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Sign Up for Doctor of the Day at State Capitol
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Mississippi Family Physician Journal
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Welcome New Members
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Marc Hellrung, MD
Pearl, MS
Sandy Lieu, MD
Ackerman, MS
UMMC Students
Taylor Allen
Laura Beneke
Madeline Campbell
Adam Coombs
Bonnie Hodge
Seth Knight
Haley McCool
Matthew McGuire
Hunter McLendon
Mark Rushing
Jake Sivils
Bethany Summerford
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Keep up with us on Social Media
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Dr. David Wheat, President-Elect
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'Live Healthy'
Car Tag
Promote healthy living in Mississippi by purchasing a 'Live Healthy' specialty tag for $31. Of each tag purchased, $24 goes directly to support the MAFP Foundation.
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PLEASE HELP - PARTICIPATE IN
3-MINUTE SURVEY
The Family and Children Research Unit (FCRU) at MSU's Social Science Research Center is conducting a study to better understand the availability of contraceptive care in MississippI. There has not been enough family physician response to this survey, causing the FCRU to extend the deadline for participation. The survey takes only 3 minutes
. TAKE SURVEY NOW.
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Eupora Family Physician Named National 'Country Doctor of the Year'
"My job is so enjoyable, it's not work."
That attitude from Dr. Charles Ozborn of Eupora, plus 53 years of service to his community, led him to be named
Country Doctor of the Year last week by Staff Care, part of Dallas-based AMN Healthcare.
"I have a real passion for medicine," the family physician said. "[The award] is a nice honor, but the honor of being able to practice medicine is greater."
A family physician for 53 years, Dr. Ozborn has practiced in Eupora for all but 2 of those years. At 78 years old, he has no plans to retire and says he will continue to serve his patients in Webster County. He sees patients at Eupora Medical Clinic, which is owned by Tupelo-based North Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. Ozborn works four days a week and says he still does rounds at the hospital each morning at 5 am.
"I'm purely the country doc that had a real passion for staying in the country and never wanted to leave and go somewhere else."
Past Mississippi winners of the Country Doctor of the Year award are Dr. Katrina Poe of Kilmichael (2005) and Dr. Howard Clark of Morton (2000), who are both MAFP members. Mississippi has the most winners of the Country Doctor of the Year award of any state.
Staff Care's president will present Dr. Ozborn with the award at a ceremony
Friday, March 2 at 6 pm at First Baptist Church, Eupora. Patients, family members and colleagues will speak, a Staff Care spokesperson said. Dr. Ozborn will be given the option of either two weeks of locum tenens coverage so he can take a vacation, or a donation of $5,000 to the charity of his choice. Congratulations, Dr. Ozborn!
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Mississippi 2nd Among States in
AAFP Member Retention for 2017
Congratulations to us! Mississippi had the 2nd highest 2017 membership retention rate of all states in a new report issued this week by AAFP. More than 97% of AAFP members living in Mississippi (524 active physicians) continued their membership in 2017.
MAFP also had 525 chapter members at the end of the year, giving us a 96.5% retention rate, the 5th highest in the nation.
These numbers represent the efforts of many. MAFP officers and staff made phone calls last spring to unpaid members, reminding them to re-join. The Academy Committee and its chair, Dr. David Wheat of Clinton, were also focused on membership retention this year.
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MSBML Removes NP
Collaborative Mileage Restriction
The Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure (MSBML) has approved a measure to release nurse practitioners from the requirement that they practice within 75 miles of their collaborating primary care physician. MSBML has defined primary care as family medicine, general internal medicine, and general pediatrics.
The new regulation lays out four criteria that must be met in order for the mileage restrictions to be waived, including:
- Collaborative agreement must be between a primary care physician and a primary care nurse practitioner.
- Physician must be in a 'compatible' practice with the nurse practitioner (same specialty, etc.).
- Physician must utilize EMR in their practice and in the formal quality improvement program.
- Physician must practice in the State of Mississippi for at least 20 hours a week or 80 hours a month.
Please note that physicians and nurse practitioners are still able to operate under the previous regulations if the distance between the physician and the nurse practitioner is within 75 miles. Also, all other requirements to the collaborative agreement and relationship apply to these new regulations.
According to the filed paperwork, the proposed regulation will go into effect in 30 days if approved (March 1). The regulation must be reviewed by the new Occupational Licensing Board before final approval. These regulations are open for comment and an oral hearing can be requested by Monday, Feb. 26. Letters can be sent to MSBML, 1867 Crane Ridge Drive, Suite 200B, Jackson MS 39216, FAX 601-987-4159, or e-mail:
mboard@msbml.ms.gov.
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Opioid, Medicaid Bills Survive
Floor Action Deadline Week
Both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature went home on Friday following a week of rigorous floor debate and voting. Over the last seven legislative days, the House and Senate have worked to clear their respective calendars of about 375 total bills.
The opioid crisis has been at the forefront of discussions both within the legislature and the press over the last several weeks. Senate Pro Tem Terry Burton stated, "The solution to this opioid crisis will require legislation." As a result, the Senate passed SB 2759, which creates the "Mississippi Opioid Crisis Commission" to evaluate possible legislative solutions to address the problem and SB 2840, the "Opioid Crisis Intervention Act," which shields individuals reporting a victim of an overdose from arrest. MAFP remains committed to being a resource on this issue for statewide elected officials, members of the legislature, regulatory boards, and the law enforcement community.
Both Chambers also passed their version of the Medicaid Technical Amendments Bill. This piece of legislation is expected to be one of the most contentious pieces during the 2018 session. It is expected that debate and discussion on Medicaid will continue throughout the session and be finalized during the conference committee process. HB 898 represents the House position on this issue. A couple of key points from the House version are the removal of the cap on annual physician visits and providing for medication-assisted drug treatment services for persons diagnosed with an opioid substance use disorder. The House also approved an amendment from the House floor which provides for a new RFP to be issued in 2019 to reevaluate the 3 managed care companies and awarded contracts. In the other chamber, SB 2836 would remove the cap on annual physician visits, reimburse physicians at 100% of the Medicare rate, and allow beneficiaries aged 10-18 to receive vaccines through a pharmacy venue. We will continue to monitor both these bills.
Both Chambers will reconvene on Monday at 4:00 pm.
Please check our
Legislative Report page
for updated information.
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BE THERE as we promote family medicine to legislators and the public at MAFP Capitol Day, Wednesday, March 7. If you've never been involved in advocacy before, here's your chance to dip your toe into the water.
Physicians DO NOT have to be there the entire day - please come for as much as your schedule allows. Tentative schedule:
| 7 am - 12 noon: |
Buffet Breakfast, Health Screenings |
| 12:30 pm: |
MAFP Members-Only Lunch |
| 2 - 4 pm: |
Dessert & Coffee for Legislators with Caricatures and Giveaways |
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Reserve Your Rooms in Sandestin
for Annual Meeting
Our room block is now open! It's time to make your room reservations for our Annual Meeting this summer, scheduled for July 21-25 at the Baytowne Conference Center in Sandestin, FL. Visit our
website Annual Meeting page to make your reservation.
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Did you Forget? Click Here to
Pay Your 2018 Dues Online
If you have not paid your 2018 dues, please do so today. With your membership, the MAFP stays strong. Please help YOUR ACADEMY stay in the lead!
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MAFP members from Forrest General Family Medicine Residency Program
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Family Medicine Residents
Get
Face-to-Face With MAFP
Recently, two family medicine residency programs learned more about what MAFP does and the opportunities the Academy offers.
MAFP staff member Kay-Lynn Meador, Foundation and Workforce Director, met with physicians in Tupelo on Jan. 26 at the North Mississippi Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program. Then on Jan. 29, she met with physicians in Hattiesburg at the Forrest General Family Medicine Residency Program. All residents at both programs are MAFP members.
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MAFP members from North Mississippi Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program
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Deadline Nears for Hall Scholarship Available to High School Seniors
The MAFP Foundation awards up to $3,500 to deserving high school seniors who submit a 500-word essay about family medicine to the David G. Hall, MD, Memorial Scholarship.
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| Dr. David G. Hall |
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The deadline for essays this year is March 1, and winners will be announced May 1. Personal e
ssays must be about the impact of a family physician in your life, the life of a family member, or the role of the family physician in the community.
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