Western Carolina Medical Society: The Physicians' Voice for a Health Community
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 Weekly e-News of the Western Carolina Medical Society 
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May 25, 2016


In This Issue:
Sponsor Message: Keller Williams Realtor, Jeff Stewart
Heartstrings Kids Zone: A WCMS Foundation Fundraiser
Emeritus Luncheon 6/15/16
Docs Able To Check When Prescribing Opioids, But They Don't
Rural Medicine Affinity Group Learned about MAHEC's Spruce Pine "Hub"
Updated Information on Zika Virus
WCMS Membership will be offered to Physician Assistants in 2017
Bowtie Briefing for 5/20/16
Drug Database Can Save Lives in 60 Seconds
New Rule on CME on Opioid Abuse Open for Comment
Overtime Pay Rules Will Affect Millions of Healthcare Workers
AMA President Posts Open Letter to Physicians on Opioid Abuse Epidemic
Wollschlaeger v. Governor of Florida - The First Amendment, Physician Speech, and Firearm Safety
Preventing Burnout: Finding Joy in Medicine
Job Board & Classified Ads
UPCOMING EVENTS 
 
Heartstrings Kids Zone
Want to have fun with your family this Memorial Day weekend?  Come join WCMS at the Heartstrings Kids Zone at the Mountain Sports Festival.  Kids of all ages will have a blast sliding down an inflatable slide, jumping in a bounce house, getting their faces painted, learning about Tae Kwon Do, and more!  Proceeds from the Heartstrings Kids Zone go to the WCMS Foundation, supporting amazing programs like Project Access� and the WCMS Interpreter Network. Learn more and register here
Emeritus Luncheon 6/15/16
If  you are an Emeritus member, please join us June 15 at the Asheville Country Club to hear WCMS member Dr. Gentry Caton present "Advances in Colon-Rectal Surgical Options." 

LOCAL NEWS
 
Docs Able To Check When Prescribing Opioids, But They Don't 
Provider use of North Carolina's Controlled Substances Reporting System could help get substance users away from opioids and into treatment. So why aren't prescribers using it?
Click here to continue reading. 
Rural Medicine Affinity Group Learned about MAHEC's Spruce Pine "Hub" and Toured Cherokee Indian Hospital

On 5/23/16, the Rural Medicine Affinity Group met at Cherokee Indian Hospital for a presentation from Dr. Blake Fagan regarding the new rural "hub" in Spruce Pine. This model may be implemented in other parts of rural NC, distributing MAHEC residents to outlying communities. Stay tuned to learn more about future plans. 

The attendees also discussed the difficulties of recruitment and retention to their respective communities, such as Sylva and Franklin. Physician shortage continues to be a serious problem facing WNC.
Updated Information on Zika Virus
Click here for updated information from Buncombe County Public Health. 
WCMS Membership will be offered to Physician Assistants in 2017
Membership recently voted 73 yes-18 no to opening WCMS membership to Physician Assistants who practice in WNC. A quorum of 75 was needed for the vote to be recognized; 91 responded. 
STATE NEWS
 
Bowtie Briefing for 5/20/16
This week's briefing highlights budget developments, advocacy days, and elections. Click here to watch. 
Drug Database Can Save Lives in 60 Seconds. Why Don't More Doctors Use It?
State Rep. Craig Horn, a Union County Republican, said he is considering proposing a bill that would make it mandatory for doctors to check the database before prescribing narcotics. Horn noted that state and national experts have called the rising number of drug overdose deaths in North Carolina and nationwide a public health crisis.

"I'm not willing to accept from doctors that it's too hard," Horn said. "This is important. This needs to be done."
Click here to continue reading. 
New Rule on CME on Opioid Abuse Open for Comment
The North Carolina Medical Board has published its proposed rule to implement the General Assembly's legislation adopted last year requiring physicians to take CME on the abuse of controlled substances in order to renew a medical license. Read the proposed rule here.

A public hearing on the proposed rule will be held at 10 a.m. on July 14 at the NCMB building, 1203 Front St., Raleigh.

Comments also may be submitted to: Wanda Long, Rules Coordinator, NC Medical Board, P.O. Box 20007, Raleigh, NC 27619, fax (919) 326-0036, email [email protected]. The comment period ends on July 15, 2016, and the proposed effective date for the new rule is Sept. 1.
NATIONAL NEWS
 
Overtime Pay Rules Will Affect Millions of Healthcare Workers
The Obama administration raised the overtime eligibility threshold for full-time workers from $23,660 to $47,476, likely affecting millions of healthcare workers.

Healthcare professions that will likely be affected by the overtime threshold increase are nurses, medical and physical therapist assistants, medical and pharmacy technicians, and paramedics. Average mean salaries in these professions range from $25,710 to $47,010. That includes approximately 4.1 million workers, according to 2015 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Click here to continue reading. 
AMA President Posts Open Letter to Physicians on Opioid Abuse Epidemic

Steven Stack, MD, the president of the American Medical Association (AMA) and an emergency physician has published this open letter to physicians concerning the opioid abuse epidemic.
Wollschlaeger v. Governor of Florida - The First Amendment, Physician Speech, and Firearm Safety
On June 21, 2016, the full 11th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments in Wollschlaeger v. Governor of Florida, which challenges a Florida law regulating physicians' speech related to patients' gun ownership. A decision by the court on the merits will most likely have broad implications both for states' ability to regulate physicians' speech and physicians' efforts to protect patients from firearm-related injuries, which in 2014 in the United States, included more than 33,000 deaths, most of which (21,334) were suicides.
Click here to continue reading.
ITEMS OF INTEREST
 
Preventing Burnout: Finding Joy in Medicine
Physician Burnout's Highest and Best Use

Presenter:  Dike Drummond, MD, is a Mayo trained Family Practice doctor, burnout survivor, author, executive coach, and consultant to individual physicians and healthcare organizations across the USA.  He teaches simple methods to lower stress, build more life balance, and prevent burnout.


What is the highest and best use of physician burnout?  How can you use burnout to build a more ideal practice?  What common misconceptions about burnout confuse both physicians and healthcare organizations? How can you build an effective burnout prevention strategy?
Click here to download audio and slides. 
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