Tuesday's Information for Mississippi Family Physicians
MS STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH:
- Monday at 6 pm, MSDH issued a 3-page alert for health care providers, listing priority patients for testing at the MS Public Laboratory, including symptomatic individuals with fever of 100.4 or greater plus acute respiratory illness who meet the following criteria: (1) hospitalized and long-term care patients with symptoms of COVID-19, (2) outbreak and health care associates cases, (3) health care workers with symptoms of COVID-19. MSDH asks that you designate the priority on their Testing Requisition Form and otherwise, outpatient testing should now be directed to private commercial labs or other partners as they come online.
- The alert also listed Community Based Testing Sites Guidance listing 8 pieces of information to collect from each individual that should be provided to MSDH if the test is positive. If you identify a positive COVID-19 case, please fax the details to 601-576-7497.
- The alert also listed a link to the CDC's ways to care for yourself or another COVID-19 patient at home.
MS STATE BOARD OF MEDICAL LICENSURE
: Tuesday,
MSBML issued an amended proclamation regarding telemedicine
that stated out of state physicians may only utilize telemedicine when treating patients with whom they have a pre-existsing doctor-patient relationship. In-state physicians are not held to the pre-existing doctor-patient relationship standard.
CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES:
MISSISSIPPI EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
: Volunteers are needed at the MEMA COVID-19 Hotline at MEMA headquarters in Pearl. Shifts are 7 am to 4 pm and lunch is provided daily. Although there are later shifts for those who want to work late, most of the calls are received during the day. Volunteers give out basic COVID-19 information and triage calls for other services. Volunteers receive a brief training and a binder with phone numbers and resources to refer to. Those interested in volunteering can call or text Kim Reese at 769-257-3960.
CDC Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA):
Invites health care professionals to its conference calls as follows:
AMERICAN BOARD OF FAMILY MEDICINE
: ABFM is committed to keeping you aware of adjustments they are making with respect to certification activity requirements to accommodate these extraordinary times. With everything that front-line family physicians are facing right now, ABFM does not want them to have unnecessary concerns about their certification. ABFM will keep chapters updated so they can help Diplomates navigate their certification questions
.
This communication lays out the details and FAQs.
Mississippi's Coronavirus Hotline is now being staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 1-877-978-6453.
***
HEALTH ALERTS
: If you would like to receive notices about MS State Department of Health update calls, sign up for the
MS Health Alert Network
.
ALMOST-DAILY NEWS ROUNDUP
: MAFP staff puts out a morning News Roundup with links to the most important articles you need to know about. To be added to the list to receive the News Roundup, e-mail
Kristen Kern
.
OUR WEBSITE
: Please continue to check the
MAFP Coronavirus page
for updated information and links to important resources.
MAFP will continue to send updates and resources as we receive them and we will add them to our page above.
MAFP
755 Avignon Drive
Ridgeland MS 39157
(601) 853-3302
