November 12, 2021
Thinking About Making a Gift Before the End of the Year?
Thank you for your dedicated support. The past year has reminded us how fortunate we are to have you in our family of physicians and donors. Your support has made it possible for us to face the many challenges of 2021. We couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you.
 
We wanted to take this time to remind you of some important CARES Act provisions that are scheduled to expire at year’s end. These provisions may affect you—and even make it easier for you to make a gift to the Capital Medical Society Foundation, Inc. They include:
 
  • An expanded charitable giving incentive that allows taxpayers who take the standard deduction to make up to $300 in charitable cash contributions for single filers ($600 for married couples) to qualified charities like ours (but not to supporting organizations or donor advised funds) this year.
 
  • For those who do itemize their deductions, the law allows for cash contributions to qualified charities such as ours to be deducted up to 100% of your adjusted gross income for the 2021 calendar year. 
 
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) and Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)
 
RMDs from IRAs were suspended for 2020 due to the pandemic. The requirement has been reinstated for 2021. The December 2019, Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act modified certain aspects of the way IRAs work. In prior years, individuals who had attained the age of 70 1/2 and older could transfer tax free up to $100,000 from their IRAs, in any given year, to a qualified public charity, such as the Capital Medical Society Foundation. The QCD could be applied, in whole or in part, toward the donor's annual RMD. Now, the SECURE Act has changed the age when individuals must start taking RMDs from age 70 1/2 to age 72. Individuals can still make QCDs starting at age 70 1/2 even if they are not taking RMDs at that time. However, that is affected by another change the SECURE Act made relative to IRA contributions and the QCD. Under prior law, those age 70 1/2 and older could not make new contributions to an IRA. Now, IRA owners at any age may make contributions to their accounts, the amounts of which may be tax-deductible. Such contributions, though, will REDUCE the tax-free $100,000 QCD limit. For example, if a donor makes a QCD of $10,000 to the Capital Medical Society Foundation in 2021 and also contributes $7,000 to their IRA, the Foundation will receive the full $10,000, but the tax-free portion of the QCD will be reduced to $3,000. The remaining $7,000 will be taxable income to the donor.  
 
These changes notwithstanding, QCDs from IRAs have become a familiar and useful tool for charitable giving. The Capital Medical Society Foundation invites you to consider directing a QCD to it either now at the close or 2021 or in early 2022. Under certain conditions, a QCD at the beginning of the year is preferable to year-end giving. We are happy to meet with you and your professional advisors to discuss your gift and hope you will join your many colleagues who are using QCDs to support the mission of the Capital Medical Society Foundation.   
 
We are so grateful for your generosity, which touches—and changes—so many lives. Please contact me at pirwin@capmed.org or 850-559-8611 to discuss how your gift can help further our mission.
 
With gratitude, 
 
Pam Irwin
Executive Director
Capital Medical Society Foundation, Inc.
 
“As a CMS Foundation board member and donor, I use Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from my Individual Retirement Account (IRA) as an effective way to accomplish my philanthropic goals and objectives. Further, QCDs are a very income-tax-beneficial giving strategy that can really trim your tax bill. That having been said, it is imperative for those who contemplate donations via QCDs to consult their professional advisors to clarify all pertinent federal law, rules and regulations relative to QCDs and the associated Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs).” - Paula S. Fortunas, M.A.
FEATURED ADVERTISER: The Doctors Company
U.S. Appeals Court Issues a Stay on Biden's Vaccine Mandate for Larger Businesses
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans granted an emergency stay of the requirement by OSHA on companies with 100 or more employees. The challenge, filed by Louisiana, other states and private plaintiffs, was granted due to “grave statutory and constitutional issues” raised. The federal government must provide an expedited reply on November 8. 


Source: Health News Florida
Proposals Rolled Out for Special Session Taking Aim at COVID-19 Vaccine and Mask Mandates
A series of bills were released as Gov. Ron DeSantis reiterated what he sees as the need for the legislative session, which will start Monday. Among the measures: ensuring workers can receive exemptions from employer-required vaccinations and preventing government employers from requiring their workers be vaccinated. 


Source: Health News Florida
Judge Backs State on Student Mask Rules
An administrative law judge rejected a challenge by school boards to a health department rule and said decisions to opt out of student mask requirements are at the “sole discretion” of parents or guardians. 


Source: Health News Florida
COVID’s Long, Scary Tail (Podcast)
On this week’s episode of the Prognosis podcast, we look at what causes almost half of all Covid sufferers to experience a complete or partial loss of their sense of smell, why this invisible condition can linger, and how it can lead to a profound disruption to daily life, mood and relationships.

We also look at the research underway to understand the coronavirus’s effect on the body’s odor-sensing organ, and its propensity to invade the central nervous system and damage the brain. 


Source: Bloomberg
Democrats' Plan Would Benefit State's Uninsured
The package would close the health insurance gap for 2.2 million people, including 415,000 in Florida. However, hospitals worry about a loss of funding in states where political opposition has blocked Medicaid expansion.


Source: Health News Florida
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
Should Surgeons Have a Mandatory Retirement Age?
Given increased attention toward high quality healthcare and patient safety in the last 2 decades, should there be a mandatory retirement age for physicians, and in particular, surgeons and other proceduralists? Other industries have certainly done this in the interest of public safety. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a good example, with its mandatory retirement age of 65 for airline pilots. FBI agents and other law enforcement officers also have retirement age requirements. Some foreign countries have established required retirement ages for physicians, including India, China, and Russia.


Source: MedPage Today
Love Doctor? Former Tallahassee Man Poses as Surgeon to Scam Women on Dating Sites, Feds Say
Federal prosecutors say a man who used to live in Tallahassee pretended to be a surgeon on dating websites in order to scam women out of their money.

According to the Northern District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office, 46-year-old Brian Wedgeworth used at least 13 different aliases between Oct. 2016 and March 2021 as he swindled women on various online dating forums.

The indictment says he was able to establish relationships with at least 21 women in Florida, California, Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Maryland using websites like Match, Plenty of Fish, Chrisitan Mingle, Hinge and Bumble.


Source: WCTV.tv
Content from The Doctors Company
Description: As efforts to connect patients and providers through telehealth have accelerated, enabling technology systems to communicate and exchange information has become increasingly important.
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Description: As the COVID19 pandemic continues, physicians are faced with many questions from their patients about vaccines, safety measures, risks of new variants, and the efficacy of new treatments. Robert M. Wachter, MD, renowned expert on COVID19, recently shared his thoughts on answers to some of the most common questions patients are asking healthcare providers.
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Description: Understanding the principles that form the establishment of a physician-patient relationship, as well as the concerns that may result in the need for the physician to consider terminating the physician-patient relationship, can help avoid problems that could result in malpractice claims. In this enduring CME activity, review the concepts of providing patient-centered care, learn strategies to improve patient relationships, and learn how best to terminate care when necessary.

Source: The Doctors Company
Provider Resources from the AMA
AMA Releases Four New BHI How-to Guides
The AMA has released four new practice guides that equip physician practices and health systems with practical strategies for overcoming obstacles to accessible and equitable treatment for patients’ behavioral, mental, and physical health needs. These guides focus on four key areas of effective integrated care: practice workflow design, pharmacological treatment, substance use disorder, and suicide prevention. Additionally, the BHI Compendium, which serves as a tool to help provide a proven pathway for delivering integrated behavioral care, has also been enhanced with additional resources and practice case studies ensuring physician practices and health systems have the most recent, actionable information at their disposal.


American Medical Association Telehealth Use Survey
The AMA is conducting a survey to assess the current landscape and use of telehealth among physicians and other health care practitioners. The goal is to learn more about physicians’ experience with telehealth, including ongoing challenges, benefits, and opportunities. Survey results will help inform future telehealth research and advocacy, resource development, and continued support for physicians, practices, and health systems. The survey will close on December 31, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. ET.


AMA to Host Mini-Boot Camp Focused on Highlights from the 2021 Telehealth Immersion Program
The AMA will host a Telehealth Immersion Program mini-boot camp from 5-7 p.m. ET. on December 7 that will provide participants with a recap of the 2021 Telehealth Immersion Program, highlight physician and practice wins, and provide an overview of the telehealth landscape for the future, including key policy changes for 2022.


Source: American Medical Association (AMA)
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
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
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.
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. Information on the available advertising opportunities can 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