In the year of VACEP's Golden Anniversary (chartered October 1970), our members were challenged in ways never seen in the modern history of emergency medicine. Healthcare workers rose to these challenges, but they are exhausted. We hear the stories daily. Many longstanding, underlying issues of America's healthcare system have been brought into a harsh, unforgiving light over the past 10 months. Still, as one medical director recently told us: "Quitting is not an option. Now is not the time to take a break."
Despite rising cases and myriad frustrations, Emergency Physicians and department staff enter 2021 stronger than ever. And that is thanks to the wonders of modern science, as our members and other frontline workers spent December getting armed with a vaccine. The rollout is a relief to frontline teams, who are being shown by leaders that they are a top priority. We have been inspired by your vaccination stories and pictures (a few are below, with more on our Facebook page).
While there's no "end" to the crises of 2020 on New Year's Day, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and a shared hope for brighter days ahead. As this monumental year closes, we sincerely hope you take a moment to reflect. And when all this ends — and it will — turn your exhaustions and frustrations and inspirations into true long-term change. When you're ready, VACEP is here to help you make it happen.
In this issue:
- The VACEP-championed surprise billing law goes into effect on Jan. 1 (Friday). Learn about what you and your patients can expect (in brief: you get paid fairly; patients pay a fair rate).
- Register for our 2021 Virtual CME Conference. Members are free with their ACEP ID.
- Learn about the upcoming medical malpractice legislation and tell your Virginia reps to "Keep the Cap."
- Virtual CME options aplenty.
- And much more.
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"For all the families I have had to give devastating news to this year. For every patient I witnessed die without their loved ones. For my colleagues who have given it all day after day through sweat, tears, and layers of PPE. For my family, neighbors, and community. Dig deep and find the reason that resonates with you and get the vaccine as soon as you get the opportunity. This is our shot!" |
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Randy Geldreich, MD, FACEP, FAAP:
"The vaccine gives us hope for a brighter tomorrow. It is a pure relief that diminishes the inherent fear of COVID-19 by the frontline healthcare workers. My hope is that many more will receive it so we can put this era behind us. There is certainly now much hope for the future. The vaccine felt like the typical immunization like tetanus or flu. The arm was sore for a day and I had minor chills without a fever. The side effect risk is minimal compared to the risk and potential impact of ongoing COVID infection. Some feel the vaccine was 'rushed,' but rather, multiple processes were expedited in parallel instead of sequentially proceeding. It’s truly a remarkable accomplishment."
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Jared Goldberg, MD:
"Getting the vaccine finally gives us the extra defense we need to keep ourselves safe while continuing to provide the excellent care that our patients desperately need and deserve. I feel so much more at ease now knowing that I will soon have the protection I need to continue seeing patients within the front line. I think it is just as important now that Emergency Physicians lead the way in demonstrating our faith in science. Showing the public that we trust the vaccination process is imperative to establishing the public’s trust in the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. We need to continue to lead in this way in order to reach our collective goal of overcoming this pandemic. Trust in the science."
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See more photos and stories of members getting the vaccine on our Facebook page. Share your vaccination photos and thoughts on this moment in time: Email VACEP Executive Director Sarah Marshall at sarah@vacep.org.
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Vaccinate Virginians.
The COVID‑19 vaccination campaign will require a strong vaccination workforce. To become a part of that volunteer workforce, you must register with the Virginia Department of Health's Medical Reserve Corps (MRC).
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VACEP Leadership elections are open!
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Member? Vote Now. Meet the candidates and vote at the link below.
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The nomination deadline for our Annual awards is January 15. We will announce honorees at our virtual CME Conference in February.
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"Give an Hour" to the VACEP Emergency Medicine Political Action Committee. |
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The Virginia General Assembly convenes for a virtual session on January 13. VACEP will advocate on behalf of you and your emergency department colleagues on issues that matter. We ask all members to "Give an Hour" ($150), or more, to help us support candidates who support us. |
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Register Now for VACEP 2021 |
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Join us for our 2021 Virtual CME Conference and earn your CME from the comfort and safety of your own home. Members can attend and pick up credits for free (you'll need your ACEP ID). Non-members can attend for only $50.
Sessions will be streamed Saturday and Sunday mornings, ending by 1 p.m., February 20 and 21. View Schedule, Speakers, and Register at the button through our virtual conference platform (called PheedLoop).
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Vendor or Provider Partner? Get your name in front of Virginia's emergency medicine community at our Conference. Learn more.
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Tell Your Senator and Delegate NO to Eliminating Virginia’s MedMal Cap |
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The General Assembly convenes on January 13 for a short and virtual session. During that time, a bill to eliminate Virginia’s medical malpractice cap is on the table. Eliminating the cap will twist the knife in an already-stressed system and for emergency physicians and all other specialties. Patients could face reductions in access to care and increased healthcare costs.
If you have not already, take two minutes to sign your name to a letter that will be sent to your Virginia Senator and Delegate encouraging them to oppose the bill. Thank you to more than 110 Emergency Physicians and other providers who have already taken action and emailed their state representatives.
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VACEP launches employer-based health plan for members |
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After many months of planning, VACEP this year launched a health insurance product for Virginia emergency medicine groups and their members. We have partnered with the Virginia Society of Association Executives (VSAE) and dozens of other affiliated Associations to create leverage in the marketplace and volume-based discounts that are not otherwise available to you. |
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What is the signup process like? From one of our members: "I was able to communicate via email several times during the workday with the insurance representative. Each reply was prompt. He asked me a small list of questions about the demographics of my family. Within a couple hours, I received a PDF with numerous tiered options. I found the experience stress-free and not overwhelming at all."
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VACEP-championed balance billing legislation goes into effect January 1 |
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Years of hard work, meetings, and negotiations officially pay off on New Year's Day, when VACEP-sponsored legislation goes into effect across Virginia to fix the surprise billing issues that have plagued patients and emergency physicians for years.
Under the new law, while patients still may receive a bill for their care from an out-of-network provider or facility, that bill will be in line with the in-network responsibilities of their plan. Providers, including Emergency Physicians, will also be paid a fair rate. Learn more about how insurers will pay for out-of-network care, the key arbitration process, and various patient scenarios under which they would be protected by this new law.
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Special thanks to our friends at the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association for compiling much of this information and various patient scenarios. VHHA was a partner in our effort to fix balance billing. |
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Replacement ER Utilization Program Proposal in the Works for 2021 |
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We have been working in both the political and legal worlds to remove a problematic Virginia budget item that is shortchanging, by $40 million, emergency physicians and hospitals that treat Medicaid patients. The policy is gutting funding to EDs and physicians by automatically “downcoding” nearly 800 emergency conditions for Medicaid patients — many of them common diagnoses. Reimbursement for these conditions is cut to only $15.45 if the diagnosis determined, after-the-fact, to be on the list of these “avoidable” codes. (Need to get up to speed? Read about our efforts, including our court challenges, here.)
Here’s what’s new for the 2021 General Assembly Session: We are working with our partners at Collective Medical (the team behind Virginia's Emergency Department Information Exchange, or EDie) to develop a replacement plan that would lower annual medical expenditures for a cohort of 1,500 high-utilizer Medicaid patients. We anticipate a 40% reduction in costs within a year of the program, equating to $36 million in savings.
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VACEP Lit Review: New Pediatric CPR Guidelines |
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The American Heart Association recently published new guidelines for pediatric advanced life support (PALS). VACEP member and UVA Health emergency physician Dr. Joshua Easter reviewed the guidelines and outlines two major changes, as well as a few minor revisions, that will impact resuscitation of children in the ED.
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VACEP members are invited to share their readings and reviews on the latest emergency medicine medical literature. If you read a study and have time to write a short, easy-to-digest review for your EM peers, we'd love to share it. Email us to get started.
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Crab cakes, Football, and CME: That's What Maryland Does! |
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Maryland's ACEP Chapter has invited VACEP members to attend a CME event they're hosting on January 26 at 10 a.m. It's free, only an hour, and you'll earn a credit. You'll need your ACEP login to register. |
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ALSO: On Feb. 1, the D.C. chapter will host an all-day, 8-credit CME course on the updated emergency medicine-focused Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT) Waiver Training. This is required to apply to the Drug Enforcement Agency for a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine, one of three medications — plus naltrexone and methadone — approved by the FDA for the treatment of opioid use disorder. Research demonstrates that MAT is effective and can help some people sustain recovery. Learn more.
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Want to complete your Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT) X-Waiver training in 2021? ACEP has partnered with Providers Clinical Support System (PCSS) to provide free trainings.
Want to know what to expect? Attendees will participate in a live, 4-hour training course on Zoom (worth 4.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits) and then complete a 4-hour online self-portion (followed by an online exam). ACEP is offering the live sessions on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. EST and Thursday, January 21, 2021 from 2 p.m.-6 p.m. EST.
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Access Content from ACEP20 |
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ACEP20 was online only this year and wrapped up in October. If you could not attend, or want to re-live or earn your CME, more than 270 hours of CME credits are available for the next three years. Virtual ACEP20 provides you with access to courses with synchronized video, slides and audio, downloadable PDFs, and more — all anywhere, anytime with your computer or mobile device.
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ACEP Council Resolutions
Review the resolutions passed at the ACEP20 Virtual Council Meeting in October. They include commendations of notable ACEP members and positions on a range of issues such as telehealth, billing and collections, the corporate practice of medicine, and more. There is also a push to assess the future work of ACEP "through the lens of health equity."
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'The World Has Come Together to Produce this Vaccine' |
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VACEP's Scott Hickey did a quick interview with Richmond TV station WTVR, which profiled a local mother who participated in a clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine.
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Dr. Carlton Stadler spoke on behalf VACEP with a message to stay safe (and home) during the holidays — and to trust science when it comes to the vaccine. See his Christmas Eve interview here.
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On December 28, ACEP submitted a response to a request for information (RFI) on the regulatory relief that HHS has granted during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
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President Trump signed the year-end package from Congress that has major implications for EM. Here's what you need to know.
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The ACEP Nominating Committee is accepting individual and component body recommendations for Board of Directors, Council speaker, and Council vice speaker candidates. Nominations are due March 22, and qualifications and application details are available at www.acep.org/board-nominations.
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Advocating for Emergency Medicine
VACEP supports candidates who support issues that matter to our specialty. The goal of the Virginia Emergency Medicine Political Action Committee (EMPAC/VA) is to assure the election or re-election of those members of the General Assembly who are supportive of organized medicine in general — and emergency medicine in particular.
Please consider donating to EMPAC-VA at the $150 “Give-an-Hour” level either with your dues renewal or on our website. We’ve had a busy year with a lot wins (more info here) and need your support to ensure our success in the latter half of 2020 and beyond.
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Virginia College of Emergency Physicians | (804) 297-3170 | E-mail | Website
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