November 7, 2023

Note: New Content Noted with Asterisks* and Highlighted.

Please scroll to see all updates in each section.

View as Webpage

Access the TCCN Intranet Page

Dear Colleagues,

Demand for nirsevimab (Beyfortus®), the monoclonal antibody injection to protect infants from RSV, has been high this season and there is limited availability nationally. Like many others throughout the United States, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has a limited supply of nirsevimab. Based on guidance from CDC, Children’s is prioritizing our limited supply of nirsevimab to infants and children who are hospitalized at Children’s or who are established Children’s outpatients currently receiving care for complex medical conditions. We are unable to accept appointments to provide nirsevimab outside of these settings. 

We understand that this has been a notable RSV season to date and we share the goal of wanting to protect all infants and children from severe illness. We anticipate that supplies of nirsevimab for children weighing 5 kilograms or more will remain limited for the rest of the 2023-2024 RSV season and hope for wider availability for next year.

Please encourage the pregnant parents of children in your practice to receive an RSV vaccine between 32-36 weeks of gestation to protect them and their neonates against RSV disease.

We will continue to provide updates via email and our physician newsletters. As always, thank you for all the ways you care for kids in our communities.

Sincerely,

Jim Fortenberry, MD, MCCM,

FAAP, FELSO

Chief Medical Officer 

Andi L. Shane, MD, MPH, MSc 

Division Chief, Infectious Diseases

If you missed the Professional Staff Town Hall meeting on November 1, listen to the recording (password: xSsHuPA8). 

Here are the time stamps for the topics that were covered during the meeting: 

• Surge and Capacity Update: 2:10
• Infectious Diseases Update: 19:12
• Nirsevimab Update: 25:48
• AMBH Update: 41:25
• Quality and Patient Safety Update (PIVIE Outcomes): 51:57

November 1, 2023- The FDA is advising healthcare providers who administer the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (2023-2024 Formula to individuals 6 months through 11 years of age to ensure that the correct volume of the vaccine (0.25 mL) is withdrawn from the vial, so that the correct dose is administered to the vaccine recipient. The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (2023-2024 Formula) is authorized for use in individuals 6 months through 11 years of age.

Click here to view the full announcement.

The 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (federal) and the 2022 Mental Health Parity Act (state) require that health insurance plans not impose more restrictive benefit limitations on mental health and substance use disorder benefits than on medical and surgical benefits. 

A recent update to Georgia AAP Board members stated: “Insurance plans not covering mental health services: Commissioner Tanner (and Reps. Oliver and Jones too) reported that the Insurance Commissioner has received no complaints about this happening. So members are encouraged to report instances in which you see a private insurance company not observing mental health parity in their coverages. You can do so via the Insurance Commissioner’s website, or report it to the Rick at the Chapter office. ” 

The Insurance Commissioner’s website is https://oci.georgia.gov/insurance-resources/complaints-fraud. DCH’s mental health parity portal is at https://dch.georgia.gov/how-do-i/mental-health-parity-information. Rick Ward at the Georgia Chapter of AAP can be reached at rward@gaaap.org. 

On November 16th at 10am we will host our annual pediatric coding seminar for your office staff. 

The materials will be sent out prior to the meeting, which will be recorded.

Speaker:

Mary Suhr

Director

Revenue Cycle Consulting with Revenue Cycle Coding Strategies

The TCCN Obesity & Diabetes Webinar recording is now available.

If you missed the webinar or would like a replay, please click here to view.

Asthma Flu Recall lists were distributed through secure emails to practices last month. Please use this list as a tool to help you start recall efforts early for the upcoming flu season. The flu vaccine continues to be one of the best ways to help provide the greatest protection possible against the flu and other communicable diseases, especially for vulnerable populations including Asthmatics.

If you have any questions about your Flu recall list, please reach out to Laura Baldwin at laura.baldwin@tccn-choa.org. 

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

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

Resources available for practices who participate in the TCCN GSK Program: 



• Quick Guide to GSK Flu Delivery
• Ordering Information with GSK Flu
• 2023-2024 Price Sheet

Please reach out to Barbara Douglas at barbara.douglas@tccn-choa.org or your GSK Rep if you have any questions.

TCCN and McKesson are pleased to announce a special buying program for the Welch Allyn SPOT Vision Screener. This program is only available to TCCN Members through McKesson. Please see the brochure here for additional information.

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

Please click here to view the latest MedBytes newsletter from Children's.

Topics in this issue:

• Clinical Updates: Virometer Report, Influenza Vaccine Requirements, Changes to Allergy Testing 
• Around Children’s: Egleston NICU Verified as First Level of Care IV Neonatal Center in Georgia, Wilbur Lam Elected to National Academy of Medicine, Vijay Srinivasan Named Division Chief for Critical Care Medicine, Winter Coat Drive at Hughes Spalding,Operational Changes to Insurance Verification Process for Infusion Center, Spaces Available at Samsky Preschool, Practitioners Requesting Initial Appointment, Vote for Top Docs, Phone Scams Targeting Physicians on the Rise
• Upcoming Events: Physician Outreach Webinar, Professional Staff Town Hall Meeting, Professional Staff Town Hall Survey
• In Case You Missed It: Professional Staff Town Hall Nov. 1 
• In the News: Two-Year-Old Emmie Thrives After Kidney Transplant, Hope and Will Podcast

The program is dedicated to Dr. Donald Schaffner, who was well known for his love of children, dedication to his profession and lifetime achievement in the field of pediatric surgery.

In Recognition of Daniel Salinas, MD

Event Details:

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Event will be offered as a Hybrid event with an in-person and virtual format.

Participants will select during registration their preference for attending, either in-person or virtually.

Location:

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite

1001 Johnson Ferry Rd. NE

Atlanta, GA 30329

Main Auditorium

Physician Continuing Education:  Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is accredited by the Medical Association of Georgia to provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians.

Children's designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ^TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Topic:

Physician Outreach Webinar Series: Interventional Radiology

Date:

November 14th, 2023 from 12:00-1:00pm via Zoom

Speaker:

Matthew Hawkins, MD

Description:

Register here

Join us for the monthly webinar series hosted by Children's Physician Outreach and the Physician Education department. This month, Dr. Hawkins will be discussing Children’s Interventional Radiology team.

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.

Upcoming dates for this training in 2024 are:

• January 19-21, 2024
• February 2-4, 2024

For More Information About the Program Click Here.

Participants will earn a maximum of 29.75 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM for completing this program.

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. 

In Case You Missed It (please use the links below to review)

TCCN Requirements

• 2023 Primary Care Quality Program Attestation
• March 23rd Clinical Quality Forum Recording and Attestation - DEI Education and Meeting Attendance Requirement
• Effective August 1st: 2-Week Data Submission Requirement

TCCN Resources

• Top 5 Cyber Mistakes Medical Practices Must Avoid
• TCCN Seizure Action Plan
• TCCN COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit
• TCCN COVID-19 Diagnosis and Isolation Algorithm
• Endocrinology Referral Guide
• Nephrology Referral Guideline
• 2023 Pediatric Coding Seminar Recording and Slides (Color and Black & White)
• 2023 TCCN OSHA Webinar Recording and Slides and Bloodborne Pathogens Test

Community Updates

• FDA Notice: Recall on 4.2% Sodium Bicarbonate Injection, USP and 1% and 2% Lidocaine HCl Injection, USP by Hospira Products
• FDA Provides Updated Recommendations for Certain O&M Halyard Surgical N95 Respirators, Surgical Masks, and Pediatric Face Masks
• Georgia Smoke-free Air Act
• Children’s to Decommission Physician Portal: Explore Frequently Used Links
• Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA)
• 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
• FDA Updates Prescribing Information on all opiod pain medicines
• ED and Outpatient Volume Surge, Fever Teaching Sheet, and Jan 2023 Update
• Bilirubin Level Testing and Phototherapy Vendors
• Formula Shortage Resources
• Children's Urgent Care Locations, Hours, and Scope Updates
• COVID-19 Ag Test Recall Notice
• DPH Letter re: Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine Requirement
• FDA MedWatch: Do Not Use Infant Head Shaping Pillows
• FDA Update to Medical Device Shortage List
• Antibiotic Alternatives Tip Sheet
• Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Continuing Medical Education Platform

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