Florida Medical Association (FMA) President Douglas R. Murphy Jr., MD announced that its Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Chris Clark, will now serve as Chief Executive Officer of the nearly 150-year-old association. Clark takes over as CEO beginning, Friday, April 1, 2022.

HCA Florida Capital Hospital announced that it has been recognized by Healthgrades, the leading resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems as America’s Best 100 for Joint & Orthopedic Surgery and Patient Safety and Surgical Care Excellence Awards. Every year, Healthgrades evaluates hospital performance at nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide for 32 of the most common inpatient procedures and conditions using Medicare data.

Governor Ron DeSantis has signed the following measure on April 6, 2022, impacting the practice of medicine: A bill (SB312) will expand the authority of physicians to prescribe controlled substance through telemedicine. Doctors will continue to be prohibited from using telemedicine to prescribe what are now as Schedule I and Schedule II substances, which include drugs that are considered highly addictive.

To view the Florida Medical Association's 2022 Legislative Session Summary, click here.

Prior to January 1, 2022, payment for Physician Assistants' services could only be made to the PA's employer. Pursuant to the calendar year 2022 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, a PA may now choose to bill Medicare and be paid directly for their services. This means that PAs can now set up their own practices.

Source: Acevedo Consulting

In the wake of fierce criticism of the so-called “don’t say gay” bill, GOP state Rep. Randy Fine says he will sponsor a bill aimed at preventing parents and doctors from providing gender assignment treatment to transgender children.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky announced plans Monday to revamp the agency that has come under blistering criticism for its performance leading the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic, saying, “it is time to step back and strategically position CDC to support the future of public health.

”In an agencywide email sent shortly after 1 p.m., Walensky said she has hired a senior federal health official outside of the Atlanta-based agency to conduct a one-month review to “kick off an evaluation of CDC’s structure, systems, and processes.”

To contain the spread of COVID, hospitals and nursing homes barred visits, but the separation and isolation took a toll on patients and families. Now, some states are trying to ensure access.

BayCare Health System has agreed to pay $20 million to settle a federal case in which it was accused of filing false claims for Medicaid funds, according to a release from the Department of Justice.

The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that it is working with federal and local authorities on a multistate outbreak of norovirus illnesses linked to raw oysters.

The oysters were harvested in the south and central parts of Baynes Sound, British Columbia, Canada, and have been distributed to restaurants and businesses in the following states, the FDA said: California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Texas and Washington state.

The former Tennessee nurse faces prison time for a fatal medication mistake. Reaction from her peers was swift and fierce on social media and beyond ― and it isn't over.

A physician in Texas was recently convicted for wrongly prescribing more than $1 million worth of opioid hydrocodone pills.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 52-year-old James Pierre, a Houston doctor, unlawfully prescribed controlled substances from June 2015 through July 2016 to individuals posing as patients at a West Parker Medical Clinic, a pill-mill clinic located in Houston.

Despite the availability of life-saving COVID-19 vaccines, so many people died in the second year of the pandemic in the U.S. that the nation's life expectancy dropped for a second year in a row last year, according to a new analysis.

Sometimes a long-term loan, such as from a bank or an SBA 7(a) Guaranteed Loan, simply does not make sense for a small medical practice. With term lengths typically shorter than five years, short-term loans are ideal for meeting the immediate needs of a medical practice, such as upgrading office equipment, restocking inventory, covering delayed bill payments or increasing cash flow without spending restrictions.

The threat of a malpractice lawsuit is something every physician worries about.

The results from the 2019 Merritt Hawkins Inpatient/Outpatient Revenue Survey found that primary care physicians-defined by the survey as internal medicine, family practice and pediatricians-ranked near the bottom in terms of salary as share of the average revenue they generate.

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!

In the latest AMA STEPS Forward^TM podcast episode, Tom Delbanco, MD, and Catherine DesRoches, DrPH, Co-Founder and Executive Director respectively of OpenNotes, discuss common concerns and best practices when sharing clinical notes with patients.

A second round of free COVID test kits can be ordered from the federal government.

Beginning Monday, March 7, people can go online to usps.com/testkits to request up to eight additional kits.

The only information required to fill out the form is a name, working email and mailing address including ZIP code.

Physician practices across the country continue to operate in an atmosphere of uncertainty, now compounded by a staffing crisis due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. In the latest AMA STEPS Forward^TM webinar, “Navigating the Current Healthcare Landscape: COVID-19, Staffing Crisis, and Administrative Burden,” attendees will hear about the current health care workforce landscape, how to plan for workplace shortages, and best practices in workplace safety and efficiencies for staff. The webinar will also feature practical, actionable resources to transform and improve your practice. Accompanying the webinar, the AMA has released an updated version of “A Physician Guide to Keeping Your Practice Open During COVID-19” to address concerns about workforce protection and retention during the pandemic. 

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. Earn 2.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ or 2.5 ADA CE Credits in our on-demand program that provides a useful and informative examination of the epidemic’s prevalence and effects.

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.

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

How can we talk with our patients about the health risks of climate change without disrupting the office visit? This important topic can be time-consuming and even controversial. This month, the Capital Medical Society’s My Green Doctor explains an easy solution that may work well in your practice: https://www.mygreendoctor.org/teaching-patients-climate-change-in-just-45-seconds-three-easy-scripts/.

My Green Doctor is a free money-saving membership benefit for members of the Capital Medical Society. Members use My Green Doctor’s “Meeting-by-Meeting Guide” to learn how to adopt environmental sustainability, save resources, and help create healthier communities. The program adds just five minutes to each regular office staff meeting or weekly office “huddle”, making small changes at each meeting that over time really add up.

Everyone in your practice can register as Partner Society members at www.MyGreenDoctor.org or at www.MyGreenDoctor.es (si, en Espanol) and can use the discount code MGDCMS to save $60 instantly and give full access to My Green Doctor for free. Ask your practice manager to register today and to put My Green Doctor on your next agenda. You can do this!

April 21, 2022

Electronic Prescribing Requirements (Florida Board of Medicine)

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.

To view Physician Wellness resources, click here.

7 Cures for the Jaded Physician in 2022 (Medical Economics)

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.

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 [email protected] to request an official transcript of your participation.

FreeCME.com 

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.

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.

The Capital Medical Society will publish its 2023 Membership Directory early next year. It will be distributed to all members. We have once again partnered with 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 advertising 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 an E&M sales associate at 800-572-0011 ext. 8005 or [email protected]. Please be responsive and help support this directory. Remember, it will include our entire medical community.  

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  

The New England Journal of Medicine - A collection of articles and other resources on the Coronavirus outbreak, including clinical reports, management guidelines, and commentary

From the American Medical Association: COVID-19 (2019 Novel Coronavirus) Resource Center for Physicians

From the Florida Medical Association: Coronavirus Educational Resource Center

Selected Adverse Events Reported after COVID-19 Vaccination (CDC)

FMA's Step-by-Step Guide to COVID-19 vaccine enrollment for Florida physicians (FMA) 

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's COVID Vaccines in Florida 

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) 

Mandatory Reporting of COVID-19 Laboratory Test Results: Reporting of Cycle Threshold Values (December 3, 2020)

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.

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 [email protected].

Click here to access AmazonSmile and support the CMS Foundation today!