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  Community Pulse - March 2016

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In This Issue:
Parsec - Sponsor Message (Left)
Message from WCMS President Dr. Samantha Read-Smith
Register Now: Heart of the Healer Retreat
Physician's Voice in the News
WCMS Shows Appreciation to WNC Physicians on Doctor's Day
BCDH Alert: Health Assessment Transmittal Form
BCDH Health Alert: Mumps Outbreak Near Charlotte
BCDH Health Alert: Influenza Activity Increasing in WNC
Moretz, Edwards Come Up Big in Local Republican Primaries
At Least Two WNC Legislative Races Closely Watched
NCMS Summarizes Medicaid Reform Draft Waiver
C.D.C. Painkiller Guidelines Aim to Reduce Addiction Risk
Community Care of NC Wins $100,000
There is an App for that Drug Card
Check out Project Access' New Webpage
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.

New Members to WCMS
Click here to view the newest physicians to join WCMS!  
Message from WCMS President Dr. Samantha Read-Smith 

Dear Colleagues,
Behind the scenes at WCMS, we've been busy rolling out our 2016 Strategic Plan (the strategy is based on interview data from our membership and community partners). It's going to be a meaningful year with a jam-packed agenda. WCMS is tackling head-on one of the most pressing issues facing physicians: burnout.

Addressing physician burnout is at the top of the agenda for WCMS this year because national data and direct feedback from our membership demonstrate a critical need. According to the Mayo Clinic, "burnout and satisfaction with work-life balance in US physicians worsened from 2011 to 2014. More than half of US physicians are now experiencing professional burnout."More than half of US physicians are now experiencing professional burnout."

Click here to read the rest of Dr. Read-Smith's message.
Upcoming Events

Register Now: Heart of the Healer Retreat 4/16/2016
This retreat will equip physicians with practical and field-tested tools to prevent and treat burnout in themselves and their colleagues. WCMS' first Burnout-Prevention Retreat in August 2015 was a resounding success. The second event will build on what we learned last last year and delve deeper into various issues affecting burnout. 
  • 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. 

This is event is now open to Advanced Practitioners! 

LOCAL NEWS

Physician's Voice in the News
WCMS is proud to announce three high quality additions 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.

Recent article from WCMS member Dr. Gregg Goldin, "The Mastectomy Pendulum in Breast Cancer."

Recent article from WCMS member Dr. Gentry Caton, "Colon Cancer is Preventable and Beatable."

Recent article from WCMS member Dr. Raymond Thertulien, "Multiple Myeloma: New Drugs Offer Hope to Patients."
WCMS Shows Appreciation to WNC Physicians on Doctor's Day
On Wednesday, March 30th, WCMS staff set up tables at several locations to hand out gifts to physicians as our way of saying "thanks for all you do." 

Staff were 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 were encouraged to stop by the WCMS table to grab a gift and a red carnation in celebration of Doctor's Day! 


BCDH Alert: Health Assessment Transmittal Form
Effective for school year 2016-2017, all children entering North Carolina public schools (includes Charter Schools) must present a Health Assessment Transmittal Form within 30 calendar days of the child's first day of attendance.
  • The only form acceptable is the Health Assessment Transmittal Form (Click here for form)
  • This form replaces the Kindergarten Health Assessment Form and must be completed for children of any age entering N.C. public schools for the first time.
  • The new form will be available at https://www2.ncdhhs.gov/dph/wch/families/ in the next few days.
Click here for more information.
BCDH Health Alert: Mumps Outbreak Near Charlotte
The North Carolina Division of Public Health is working with local health departments to investigate and control an outbreak of mumps in the Charlotte region. This memo is intended to summarize information regarding mumps diagnosis, management and prevention and to encourage clinicians to promptly report suspected mumps cases.
Click here for more information. 
BCDH Health Alert: Influenza Activity Increasing in WNC
Influenza activity increased in NC during the last half of February. Flu is now widespread across the state.
* Per Dr. David Buhner, Public Health Epidemiologist for Mission, WNC is clearly in the early stages of the yearly epidemic of influenza. It is too early to know how bad this year's epidemic will be.
* As of 2/27/16, there have been 5 flu-associated deaths in NC this season. (See graph below for ages.) 
o None of these have been in Buncombe County residents.
* Influenza surveillance data for North Carolina are updated weekly at flu.nc.gov.
Click here for more information. 
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. 
STATE NEWS

NCMS Summarizes Medicaid Reform Draft Waiver
To highlight the important points contained in the state's draft Medicaid reform waiver application presented last week by the NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Medicaid and NC Health Choice, North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) staff has thoroughly reviewed the document and written this summary. The draft application must be approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in order to implement the Medicaid reforms adopted by the NC General Assembly last fall.
Click here to continue reading
NATIONAL NEWS

C.D.C. Painkiller Guidelines Aim to Reduce Addiction Risk
WASHINGTON - In an effort to curb what many consider the worst public health drug crisis in decades, the federal government on Tuesday published the first national standards for prescription painkillers, recommending that doctors try pain relievers like ibuprofen before prescribing the highly addictive pills, and that they give most patients only a few days' supply.

The release of the new guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ends months of arguments with pain doctors and drug industry groups, which had bitterly opposed the recommendations on the grounds that they would create unfair hurdles for patients who legitimately have long-term pain.
Click here to continue reading
Community Care of North Carolina Wins $100,000 Hearst Health Prize
Click here to read the article. 
ITEMS OF INTEREST

There Is an App for That Drug Card
As if the North Carolina Drug Card is not easy enough to use, now there is a smartphone app that will give patients another way to access this valuable benefit. The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) in partnership with the North Carolina Drug Card encourages physicians to give out the free card - or recommend the app - that allows patients who aren't insured or who take prescription drugs that aren't covered by their health insurance plans, to obtain discounts of up to 75 percent off the retail price for FDA-approved medications.
Or visit the NCMS Marketplace or the NC Drug Card website to request the cards to distribute to your patients.
Check out Project Access' New Webpage - Just in Time for Our 20th Anniversary
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