UMass FMCH Tuesday Talk - January 5, 2021
Welcome to the FMCH Tuesday Talk.

We will have a focus of the memo each week, along with timely upcoming events and other announcements.

Week 1 – Clinical Updates
Week 2 – Education Updates
Week 3 – Community Health Updates
Week 4 – Research Updates
Week 5 - (when available) – Other

Please continue to send us your announcements, celebrations, and accomplishments to [email protected]. Feel free to title according to the focus area. We look forward to hearing your news!
Upcoming Events
FMCH 2020-2021 Annual Faculty Awards Ceremony
January 12th, Tuesday - 12pm - 1pm: Please join us (virtually) to acknowledge great teaching, great care and community engagement in our department.

Faculty Development Workshop - Feedback and Evaluation
January 13th, Wednesday - 12:15pm - 1:15pm: Presented by Reid Evans, PhD

FMCH Monthly Research Forum
January 15th, Friday - 12pm - 1pm: Yara Halasa-Rappel, DMD, PhD presents “The Cost Effectiveness of Fluoride Sealants on Primary Molars in High Caries Risk Children Under 6 Years Old”

FMCH Virtual Town Hall Meeting
January 19th, Tuesday - 12pm - 1pm: Zoom information to follow

Faculty Development Workshop - Feedback and Evaluation
January 28th, Thursday - 8am - 9am: Presented by Reid Evans, PhD

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Department News Spotlight

Welcome!
This week Ethan Eisdorfer, PsyD began his faculty work in Barre and Shahida Fareed, PsyD has started her work as Director of IBH and her clinical work in Fitchburg. Please Welcome them to the team.

Telehealth
Good news! UMass Memorial has executed a system-wide agreement with Doximity that will continue Doximity access for all providers. This includes multiparty video conferencing and no time restrictions.

Zoom continues to be our vendor of choice for video visits in the ambulatory setting. Doximity will remain available for use as a back-up solution with no time limit on visits.

True North - Health Equity and Well Child Care Visits
Are you seeing children in your practice? Our goal this year is to make sure no child is left behind in receiving the well child visit. Currently, the organization has set a metric to improve the number of WCC visits to decrease the gap noted between ethnic minorities (Black and Latino) and whites. It is a multidisciplinary approach with Family Medicine and Pediatrics working along with OCI and IT to improve this metric.

Watch your emails for updates. These are a few things you can do in your practice:
  • Actively manage scheduling of WCC visits of those who have not been seen.
  • Schedule visits both in person and by telehealth as applicable.

Below are some key points to remember when scheduling or completing well childcare visits:
  • Consistent with previous guidance, all well-childcare should occur in person whenever possible and within the child's medical home where continuity of care may be established and maintained.
  • Our goal is to see "in person" children less than 4 years of age, those who require vaccination, and for those who require a physical exam for more complex reasons.
  • Telehealth visits are part of a combined matrix of care options available to provide the right care in the right place at the right time. Use of telehealth should be based on the medical condition, preferences of the patients, families, provider, and resources available.
  • Elements that require in-person care include, at a minimum, the initial newborn visit, the comprehensive physical examination; office testing, including laboratory testing, hearing, vision and oral health screening, fluoride varnish and immunizations.
  • All pediatric health care services, including telehealth, should be coordinated through the medical home.
  • Items that cannot be done using telehealth: the complete physical exam, immunizations, and complex medical visits.
  • All telehealth visits should be followed up with a physical exam as soon as feasible.
  • Parents should be educated on the processes in place to make the medical home a safe place for the clinical visit.
  • Telehealth visits must be audio/video.

Paula Gardiner, MD is seeking providers to participate in a study: Perspectives on Motivating Lifestyle Change in Women with Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy. The purpose of this study is to identify providers’ perspectives on dietary counseling and barriers faced in counseling pregnant women with obesity, chronic hypertension, gestational hypertension, or a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Additionally, we hope to elucidate referral patterns and barrier faced in providing referrals to dieticians and nutritionists in these populations. 
Clinical Services Spotlight: COVID 19 Updates
COVID-19 UPDATES
Vaccine distribution for healthcare providers continue. Continue to watch your email for instructions and an invite on when and how to register for the vaccine on E-learning.
 
We anticipate that distributions to patients will begin in a few weeks targeting specified high-risk groups. Continue to monitor your emails for instructions and information to share with your patients.
 
Changes in E/M Billing & Coding for Ambulatory Practices
Start date January 1, 2021
UMass has delivered a brief explanation of the current changes in E/M billing and coding. Below are Key points:
  • Time based billing and Medical Decision Making (MDM) based billing
  • Removal of level 1 billing ( e.g., 99201)
  • New and established MDM are the same
  • Coding choices: MDM vs. Total Time on the date of encounter
  • Payment for visit is resource based
Medical Decision Making includes:
  • Four levels (straightforward, low, moderate, high)
  • includes problems addressed, data analyzed and reviewed, and risk
Time based billing includes:
  • Total time spent on the day of visit
  • Items included are:
  • Preparation time (reviewing data such as tests, etc.)
  • Placing orders
  • referring and communicating with another healthcare professional
  • Documenting clinical information in the record
  • Independently interpreting results
  • Of note, only the billing providers time is counted
When documenting, Use the following EPIC phrase: .totaltimeembilling
Time Attestation instructions and MDM based billing instructions were emailed out from the medical staff office. If you do not have a copy of these slides, please check your email from Maureen Podesta that was sent from the Medical Staff office.
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Wellness Resources
  • Wellness Rounds during the month of January Wellness Rounds will meet twice weekly, Tuesday evenings 5:30-6:30pm and Wednesday mornings 7:30-8:30am via Zoom. The meetings will continue to be facilitated by Ethan Eisdorfer, PsyD, Shahida Fareed, PsyD and Dan Mullin, PsyD. Please feel free to drop in as often or infrequently ask you like. Late arrivals are welcome. The time will be unstructured but will include brief mindfulness practice, discussion, and reflection.

  • The Caring for the Caregiver Program provides resources such as the Caregiver Support Line (508-334-HELP) and The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) which offers a variety of services and supports (including virtual peer support and wellness tips. EAP can be accessed at 866-263-3525, or www.LiveandWorkWell.com, [company code UmassMemorial]. More information is available on the Caring for the Caregiver page.


Working on Wellness
Yoga Classes with Dr. Liz Erban

Please join department members for early morning gentle yoga, Wednesday mornings 6:30am via Zoom. Much appreciation to Dr. Erban for hosting these outstanding classes. Join Zoom Meeting
Zumba with Dr. Anna Zheng
Please join department members Monday mornings at 6:00am, Thursday evenings at 6:00pm, Saturday mornings at 9:00am and get moving with Zumba via Zoom. Much appreciation to Dr. Anna Zheng for hosting these outstanding classes. (flier attached)