Each week the Wyoming Medical Society receives a number of webinar, CME, and other conference opportunities which we share with our members without endorsement. This week’s list includes:
Announcements
The American Psychiatric Association held the Assembly meeting in May. Below is a summary of some of the major discussions or actions that may be of interest. If you would like more details please click on this link. Here for your perusing pleasure is a link to the Assembly notes for Spring 2016 in PDF format.
On July 7, CMS proposed changes to the Physician Fee Schedule to transform how Medicare pays for primary care through a new focus on care management and behavioral health designed to recognize the importance of the primary care work physicians perform. The rule also proposes policies to expand the Diabetes Prevention Program within Medicare starting January 1, 2018. The annual Physician Fee Schedule updates payment policies, payment rates, and quality provisions for services provided in calendar year 2017. Check out the Medicare diabetes prevention program; a blog on primary care focusing on better health; a fact sheeton Medicare physician fees; and the proposed rule.
On July 6, CMS proposed updated payment rates and policy changes in the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System. Several of the proposed policy changes would improve the quality of care Medicare patients receive by better supporting their physicians and other health care providers. These proposals are based on feedback from stakeholders, including beneficiary and patient advocates, as well as health care providers, including hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers and the physician community. Click here for the proposed rule; and here for a fact sheet.
In Case You Missed it, President Barack Obama was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. President Obama wrote on the state of Health Care Reform in the United States.
PhRMA recently released an announcement on the Partnership for Prescription Assistance – or PPA. The PPA was created as a free and confidential program over a decade ago by America’s biopharmaceutical research companies. With an easy-to-use website and a new mobile app, patients have a single point of access to 475 public and private assistance programs, including nearly 200 offered by biopharmaceutical companies. Together, these programs offer access to more than 2,500 brand-name and generic prescription medicines, giving patients options.
MorningCME, the online platform for UW Medicine and Virginia Mason’s AMA Category 1 and AAFP accredited program offers membership for its program, which offers access to over 90 accredited CME courses. The cost is $150 per individual. For more information, contact Melissa Neighbors at 509-431-0718
SAMHSA is seeking comments on a report regarding pregnant and parenting women with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). SAMHSA’s report titled “Advancing the Care of Pregnant and Parenting Women With Opioid Use Disorder and Their Infants: A Foundation for Clinical Guidance” is available in the Federal Register for public comment. This document will serve as the basis of a clinical guide SAMHSA is preparing on the care and treatment of pregnant women with opioid use disorder and their infants. We urge you to review the report and provide input on this document. To see the announcement, please go to this link. The public comment period will be open for 30 days after its release and all comments will be collected through this Federal Register mechanism. SAMHSA will incorporate comments in the clinical guide after the closure of the comment period. Please do not send your comments on the document to SAMHSA staff directly. We would like to collect all comments through the Federal Register mechanism. To go to the Federal Register Notice and submit comments, please go to this link.
Podcasts and Publications
Mountain Pacific Quality Health’s Health Technology Services introduces a new Meaningful Use blog designed to provide timely and important EHR Incentive Program information to clinics and hospitals. This blog will provide a step by step guide through 2016 meaningful use reporting, along with helpful advice, tips and best practices. It will also give clinics and hospitals a great way to generate an online dialog with HTS MU expert, Patty Kosednar. Click Subscribe Now, and you will begin receiving an email with a link to a blog every time there is a new post. You will also have easy access to an archive of relevant MU posts.
The American Academy of Family Physicians’ August newsletter posts on Physician Burnout, communications strategies for helping patients manage chronic disease, as well as the latest trends in physician employment.
The Doctors Company released a study called, The Hospitalist Closed Claims Study. Learn why hospitalists get sued and how they (and those who work with them) can manage the unique risks this specialty encounters. Based on data from hundreds of claims and using extensive case studies, this report reveals why patients sue hospitalists and provides practical risk management advice for doctors working in hospital settings.
United Healthcare released its July Bulletin. The Bulletin is UHC’s monthly publication for participating care providers, featuring timely updates to procedures, programs and policies; and important administrative and clinical information. In this issue, you will find articles about: Communication Effectiveness Survey; Reminder: Please Complete CMS-required Model of Care Training; and Introducing the Relative Costs Referral Tool.
The August edition of the UHC Bulletin offers articles on communication effectiveness survey, the CME-required model of care training, and details on how to use PCOR to track preventative health care.
Health Technology Services July newsletter from Mountain Pacific Quality Health includes a post and Patient Engagement Playbook resource on how to successfully use your patient portal to engage patients.
HITECH Answers offered its July newsletter, which includes two podcasts, and white papers on pricing, consumer texting and more.
CMS released several Medicare Learning Networks Connects newsletters since we last sent an update. The July 7 editionfeatures an HHS announcement regarding The Oncology Care Model, Open Payments Program, a July quarterly provider update and more. The July 14 edition features a new hospice report; clinical laboratory fee schedule, and HIPPA administrative simplification enforcement and testing tool. The July 21 edition included posts on improved Medicare Learning Network website and more. On July 28, CMS’ MLN newsletter has posts on overall hospital quality star ratings; the Million Hearts Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Model; and a story on new payment models and rewards for better care at lower costs.
Webinars and Conferences
The Medication Assisted Treatment Conference will take place at Little America Hotel and Resort in Cheyenne, Sept. 13-14. Registration is open, but limited to the first 150 people. The conference will include pieces on medication and medical protocol, using Naloxone, telehealth, and implementing a treatment program. There is a pre-conference ethics workshop set for Sept 12 as well in the basement training room of the Wyoming Department of Health.
HITECH Answers offers a webinar called Healthcare’s Transition to Value-Based Care: A panel discussion with industry thought leaders on Aug. 18 at noon. This webinar will include information on how we got here, benefits and pitfalls of a value-based move, and impact of MACRA legislation.
HITECH also features an Aug. 16 podcast called The Impact of the National Election on Healthcare: A special one-hour healthcare De Jure. Healthcare De Jure host Matt Fisher will chat with Health IT Strategist Justin Barnes, Forbes writer Dan Munro, and futurist Devin Jopp, on the impact the National election will have on healthcare and healthcare reform. The podcast takes place at noon on Aug. 16.
HITECH’s popular webinar called, The ABCs of MIPS – Our Topic for August: Preparing for the Public Reputational Impact of the MIPS Score scheduled for noon on Aug. 25 and covers the reputational impact of publicly reported quality ratings continues to expand.
On Aug. 30 at noon, HITECH also sponsors a webinar called “HIPAA, Cyber Hacking and ePHI Security.” In today’s healthcare IT environment, we have the dual challenge of compliance and security – that is, how do we stay compliant and stop cyber hackers from accessing our ePHI? In this webinar, we look forward to discussing the current state of cyber hacking techniques, ePHI security and HIPAA compliance.
The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry offers travel awards for medical students, residents or fellows interested in attending the AAAP’s 27th Annual Meeting and Scientific Symposium, Dec. 8-11 in Florida. For more information click here before the Sept. 1 deadline.