MISSISSIPPI ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS
Newsletter - April 1, 2020
MAFP Asks Reeves, Dobbs to Take Action
At a phone meeting Tuesday, March 31, the MAFP Board of Directors voted to send letters to Governor Tate Reeves and State Health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs of the Mississippi State Board of Health asking for personal protective equipment for health care workers and tighter restrictions on Mississippi's citizens in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The letters were sent this morning.

As physicians, you know the needs of your communities and many of you have leadership roles. We encourage you to utilize these letters to share with your mayor, board of supervisors or city council members to encourage them to set priorities for your county or city as others have done.  
State Legislature Update
By Ashley Thompson, Advocacy Director - On March 18, due to growing concerns from COVID-19, the Mississippi Legislature recessed in the middle of the legislative session for at least two weeks. This was an unprecedented move within the Mississippi Legislature. Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann and Speaker of the House Philip Gunn drafted a resolution that would give the two Chambers enough flexibility to return quickly or stay recessed longer if needed. Currently, the session has been extended by 30 days with a Sine Die date of June 9, 2020.
 
When the Legislature convened, they had just completed the floor action deadline and were beginning work toward the Appropriations and Finance deadline. In the legislative process, the stopping point occurred at a good time because general bills that passed off the respective chamber floors are now being transmitted to the other chamber for committee referral and vetting. When the legislature returns, both the Senate and House will work to pass various state agency general and special fund bills. Once through the entire process, these appropriation bills will set each agency’s budget for Fiscal Year 2021 which begins on July 1, 2020.

The final quarter of 2020 is very important for revenue setting as a considerable portion of Mississippi’s budget comes into the state coffers during this period. As a result, I would anticipate a revenue estimate shift downward for the final quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021 which will mean there will be less money for the Legislature to divide among the various state agencies. Regardless of the break in the session, the elected officials and members of the legislature are continuing to work for Mississippians during this COVID-19 crisis. I encourage each of you to follow your Senator or Representative on social media for daily updates on the issue and how it impacts Mississippi. On another note, Representative Billy Andrews of Purvis has resigned, which will creates an additional vacancy in the Mississippi House of Representatives. Both seats will be filled via special elections.
 
The MAFP legislative committee has remained active trying to navigate through various COVID-19, provide up to date information for members, and remain a resource for all elected officials on healthcare issues in Mississippi. Please locate the COVID-19 section on the chapter website for up to date information that will aid each of you in your practice. We are working with state leaders, various healthcare associations, and other businesses to assist each of you. 
By Ashley Thompson, Advocacy Director - On March 18, due to growing concerns from COVID-19, the Mississippi Legislature recessed in the middle of the legislative session for at least two weeks. This was an unprecedented move within the Mississippi Legislature. Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann and Speaker of the House Philip Gunn drafted a resolution that would give the two Chambers enough flexibility to return quickly or stay recessed longer if needed. Currently, the session has been extended by 30 days with a Sine Die date of June 9, 2020.
 
When the Legislature convened, they had just completed the floor action deadline and were beginning work toward the Appropriations and Finance deadline. In the legislative process, the stopping point occurred at a good time because general bills that passed off the respective chamber floors are now being transmitted to the other chamber for committee referral and vetting. When the legislature returns, both the Senate and House will work to pass various state agency general and special fund bills. Once through the entire process, these appropriation bills will set each agency’s budget for Fiscal Year 2021 which begins on July 1, 2020.

The final quarter of 2020 is very important for revenue setting as a considerable portion of Mississippi’s budget comes into the state coffers during this period. As a result, I would anticipate a revenue estimate shift downward for the final quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021 which will mean there will be less money for the Legislature to divide among the various state agencies. Regardless of the break in the session, the elected officials and members of the legislature are continuing to work for Mississippians during this COVID-19 crisis. I encourage each of you to follow your Senator or Representative on social media for daily updates on the issue and how it impacts Mississippi. On another note, Representative Billy Andrews of Purvis has resigned, which will creates an additional vacancy in the Mississippi House of Representatives. Both seats will be filled via special elections.
 
The MAFP legislative committee has remained active trying to navigate through various COVID-19, provide up to date information for members, and remain a resource for all elected officials on healthcare issues in Mississippi. Please locate the COVID-19 section on the chapter website for up to date information that will aid each of you in your practice. We are working with state leaders, various healthcare associations, and other businesses to assist each of you. 
Doctors Use Social Media to Distribute Accurate Information About Emergency
It's human nature to crave information in an uncertain situation. Millions of home-bound people during this national health emergency are seeking accurate information about COVID-19. Unfortunately, a lot of misinformation is being spread online by those who mean well but are not medical experts.

That's where doctors can step in to fill the void. According to a survey conducted every year by Forbes magazine, medical doctors are traditionally one of the most-trusted professions. Many MAFP member physicians have already found that a simple Facebook post on their page can go viral, being shared by others hundreds of times and reaching far beyond a physician's list of friends. Several MAFP members shared what they've learned from their experiences with online posts.

"A good post has transparency," said Dr. Sarah Grabmiller of Meridian . "We also need to focus on letting people know our credentials - we are physicians, we have seen the flu. This is not the flu." She added that she recommends focusing on the positive - what physicians CAN do instead of what they cannot. "We should also publicly acknowledge good right now," Grabmiller said. "Like someone brought us lunch, someone sent us masks, someone thought about us, so that everything isn't negative in the world."

When you post, "write like you would explain to a patient in the exam room," said Dr. Jeremy Wells of Hattiesburg . "Keep it brief. Process your thoughts. Draft the simplest message. Five-paragraph posts aren't fully read."

When his own office staff quizzed him on what they had heard about COVID-19, Dr. Brent Smith of Cleveland said he realized how susceptible people - even health care workers -- were to myths and misinformation they hear. That prompted him to post information on Facebook about what was truth and what was fiction. "I can try to be a trusted source of information," he said. "For me, it's an opportunity to inform, to exercise my own need to educate patients, and it also challenges me to know the information to a level that I can field questions about it."

Some physicians have found it useful to post short videos of themselves, sometimes wearing a white coat, talking to the camera.

Dr. John Vanderloo of Jackson , said of his videos, it helps to remember that most people don't have the training and background that physicians take for granted. "People seem to go back and forth between scared and complacent," he said. "Physicians can combat this with honest, truthful information in a non-judgemental way."

"I think the most important thing is to keep it simple and short," said Dr. Emily Landrum of Starkville , who has posted videos. "It's important to put yourself in your audience's shoes and think about what they want to hear most."

Timing may also be important. Dr. Landrum said she tries to post early in the morning, at lunchtime, or at dinnertime.
Who are the New Family Medicine Residents?
Friday, March 20, was MATCH Day for fourth-year medical students across the country. Here's what we know from Mississippi's two medical schools and five family medicine residency programs (FMRPs).

At UMMC, 14 out of 143 matching students (10%) matched into family medicine and at William Carey, 27 matched to family medicine out of 98 matching students (28%). Of the 41 total Mississippi students who matched into family medicine, 16 of those will stay at one of Mississippi's residency programs.

Match lists from Mississippi's two medical schools, provided by the schools:

List of new interns at Mississippi's family medicine residencies - information provided by the programs:
Forrest General FMRP in Hattiesburg
Facing an Emergency, Doctors Receive Hand-Sewn Masks from Church Members
MAFP's story (linked below) about a church in Picayune that sewed cloth masks for its members was posted March 18 on MAFP's public Facebook page, and since then it has been 'shared' 232 times and reached almost 25,000 people on the social media platform. The photo above is Dr. Delora Denney, a family physician in Picayune, wearing a new cloth mask.

Since the story was posted, MAFP has received information from Dr. Fatima Sadiq on her research on cloth masks . The national organization Masks Now Coalition has a website and a Facebook page where you can find standardized patterns, request supplies for your practice, and more. Please feel free to share these resources.
COVID Communication
MAFP is working to be a clearinghouse for family physicians coping with COVID-19 who need information about telehealth, public and private payers, disaster assistance loans and more. Many of our members have an independent practice and are dealing with the health emergency on their own. To refer back to a past newsletter or COVID Communication, please visit our Newsletters page . We are also posting information to our Coronavirus page .