February 6, 2024

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Dear Professional Staff Members,

We are holding our virtual Professional Staff Town Hall on Wed, Feb. 7, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. The Town Halls will continue to provide educational opportunity, and situational updates from Children’s infectious disease experts and physician leaders relevant to both community- and hospital-based physicians and providers.

We are pleased to have Dr. Kara Prickett, Dr. Briana Patterson and Dr. Matthew Santore from our Thyroid Program joining us to provide an update on services available to our patients. Additionally, as a follow-up to the brief update during last month’s Town Hall, Dr. Allan Dias will share additional information on the recent Flovent changes and recommendations for alternatives.

As always, we’ll also have time for questions and answers. Attendees will be placed on mute to facilitate the call, so please send as many of your questions as possible in advance to kate.johnson@choa.org so we can address them during our Q&A session.

You can join the meeting via computer, tablet or smart phone (Event link Ι Password: q4DpSSsA37b (74377772 from phones) | Event Number: 263 426 27769). If you are unable to join us for the virtual Town Hall on Wednesday, you may listen to the recording at your convenience. Details will be shared following the Town Hall. 

We continue to offer CME credit for these town halls. You must register as an attendee during the meeting to receive credit—either scan the QR code on the screen or email kate.johnson@choa.org for the link. An evaluation link will be sent following the town hall—once you complete it, your CME certificate will be emailed to you.

Thanks for your ongoing care for kids.

Best regards, Jim

James D. Fortenberry MD, MCCM, FAAP, FELSO

Chief Medical Officer | Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

Professor of Pediatric Critical Care | Emory University School of Medicine

1405 Clifton Road NE | Atlanta, GA 30322

james.fortenberry@choa.org | 404.785.1600 office | 770.826.6559 cell  

Check out the February issue here.

In this issue:

• Clinical updates: Virometer Report 
• Around Children’s: National Women Physicians Day, Traffic Delays at North Druid Hills, Register for CMS Open Payments, PHIC Asthma Survey, CAP Address Change
• Upcoming events: Child Protection Webinar Series, Annual Southeastern Pediatric Research Conference, New Horizons in Pediatrics, Professional Staff Town Hall
• In the News: Dr. Andi Shane Discusses Flu Symptoms and Prevention Tips

TCCN is pleased to announce the signature of a new value-based program contract with Aetna. The value-based program includes all TCCN members. The agreement will have an effective date retroactive to January 1, 2024. More details will be forthcoming as we implement this new agreement.

Children's released a special edition of their MedBytes newsletter last week addressing updates on a confirmed Measles case in the Atlanta Metro Area. Click here to read the full length communication.

Additional Resources Include:

• GA DPH Health Alert and Press Release
• Childrens Measles Information Page
• Children's Infographic: What You Need to Know about Measles

Please contact Georgia DPH if you have questions or concerns, or if you need to make a report.

The Georgia Composite Medical Board relaxed some teleprescribing rules during the COVID-19 pandemic. In December, 2023, the Board indicated that it would be removing some of those flexibilities as of January 1, 2024.  At its January 4, 2024, meeting, the Board deferred that action to May 1, 2024. Last week, the Board posted an additional press release, available at https://medicalboard.georgia.gov/press-releases/2024-01-10/board-extends-tele-prescribing-flexibility-until-may-1.  

Neither this press release nor the prior release clearly resolves all circumstances under which providers may prescribe or not prescribe without seeing the patient in person. In the meantime, media coverage further confused the question. TCCN is hopeful that the Board will address gaps and inconsistencies before May and will provide updates when available.

The Department of Community Health (DCH) advised that the new administration codes for Beyfortus (CPT codes 96380 and 96381) are expected to be loaded in GAMMIS in March 2024 with a January 1, 2024, effective date.

Until all systems updates are completed, health check providers should code the Beyfortus product (CPT codes 90380 or 90381 w/EP modifier) and report the administration of Beyfortus with code 96372.

We are excited to build on last year’s momentum as we launch the 2024 TCCN Quality Program. We will continue to renew our commitment to excellence by focusing on moving the needle forward on quality improvement outcomes. Our network objectives for this year include the following: to improve well child visit compliance rates, appropriate treatment for Asthmatics, increasing rates of appropriate screening rates for depression and adoption of ADHD guidelines, and continuing progress on meeting network minimum standard requirements by the end of this year.

Click here to view details and requirements for this year's Quality Program.

For questions regarding TCCN Value Added Services, please reach out to

Barbara Douglas, TCCN Associate Director of Programs at Barbara.douglas@tccn-choa.org.

The TCCN Value Added Services Team is excited to announce a new Medical Supplies Purchasing Program with McKesson! TCCN and McKesson have entered into a multi-faceted program for all TCCN Community practices! Click here for more program details

Topic:

Physician Outreach Webinar Series: Adolescent Medicine

Date:

February 13^th, 2024 from 12:00-1:00pm via Zoom

Speaker:

Holly Gooding, MD, MSc

David Inwards-Breland, MD

Samantha Hill, MD, MPH

Description:

Register here

Join us for the monthly webinar series hosted by Children's Physician Outreach and the Physician Education department. This month Dr. Gooding, Dr. Inwards-Breland, and Dr. Hill will be discussing a variety of topics related to adolescent medicine that include contraception, HIV prevention, gender care, and eating disorders.

Hosted by the Stephanie V Blank Center for Safe and Healthy Children. This online training series features monthly webinars on a variety of topics related to child safety, protection, and child sex trafficking designed to keep professionals and community members up to date on legislation and research developments in child abuse, health, and trauma.

While certain trainings may cater to a specific field, such as healthcare or social work, most webinars are applicable to a variety of audiences. 

Sign up for the Child Protection Webinar Series.

The Stephanie V. Blank Center also offers four On-Demand webinars. To register, please click here.

On-Demand topics include:

• Mandated Reporting of Child Abuse in Georgia
• The Fundamentals of Child Sex Trafficking
• The Medical Evaluation of Victims of Child Sex Trafficking
• Moving Forward After Victimization: Helping Victims to Survive and Thrive

If you have any questions or need additional information, please visit our website at choa.org/cptraining or email us at cpctraining@choa.org.

Saturday, April 13, 2024, 7:00 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. (In Person)

Sunday, April 14, 2024, 7:30 a.m. - 12:40 p.m. (Virtual)

Location:

• Saturday (In person)

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Support Center, 1575 NE Expressway,

Atlanta, GA 30329

• Sunday (Virtual via Zoom)

Description:

The purpose of this conference is to update pediatric primary care and family Practitioners about the latest information regarding medical conditions that affect children and adolescents, and recommended treatment options.

Topics for the 2024 conference will include:

• Redbook Updates: Immunizations

• Orthopedics

• Dermatology

• AI Medicine

• Psychopharmacology

• Nephrology

• Rheumatology

• Emergency Medicine Workshop

Physician Continuing Education:

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is accredited by the Medical Association of Georgia to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Children's designates this live activity for a maximum of 9.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM  Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Click here to register

Contact Melynda.baron@choa.org or visit choa.org/cme for more information.

As pediatricians increasingly play a critical role in “whole-child” care, they consistently identify a need to learn more about how to care for children with Behavioral and Mental Health (BMH) needs. Specifically, learning how to screen, when and how to treat, understanding the referral options and when it is appropriate to refer for specialty care. Providing BMH education to pediatricians stimulates confidence in their abilities to deliver care while allowing them to become more perceptive and resourceful in the process. By educating just one pediatrician, we can positively impact the lives of hundreds of kids needing BMH care.

Utilizing the Project ECHO platform, Children's has been providing Behavioral and Mental Health education in multiple cohorts since March 2021. This cohort will meet every other Wednesday at lunchtime starting March 13^th for six sessions and will cover multiple facets of building resilience for the pediatric patient. Upon the conclusion of this cohort, we will offer additional cohorts through 2025 covering new behavioral and mental health topics.

Project ECHO uses the online platform, Zoom, and participation in Project ECHO is free of charge. Participants will have the opportunity to earn CME and MOC Part II credits for their participation.

Registration is open now through March 26^th. Registration is open to primary care providers in the state of Georgia only. Active participation is required and participants are expected to present at minimum one case during the series.

Event Details:

Building Resilience cohort sessions will take place every other Wednesday from 12:00pm – 1:00pm via Zoom. This series will be facilitated by Erin Harlow-Parker, APRN, PMHCNS-BC. All sessions will be presented by Rachel Whaley, MSW.

· March 13th: Foundations of a Whole-Child Approach

· March 27th: Building Blocks of Resilience

· April 10th: Concepts to Support Emotional Development

· April 24th: Impact of Effective Communication

· May 8th: Strategies to Support Emotional Expression

· May 22nd: Strategies to Support Emotional Regulation

This series will be limited to 35 participants due to the time constraints of case presentations. There will be an active waitlist so please add your name if the course is full and you will be contacted if you are able to join.

To register for this series, click here.

Free virtual training for TCCN primary care physicians in 2024!

This is an excellent opportunity for TCCN members to get free training in pediatric mental health. An Atlanta donor has granted the REACH Institute an opportunity to allow free training for the Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care (PPP) program,

The PPP Program trains clinicians to diagnose and treat pediatric mental health conditions including ADHD, anxiety, depression and other common disorders seen in everyday practice.

For More Information About the Program Click Here.

Click Here to Submit an Online Application for the Program

HB458 was passed into Law in 2021 and was effective January 1, 2022 and requires that each physician complete a 2 hour course in “professional boundaries and sexual misconduct in medical practice” before renewing their GA medical license (this is a one-time requirement).  

TCCN’s Malpractice Carrier, Curi, has two 1 hour CME courses on “Sexual Misconduct” that fulfills the new GA license requirement for HB458. Please see instructions below on how to access.

Instructions:

• Login in to your Curi account at www.curi.com
• Click on your initials at the far top right of your screen. (Your initials will appear with a yellow circle around them)
• Select CME webinars
• There you will find two new CME activities- Patient Harassment and Sexual Harassment

If you are not part of TCCN’s Malpractice Program with Curi, please reach out to your malpractice carrier as they may have a class available as well. 

TCCN Requirements

• March 23rd Clinical Quality Forum Recording and Attestation - DEI Education and Meeting Attendance Requirement
• Effective August 1st: 2-Week Data Submission Requirement

TCCN Resources

• TCCN RSV Toolkit
• TCCN Seizure Action Plan
• Endocrinology Referral Guide
• Nephrology Referral Guideline
• 2023 TCCN OSHA Webinar Recording and Slides and Bloodborne Pathogens Test
• TCCN Webinar: New AAP Clinical Practice Guidelines for Obesity
• TCCN Pediatric Coding Seminar- Webinar Recording and slides
• TCCN Antibiotic Stewardship Webinar Series: Why It's Important for Your Practice and Patients:
• Webinar #1: How to Access and Use the Website
• Webinar #2: Prescribing Guide
• Webinar #3: Antibiotic Dosing: Maximize antibiotic adherence, limit wastage, and promote antibiotic stewardship
• TCCN Risk Management Webinar Recording and Presentation

Community Updates

• Moderna Pediatric COVID Vaccines Purchased on or After January 9, 2024 Now 100% Returnable
• Important Information About the Correct Dosage and Administration of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (2023-2024 Formula) for Individuals 6 Months Through 11 Years of Age
• DEA Requirement for All Providers - MATE Act FAQ and Resources
• Resilience and Emotional Wellness – Healthcare Training | Strong4Life
• The InFLUence of Vaccine Technology on Pediatric Influenza Outcomes
• URAC Clinical Integration Accreditation Announcement
• Bilirubin Level Testing and Phototherapy Vendors
• Antibiotic Alternatives Tip Sheet

We are here for you. Please reach out to your TCCN Provider Relations Representative contact@tccn-choa.org with any questions.