October 25, 2021
New Medical License Renewal Guides for MDs and DOs
No matter where or how you deliver patient care in the Sunshine State, maintaining your Florida medical license is essential to your daily practice. So, if your state medical license is set to expire on Jan. 31, 2022 (MDs), or March 31, 2022 (DOs), don’t miss the FMA’s updated licensure guides.



Source: Florida Medical Association (FMA)
FEATURED ADVERTISER: The Doctors Company
The regulatory approvals for Moderna and J&J open the gate for boosters to be used more widely. The FDA also gave an OK to boosters that differ from the vaccine originally used to immunize people against COVID. 


Source: Health News Florida
FDA Signs Off on Extending COVID-19 Boosters to Americans Who Got the Moderna or J&J, Backs Mixing of Vaccines
U.S. regulators on Wednesday signed off on extending COVID-19 boosters to Americans who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine and said anyone eligible for an extra dose can get a brand different from the one they received initially.

The Food and Drug Administration’s decisions mark a big step toward expanding the U.S. booster campaign, which began with extra doses of the Pfizer vaccine last month. But before more people roll up their sleeves, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will consult an expert panel before finalizing official recommendations for who should get boosters and when.


Source: Chicago Tribune
Capital Health Plan Medicare Plans Snag Highest National Ratings
Capital Health Plan has again been recognized as a national health care leader, earning a 5-out-of-5 star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and 4½ stars for both its Medicare and Private health insurance plans from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).


Source: Tallahassee Democrat
Lawmakers in 2019 approved pursuing a plan to import lower-cost drugs from Canada for government programs, but the state continues to wait for FDA approval. Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Simone Marstiller tells a House panel the plan would be implemented in two phases, the second of which would include Medicaid.


Source: Health News Florida
Seniors Decry Health Care Providers' Age Bias: 'They Treat Me Like I'm Old and Stupid'
Ageism in health care settings, which can result in inappropriate or dangerous treatment, is getting new attention during the COVID pandemic. Nearly 20% of Americans 50 and older say they have experienced discrimination in health settings, according to a report. Another study estimates the annual health cost of ageism totals $63 billion. 


Source: Health News Florida
Scientists Search for Cause of MIS-C in Kids
More than 5,200 of the 6.2 million U.S. children diagnosed with COVID-19 have developed multisystem inflammatory syndrome. Doctors have no way to prevent MIS-C because they still don’t know what causes it. 


Source: Health News Florida
20 States Most Desperate For Primary Care Physicians
The shortage of primary care physicians is a nationwide issue, yet the severity of the crisis varies per state. That’s according to America’s Health Rankings, an annual report released by the United Health Foundation. One aspect of the report examined the average number of primary care physicians in each state per 100,000 patients. For purposes of the report, primary care includes internal medicine, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, geriatrics and general practice.


Source: Medical Economics
My Very Weird Lawsuit
I wasn't named in the malpractice suit, but I wasn't off the hook.

Doctors being sued? I thought I'd heard it all. You probably think you have, too. Well, listen to this!


Source: Medical Economics
CASE UPDATE: West Philadelphia Doctor Pleads To Prescription Practices That Led To The Death of Patient
Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced today that a West Philadelphia doctor previously charged for irresponsible and dangerous prescription practices that led to the death of his patient was found guilty after pleading no contest and will surrender his medical license.


Source: Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
FSU College of Medicine Alumni Tailgate - November 6, 2021
Alumni should RSVP to michele.reagan@med.fsu.edu.
Helping Children in Need This Holiday Season - Deadline for Donations: November 18, 2021
FSU College of Medicine students have been working with PAEC school-based clinics, and migrant summer school clinics for the last 14 years. COVID-19 has hit this underserved community especially hard, and many of these essential workers do not have luxury of quarantining for 10 days. If they do not work their families do not eat. These people are the frontline workers that enable our supermarkets to have fresh fruits and vegetables, yet somehow, they are invisible. It is our hope that we can make their holiday a little brighter this year with our annual holiday project. We are seeking new or used children clothes, toys, small books, and $25.00 Walmart gift cards. Donations can be dropped off at FSU College of Medicine, Tallahassee Campus located at 3331 Capital Oaks Drive, or at the Main Campus at Jan Beane’s office of Human Resources. Our regional campus is on the corner of Miccosukee Rd and Capital Oaks Drive, near Tallahassee Regional Medical Center, and Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic. Online donations can be accepted http://floridalearnsfoundation.org/. Please contact Elaine Geissinger at (850) 645-1266 (Office) or (850) 566-1079 (Cell) or Elaine.geissinger@med.fsu.edu or Dr. Maria Pouncey, maria.pouncey@paec.org.

Source: FSU College of Medicine Tallahassee Regional Campus
October Healthcare Coalitions Virtual Trainings
Below is a list of free virtual classes available for the month of October through the Florida Healthcare Coalitions. 
 
  • October 25 & 26 – Healthcare Sector Emergency Preparedness I (AWR-336)
  • 8-hour class (12:30 to 4:30pm Eastern, each day)
  • Provider – Center for Domestic Preparedness (Anniston, AL)
  • Flyer - must use unique code to register
 
Source: Big Bend Healthcare Coalition
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
Talk to me, Goose.
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.
Opportunity to Support the 2022 CMS Membership Directory
The Capital Medical Society will publish its 2022 Membership Directory early next year. It will be distributed to all members. We have once again contracted with a company called E&M Consulting to produce the directory. E&M will be contacting our members over the next few months about advertising opportunities in the directory. E&M will manage all the ad sales, creative design, and formatting of the publication for us. This is a very professional group with experience in publishing association directories. If you have any questions or would like to advertise, please contact Rob Schmidt with E&M at 850-347-8182, 800-572-0011, or rob@emconsultinginc.com. Information on the available advertising opportunities can be viewed here or can also be viewed online at https://www.emconsultinginc.com/adreservation/cms/. Please be responsive and help support this directory. Remember, it will include our entire medical community.  
 
CMS will provide the content - including photos of our members. If you have an updated photo - please send it to us!
 
Please feel free to call us if you have any questions - and thank you for your support!
 
Sincerely,
The CMS Staff
(850) 877-9018
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
Rx for Miracles
Florida RX Card has created a new program and resource card to help Children's Miracle Network children and families in need. This card will work just as Florida Rx Card, helping people save on their prescription medications. 

The flyer explains the program and can be used to share/download the app.
Informed Webinar Series: Understanding the CMS Proposed Rule: Reducing Provider and Patient Burden by Improving Prior Authorization Processes
On December 11, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that would improve the electronic exchange of healthcare data among payers, providers, and patients. If finalized, the CMS rule would streamline processes related to prior authorization with the goal of reducing the burden on providers and patients. Medicaid, CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program), and QHP (Qualified Health Plan) payers would be required to build and implement FHIR-enabled APIs that could:
 
  • Allow providers to know, in advance, what documentation would be needed for each different payer. 
  • Streamline the documentation process. 
  • Enable providers to send prior authorization requests (and receive responses electronically) directly from the provider's EHR or other practice management system.
 
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