• Register here for today's Maryland Department of Health all-physician call at 5:00 pm. Last week's call focused on vaccine development and deployment updates, and this week's call is sure to provide more information of interest to physicians.

• American Medical Association members are invited to join the AMA tomorrow, October 29 at 1:00 pm for a kickoff event for the CDC's Project Firstline national infection control training collaborative for all healthcare workers.

• MedChi's Fall House of Delegates Meeting on November 7 will feature a CME program focused on discussing national survey results on the physician response to COVID-19. All members are invited to attend.

• MedChi will host Addiction Treatment in the Time of COVID-19 on November 11 at 5:00 pm.

• The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has released a final rule implementing provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act related to electronic health information blocking, interoperability and the ONC Health IT Certification Program. 

• The Maryland Department of Health has issued a notice asking clinicians to consider tuberculosis (TB) in the differential diagnostic work up of individuals who are at high risk for either TB or SARs-CoV-2 infection, and/or who present with respiratory symptoms common to both.

• HHS has announced an expansion of relief fund eligibility to include a broader range of practitioner and facility applicants.

• Maryland Secretary of Health Robert Neall requested that MedChi appoint a member to serve on MDH's SARS-COV-2 Vaccine Technical Advisory Group. We have proudly appointed our Public Health Committee Chair, Richard Bruno, MD, to serve on this advisory group, and we appreciate the opportunity to provide the state with support and expertise in this critical endeavor.

• Check out this week's MedChi News, our digital newsletter for MedChi members.

• The Maryland Department of Health has submitted its COVID-19 Vaccination Plan to the CDC. This plan will continue to evolve as vaccine deployment efforts take shape, and MedChi will play a significant role in ensuring that all physicians have the necessary information for vaccine administration.