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:
Information and Announcements
Healthy Wyoming is a coalition of membership organizations and groups representing healthcare industry personnel who are working for quality, affordable healthcare for all Wyoming. Among the tenants of this work is the support of Medicaid Expansion. Healthy Wyoming will host two events to for information gathering and debate on Medicaid expansion. The first is in Casper from 6-7 p.m. at the Natrona County Public Library. Another event will be held at the Laramie County Public Library from 6:30-7:30 p.m.on Jan. 12. For more information, contact WMS office at 307-635-2424.
The CMS’ MLN Connects Provider eNews for Jan. 7 was released this week and offers stories on Medicare Program Changes, and the CMS Quality Measure Development Plan.
On Dec. 18, CMS released a letter discussing its effort to shift Medicare payments from volume to value by posting our draft Quality Measure Development Plan (https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/Value-Based-Programs/MACRA-MIPS-and-APMs/MACRA-MIPS-and-APMs.html). The Measure Development Plan is a strategic framework for future clinician quality measurement development.The Measure Development Plan describes how CMS will work collaboratively with federal and state partners and private payers to create an aligned set of measures that reduces provider burden. The plan also describes resources and activities that can contribute to the development of measures applicable to a wide variety of stakeholders. CMS encourages you to read the Measure Development Plan and send your comments, questions or thoughts by March 1, 2016, online (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/26NYQRB).
The accounting firm McGee Hearne & Paiz LLP, sent a note last week saying, “In the spirit of the holidays, the federal government is giving taxpayers another reason to celebrate: Congress has passed a better-than-expected tax law that goes beyond a one-year extension of key tax breaks. Several provisions may produce significant savings for taxpayers in 2015. Here are the details on which expired tax provisions have been extended and for how long.
CMS’ Accountable Health Communities Model is currently accepting applications through March 31, 2016. The Model addresses a critical gap between clinical care and community services in the current health care delivery system by testing a systematic approach to identifying and addressing health-related social needs of Medicare & Medicaid beneficiaries. The Model awards cooperative agreements to organizations chosen to participate in the model test. Visit our website to access the Letter of Intent and Request for Applications. You can email us at accountablehealthcommunities@cms.hhs.gov to get your questions answered.
United Healthcare released its monthly publication for participating providers – that includes timely news about procedure, program and policy updates and changes, as well as other important administrative and clinical information. Among the stories in this update are: the 2016 UnitedHealthcare Administrative Guide; the UnitedHealthcare Hospital Quality Program; and Coding update to the UnitedHealthcare facility outpatient procedure grouper mapping.
Federal OSHA regulation Title 29, Part 1910.1030 requires that all employees who have potential for exposure to blood and bloodborne pathogens (BBP) MUST receive training BEFORE they begin such work and, must be RETRAINED ANNUALLY. if the practice is organized as a PA, LLP or LLC, OSHA considers doctors to be employees and they must also receive the required training. OSHA Medical Courses, LLC, is pleased to offer online training programs* and compliance plans* (easily downloaded and customized). Multiple individuals may conveniently view the programs simultaneously, but each must register individually to obtain a Certificate of Training. For more information email donbermanmd@gmail.com.
Conferences, webinars, and training opportunities
The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry is touting SAMHSA’s NNEDLearn 2016. The goal of NNEDLearn is to develop partners’ skills in evidence-supported and culturally appropriate prevention and treatment practices, and to support practice use. This training model includes an onsite training and followup virtual coaching sessions. The onsite training will be held March 6–9, 2016, at the Tamaya Hyatt in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico.
The AMA has its next OMSS quarterly conference call at 6 p.m. on Jan. 12, to offer an update on the ways the AMA is helping to ensure that physicians can report quality and safety information to Patient Safety Organizations without the fear that this information could be used against them in medical liability cases. Click here to register to be a part of the call.
Providers’ Clinical Support System for Medication Assisted Treatment offers a webinar at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 12 called, “Medication Assisted Treatment of Opioid Use Disorders: Progress and Challenges. This webinar will provide recent trends in opiate overdose deaths, opiate abuse, and opioid use disorder treatment needs as well as research efforts currently underway to develop improved long-acting medications and vaccines for opioid use disorder.
Providers’ Clinical Support System for Medication Assisted Treatment also offers a module called, Managing Acute & Chronic Pain with Opioid Analgesics in Patients on Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). This is sponsored by the American Society of Addiction Medicine.This online module provides an overview of the epidemiology of pain among patients with opioid use disorder. Pain plays a substantial role in initiating and continuing illicit opioid use. The module also seeks to provide an understanding of pain management and the key roles of patient and provider perspectives.
Another webinar offering by Providers Clinical Support for Opioid Therapies will take place at 11 a.m. on Jan. 21. A Follow-up Q and A Webinar: Benzodiazepines in Chronic Pain: Benefits, Risks, Abuse will further discuss Dr. Covington’s online module, “Benzodiazepines in Chronic Pain: Benefits, Risks, Abuse,” and will allow participants of the module to pose questions to Dr. Covington; he will also present a few cases related to this topic.
HITECH Answers offers a Cyber Security Panel Discussion on Jan. 21 at noon. Congress passed a cybersecurity bill attached to the 2016 Omnibus budget. The bill formalizes the information sharing process among industry and government and recognizes the importance of a health industry specific cybersecurity approach.