Newsletter: Coronavirus Resources, Spring Conference

MISSISSIPPI ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS

Newsletter - March 6, 2020

Registration Open for Spring Conference

Speakers on COVID-19 and Medical Marijuana highlight the 11 planned hours of CME at the MAFP Spring Conference, April 17-19 at the Hilton Hotel in Jackson.

The conference will kick off Friday, April 17, with a Board of Directors meeting at the MAFP headquarters office and a crawfish boil on the reservoir for dinner. On Saturday and Sunday, April 18-19, physicians will see presentations from great speakers on varied topics, including:

Dr. Paul Byers, State Epidemiologist and Dr. Kathryn Taylor, Deputy State Epidemiologist - Coronavirus Disease Update
Jeffery Jones, Pharmacist, MS State Department of Health - Medical Marijuana
Dr. Penny Lawin, MS Sports Medicine - Foot Care in Primary Care
Dr. Thomas Payne, PhD, UMMC Department of Otolaryngology - Pharmacology of Tobacco Use
Dr. James Ervin, Family Physician, Crystal Springs - Obesity Management
Dr. Dustin Sarver, PhD, UMMC Child Development and Carson Allen - Child Access to Mental Health and Psychiatry (CHAMP)
Dr. Megan Donnelly, Neurologist, Charlotte, NC - Diagnosis and Preventive Treatment of Migraine Headache
Dr. Melissa Stephens, William Carey University COM - Traumatic Stress Responses in Children and Families: Understanding the 12 CORE Concepts
A representative of the UMMC Division of Child Psychiatry - Treating ADHD, Anxiety and Depression
And more

The conference will be held concurrently with Saturday's Spring Fling for Residents and Students at the same location. Medical students and family medicine residents from both medical schools and all four FM residency programs are expected to attend. Exhibitors will be present and special prizes will be given to those who visit each exhibit booth. Register Now

FDA Introduces Free Anti-Tobacco Posters for Physicians to Order

It's easy to order (or download) the FDA's vaping prevention posters for your clinic. They have a wide variety available in both English and Spanish. Doctors can order up to 10 of each, or download a high-resolution version to print out.

MAFP Launches Coronavirus Resource Page

Novel coronavirus is beginning to spread in the United States. With all the information being issued rapid-fire from various authorities, MAFP has compiled all resources on our website's coronavirus page . Keep it bookmarked for the latest from the CDC, MS State Department of Health and more.

2020 Success Starts for Foundation

The MAFP Foundation has had a great start in 2020. We have received $2,100 in donations for the NEW Have a Heart for Family Medicine Campaign. We are earmarking these monies for the 8th Annual Future in Family Medicine Spring Fling dedicated to medical students and residents. We show off Family Medicine to more than 100 attendees and offer overnight accommmodations, meals, and registrations. THANKS to all those who donated! Donations are still being accepted.

SCHOLARSHIP: The Academy office received more than 15 applications recently for its David G. Hall, MD, Memorial Scholarship, given each year to a high school student interested in pursuing medicine as a profession. Each high schooler must write a 500-word essay on Family Physicians and what they mean to a community in order to be eligible. It is heartwarming to read these essays about our members and the impact they have on their local area. The winner(s) will be announced after judging is complete.

LICENSE TAG: 'Live Healthy' specialty license plate sales continue to rise, with the biggest January sales since the launch of the tag in 2013. Please spread the word about the 'Live Healthy' tag by posting on your social media! This poster (see graphic) sells itself. All you have to do it put in a place where your patients can see it. If you would like a poster for your office, please contact Beth Embry.

DRAW DOWN: The MAFP Foundation $10,000 Draw Down plans have already started and we will have tickets available to purchase at the Spring Conference and convenient online purchasing is available NOW through our website. Ticket Order Form We will also have tickets available at the Spring Conference in April.

Welcome February 2020 New Members

UMMC Students:

Margaret Cosnahan

Melissa Pippin

Praise Seo

Edwin Taylor Moore

Students Daulton Newman of Eupora and Lane Williamson of Pontotoc served as externs with UMMC Family Medicine department in 2019. They are pictured with Dr. Thais Tonore.

Family Medicine Dept. Interviews Students for Externship Positions

UMMC Family Medicine Department is conducting interviews this week for two paid summer externships available at the department. The positions are funded by the MAFP Foundation with a matching grant from the AAFP Foundation. The program allows medical students to shadow family physicians at UMMC and work with MAFP.

CMS Improves Medicare Documentation

As usual, the new year brings changes in how doctors bill and get paid for the servies they provide to Medicare patients. The reforms that will most affect family physician's pay aren't coming until 2021, when several changes in evaluation and management coding and payment are projected to result in a 12% increase for family medicine. Read more

MAFP Leadership to Meet with Div. of Medicaid

Officials with the Mississippi Division of Medicaid, including Director Drew Snyder, will meet with MAFP officers and representatives March 19. Anyone with concerns or a specific issue should contact Beth Embry so the matter can be discussed.

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