Florida Senate Committee Approves 'Game-Changing' Health Care Plans | |
Proposals include expanding residency programs to keep doctors in the state and taking steps to divert nonemergent patients from ERs to other facilities. The legislative session begins Jan. 9.
READ MORE
Source: Health News Florida
| |
Legislative Researchers Suggest Ways to Keep New Doctors in Florida as Shortage Looms | |
With Florida’s population growing and an anticipated shortfall of nearly 18,000 physicians by 2035, a research arm of the Legislature is suggesting ways that lawmakers could increase retention of new doctors.
READ MORE
Source: Herald-Tribune
| |
FDA Could Make a Decision on Florida's Plan for Canada Drug Imports by Jan. 5 | |
AHCA Secretary Jason Weida told a state House panel he is “cautiously optimistic” the FDA will approve the plan, which the state has been pursuing since 2019.
READ MORE
Source: Health News Florida
| |
The 2024 Retirement Plan Contribution Limits | |
Contribution limits for 401(k)s, 403(b)s, 457(b)s, IRAs, Roth IRAs, HSAs, FSAs, SIMPLE IRAs, and SEP-IRAs are all indexed to inflation. While the retirement contribution limits do not go up every year and while every account does not use the same formula for when there will be an increase, you will generally see an increased contribution every year or two.
READ MORE
Source: The White Coat Investor
| |
The U.S. is Unprepared for the Growing Threat of Mosquito- and Tick-Borne Viruses | |
In the 1970's and '80's, Aedes albopictus mosquitoes came to the U.S. through the used tire trade. These stowaway insects, also known as Asian tiger mosquitoes, can carry viruses like dengue, Zika and chikungunya. They quickly adapted to city life in the southern, eastern and western U.S.
Since then, due to globalization and climate change, insects and the diseases they carry are spreading more widely around the world.
READ MORE
Source: Health News Florida
| |
Quality Sleep is Important For Your Health. Experts Share Keys to a Good Night. | |
From adapting to daylight saving time to the link between sleep and mental health, our guest specialists help us unravel some slumber secrets.
READ MORE
Source: Health News Florida
| |
Worried Your Kid Might Have Appendicitis? Try the Jump Test. | |
When children have stomach pain, many parents' minds go to appendicitis, which requires surgery. But if the child can jump without major pain, they are probably OK, doctors say.
READ MORE
Source: Health News Florida
| |
New Gene-Editing Treatment for Sickle Cell Could be Great News in Central Florida | |
Central Florida has one of the highest yearly diagnosis averages of sickle cell disease in the country, but a recently approved gene-editing treatment might bring relief.
READ MORE
Source: Health News Florida
| |
5 Ways to Build a Better Medical Team | |
Medicine is a team sport-the collective is often much greater than the individual when it comes to patient care, innovative ideas, productivity, and efficiencies. Even more important is that effective teamwork leads to fewer medical errors.
READ MORE
Source: Medical Economics
| |
Doctor of the Day Program for the 2024 Regular Legislative Session | |
To: All Physicians and Interested Parties,
In anticipation for the 2024 Regular Legislative Session, preparations for this program are underway.
You can find information regarding the Doctor of the Day program, as well as the Doctor of the Day application HERE.
Please contact me regarding any questions or concerns.
Thank you,
Kelly Welborn
Office of Legislative Services
Claude Pepper Building, Room 874
111 West Madison Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1400
(850) 717-0301
welborn.kelly@leg.state.fl.us
| |
DEA Requirement CME Available | |
The Florida Medical Association (FMA) has announced they will be providing the 8-hour, required DEA continuing education requirement through their CME portal: www.flmedical.org.
Here is the clickable link to the FMA site for further information and courses. Sign in is required, membership is not required.
Course fees apply: Member $200 / Non-Member $300 for the one-time requirement.
| |
DEA-Registered Practitioners' Training Requirement |
 |  |
On December 29, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 enacted a new one-time, eight-hour training requirement for all Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-registered practitioners on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders. Below is information on this new requirement.
Who is responsible for satisfying this new training requirement?
• All DEA-registered practitioners, with the exception of practitioners that are solely veterinarians.
How will practitioners be asked to report satisfying this new training requirement?
• Beginning on June 27, 2023, practitioners will be required to check a box on their online DEA registration form—regardless of whether a registrant is completing their initial registration application or renewing their registration—affirming that they have completed the new training requirement.
What is the deadline for satisfying this new training requirement?
· The deadline for satisfying this new training requirement is the date of a practitioner’s next scheduled DEA registration submission—regardless of whether it is an initial registration or a renewal registration—on or after June 27, 2023.
· This one-time training requirement affirmation will not be a part of future registration renewals.
· How can practitioners satisfy this new training requirement?
· There are multiple ways that practitioners can satisfy this new training requirement.
• First, the following groups of practitioners are deemed to have satisfied this training:
1.Group 1: All practitioners that are board certified in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry from the American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Board of Addiction Medicine, or the American Osteopathic Association.
2.Group 2: All practitioners that graduated in good standing from a medical (allopathic or osteopathic), dental, physician assistant, or advanced practice nursing school in the United States within five years of June 27, 2023, and successfully completed a comprehensive curriculum that included at least eight hours of training on:
· Treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders, including the appropriate clinical use of all drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of a substance use disorder; or
· Safe pharmacological management of dental pain and screening, brief intervention, and referral for appropriate treatment of patients with or at risk of developing opioid and other substance use disorders.
• Second, practitioners can satisfy this training by engaging in a total of eight hours of training on treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders from the groups listed below. A few key points related to this training:
1.The training does not have to occur in one session. It can be cumulative across multiple sessions that equal eight hours of training.
2.Past trainings on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders can count towards a practitioner meeting this requirement. In other words, if you received a relevant training from one of the groups listed below— prior to the enactment of this new training obligation on December 29, 2022—that training counts towards the eight-hour requirement.
3.Past DATA-Waived trainings count towards a DEA registrant’s 8-hour training requirement.
4.Trainings can occur in a variety of formats, including classroom settings, seminars at professional society meetings, or virtual offerings.
5. What accredited groups may provide trainings that meet this new requirement?
· The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
· The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP)
· American Medical Association (AMA)
· The American Osteopathic Association (AOA), or any organizations accredited by the AOA to provide continuing medical education
· The American Dental Association (ADA)
· The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS)
· The American Psychiatric Association (APA)
· The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
· The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA)
· The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
· Any other organization accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical
Education (AACCME) or the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition (CCEPR), whether directly or through an organization accredited by a State medical society that is recognized by the ACCME or CCEPR
· Any other organization approved or accredited by the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, the ACCME, or the CCEPR
We hope this information is helpful. For information regarding the DEA Diversion Control Division, please visit www.DEAdiversion.usdoj.gov. If you have any additional questions on this issue, please contact the Diversion Control Division Policy Section at (571) 362-3260.
Sincerely,
Thomas W. Prevoznik
Acting Assistant Administrator Diversion Control Division
Source: U.S Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
| |
CMS Foundation Physician Wellness Program is Here for Physicians and TMH Residents | |
Overloaded? Stressed? You're Not Alone.
Does your workday start before dawn and end well after dusk? Do you go to bed tired and wake up the same way? Maybe it’s time you talk to someone who can help you make positive changes for a healthier, happier life and lifestyle. The CMS has five professional counselors who are available to you - free of charge - free of worry. This program remains one of the few in the state that serves all local practicing physicians and TMH Residents, without cost, without question. Six sessions annually are completely confidential and autonomous.
WELLNESS COACHES:
| | |
|
Paul Deitchman, Ph.D.
313 Williams St., #5
Tallahassee, FL 32303
850-878-3571
UNIVERSITY: FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
| | |
|
Tracey Morse, Ph.D.
1114 E. Tennessee St.
Tallahassee, FL 32308
850-556-7944
UNIVERSITY: SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY – CARBONDALE
| | |
|
Stephen Wright, Ph.D.
313 Williams St., #7
Tallahassee, FL 32303
850-222-3045
UNIVERSITY: FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
| |
SPECIALTY AREA WELLNESS COACHES: | | |
|
Jane Marks, LFMT, LMHC
3325-C Thomasville Road
Tallahassee, FL 32308
850-385-8222
UNIVERSITY: FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
For five decades, Jane Marks has helped countless families navigate the challenges in life. As a Licensed Family & Marriage Therapist, she will bring a thoughtful approach to wellness for those seeking individual, family or marriage coaching through the CMS Foundation’s Physician Wellness Program.
| | |
|
Brenda Rabalais, Ph.D.
216 Lake Ella Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32303
850-841-7733
UNIVERSITY: FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
Brenda Rabalais, Ph.D., specializes in providing counseling services to those who are struggling with a loss or a trauma. Examples include; divorce, abandonment (foster care, adoption, service families), abuse, suicide, homicide, crime, loss of functionality, loss of home or job, long-term illnesses, other life transitions, as well as death. Brenda founded Lee's Place, a grief, loss and trauma counseling center, in 2000 and has been a practicing therapist as well as the Executive Director for those 21 years.
| |
Special thanks to the MagMutual Foundation and the TMH Medical Staff for helping the CMS fund this program. | |
African-American Alzheimer's Caregivers Training and Support (ACTS 2) Project | |
Informational Correspondence with the Capital Medical Society | |
In this digital era, we strive to keep you updated with the latest in information. Please let us know when your emails and contact information change. We want you to be part of this Society and be active in your practice networking. Patients seeking provider referrals and providers seeking provider referrals keep your practice flourishing. If your membership information is old and you would like to contact us about relocating, new staff changes, or if you haven’t heard from us in a while, your information may not be current. Your personal contact information is kept confidential but is our way of reaching out to you about meetings, medical updates, license requirements, legalities in medicine and patient privacy and care, Journals, newsletters and more.
Tom Block, Executive Director, 850-321-1648, tblock@capmed.org
| |
Are You One of our Members on the Move? |
If you can answer "yes" to any of these questions, we want to know more!
· Is your practice expanding? Are you adding staff members?
· Do you have a new practice administrator/office manager?
· Have you changed or added locations?
· Have you changed your email/phone/fax?
· Have you added a new specialty or passed your Board Certification(s)?
· Have you retired within the last six months?
Subject line: Member Updates
| |
Updated Physician Headshots |
The CMS website is your link to our physician member database. The CMS has been actively working on each provider search. Please take the time to search the listing. If you find there is any inaccurate information or an outdated headshot, please reach out to CMS to update your information. Let us know as soon as possible to make sure your information is current.
| |
Electronic Version of December 2023 Cap Scan | Click here to view the December 2023 Cap Scan. | |
Medicare Revalidations are back in full force after a brief pause during the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic. All healthcare providers and suppliers are required to revalidate their Medicare enrollment every 3-5 years per CMS’ request. Medicare has implemented new revalidation screening criteria that you will need to be aware of. Missing this important deadline will have significant financial consequences on your medical practice! This link is to a tool to a searchable database that allows you to look up the revalidation due date for Medicare providers who must revalidate their enrollment record information every three or five years.
| |
Your Dose of Medical Humor | |
Save the Date for Upcoming CMS Meetings/Events | |
|
January 23, 2024
CMS Presidential Installation of Helen Paulson, M.D.
6:00 pm
FSU Alumni Center
| |
Here's Another Connection for CMS Members: Healthcare Lawyer On Call |
The CMS has had a long-standing relationship with Jeff Cohen and The Florida Healthcare Law Firm. Did you know that you can tap into a program called Healthcare Lawyer On Call through Jeff and his firm? That's right! On-Call is different than what you may be used to and doesn't mean that you'll find an attorney at 3 AM to answer a question, but what it does mean is that you can call and speak with someone at The Florida Healthcare Law Firm for 15 minutes at no charge! Please remember that any purely verbal discussion on legal matters is simply the lawyer’s best (and unconfirmed) understanding. Another benefit of being a CMS member!
| |
|
Accredited Education Courses to Meet DEA Training Requirement
The Doctors Company offers 6.75 hrs. that meet the DEA requirement for free. These hours can be combined with previous opioid education the physician may have completed to achieve the 8 hr. requirement. This, and all The Doctors Company CME, is available for free to any physician. They do not have to be a The Doctors Company insured.
https://www.thedoctors.com/patient-safety/education-and-cme/accredited-education-courses-to-meet-dea-training-requirement/
FreeCME.com
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.
CME - From Brain Disorders to Brain Health
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
Prevention of Diagnostic Error in Primary Care
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
Telemedicine to Telehealth: Trends and Emerging Risks
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.
On-Demand CME by The Doctors Company
Safe Opioid Prescribing for Physicians and Dentists
2.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ or 2.5 ADA CE Credits
Opioids play an important role in pain management—both in acute and chronic care settings—but overuse, misuse, and diversion have contributed to an opioid-related epidemic leading to addiction and death. Our on-demand program provides a useful and informative examination of the epidemic’s prevalence and effects.
| |
National Human Trafficking Hotline |
If you suspect human trafficking, please call:
National Human Trafficking Hotline
1 (888) 373-7888
| |
Suicide Prevention Hotline |
Reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Veterans Crisis Line by Phone and Text
By Phone:
Call 1-800-273-8255 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline today. 988 is not a nationwide calling code right now.
Veterans should Press 1 to be connected with the Veterans Crisis Line.
By Text:
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is also available today through online chats. 988 is not a nationwide texting code right now.
Service members, Veterans, and their families can reach the Veterans Crisis Line by texting 838255, and through online chats at veteranscrisisline.net.
Source: Federal Communications Commission
| |
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 $5,000,000 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 850-942-5215 or email dbixler@capmed.org.
| |
Check Out the Latest CMS Member Benefits | | | | |
