016 - Now Open to Advanced Practitioners
Improve work-life balance
Prevent burnout
Reconnect with your Joy in Medicine
Earn 4.5 hours of CME

When: Saturday, April 16th from 10am-4pm
Where: Montreat Conference Center

* WCMS members attend FREE
* Significant others invited. Childcare available. 
LOCAL NEWS
 
WCMS Showing Appreciation to WNC Physicians on Doctor's Day
On Wednesday, March 30th, WCMS staff will be setting up tables at several locations to hand out gifts to physicians as our way of saying "thanks for all you do." 

Staff will be set up at Mission Hospital from 7-9 am, Cherokee Indian Hospital from 11-1, Park Ridge Hospital from 11-1, and at MAHEC (Biltmore location) from 2-5. Physicians are encouraged to stop by the WCMS table to grab a gift and a red carnation in celebration of Doctor's Day! 
WCMS Hosts Mixer to Meet Physicians in Henderson County
(Pictured: Drs. Scott Donaldson, Bob Henderson, and Britt Peterson)

In 2015, HCMS dissolved and combined with WCMS. As a result, membership for Henderson County physicians is free in 2016! To welcome new members and meet non-members, WCMS staff hosted a casual meet and greet at the Southern Appalachian Brewery in downtown Hendersonville. The event gave WCMS staff, board members and Henderson County physicians an opportunity to get to know each other. WCMS is excited to get Henderson County physicians involved in 2016. 

If you practice in Henderson County, click here for an application to forward to your Henderson colleagues. 
Moretz, Edwards Come Up Big in Local Republican Primaries; Jones Falls Short in Lt. Governor Bid
In local contests for North Carolina General Assembly seats yesterday, Fairview resident and retired anesthesiologist Frank Moretz defeated Asheville High and A-B Tech instructor Bob Chilmonik in the Republican primary for N.C. House District 115.

"I am looking forward to campaigning for improving the health and education systems of the citizens of North Carolina and for bringing more and better paying jobs to the area," says Moretz, who garnered nearly 60 percent of the votes in his district. "Residents of Buncombe County are not interested in rhetoric, they want action, and I am up to the challenge."
Click here to continue reading. 
At Least Two WNC Legislative Races Closely Watched
The battle between Democratic Rep. John Ager and Republican Dr. Frank Moretz in eastern and northern Buncombe County's House District 115 ranks as one of the GOP's best chances to take a General Assembly seat now held by the opposite party. That's according to Joe Stewart, executive director of the N.C. Free Enterprise Foundation, a pro-business nonprofit that tracks state issues and elections.
Click here to continue reading. 
Physicians' Voice in the News
WCMS is proud to announce another high quality addition to the series of "The Physicians' Voice," a series of media presentations for the general public that showcase physicians' world-class medical expertise and focus on patient/community health.

Here's a recent article from WCMS member Dr. Raymond Thertulien,  "Multiple Myeloma: New Drugs Offer Hope to Patients."

Excerpt: "In the past few months, five different drugs or drug regimens have been approved by the FDA to treat the disease. This certainly increases the prospect of increasing the survival of patients with this disease, until now considered incurable. Following the lead of Bart Barlogie, M.D., Ph.D., a prominent researcher and multiple myeloma expert, it is time to start thinking about and working toward the cure."
Click here to read Dr. Thertulien's full article in the Citizen Times.
STATE NEWS
 
Bowtie Briefing for March 18, 2016

NCMS Director of Legislative Relations, Chip Baggett, shares details on election results and upcoming events of note to physicians and PAs.
ITEMS OF INTEREST
 
Check out Project Access' New Webpage - Just in Time for Our 20th Anniversary


Preventing Burnout: Finding Joy in Medicine
It is the nature of our engagement with our patients and our colleagues that makes what we do more than a job.

Excerpt: 
'"I am forever humbled." So said a heart failure specialist on rounds when I was a resident in the intensive care unit several decades ago. He was talking about the perpetual mismatch between a physician's level of knowledge and the unpredictability inherent in the management and outcome of critically ill patients. His words ring true for me nearly every day. We should never think we are so smart that we are truly in control of our patients' outcomes or that we don't make mistakes-but we also cannot become so paralyzed by the awareness of our limitations that we don't make decisions.'
Click here to continue reading. 
Job Board & Classified Ads

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

WCMS is a thriving 700+ 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
WCMS Association: WCMSA is the physicians' voice advocating for the health of the physician, the patient, and the community, through strengthening the physician-patient relationship.

WCMS Foundation: WCMSF is the physician and community-led charitable arm of the medical society improving access to quality healthcare, decreasing disparities in health, and promoting health & wellness.

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