January 21, 2022
January 2022 Capital Medical Society Catch My Stride Schedule
Get Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests
Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order four free at-home COVID-⁠19 tests. The tests are completely free. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days.

Order your tests now so you have them when you need them. 

AMA Toolkit for Physicians Implementing the No Surprises Act
The Federal No Surprises Act (NSA) prohibits out-of-network healthcare providers and facilities from balance billing commercially insured patients, in certain circumstances. The NSA and its implementing regulations set a method for determining the patient cost-sharing for these out-of-network situations, and when state law does not establish a provider payment methodology, the NSA establishes an independent dispute resolution (IDR) arbitration system to establish provider payment.

This toolkit focuses on three operational challenges that physicians will need to address immediately in order to be compliant with the new requirements. 

The AMA will be updating this document as additional guidance is available, as well as developing new resources on the remaining provisions of the NSA not included in this toolkit.

Click here to view the toolkit.

Source: American Medical Association (AMA)
Study Finds Employees in Florida Pay Among the Highest Rates for Health Insurance
The Commonwealth Fund study found that families in Florida were hit harder than any other state. On average, employees opting for family coverage had to pay $7,674. Those who opted for single coverage averaged the third highest rates in the nation, $1,811.


Source: Health News Florida
Some Insurance Brokers Enroll People in ACA Plans Without Consent
Some consumers "have gone months" without realizing someone had improperly enrolled them in health plans, with tax credits that may need repaying. A proposed new rule would stop the practice.


Source: Health News Florida
Early Retirement and the Likelihood of Regret
When I discovered the FIRE movement in 2015, I had a pretty good idea I would be ready and able to retire early from medicine at some point. 

Crunching numbers and considering some family dynamics, I came up with a roughly five-year plan to retire quite comfortably with a healthy margin of safety.


Source: The White Coat Investor
We Must Start Looking For Drowning Colleagues
I opened my email recently and blurted out a heartbroken expletive that I can’t print here. Another member of our health care family had died by suicide. I didn’t know them well, nor had I known our colleague who died from suicide just a few months before, but I felt as though I had been punched in the gut. An image came again that has been arising in my head, repeatedly and unbidden, of someone drowning.


Source: KevinMD.com
To Measure and Reduce Diagnostic Error, Start with the Data You Have
As a patient safety problem, diagnostic error differs from wrong-site surgery or medication errors. While we have not yet eliminated these errors, we know that systems-safety interventions like checklists and time-outs make an impact. But in considering diagnostic errors—when we are often trying to get inside someone’s head to determine why they did or didn’t think a certain thing—it is a totally different proposition.


Source: Orlando Medical News
Is Conventional Wisdom Costing You Money?
We have been the victims of conventional wisdom since the beginning of time. The earth is not flat. Bloodletting is not a valid medical treatment. A human being can run a mile faster than 4 minutes. Elvis really is dead! Let’s just say, conventional wisdom is often wrong. A very wise man once asked me, “If what you know to be true, turns out not to be true, when do you want to know it?


Source: Orlando Medical News
A New Paradigm Is Needed: Top Experts Question the Value of Advance Care Planning
For decades, Americans have been urged to fill out documents specifying their end-of-life wishes before becoming terminally ill — living wills, do-not-resuscitate orders, and other written materials expressing treatment preferences.

Now, a group of prominent experts is saying those efforts should stop because they haven’t improved end-of-life care.


Source: Orlando Medical News
COVID-19 Testing, Vaccination, and Monoclonal Antibody Sites and Hours of Operation in Leon County
Search https://arcg.is/1LLfLi0 for a map of all available testing and vaccination sites in Leon County, along with hours and scheduling details.  
 
Source: Leon County COVID-19 Information Portal
Invitation to the National Advocacy Conference (NAC)
The 2022 AMA National Advocacy Conference will be held in person, and registration is now open. Please join us!

Attending will give you the opportunity to connect with industry experts, members of Congress and others about current federal efforts to improve health care and advocate on crucial health care issues affecting your patients. You will hear from AMA leadership, the Administration, federal lawmakers, and other physician and patient advocates. Additional agenda details are coming soon.  

Schedule

The conference will begin on Monday, February 14th at 3:00 p.m. and adjourn Wednesday, February 16th after lunch. 

Hotel reservations 

Accommodations are at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C. Please reserve your hotel room now.  

Safety measures 

The safety of all our attendees is our priority. We are implementing meeting health and safety protocols which include social distancing. We have been and will continue to carefully watch the evolving recommendations for in-person gatherings and events. We are actively working with the Grand Hyatt Washington and monitoring updates from the CDC and the District of Columbia on safety protocols and precautions. As such, and to be responsible partners, we will be limiting the attendance of our live event to only those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Thank you,
National Advocacy Conference Staff
The Environment and Healthcare: Do Our Choices Matter? - My Green Doctor
Do the environmental improvements we make in our clinics and offices really impact the big picture? This month, the Capital Medical Society’s My Green Doctor answers this question and shares ideas for your practice (Reading time: 5 minutes): https://mygreendoctor.org/the-environment-healthcare-do-our-choices-matter-2/

Register at My Green Doctor and save $60 by using discount code, MGDCMS, making My Green Doctor a free membership benefit from the CMS. My Green Doctor adds just five minutes of environmental sustainability business to each office staff meeting. Everything you need is in the “Meeting-by-Meeting Guide” so there’s nothing for the office manager or you to study. You will also be helping to prepare your patients for the health threats of climate change.Please register today and ask your manager to register as well: https://www.MyGreenDoctor.org/  or https://www.MyGreenDoctor.es (en espanol). That discount code is MGDCMS. You can do this!

My Green Doctor can now mail you free waiting room patient brochures about wise environmental & climate choices. Available in English & Spanish. Email mygreendr@gmail.com & please put “Brochures” in the title.

Source: My Green Doctor
Volunteer for Florida Mission of Mercy - March 11-12, 2022
Discounted Event Tickets at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center
Capital Medical Society members can receive a discount on certain events at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center by using our promo code "CMST". The upcoming events are:
 
February 12, 2022

April 3, 2022

April 21, 2022
 
Members can receive the discount a few different ways:
1. Click the show link above and enter the promo code "CMST"
2. Call 850-645-0746 to purchase over the phone and mention the promo code "CMST"
Florida E-Prescribing
Electronic Prescribing Requirements (Florida Board of Medicine)
House Bill 831 (2019), Electronic Prescribing, was signed into law by Governor DeSantis. The effective date is January 1, 2020. The bill provides important new requirements for prescribers to generate and transmit all prescriptions electronically upon licensure renewal or by July 1, 2021, whichever is earlier.

Florida ePrescribing Clearinghouse (Agency for Healthcare Administration)
The purpose of the Florida ePrescribing Clearinghouse is to provide information that contributes to the promotion and implementation of electronic prescribing by health care practitioners, health care facilities, and pharmacies in order to prevent prescription drug abuse, improve patient safety, and reduce unnecessary prescriptions. This Clearinghouse contains information on the advantages, processes, products, rules, and laws of ePrescribing as well as Florida ePrescribing reports.
Save the Date for Upcoming CMS Meetings/Events
January 22, 2022

CMS Catch My Stride Walk

J.R. Alford Greenway Trail
Meet at: Parking Lot at 2500 Pedrick Road

2:30 pm
January 27, 2022

2022 CMS Presidential Installation of Paresh Patel, M.D.

FSU Alumni Center
(1030 West Tennessee Street)

6:00 pm
CMS Foundation Physician Wellness Program
We all need co-pilots. That's why the Capital Medical Society Foundation Physician Wellness Program is here for its members. The CMSF has teamed up with four wonderful resources who will help you fly - confidentially and autonomously. Your first six wellness coaching visits are at no cost to you. None. Nada. No identifying information. Nothing except peace of mind. Seriously. Pick up the phone and call any of the resources noted below. Telehealth options available.

Special thanks to MagMutual Foundation and others who are helping the CMSF fund this program.
 
Local Wellness Coaching Resources:
  • Paul Deitchman, Ph.D. - 850-878-3571
  • Tracey Morse, Ph.D. - 850-556-7944
  • Debra Weaver, Ph.D. - 850-942-5585
  • Stephen Wright, Ph.D. - 850-222-3045

C. Vincent Dix, Ph.D. has announced his retirement effective March 31, 2021. We appreciate the services Dr. Dix has provided to local physicians since the inception of the Capital Medical Society Foundation's Physician Wellness Program in 2017.

To view Physician Wellness resources, click here.

The Elephant in the Doctors' Lounge - With roughly 156 million Americans fully vaccinated for COVID-19, physicians are seeing signs of relief on the horizon. That relief can't come soon enough. The initial energy and adrenaline that drove physicians to treat their acutely ill patients in the early months of the pandemic have been replaced by fatigue, burnout, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It's time to talk -- and to act -- so these feelings of struggle don't drive more of our colleagues into a mental health emergency.
Source: MedPage Today
CME Resources
Wolfson Pediatric CME Webinars - 5.5 CME Credit Opportunity
Wolfson Children’s Hospital is proud to provide Continuing Medical Education opportunities to our partners and referring providers by offering monthly virtual CME sessions at no cost. If you have missed any of our previously offered live webinars and still wish to obtain CME credit for them, we have provided 4 recorded webinars for a total of 5.5 CME credits possible. Please follow the instructions below in order to take advantage of this opportunity!
 
1.      Open the flyer and choose which education session you would like to watch.
2.      Click the link in the attachment for the desired education session.
3.      Watch the webinar.
4.      Follow the instructions included in the video description to complete the required survey and input the associated activity code.
*Please note, if you are licensed outside of the state of Florida, you must contact the CME office at Kimberly.Branham-Nelson@bmcjax.com to request an official transcript of your participation.

Easy to use web portal makes it easy to find courses and track credits. Accredited activities for over 30 medical specialties; Over 100 active courses at any given time; Activity accreditations include ACCME, ANCC, AANP, ACPE, and more; Content is always current, and always free.

Free 1-hour online CME opportunity!
University of Florida's Department of Epidemiology
Raising awareness for Alzheimer's disease and increasing screening for cognitive impairment. This CME has a focus on primary care physicians but is applicable to all physicians who may encounter patients with cognitive impairments.

On-Demand CME by The Doctors Company
Diagnostic error continues to be a top patient safety concern, a global burden, and cause patient harm from treatment delay, testing, or misdiagnosis. “Prevention of Diagnostic Error in Primary Care” is an on-demand CME activity that features patient safety expert Jeffrey A. Gold, MD, professor of medicine, vice chair for quality and safety, for the department of medicine at the Oregon Health and Science University. This program highlights major contributing factors of diagnostic error along with the diagnostic process of care framework with additional focus on strategies to mitigate risk of patient harm in the primary care setting.

On-Demand CME by The Doctors Company
1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
Explore the challenges and risks associated with telehealth. Concerns regarding privacy, security, licensure, and technology that might instigate a malpractice claim are discussed.
Looking for Some Non-CME Credit Learning Opportunities?
TMH has a library of past CME courses for viewing on their MDnews page: https://www.tmh.org/mdnews/education. The recent CMEs cohosted by CMS and TMH may be found there or by opening: https://youtu.be/HJ50ZsIe2fc, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjgnCn77HSc&t=5s, and https://youtu.be/aD9Mn6NvXyk.
ABIM Extends Maintenance of Certification Requirement Deadlines Through 2022
Board-certified physicians are getting another extension on the deadline to maintain their internal medicine credentials.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) once again extended the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) requirements through December 2022.


Source: Fierce Healthcare
Coronavirus - Information, Updates, Resources
Updates and Resources

Maguire Medical Library - Florida State University College of Medicine: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Basic & Current Information

The State-Level COVID-19 profile for Florida. This data is collected from medical facilities in one of two system HHS protect or National Healthcare Safety Network  
 and the White House Coronavirus Task Force analyzes and distributes the report.
   
The New England Journal of Medicine - A collection of articles and other resources on the Coronavirus outbreak, including clinical reports, management guidelines, and commentary
 
Epidemiological and Clinical Resources For The COVID-19 Pandemic
 
CDC Healthcare Supply of Personal Protective Equipment
 
CDC Guidance for People at Higher Risk for COVID-19 Complications
 
CDC PPE Poster
 
CDC Guidance for Travelers from Countries with Widespread Sustained (ongoing) Transmission Arriving in the United States
 
CDC Communication Resources
 
NETEC coronavirus page includes PPE validation checklists and video resource, in addition to many others:
 
 
From the Florida Medical Association: Coronavirus Educational Resource Center

Vaccine Updates


 
See the latest state Department of Health data summarizing the number of people in Florida who have either received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine or completed the vaccine series (FMA) 
 
 (Florida Department of Health in Leon County)
 
(Florida Department of Health in Leon County) 
 
 
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
 
 
COVID-19 Pandemic Planning FAQ (dated 11/19/2020) includes important information regarding procurement and handling of costs for vaccine administration. (FEMA) 
 
What Happens Once There is a COVID-19 Vaccine? Key Challenges to Vaccinating America (12/3/2020) - VIDEO or SLIDES (Kaiser Family Foundation) 

Reporting for Health Care Providers and Laboratories

 
 
 
 
Notable recent additions to CDC guidance include more detailed infection prevention and control recommendations for health care settings: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/hcp/infection-control.html.

Please continue to closely monitor the CDC novel coronavirus website for situation and guidance updates. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.

If you have any patients who meet the person under investigation criteria, please contact the Florida Department of Health in Leon County Epidemiology Program at 850-404-6299.
 
Epidemiology and Disease Control Program
Florida Department of Health in Leon County
2965 Municipal Way
Tallahassee, FL 32304
Office Number: (850) 404-6299 
Confidential Fax: (850) 921-9855
PAP Machine Donations Needed!
A PAP (Positive Airway Pressure) machine is an electronic respiratory ventilation device used to treat obstructive sleep apnea. Capital Medical Society Foundation, Inc.'s We Care Network program assists low-income, uninsured adults, whose income is at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level, with obtaining these potentially life-saving medical devices, when prescribed by a pulmonologist. Thanks to our partners at Desloge Home Oxygen and Medical Equipment, Inc., we are able to provide refurbished CPAP, AutoPAP, and BPAP machines for eligible We Care Network patients in Leon, Gadsden, Jefferson, and Wakulla Counties. We Care Network also accepts unused, unopened supplies for PAP machines, such as masks, nasal cannulas, and tubing. We Care Network coordinates over $8,000,000 in donated specialty medical and dental care annually.
 
Machine donations can be dropped off at Capital Medical Society Foundation's office at 1204 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. Donations to Capital Medical Society Foundation are tax-deductible within IRS guidelines Federal Tax I.D. #: 59-2104510. For additional information, please call 942-5215 or email dbixler@capmed.org.
You Can Support the CMS Foundation! Sign Up and Shop Today on AmazonSmile!
For eligible purchases at AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to the Capital Medical Society Foundation! 
 
Click here to access AmazonSmile and support the CMS Foundation today!
Check Out the Latest CMS Member Benefits